Chapter 1- On a Scale from 1 to 10, How Messed Up Am I?
Don't run away from home, EVER. No matter how messed up your life is at home, it could get a lot worse if you run away. Like me, you'd probably be labeled some really ugly names. Dumpster girl was the most common, since I usually went dumpster diving for old blankets in the winter. My foster parents never care, it's like they adopted me for looks. They adopted me because they want the world to think they're nice. I can't stand that.
Like me, you might end up fighting off monsters you thought never existed or had nightmares about mystic creatures. Several years ago, when I was young, my brother and I were running away from our old apartment where we lived with our Mom. Mom told us to leave. She said that the wolves were coming for us. After we left, we never saw her again. My brother and I survived on the streets, alone and always trying to survive. Then, my brother just vanished one morning, as if he never existed, so I was left alone to be put up for adoption. That was the worst feeling ever.
Like me, Aquaman and his blonde sidekick might come to the rescue and make matters worse. Now, when a homeless kid is told that she can be safe somewhere, that's usually your cue to run. But, I didn't. I stayed and died. No, I'm not joking, I actually died. You're probably thinking, Now, Bridget, how can you be telling this story if you were dead? Good Question, I have no idea.
I'm Bridget; Dumpster Girl, homeless, and dead. You might think that's a little too much for a twelve year-old to handle, but my life has been getting weirder and weirder ever since my Mom died. So my advice? Embrace the weirdness before it kills you.
Chapter 2- Aquaman and The Blonde Girl Ruin My Life, Not that I Had One
Okay, let's hit the play button. I was being attacked by a giant, larger-than-life, blue-eyed wolf. Its endless rows of teeth really reminded me of silver blades on a machine, ready to destroy anything that comes into contact. Silvery fur glistened in the broad morning Sun. I'm not too sure how the Sunlight reached us; we were in the middle of a dark alley! The wolf's pointy ears kept moving, almost as if it was sensing something other than me, its breakfast.
"HEY!" A teenager came up with a long bronze sword and jabbed at the wolf.
The wolf seemed to be expecting the boy, so the wolf started to attack him. I became a bystander, watching the boy in the orange shirt battle the wolf like he had many times before. I hadn't noticed that the boy had a slash mark running along his left leg. Blood trickled down slowly as the boy limped on his good leg. This guy obviously came from what looks like a sword fight against a master. Or he scraped his leg on one of the loose metal sheets around this alley. The teen looked about 17 or 18. I could tell by his height. I don't know many people my age and his height. Suddenly, another person came from the rooftops.
"Percy! Strike his flank while I distract him!" A girl jumped on the wolf's back and startled it so much that it jumped and created a mini earthquake that rattled the alley. The girl looked about the same age as her friend Percy. She held a rusted knife that seemed to glow in her right hand and a shield with a terrifying face in the other. She had a necklace embedded with beads and what looked like a college ring, although I couldn't be sure.
These two teens apparently hadn't seemed to notice me tending to my on injuries when they came out of nowhere. I had several cuts on my legs and forearms. My dumpster shoes were more worn-out than they had been when I found them. My golden hair had sticks and leaves in it from the floor of the alley, which made my messy hair look brown. Bits of dirt got caught in my eyes, leaving them watery and red. Dang, whenever my eyes get red, they turn a weird shade of green. I grabbed a pack of band-aids from my pack and started to separate bleeding cuts, which needed caring, from minor scrapes, which didn't.
The boy, Percy, finally struck down the beast and went to praise his friend. I started to feel invisible.
"Annabeth, nice job distracting it!" said Percy.
"You're the one who made the final blow." Complimented the girl, Annabeth.
"What was that thing? One of Lychaon's children?"
"No, I've never seen anything like it. Look, it's still there! The wolf should've disintegrated and gone to Tartarus by now."
"Yeah, weird." Percy finally seemed to notice me and started walking in my direction.
"Hey." He said.
"Hey." I said back.
"That's a nice scrape you get there. Here let me help." Percy raised his right hand in front of him and made that weird constipation face.
"Stop being dramatic Seaweed Brain." Annabeth piped up.
"Shut up." Percy responded playfully.
These two were obviously boyfriend and girlfriend. The way they talked to each other and the form they handled the wolf gave me enough info to concur. Living on the streets gave me an ability to be able to tell the type of person someone is or the relationships they have without really knowing them at all. It was useful when I went to those soup kitchens they have in the poor side of town to make sure I didn't get involved with the rough guys and so that I could make friends with the nice guys.
"Here we go." Percy said. He sounded like he was constipating too. Water streamed in from the entrance to the alley and floated in the air, waiting for something. As Percy opened his eyes again, he bent down and willed the water to cover my arms and legs.
"That should do it." He said.
The water dissipated and left my arms and legs looking like they'd been freshly waxed. I smelled the salty sea on my forearms.
"When did you learn that?" Annabeth asked curiously. Those stormy eyes really made her look demanding. Annabeth seemed like a statue, saying, Tell Me or Suffer.
"Chiron and Juniper showed me some healing properties water has." Percy responded. "They say I can manipulate it to heal others."
"Handy."
"So, I have three questions. One, who are you guys?" I asked.
"Okay. Easy enough. This is Percy and I'm Annabeth. We... help people by takiing them to a safe place called Camp Halfblood." Annabeth explained this like I would take the news calmly and not ask any more questions. TOO BAD.
"Second Question. You guys could see the wolf? Most people scold me because they think I'm hurting a poodle." I continued. Percy snorted, like he was trying to hold in a laugh.
"There's a veil preventing mortals from seeing things that us demigods see. It's called the Mist." Percy explained.
Hold the phone. I have more than three questions now. What the heck is a demigod? Why is this dude calling me a demigod? I mean, I guess I never knew my dad, but that doesn't mean he was a god, if that's how demigods work. Finally, I worked my questions into one.
"Are you guys taking me back to my foster home?" I said sadly. I tried to do puppy dog eyes to see if that'll convince them. Turns out, they didn't plan to take me back.
"What? No way! You're a camper now." Annabeth chuckled.
"Annabeth, how about we explain the whole 'child of a god' concept at Camp?" Percy suggested.
"Alright. Welcome to the demigod society, uh... What's your name?"
"Bridget."
"Last name?"
"No. I don't have either of my parents. My mom died from a wolf attack on our apartment, I never knew my dad, and my brother disappeared when I was two." Tears started to well up in my eyes.
"Woah, I'm sorry Bridget. Well, you'll have a home at Camp Halfblood." Percy apologized.
"Just like cousin Magnus..." Annabeth mumbled.
"Annabeth. Come on. Let's go!" Percy snapped.
I followed them along the abandoned streets of Boston, not sure what I was going to end up doing. All I thought at the time was three things. One; Where are these guys taking me? Two; Am I really the daughter of a god? And, three; Get ready to run, just like old times.
Chapter 3- Is Magnus a Blonde? 'Cuz I Am!
After Annabeth and Percy brought me to Camp What's Its Name, I made the mistake of meeting Chiron. Now, it was easy to understand seeing an overgrown wolf, but I couldn't stop staring at the man-horse. Chiron, who Percy later explained to me was a centaur, had horse haunches and a human torso. He wore a shirt that said, Horses Stomp on Wheat; I Stomp on Your Face. It was pretty funny considering he actually was half-horse. Chiron had a bow and a quiver of arrows slung on one shoulder as if he were going hunting.
"Hello Percy. Annabeth. Did you see to it that the monster has been dealt with? I don't want a rogue monster roaming the streets of Boston." Chiron questioned the teens.
"Yes sir. We also found a new demigod along the way." Annabeth beckoned me forward. "This is Bridget."
Chiron looked alarmed to see me. I was used to being given that look. After all, I slept in a subway and went dumpster diving for shoes. He greeted me, shook my hand, and trotted over to a building with a rooftop painted sky blue.
"That's not like him. He usually gives the new ones a tour! Well, since he won't I guess I will. Percy, can you give us some girl time?" Annabeth asked sweetly.
"It's always that…" Percy mumbled as he walked away. "'Can I be by myself Percy?' Yeah... yeah... I get it..."
His voice blended in with the warm breeze blowing through Camp. I was starting to notice strange things about this place, besides the weird creatures occasionally passing by. Rainy skies covered the borders of Camp, but conditions seemed to always be sunny from inside. The strawberry fields in the valleys below radiated a special aura. There were goat-men, satyrs I think, playing reed pipes which magically made the strawberries grow. Percy was at the lake side, throwing rocks into what looked like New York Harbor when all of a sudden, girls dressed in green came up from the lake and started scolding him. They looked mad, so I assumed they were saying something like, Gray rocks don't go with my naturally green lake! They made vines shoot up from the water and whip him. I giggled a little. Okay, maybe a lot.
"So Bridget, I want to take you to a really cool place I know. There, I can explain everything." Annabeth led me toward a cliff ledge at the border of Camp. It took us a while to get there; I was in no shape for climbing a mountain.
"Wow." I was awed at the view. "This is amazing."
"Yeah, you can see the entire Camp from here. The strawberry fields over there are the most beautiful thing to spot from up here. Although, this is a really cool seat if you're a spectator for Capture the Flag." Annabeth went on describing every little detail about this place. There were a million things to do and lots of people to meet.
"Alright Bridget. Here's the scoop." Annabeth took a deep breath in. "You're here because your father is one of the Greek gods. That makes you a demigod, also known as a half-blood. Half mortal, half god."
"Figures. I never really believed him, but my uncle started rambling on about gods and goddesses and about how our family attracted their attention. I grew up with him, so the conversation came up a lot." I started telling Annabeth my entire life story. She seemed interested, which was surprising. Nobody payed attention to me for more than a minute. Then again, she and Percy took me here and gave me a new life.
"Wow, I can't believe your uncle went to jail. You said he was arrested for harassing you?" She asked.
I responded, "Yeah. I never saw him again. His last words to me were, 'You're worse than your brother.'"
Tears started building up in my eyes. I never knew my brother, never met him, and my uncle dares to compare me to him. I buried my head in my lap and just took a moment to cry. Annabeth didn't seem to mind. There was silence for a minute, until Annabeth mumbled something to herself.
"I have to ask Magnus. I got to tell him..."
I have to admit; I didn't pay much attention to her when I started crying. Although, I couldn't help but to think about this Magnus guy she keeps mentioning. When she and Percy protected me from the wolf, she mentioned that I was like Magnus, though I have no idea who that is. Now, she has to ask him something, probably about me.
Click. Could Magnus be my brother? Okay, I get what you guys are thinking. No Bridget, that's stupid. Magnus is a guy you don't even know. Well guess what guys? I never knew my brother either! I have to ask Annabeth about him.
"Well, I have to go return Aegis to Thalia. Want to come with me?" Annabeth finally suggested.
"Sure, but along the way, you have to tell me who Aegis and Thalia are." I smirked.
"Deal."
Annabeth and I walked down the cliff back to the commons. I still couldn't help but wonder about this Magnus guy. If I could finally find my brother... I need to know.
Buzz Buzz. Buzz Buzz.
"Hold up. I have to take this call." Annabeth grabbed her phone to see who it's from.
"Who's calling you?"
"Oh... It's my cousin. Magnus. I'll be right back..." Annabeth walked back up the cliff and started to talk. I could barely hear her, but I managed to eavesdrop on their conversation.
"Yeah, Magnus. Hi! I missed you too, but listen. We found a new demigod, but her backstory seems a lot like yours. Yes! Wolves and everything! I swear I'm not making this up." Annabeth paused to listen. Her face darkened. "No. Way. I'll tell Chiron. Why not? Oh c'mon Magnus! Fine. See you at Uncle Randolph's mansion tonight. Yes, it's urgent. Okay. Bye."
Annabeth looked like she just came out of a sauna, her face was so sweaty. Just as she turned around, I scurried back down the cliff to where I was supposedly waiting. Once Annabeth came, we started back down the hill.
"So... What was that about?" I asked.
"Nothing." She said quickly. "Nothing important. Just a hello from my favorite cousin."
I could tell she was lying, but I decided not to bring it up. We strolled down the cliff and continued the tour of Camp. See you at that mansion tonight, I thought to myself.
Chapter 4- Cabin Hunting; Not for Deer
As Annabeth and I strolled past the sky blue building, I spotted several rows of beautifully painted buildings with domed roofs.
"What are those?" I asked.
"Those are the cabins of Camp Half-Blood. Each cabin represents a Greek god. The children of that god live in those cabins. My mom, Athena, has a cabin right over there." She answered.
We walked past several cabins until we got to one decorated with swords, maps, and other smart people stuff. However, when we walked inside, it was like a war base with bunk beds. Bookshelves and bunks lined the room while at the end of the cabin stood a fireplace.
"Hey Annabeth. Newcomer." A guy, around 16, walked out from the shadows.
"What's up Malcom?" Annabeth responded.
Malcom nodded his head toward me. "Giving her the tour?"
"Yup." Annabeth turned to face me. "Bridget, welcome to the Athena Cabin. Cabin of Wisdom and Battle Strategy."
Annabeth went on and on about her cabin, even if I tuned out half of the time. Malcolm had almost fallen asleep. His face was in the weirdest position I've ever seen; a combination of sleepy, bored, and focused. Malcom's mouth was open on the right and scrunched on the left.
"So, you want to tour the other cabins? I know you don't know your father and your mother was mortal, so we should probably look at the cabins of the male gods." Annabeth finished.
"Great! Let us go cabin hunting. Without the rifles and dead deer."
"Ha! Good one Bridget."
After staring at the entrance to the Zeus cabin for a good while, I finally spoke.
"Anyone home?"
"No, but Jason does stay here for a little while. He technically is a son of Jupiter, the Roman form of Zeus, but he does stay while his girlfriend Piper visits. Ah, the good old days when the Argo II sailed... Anyway, I'm getting off track. Let's move on." Annabeth seemed to have some good memories with Jason and Piper. I wonder if I could meet them.
Annabeth and I strolled past the Poseidon Cabin and spotted Percy in a pair of white underwear sleeping in a bunk under a huge beefy looking guy… with one eye.
"That's Tyson, he's a cyclops. He's Percy's half-brother. You know, on the godly side." Annabeth explained.
"Oh. That's why he has one eye." I responded curiously.
I decided to avoid that cabin. It seemed weird enough that a cyclops lived there, but I did not want to have a permanent image of Percy in his underwear stuck in my mind.
We passed many other cabins; Hades, Ares, Dionysus, Apollo, Hermes, and so on. Annabeth and I stopped at each one and received a whole lecture about that specific cabin. I got bored after a while, until Annabeth finally said something interesting.
"Alright Bridget, welcome to the Hephaestus Cabin. I have a friend here who might be able to help me with something. Just a quick errand." Annabeth reassured me that it was nothing serious, but the look on her face said otherwise.
We walked inside the cabin and were immediately greeted by metal death machines. The sharp blades almost decapitated me. Annabeth was dodging and rolling under the spikes.
"That's new. HEY LEO!" She yelled.
A guy with curly black hair got up from his bunk and said, "C'mon Annabeth! I worked all night on tweaking Festus. I'M TIRED! Just let me... rest..." Leo fluttered his eyelids and almost fainted. Luckily, I caught him.
"Okay... Is this normal?" I asked uncomfortably.
"Yeah, yeah, sure. Leo, I need your help fixing Aegis." Annabeth asked.
"Wait, I forgot to ask. Who's Aegis?" I raised an eyebrow at the two.
"Aegis is Thalia Grace's shield. She lets Annabeth borrow it sometimes, but Annabeth comes to me when she breaks it." Leo said.
Annabeth's face looked deadly, her cold stare just screamed, I WILL KILL YOU. "I didn't break it this time! A stupid wolf did!" Her face got redder by the second.
"Okay. Just messing with you. Here, let me see." Leo got to work on the shield, fussing with little details and always standing back after he does something to look at what he actually did. If you ask me about first impressions, I'll say that he's a stickler for details.
"No can do, can't be fixed." Leo said.
Annabeth looked flustered. Her face was drenched with sweat. "WHAT!? Okay, okay… Just. Let me. See it." Wow, I've never seen her this angry. Apparently, Leo hasn't either. He stepped back and let Annabeth examine it. I guess his jokes were over.
"Wow, okay. It can't be fixed. Even I can see that." Annabeth started pacing around the room, as if she were calculating every possible solution in her head at light speed.
I spoke up, unsure what I was doing. "Here, let me see it." I stuck my hand over the piece of shining metal. A million things were happening in my brain. What's the damage? Which tool can Leo use to fix it? Do I have that awkward Percy constipation face on me? I relaxed, opened my eyes, and told Leo what was up.
"All you have to do is get something from the Hecate Cabin, something that will make metal dissolve. Or, make it yourself. Then just add another ingredient to reverse it so that it will cause the metal to expand." I stopped, stared, and was immediately proud of myself.
"Hey. She's right! I have something over here that is still in the testing phase, but it just might work..." Leo's hands started working as fast as lightning. He started to look more interested in fixing the shield instead of being a sleeping zombie. I could only imagine him saying, Brains. Motor Oil. Automaton brains.
Annabeth walked over with a curious look and her enlightened face. Her eyes widened as she realized my method was working. I was relieved that it didn't turn out to be a bust.
"Bridget, how did you know that would work?" Annabeth asked me.
I tried to think of a really smart answer to that, but I probably said something like, "Dunno."
"Well Bridget, you think your father is Hephaestus?" Leo spoke up.
"I have no idea. Maybe... I was never much of a mechanical person though. However…"
"We have to go Leo, when she gets a sign at the campfire tonight, she'll know her father." Annabeth snapped.
Leo raised his hands as a sign of innocence and walked away. I thought that was kind of rude of her, but I wouldn't argue with those intense grey eyes. There was something about her that reminded me of... Well, me! The most obvious thing, we both have blond hair and grey eyes. Well, my eyes are more soft and hers are scarier. Also, she acts like me when she's upset about something. One time, my stepsiblings from my old foster home trashed my room and blamed it on me, after all, it was my room. II just stood there, paced around the room, and thought about what to do as calmly as I could, similarly to the way Annabeth did moments ago when she was freaking out.
Hold the phone. Hold the ringing dinging phone. Could Annabeth be related to me? Hold the other phone. If Magnus is my brother, then that means that Annabeth would be my cousin! It makes no sense in my head, but if it's true, I'd finally have my family. But I can't tell them. Not yet.
Annabeth grabbed Aegis and made it shrink down to the size of a bracelet. Actually, it was a bracelet. Lined with silver and embedded with bits of gold, it was the most beautiful thing I've seen. Coming from me, that may not mean much but I can tell its value.
"That is so cool. How can it do that?" I asked, my wide eyes still staring.
"Good craftsmanship? I honestly don't know. You'll have to ask Thalia." She answered.
Annabeth and I walked out of the Hephaestus Cabin and headed for a silver cabin decorated with flowing designs. The domed roof was so elegant; it could've belonged to Queen Elizabeth. As we walked inside, a battalion of at least thirty girls stood in front of us with bows and arrows pointed at us. I assumed they were the Hunters of Artemis. I read about them in my spare time at the bookstore. They were a band of immortal teenage girls who forever served the goddess Artemis.
"It's alright guys! No boys are with us!" Annabeth apologized.
"Hey Annabeth!" said one hunter. She wore a black leather jacket and had uneven black hair. Her eyes scared the June bugs out of me! They were electric blue and seemed to follow me, even if I hadn't moved. She reminded me of one of those punk girls that picked on me at a school in Boston. Only difference was that this girl seemed nice. She had the smile of a truly kind person.
"Hey Thalia!" Annabeth hugged her and introduced me. "This is Bridget. She's a new halfblood Percy and I rescued yesterday." Thalia studied me as if I were a complex piece of art. When she got up close to me, her face tightened.
"Bridget?" Thalia said. Did she know me? How did she know me?
"That's me." I quivered with fear. Thalia took a step back.
"Chiron told me about you. He said… some things about you." Thalia leaned into my ear and whispered, "I'm going to have to warn you to stay away from my Hunters. If they find out your dad is… him, they will kill you. I'm sorry." Thalia got back and told her hunters to go scavenge for dinner. Annabeth said Camp would serve them, but she declined.
"Well, here's your shield." Annabeth gave Aegis to her and paused for a moment. These two had a cold, hard stare.
"Tell him." Thalia's voice was shrill.
"I am." Annabeth responded.
"He knows."
"I know he knows."
"Norse. Not Greek."
Annabeth froze at that word. She looked speechless. Now I knew she was hiding something from me. I didn't understand what it was yet, but I would find out. Annabeth was going to meet her cousin at their uncle's mansion. All I had to do until then was keep a tabs on her.
"Huh?" That was probably the smartest thing I've said all day.
"Later, I'll explain later." Annabeth stormed out of the cabin with a flustered look on her face.
Thalia stared at me and nodded. "I know you, Bridget. I can tell just by looking at you, who you are." She pointed at the door. "Stay close to Annabeth, she'll tell you everything. I'm no oracle, but Artemis already feels an imbalance at Camp. I can't tell you directly how, but it's about your Dad." My legs turned to mush. My dad? Artemis? She said Annabeth would tell me…
"Stay safe my friend. Try not to die." On that happy note, I exited the cabin and trailed after Annabeth.
"You go ahead to the campfire. I've got a quick errand to run. See you tonight." Annabeth left me there, without even giving me directions!
Wait a second… the mansion. Annabeth was heading to meet her cousin Magnus. I was a pretty fast runner and really good at sneaking around, so I followed Annabeth out of Camp Halfblood and into the streets of New York City. Annabeth got in a taxi and left. I did the same and ordered this taxi to follow hers. At their speed? I would guess her taxi was going to go a good distance, so I curled up in the back, got comfortable, and waited. I'll see you there, Magnus.
Chapter 5- A Quick and Easy Death it Has Been
"Wake up kid, ride's over." The driver instructed.
I sat up groggily and slowly opened the door to the taxi, realizing Annabeth was already on her way to that mansion. Panicked, I quickly paid the driver and hobbled after Annabeth. After chasing her through what looked like the familiar streets of Boston, Annabeth stopped in front of a monumental building.
The building looked medieval and modern at the same time, combining the old with the new. A nice garden surrounded the mansion with tulips and azure bluets. But honestly, mansion was an understatement. This place was a castle. It looked like it could fit America's Army in there. And yes, I do mean the entire army.
Annabeth sat down on one of the public benches overlooking the road and waited. I assumed she was waiting for her cousin. I was right. A bush started rustling. Squirrels ran out from under the green mass of leaves just as a figure ran from behind it. I couldn't see very well, but I could tell what he looked like, more or less.
The guy had messy blond hair, like Annabeth's. His eyes looked so familiar, like I've known them all my life. He wore a gray shirt and a jean jacket to cover it. This dude had calloused hands and a smile I've never seen, it was so friendly.
"Magnus! There you are!" Annabeth studied him. "You have sticks in your long hair again, that's not good."
"Good to see you too. I just ran from those bronze duck statues with some friends. They probably think I'm passed out and having a dream about… you know, my life." Magnus chided.
"Well, we've got a problem. You know Thalia right? I've introduced you?"
"No."
"Oh, well anyway, we've got a new demigod at Camp and Thalia's telling me she's not a Greek one. Thalia says she's a Norse demigod."
"Daughter of who?"
"We don't know, but Chiron and Thalia seemed agitated when meeting her."
"One more thing, who's Thalia again?"
"She's a Hunter of Artemis."
"Of course, I know your demigod." Magnus paused for a moment and inhaled. "She's my sister, daughter of the Norse god Frey. Remember when you introduced me to Chiron in his wheelchair? Didn't he react the same way? Chiron said that he had to leave. Well, children of Frey who cross paths with other Non-Norse Nature gods, or any relation to them, it hasn't gone so well."
He stopped abruptly and turned his head in my direction. Did he see me? I don't think he did. His face said, Oh shoot, another one? Magnus looked at Annabeth. She turned her head to the city and pointed.
"Another fire giant?" She asked.
"Yup."
"What do we do? It doesn't show up on our radars at camp, only monsters."
"I have an idea." Magnus turned toward the bushes again and called out, "Hey, Jack!"
A golden sword inscribed with markings shot out from behind a tree, not the bushes. However, when it reached Magnus, it stopped in… midair.
"Annabeth, meet Jack. He's a sword I recovered from the time I first… died." Magnus looked at the sword. "Well?"
"We claim guest rights!" The sword hummed and glowed. I stumbled backwards.
"Jack, she's my cousin! She won't kill you." Magnus reassured the sword. Although, I wasn't sure why the sword was afraid. Well, I guess the sword had never met Annabeth, so I guess it had a point. I know what you guys are thinking, Bridget, how dare you do that! Oh come on, that joke was pretty good!
"Fine." The sword snapped.
"Alright, let's go kill that giant." Annabeth ran towards the city with Magnus trailing behind her.
I followed the two all the way to Longfellow Bridge, a place I recognized all too well. That's where I was chased down by one of my stepsiblings when they bullied me. Ah, memories of the second foster home. Not the best times.
"We can't stop that thing! It's huge!" Annabeth remarked.
The sword snickered. "Well duh. It's a giant." Annabeth looked at Magnus and told him to keep a handle on him. She said it, not me.
I prepared myself to run, catch a cab, and head back to Camp. This was getting dangerous. With the fire giant roaming around, who knows what will happen! Sadly, I made the mistake of stepping on a branch. Annabeth turned in my direction as her face slowly shifted from surprised to angry.
"Bridget?! What are you doing here? Didn't I tell you to stay at Camp?"
"Yell at me later, that fire giant looks like it sees us!" I moved back, Annabeth and Magnus following my movements.
Surely enough, it did! The monster started chasing us, which gave us absolutely no hope in running away! Nothing, nada, zero, zulch. Instinctively, I took Magnus' sword and charged at the giant. Sure! It wasn't the best idea I've ever had, but it felt right.
"Why did you grab me?" The sword glowed. Oh yeah, he could still talk.
"Thank me later." I grumbled.
Once I reached the foot of the giant, the poor guy seemed to be confused, as if my orange shirt blended into the flames around me, which it did! I thank myself for that. I stabbed the giant right in his big toe with Jack the Sword. That fire giant never stood a chance! Okay, I'm bragging sure, but you would too!
The giant toppled over and crushed several houses and apartments before finally resting his head in the waters of the Charles River. But I wasn't done yet. Trusting my gut and my immunity to extreme heat, I climbed up the fire giant, stood over his chest, and pointed my sword at a vein in his neck.
"Don't. You. Dare." The giant bellowed. His voice was so confident; I didn't think I won.
"What are you going to do? Step on me? Suffocate me? Try your hardest pal." I stood my ground.
All of a sudden, the giant inhaled gallons and gallons of air. Maybe he thought he could swallow me. But I knew that wasn't his plan. Holding his breath, the giant blew flames in my face, charring my clothes and searing my face. I stumbled and fell into the water below us just as Magnus took Jack the Sword and… finished the job. I wasn't there long enough to see, for my eyesight dimmed and my lungs failed to work. As I looked above me, I realized what happened. Too late. I sunk into the murk.
Chapter 6- Why Him?
I woke up in a room with golden walls and a polished wood floor. A bell hopper stood at a manager's desk talking to a tall guy hidden by a cloak. Their conversation stopped when the bell hopper saw me. He had shining golden skin that glinted in the sunlight. His face looked confident, with a smile crossing over his face like a rainbow crosses a sky.
"Hello, I'm Edgard Thorarin Asgrim of Northri. I will be your host as we welcome you to Valhalla. You can call me Ethan, however. Most cannot pronounce my name."
"Okay, Ethan." I paused a minute and looked around. "You called this place Valhalla? What's that?"
"You will learn everything by dinner tonight." Ethan looked at my eyes and straight into my soul, judging me with his warm smile and confident swagger. I hated guys like this. "Your Valkyrie will guide you to your room when you are ready."
Ethan walked away and ushered a girl into the room. She had brown hair, brown eyes, and a smirk that spread from the corners of her mouth. The girl wore a hijab and a plain green shirt. Walking up to me, her face scrunched up. Her eyes glanced at me, then seemed to meander off, as if they weren't sure what to focus on.
"Do I know you from somewhere?" The girl said. I didn't think I knew her. Besides, she was way too old to be one of my friends.
"No; I don't know." I answered. Her face seemed to relax more, but she still had an urgent look.
"Well, anyway. I'm Sam. I'll be your Valkyrie."
"Gosh, so many questions! What's a Valkyrie and what's Valhalla?"
Sam shot an angry look at Ethan. "He didn't tell you? Well, I'll explain during dinner. C'mon, lets go find your roommates; hall mates, really."
Being the stubborn girl I refused. "No. Not until I get some answers here. I mean, I don't even know you people! I just woke up here in the middle of who-knows-where— "
"Valhalla," Ethan corrected.
"Whatever. Look, I just want to head back to Boston, so if you all could just leave me there, that would be great."
Sam got closer to me and emphasized her tone, so that she sounded more deadly than serious.
"Look, I didn't risk my job to bring you here. You died an honorable death, got brought to Valhalla, and will have all of your questions answered by dinner. Just leave me in peace for the night, okay Bridget?" That struck me.
"How do you know my name?" I asked.
"I get all of your information after I rescue you. You're Bridget Chase, daughter of Frey and one of two wielders to the Sword of Summer. I know you. It's not creepy."
"Yes it is." I gave Sam a sarcastically snarky look.
She sighed and ushered me to follow her. That was when the tiny man showed up.
He isn't that small, but he was shorter than me, so that made him tiny. The man had a gray tone to his skin and seemed petrified a little. Not scared, but almost stone-like. The guy showed up after we left the lobby of this place.
"Hey, Sam. What'd you bring her here for? She didn't die, her body is still breathing." The man asked.
"What? Blitzen, I saw her, she was dead! I couldn't have brought her to—" Sam interrupted herself. "Wait, did Magnus use his healing ability? Why Blitzen?!"
Blitzen explained everything to Sam as I became a standby. The two argued and argued until they finally agreed to explain everything to me.
Sam gave me the short version. "You are the daughter of a Norse god and we think that Magnus might be your brother. You didn't die, that means your human body is still alive. We have to get you back to Midgard, the human world, and see to it that your life goes back to normal."
"Normal? This is not what I call normal."
"Don't worry, we'll figure something out." I trusted her, but Sam seemed unsure about this.
I was freaking out. Magnus is my brother? Who in the world is Frey? Would Annabeth be my cousin? Can I trust random strangers I met five minutes ago? Finally, Blitzen and Sam snuck me out of Valhalla and back to Boston. I blacked out a couple of times so I don't remember going through an interdimensional portal to Boston. Yeah, everything is normal.
I scanned the area for Magnus or Annabeth. They had to be here fighting the fire giant. My eyes rapidly glanced around, showing how nervous I was about everything. No way I can still be sane after all that. I checked myself to make sure I hadn't gone crazy. I even pinched myself a couple times.
The moment I lost faith, Sam's eyes widened as she yelled, "Over here guys!" I looked where she was looking and, sure enough, two blond teens came running from my favorite falafel store. I was so glad that I cried a little. But what does anyone expect from an innocent twelve-year-old? After all, I had died and come back to life, was attacked by a fire giant, brought to a Greek camp for children of the gods, and now here I was; squatting on the cement sidewalk crying next to a large bronze duck. Great.
Chapter 7- Turns Out I Was Right All Along
Magnus ran towards me and tackled me in a bear hug. I'm usually a stickler about contact, but I didn't care. Annabeth explained everything that I heard from Blitzen and Sam in Valhalla, but I stayed quiet and listened.
"So, are you staying in Boston or Valhalla? I mean, it's your choice where to go, but…"
"I'm staying in Boston. Turns out I like my family." I gave Annabeth my signature goof face, the one I do when I can't smile, and continued. "I'd like to get to know the family I never had. You know, you, Magnus, probably some uncles I'd like to meet—"
"No, you wouldn't." Magnus interrupted. "As long as I live, I'm never seeing Randolph again."
"Okay then, no Uncle Randolph!" I laughed.
"Wanna go get some falafel?" Magnus asked. "There's this place that stuffs cheese in the crust, and even more—"
"Okay! Okay, we'll go for falafel later, but first, I want to thank Blitz and Sam for getting you here." Annabeth piped up.
Sam woke up from a daydream and took the thank you. Annabeth shook Blitzen's hand because she was much taller than him. I found it hilarious! A short man like him shaking hands with a tall girl like her! That might've looked like how it was when I met Blitzen though, so I tried to stop grinning so much.
The two left through a Bronze Duck Statue and gave Annabeth, Magnus, and I a chance to pick a falafel store.
"Take me to the cheesy crust store. I have to eat it! In case you haven't noticed, I'm a foodie." My request wasn't that hard.
"That's what I was going to do Bridget." Magnus answered.
"Perfect, we can all go there." Annabeth chided.
"But first, let me scout the store for any signs of Bird Loki." Magnus warned us.
I shot him my confused glare; one eyebrow raise and the left corner of my mouth slightly open.
"No need, it's just a falafel." Annabeth remarked.
We all went inside, ordered our food, and ate like we haven't eaten for days. One bite into that crust and I found my first love.
"Don't worry, it gets better." Magnus whispered in my ear. Better? This is already better!
"To us, the Chase cousins. Here's to being less messed up." Annabeth said.
"Don't quote yourself, it's just weird." Magnus bumped in.
"I take weird as a compliment." I smirked.
"Good for you! Maybe you can help me rescue the Hammer of Thor on Thursday." Magnus answered like it was no big deal.
"Quest?" Annabeth said.
"Quest." Magnus answered. He then leaned over and questioned me once more. "Are you in?"