Disclaimer: If I owned Percy Jackson, trust me. You'd know. I own my OC and my plot but that's it :P
Ok, just wanna give a quick warning here XD I have a bit of a potty mouth. I'm keeping it pretty under control in this story, but if you can't deal with the occasional swearword then now's probably to time to click that little blue back button. Sorry about that but if you really love me, you WON'T let me go… It's rated T for a reason :)
Thank you so much for your lovely reviews :3 really made my day ~
Chasing Butterflies
Sometimes, it appears to Ciara that life is purely accidental.
It was a cool afternoon in New York, the kind of breezy day which bites at bare skin and teases hair into candyfloss. Dressed in ten shades of black, Ciara slowly made her way down the school corridor. Yawning widely, she grudgingly made her way back to some mindless class that was another excuse to sleep.
It was only for her things, of course. The pencil that the teacher had confiscated, the hair tie that she'd dropped on the floor. Her threadbare bag bumped against her hip with every second step, although she couldn't exactly fathom why there was a spring in her step in the first place. Today was probably one of the worst so far this week. Even if it was only Monday.
The principal's words fluttered around her head like angry sparrows and Ciara giggled loudly. The laugh was entirely inappropriate, especially since the only sound in the lonely corridor was the muffled thumps of her sneakers against the linoleum. The brain-dead hallways were almost designed to amplify every sound and channel it into classrooms. But the snicker was completely and totally worth the awkward echoing all the same.
"Sir, it was only an accident –"
"The boy is in hospital, Miss Morris."
"That only proves my previous statement that it was an accident sir. I was testing a scientific theory, and he volunteered to be my test subject."
"And what theory was that, Miss Morris?"
"That hydrochloric acid can be sprayed out of an aerosol can, sir."
"What? Are you mentally deficient, Miss Morris?"
"No sir. If I was mentally deficient, I would have missed."
It was a sad day when science is overridden by an idiotic principal. Tossing the offending can in between her two hands, Ciara smirked. Because John Carter (dickhead extraordinaire) had volunteered to help test out her theory the very moment that he poured a test tube of bright blue copper sulfate over her head, screaming something along the lines of "ARE YOU FEELING A LITTLE BLUE?"
It had been pure (accidental) instinct for her to whip out the can and spray it into his eyes. Honestly, it had been.
Though of course, that didn't seem to matter very much to her principal. Pity. She would have liked to finish her high school education at a number of schools that she could count on one hand…
Ciara was just around the corner from the classroom when there was an earsplitting SHRIEK! Moments later the wooden and glass door with 'English' neatly printed across the glass was ripped from its hinges and sent smashing into a cluster of lockers a hair's breadth from her. It was followed by a hurtling chunk of wall, and an unfortunate desk. Diving to the side to avoid being sliced to ribbons by the shattered glass, Ciara hit the floor hard, stunned.
English. So that was what the mindless class was…
Lying on the floor for a few moments, Ciara tried to process what had just happened. Shriek. Flying door. Breaking class. Mildly exciting English lesson. Three people running into the classroom, swords in hand…? One of them stopped, staring at her. Feeling stupidly sluggish Ciara pulled herself to her feet, dragging her eyes to meet the boy's dark ones.
"Just stay out of the classroom, and run. You'll forget this all in a moment anyway, since you're mortal." He said matter of factly, before following his two companions into the classroom. Blinking, Ciara took two shaky steps forward before regaining her confidence and running to the now significantly wider doorway. An announcement blared out the school's loud speakers, delivered in the principal's shaky voice. "The school is entering an emergency situation. All students to the quad. Calmly and quietly make your way to the quad, students –"
Technically, she has already been released from this hellish institution, minutes before. Technically, "released" was the wrong word. But technically, Ciara doesn't actually care about technical terms. Released was the lovely, sugar coated word that she was sticking with. Long story short, she wasn't a student anymore. So, the announcement didn't exactly apply to her, did it?
Peering into the classroom, Ciara almost felt her jaw hit the floor. There, there was… No. Freaking. Way.
Impossible.
There was… some sort of monster in the classroom. In the corner a girl Ciara vaguely recognized was shivering in terror, as the three people she'd seen moments before brandished their swords at the thing, getting into some sort of battle position to protect the girl. The light glittered on their blades, except for one sword that seemed to simply swallow the feeble sunlight filtering through the cracked window. The breath froze in Ciara's throat as she watched, transfixed.
"HALFBLOODS! I WILL TEAR THE FLESH FROM YOUR BONES!" The monster screamed, its forked tongue flicking out of its mouth. Snarling viciously, it licked its scaled cheek in anticipation. Its eyes were a deep, bloody red, and instantly Ciara's knees felt like Jell-o. Ciara wasn't even sure what she was seeing – it looked like a snake, but with legs. And fur… were those matted yellow things wings? She didn't particularly want to stick around and find out – but it was like a slow motion car accident, she just couldn't look away.
The monster lunged forward, snapping at the shoulder of the boy who'd stopped to warn her moments before. His moments were so fast they almost blurred, but before Ciara could let out her held breath he was under the beast, slicing at it with his sword at the other two ducked and weaved around the monster like deadly dancers.
Suddenly her feet were propelling her forward as Ciara rushed forward, acid can in hand, every nerve in her body screaming at her to stop. But accidental bravery never gives up that easily.
Adrenalin pumping through her veins Ciara skidded forward, the rubber on her shoes screeching against the floor. In a heart stopping moment the monster turned on its heels, eying her with a mix of distaste and shock before roaring "WHAT IS THI-"
Ciara wasn't as slow.
Pressing her finger on the partially melted cap, a shot of concentrated acid exploded out, hitting the monster square in the eyes and mouth. Shrieking in agony the beast flailed blindly, sending Ciara into the wall with a massive claw swipe. Groaning, Ciara's eyelids fluttered in vain before she succumbed to the burning pain flaring throughout her body. Taking one final, ragged breath, Ciara blacked out.
Life is a series of accidents.
Some are more serious than others.
xxxxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxxxx
"What should we do with her Percy?"
"I'm… not sure. She saw the monster, and then attacked it… I'm not even sure if she's mortal. No ordinary human would act like that. Hold on Nico, she's coming around…"
Pain. Oh god, everywhere huurts. Slowly Ciara cracked one eye open, immediately wishing that she hadn't. Bright white light flooded her skull, as she groaned loudly. Sucking in a breath, Ciara was grateful to confirm that a. She was indeed alive and b. Her ribs appeared to be intact. Holding her breath in for three of the longest seconds in existence, Ciara tried to open her eyes again, this time marginally more successful.
Three curious faces were peering into her own and as Ciara's vision focussed, she blinked and stared at them back, trying to determine if there were actually three people there, and not just one. No one seemed willing to say anything until finally the dark eyed boy from before sighed. "I told you to stay out of the classroom."
Ciara's eye twitched.
"I have a very strong sense of curiosity."
"Curiosity killed the cat."
"Satisfaction brought him back." The slurred comebacks were instinctual, as Ciara frowned, trying to pinpoint the jackhammer banging in her head.
There was silence for a moment before a stern looking girl rolled her eyes. "Bickering isn't going to get us anywhere. Who are you?"
Ciara leaned back against the wall, lifting a hand to gingerly touch the back of her head. Her fingers came back dry, but Ciara wasn't entirely convinced. Rubbing her eyes, Ciara gazed around the room while the blonde girl's question began to register in her mind. The room had been levelled. Desks and chairs had been reduced to splinters, and the originally white floor was coated in thick plaster dust. Hmmm. The faculty wasn't going to be pleased…
"I'm still trying to figure that one out… But my name is Ciara. If that's what you're after…" Ciara mumbled, her eyes finally resting on the cowering girl in the corner. Her freckled face was familiar. Lifting a hand to her aching nose, Ciara attempted to get her swirling thoughts in order. "Jenny… right? Who the Hell are these people?" The girl stared at her dumbfounded for a moment, her brown hair curtaining her eyes.
"We are here to collect Jenny. Our names are of no concern to you."
Ciara's eyes turned back to the stern girl. Stop talking… My head hurts… Ciara sat up, trying to ignore her body's protests. After a few agonising moments, she was finally on her feet again. Was it her, or was she spending an unusual amount of the last few minutes sprawled on her ass? "Aren't you a little young to be pedos?" She said, eyeing them distrustfully.
The three looked as if they'd been slapped, as the other, green eyed boy spoke slowly.
"…What?"
Jenny blinked, looking more bewildered than a deer in headlights. "Uhhh… what was that monster thing?"
Jenny had always been a quiet girl, as far as Ciara had noticed. She spent most of English asleep after all – and Jenny had never been the one to wake her up. Logically she couldn't be that loud. Mostly, Ciara regarded Jenny with a slightly pitying apathy. The girl had ADHD and dyslexia. Life must be pretty tough. It probably didn't help her self esteem either, considering that Jenny was rock bottom of the class and Ciara was near the top, even though Ciara literally did nothing, and just showed up for the occasional test.
"It was a chimera. It was drawn to you, because you're… special, Jenny. See, you have dyslexia and ADHD for a reason. Your ADHD is your fighting reflexes, and would keep you alive in battle. And you appear to have dyslexia because your mind is actually hardwired for Ancient Greek."
Now it was Ciara's turn to blink stupidly.
"Jenny, what Annabeth is trying to say is… you're a demigod. A child of one of the Greek Gods. We've come because your godly parent has claimed you." The green eyed boy explained. Although Ciara was more lost than ever before once his mouth closed.
Jenny's eyes widened in shock, as her jaw swung loose. "I'm… a demigod?"
"Yes. And you have to come with us to Camp Halfblood, before more monsters arrive." Annabeth said, taking a few careful steps across the floor to reach Jenny and pull her to her feet. Pushing her hair out of her hazel eyes, Jenny regarded Ciara nervously as her knees knocked slightly. Oh come on. That's uncalled for.
Lifting her chin Ciara appraised Jenny coolly with a mint green stare. Jenny was the first to break contact, as Ciara's fingers tapped against one arm thoughtfully. "Is Ciara coming…?" Jenny mumbled, everything in her voice and body language hoping that all signs pointed to NO. Even as Ciara watched, Jenny's shoulders curled into her stomach, making the short girl resemble a human turtle. Annabeth bit her lip and looked to the two boys for guidance. "Percy?"
"We're… we're not sure Jenny." The green eyed boy answered, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. Ciara shoved her hands into her pockets angrily, pulling out a hair tie and stretching it between her fingers with a muted snap. "Well, you can't just leave me here." Ciara sighed, kicking at a chair leg aggressively.
The dark eyed boy rolled his eyes. "Yes we can."
Ciara's eyes narrowed as she pointedly flipped the acid can into her other hand. "I'm a bit sick of this 'mortal' and 'demigod' trash talk, you pompous git." She spat, the strong Irish lilt in her accent rising. Taking a menacing step forward, she stared down at the boy, who she had at least four good inches on. In fact, she had at the very least two good inches on everyone in the room, except for the slightly taller Percy.
Percy sighed, stepping forward between the two of them. "Look, it wouldn't hurt to take her to camp. So let's just go before someone else shows up, alright?" Just as Percy finished, there was a rumble of feet against the hallway, and it sounded like a lot of people. Jenny froze, just as Ciara grabbed her and Annabeth's arms.
"C'mon, I know the fastest way."
Half pulling, half dragging the two girls to the window, Ciara let go of them temporarily to clamber up onto the fractured sill. Pushing an inky strand of hair from her eyes, she turned to them and grinned. "See you on the other side."
The dark eyed boy exhaled sharply, reaching forward to grab her tanned arm in a tight vice. "Are you fucking nuts-"
Giving the dear old demigods a two fingered salute, Ciara pushed herself off, getting a little more than she bargained for when the dark eyed boy was pulled out with her. Opening her mouth for what started as a laugh but turned into a bloodcurdling scream, Ciara barely had a chance to register her surprise before the two of them crashed into a closed dumpster. Cursing colourfully, the two of them bounced off onto the pavement before grazing to a halt, breath blown out them.
The boy was the first to stand, rolling his shoulders and shooting her a filthy look. "What the fuck was that?" He spat, turning on Ciara as she crawled onto her knees. Gently fingering an angry red graze on her forearm, she held out her other hand. Grimacing at the bloody stains that she'd left on the pavement, Ciara was slightly surprised when the boy obliged and pulled her up with ease. "The fastest way… "She muttered. The boy was stunned to silence. Ciara sighed, and picked at the corner of her shirt.
At that moment, Percy and Annabeth burst out of the school's front door with Jenny in tow. "Nico what were you thinking?" Percy stumbled over the words, green eyes wide with shock. "That… that was the third floor!" Instantly Nico broke out into a futile attempt to defend himself, before Annabeth raised her hand to silence him. "Look, whatever… The police are on their way here, they think it was some kind of bomb. We have got to get out of here. Now."
Instantly, the four of them turned to Ciara. Jenny's hazel eyes flicked between Ciara and the street, as a few busy people shoved past, sending the petite girl tottering. "This is the deciding moment, Ciara. If you come with us now, there's no turning back." Ciara sucked in a breath, hooking a thumb into her skinny jeans. Pretending to give their offer a moment's thought. "I choose the red pill." Ciara said, her mouth curling into a crooked smile.
Percy's brow furrowed as the street sounds swirled around them. A police car sign wailed in the distance, followed by a few expletive bleeps from angry drivers. Ciara rolled her eyes and stuck her hands into her pockets, her thin chest ballooning up with a disapproving sigh. The lack of recognised references these days. "Yes, I'm coming. So what's your ride? Pegasuses or something?"
At that moment a van swung wildly around the corner, tyres burning a mark into the chipped road. The only discernible word on its white side was "Strawberries." Instantly Nico shrugged his oversized aviator's jacket back into place and headed towards it. Pulling the slide door open with a flick of the wrist, he gave Ciara a final glare. Silently Percy and Annabeth followed, ushering Jenny in behind them. Annabeth put a hand on the door to close it, and her grey eyes met Ciaras' as one side of her mouth twitched wryly. "It's actually pegasi."
As she started to close the door Ciara rushed forward and shoved herself roughly through the gap. Squeezing herself between Nico and Jenny, she returned Annabeth's smile with a smirk. "I'll take your word for it. And you guys do of course realise that writing 'free candy' on the side of your van would be more effective than 'strawberries' right?"
"We aren't pedos." Nico said flatly, staring out the window with a look that was ready to melt through the glass. Slowly but deliberately, he pulled himself away from Ciara until he was crushed against the fake leather door. Ciara obliged and inched closer to Jenny. Muttering dark things under her breath, she turned herself away from the sullen jerk. Unfortunately, poor Jenny seemed a tiny bit absolutely pant-wettingly terrified by this sudden close contact. Ciara cleared her throat.
"Yeah well, guilty until proven innocent."