Disclaimer: I don't own any characters and settings that Rick Riordan came up with and used in his amazing books of Percy Jackson. All those credentials go to him and his books. I only own my characters that I made and the part of the plot that is my idea to Mark of Athena and my writing style.

BTW, Mark of Athena, Chapter 1 is out. I read it on the official website of Percy Jackson. It is amazing!

Chapter 1:

Jessica Aquila here.

Look, I need a little help. I'm packing my bags because my older sister, Cecilia Aquila, told me to. I have absolutely no idea why. All I know is that I was pulled from school early and came straight home and had to start packing simple things. My clothes, a first aid kit, toothbrush and toothpaste, a comb and brush. I have tried to take my phone up to my room to text my friends that I'm leaving. But Cecilia has electronics on lock down. No phone, no Kindle or anything else that sends up signals. Only electronic I'm allowed to pack? My Itouch with my Wi-Fi connection I usually have in the house turned off. My mom is at work and my dad? I've never seen him before. I have no idea what is going on but I think I'm in some danger.

What is going on?

Cecilia came into my room, and dumped a crud load of velvet, black things on my bed. She arranged them hastily and as I pack some more clothes, fitting as much as I can into her sports duffel bag.

"Won't you need your duffel bag for sports?"

"No. Besides, I can buy a new one."

"Right."

I finished stuffing the bag and I zipped shut.

"Now what are those?"

"Open each of them," she replied.

I did and gasped, stumbling back.

"CECILIA! What the heck are those?"

In the velvet, there are daggers, swords, javelins, spears, sets of bows and arrows and any other ancient weapons that was once used in Ancient Rome, Greece, Mesopotamia was there; only these more updated, new, clean and twice as deadly.

"They're weapons. Duh."

"I know but what for?" I exclaimed. "Does mom know? Why do we have them? What—?"

Cecilia covered my mouth and waited until I was done muffling. She removed her hand, speaking.

"Yes mom knows—," I opened my mouth to ask why but she knew my question. "—but I can't tell you why. And there is a reason why we have them and what they are for. Listen closely. These weapons are for killing evil things that are still alive today."

"Superstition?"

"No. They are real Jessica. These weapons have a real purpose to them and they can kill us but not other people unless they are, how should I put it? 'Related' to us in a sense. They are used in training for where you are going. Speaking of which…when I send you on your way, you have to hurry quickly to 5th Avenue and to the streets of West 34th Street and West 33rd Street. Right at the entrance to the Empire State Building. You understand? Someone will pick you up there. It will be a gray cab and don't worry about paying. Just take this gold coin of mine and give it to the driver. Don't stare at the driver or ask questions. Just hand it to them, get in the car and let them take you to where you should have been a few months ago."

I stared at the gold coin she handed me, my eyes as big as half dollars. It was probably real, solid gold. One side had the stamp of a person's head, like regular coins. But it wasn't a familiar head. The other side had a picture of something that looked like the Parthenon. How long had she had this masterpiece and where did she get it? My mind buzzed with a gazillion questions. Like, what did she mean by being somewhere a few months ago? And why would there be a gray cab?

I stuck the gold coin in my shorts.

"Now pick which weapon you want," Cecilia told me.

I look among the weapons. The bows and arrows would be really cool to have but I like the daggers also. But I had to make a decision. One weapon only.

Cecilia's Blackberry rang and she picked it up, leaving the room for me to decide. I stared at the rows and rows of weapons. But something caught my eye. In the lower right hand corner was a separate, black velvet piece, about nine inches long and tied together with a a gold bracelet. I took the bracelet off and opened the piece, my eyes widening to what surprise was underneath.

Beneath laid a beautiful dagger, the blade six inches and the handle another three. The blade was gold on one side, bronze on the other and the sides etched in silver. The blade was completely clean and polished, gleaming in the late morning's light that flowed through the window. The handle was simple. No rear and front bolster. No spine on the blade. It had a hilt like a sword but it was short, just enough to catch and sword or a dagger on it that came down at amazing speed. The ends of the hilt were carved so the curled up, causing whatever sword or dagger that landed on it, to not slide off. Underneath the left side of the hilt was a thumb rise; a place where you put your thumb for a better grip to jab at somebody. The sheath for the dagger laid next to it, waves of blue, sea green, silver and gold; colors that didn't exactly go together but did here somehow.

I turned the dagger to the bronze side when something caught my eye. I looked on the hilt and saw an engraving. A word. I looked a little closer.

"Optimus Maximus."

She thought for a second, translating the Latin.

"The best and the greatest."

Cecilia walked in.

"Which one?"

I pointed at the dagger and she narrowed her eyes.

"Good choice sis. But you should get a long range one too," she told me.

I looked around. Swords won't my thing really right now so I looked at the bows and arrows and throwing knives.

All of the archery sets were all like complicated. One set was exploding arrows, fire arrows and then super fast arrows. Another was ones with gold tips and fancy designs along the shaft of the arrow. The quivers were all to fancy also and as for the bows. They were either to large, too small or they were way to fancy. I picked each bow up and none of them felt right. Cecilia noticed my interest in them. She left and came back with a simple set of bows and arrows. The arrows ends were electric blue and so was the handle on the bow. The quiver was a simple, the rim topped with blue also. The shard of the arrow was silver.

I held the bow in my hand and a tingling sensation went up my arm. It felt perfect. I ran my fingers along the bow string and one the arrows. They were absolutely perfect.

"I'll take this and the dagger if you don't mind," I told my sister. She nodded her approval. I slung the bow across my back and my quiver full of arrows. Then I took the dagger, fitted it snuggly in the pocket of my jeans and grabbed my duffel bag.

"You all packed?"

"Yes."

"Are you sure Jessica. I'm serious, you can't forget anything," Cecilia warned.

"Yes, I'm sure," I reassured her, walking out of my bedroom and down the stairs to the front door. I swung it open when Cecilia spoke.

"Jessica,"

I turned.

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry for not telling you why have to leave. But it's serious and important. But I'm so sorry. I wish I could tell you but not yet they told me. Not yet. It would just endanger us even more."

"Whose they? And what do you mean endanger us? Who's doing what? If you're in danger, then you're coming with me," I asked.

"No. No one is and it's not for you to worry about. But I promise when I see you again, I will tell you everything. I promise."

I nodded reluctantly and hugged my sister.

"I love you sis," Cecilia said quietly, choking up a bit. "Be safe when you leave."

My eyes stung with tears.

"I love you also and I will," I managed to get out. She held my face in her hands, a tear leaking from the corner of her eyes. She hugged me again and then I left, trying to fight back tears still. It seemed like this would be the last time I would see her again.

I began to run down my street, just like Cecilia instructed, heading for the Empire State Building.