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Gods, I love cookies. Especially those homemade warm chocolate chips…. Darnit I'm making myself hungry!

Today was the best day ever (thursday) I got to skip math class, have ice cream (courtesy if the awesomest teacher eva!) watch a movie in social studies, leave early at 2, and FANFICTION WORKED! I've been dancing all day just because it's so awesome!

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My World Has Gone To Ashes

I didn't know what the heck Dr. Thorn was, nor did I particularly want to know, but for a, well, a spike throwing psycho, he moved pretty fast.

Percy Jackson closed his eyes next to me, as if some deep thought.

"What are you doing, Jackson?" demanded Dr. Thorn. "Keep moving!"

Jeez, this guy was scary. Something behind him whipped back and forth in annoyance. Was that… No, it couldn't be. Could it? Could my vice principal have a freaking tail?

I wasn't what you would call a normal girl. I don't like make-up, I don't think the more skin you show makes you look hotter, or all of that stuff. Not that all girls are like that, but that's beside the point. I didn't fit. For the puzzle of society, there was no correct place to put me.

But a vice principal sporting a tail the size of my whole body? Now that's abnormal.

Percy shuffled forward, opening his eyes a slit. "It's my shoulder. It burns," he whimpered.

For a second, I thought he was serious, until I saw the glint in his eyes. Smart guy.

"Bah! My poison causes pain. It will not kill you. Walk!" ordered Dr. Thorn.

Didn't this guy ever hear of a thing called mercy? Well, I suppose anyone who throws a poison spike isn't going to show mercy afterwards. Especially a psychopath with a tail.

Dr. Thorn pushed outdoors, and despite the bad situation and cold winter, something light filled me, and the moon seemed extra bright, promising it would be full.

I glanced over at Percy, who looked like he was having some sort of seizure. Then I realized he was trying to concentrate on something, apparently really, really hard.

A cold wind blew through across me, and I shivered. Nico leaned against me, and I put a comforting arm around his shoulders.

Dr. Thorn herded us into the forest, away from the warm, safe military school. The wind shook the trees, and I felt like I had turned into a popsicle.

"There is a clearing ahead. We will summon your ride," stated Dr. Thorn.

"What ride?" I demanded. Were we being kidnapped? "Where are you taking us?"

"Silence, you insufferable girl!" yelled Dr. Thorn. Seriously, hadn't he realized that no one talks like that anymore? I would have been more comfortable with something like, 'Shut up, kid!'. But no, he just had to scare the crap outta me be talking all old-fashioned.

"Don't talk to my sister that way!" retorted Nico. I had to complement him for his braveness, even if it was a stupid thing to do.

Dr. Thorn growled an entirely un-human growl, and it made the hair on the back of my neck stand up so much, I thought they must have been having a little party back there or something.

"Halt," ordered Dr. Thorn.

We had reached a clearing, or well, a cliff that dropped into the ocean. I could smell the salty sea air and feel the spray of waves hitting the rock wall.

Dr. Thorn pushed us forward, and Percy stumbled, almost falling off the cliff, but I caught the back of his ripped shirt.

"Thanks," he muttered, not wanting Dr. Thorn to hear.

"What is he?" I whispered. "How do we fight him?"

"I… I'm working on it."

Well, that made me feel a whole lot better.

"I'm scared," mumbled Nico beside me. He was fingering another of his Mythomagic figurines. I wanted to tell him that everything was going to be fine, but I didn't even know how I was going to survive this.

"Stop talking! Face me!" Dr. Thorn growled.

We turned, and saw him staring at us hungrily, then reached into his jacket.

Was he getting a gun? Was he going to shoot us, then toss us in the ocean? My breath caught as his hand slid out of the pocket.

Oh, phew, it was only a phone. He pressed a button and spoke into it. "The package. It is ready to deliver."

Oh, so now we were a "package"?

Percy looked behind us, at the cliff.

"By all means, son of Poseidon, jump! There is the sea. Save yourself," taunted Dr. Thorn.

Did the crazy psycho say son of Poseidon? As in, the mythical Greek god of the sea? Didn't this guy realize that it was the twenty-first century? We haven't believed in Greek gods in like, three thousand years.

"What did he call you?" I murmured to Percy.

"I'll explain later," he replied.

Oh, don't tell me he believed in Greek gods too. One crazy person in my life is plenty.

"You do have a plan, right?" I checked.

Percy's face wasn't too comforting. I thought about jumping off the cliff, maybe surviving.

"I would kill you before you ever reached the water," warned Dr. Thorn. "You do not realize who I am, do you?"

Oh, great. He was a mind reader. I satisfied myself with calling him some names in my mind that are better left unsaid.

Dr. Thorn flicked his tail again, another spike flying through the air, right passed Percy's ear.

"Unfortunately, you are wanted alive, if possible. Otherwise you would already be dead," said Dr. Thorn.

Yep, crazy serial killer with a tail that throws spikes and reads minds. Just another normal day.

"Who wants us?" I demanded angrily. "Because if you with you'll get a ransom, you're wrong. We don't have any family. Nico and I…" My voice faltered. "We've got no one but each other."

"Awww," replied Dr. Thorn in mock sympathy. "Do not worry, little brats. You will be meeting my employer soon enough. Then you will have a brand-new family."

I was stunned. Was this some kind of orphanage gone wrong that steals kids and puts them in unsuspecting families homes?

"Luke," said Percy at last. You work for Luke."

Who was Luke? The orphanage leader or something?

Dr. Thorn's face twisted into a grimace. "You have no idea what is happening, Perseus Jackson. I will let the General enlighten you. You are going to do him a great service tonight. He is looking forward to meeting you."

"The general?" said Percy in a bad French accent. He shook his head as if to get rid of the French sound. "I mean… who's the General?"

The sound of helicopter blades reached my ears, and Dr. Thorn looked up. "Ah, here we are. Your transportation."

"Where are you taking us?" asked Nico.

"You should be honored, my boy. You will have the opportunity to join a great army! Just like that silly game you play with cards and dolls," said Dr. Thorn.

"They're not dolls! They're figurines! And you can take your great army and-"

Oh, no. I've heard Nico mouth off before, and he knows way more then a normal ten-year-old should.

"Now, now. You will change your mind about joining us, my boy. And if you do not, well… there are other uses for half-bloods. We have many monstrous mouths to feed. The Great Stirring is underway."

Um, did he just call us half-bloods? What was that, half-blood, half-Gatorade? I mean, jeez, I only have blood in my veins, and that is all I want, thank you very much.

"The Great what?" asked Percy.

"The stirring of monsters," replied Dr. Thorn with a grin. "The worst of the most powerful are now waking. Monsters that have not been seen in thousands of years. They will cause death and destruction the likes of which mortals have never known. And soon we shall have the most important monster of all. The one that shall bring the downfall of Olympus."

"Okay," I whispered to Percy. "He's completely nuts."

"We have to jump off the cliff into the sea," was Percy's reply.

My suspicions were correct. "Oh, super idea. You're completely nuts, too."

I never did get his reply, something invisible slammed into me and I hit the ground with an oomph.

Spikes flew over my head. I looked to see the girl with the spiky hair sporting a shield and a spear, probably one of the scariest things I've ever seen in my life. I just hoped she was on our side, whatever side that was.

Grover, in my opinion, was even scarier. First, he had no pants on. Now, usually, when seeing this on a normal boy, (which I am not saying I have or haven't) would make me avert my eyes and escape as fast as I could.

But there was one problem with that. It looked like someone had done some major surgery and cut off the top half of Grover and put him on a goat, hooves and all.

And where the heck were his crutches? I thought he had some incurable disease that kept him disabled. I don't think being half-goat is a disease, but it was certainly incurable.

"For Zeus!" cried the spiky-haired girl.

More Greek mythology people. Great.

They began to battle. The girl stabbed at his head, but it was deflected by Dr. Thorn's… paw? His hand had turned into a giant orange paw that swatted the spear with a clash of claws and metal.

The helicopter was getting closer, but that wasn't the worst of my problems.

Grover leaped forward, taking a pair of those reed pipes you see hippies playing. He played a tune that sounded sort of like those battle scenes from Pirates of the Caribbean.

But that wasn't the weird part. Grass started growing through the snow, weaving together into ropes and wrapping around Dr. Thorn's legs.

Wait, wait, there's more. Dr. Thorn started morphing, as in, literally morphing. He kept his face, but that's just about it. The rest of him turned into a lion, complete with a mane.

His leathery spiky tail flicked back and forth, random spikes shooting around and lodging into trees.

"A manticore!" said someone beside me. I jumped and looked at the girl with the blond hair who had magically appeared beside me. The invisible force that had pushed me to the ground.

"Who are you people?" I cried hysterically. "And what is that?"

"A manticore?" gasped my brother. "He's got three thousand attack power and plus five to saving throws!"

Oh, Nico, this was not the time for Mythomagic!

Dr. Thorn clawed Grover's grass rope to smithereens, and turned to us.

"Get down!" screamed the girl beside me. She tackled Nico and I to the ground, and Percy touched his watch, which spiraled out into a shield.

The sound of giant spiky things hitting metal clanged, and Percy grunted with the force of the hits.

Another sound of Dr. Thorn hitting something filled my ears, and Grover hit the ground near us with a painful thump.

"Yield!" called Dr. Thorn.

"Never!" yelled the girl with the spear. She charged at Dr. Thorn, and I thought I was going to see the end of the spear going through him, but then the helicopter came.

It was one of those helicopters you saw in the war games, fully loaded with large guns and scary rockets.

The searchlights blinded the spear wielding girl, and Dr. Thorn smashed her in the side with his tail, making her become airborne.

"No!" yelled Percy. He raced toward the unmoving body, his sword clanging against the spike that was about to stab her in the chest.

Dr. Thorn laughed evilly. "Now do you see how hopeless it is? Yield, little heroes."

Then the sound of a horn filled the air, just like in the movie, Narnia.

Dr. Thorn froze. The very time seemed to freeze as it faded into the night.

"No, it cannot be…" muttered Dr. Thorn.

A silver object flew from the forest and landed on Dr. Thorn's shoulder so hard that he staggered, screaming in pain.

"Curse you!" yelled Dr. Thorn, and he lashed his tail, flicking into the forest. Dozens of arrows flew in reply, actually hitting the spikes and stopping the spikes in their tracks. I thought that only happened in movies. He pulled the arrow out of his shoulder with a wail.

Percy tried to attack him, but Dr. Thorn countered with a swat of his tail.

Then almost a dozen girls leaped out of the forest, holding silver bows, wearing silver winter jackets and silver jeans. The oldest was about fourteen, and the youngest were about ten. They were staring at Dr. Thorn as if he had stolen a pair of their silver earrings.

"The Hunters!" cried the blond-haired girl.

"Oh, wonderful," muttered the spiky haired girl.

A girl of about twelve or thirteen stepped up, her bow drawn, the picture of confidence. That was something I wanted to be. I wanted to be strong, with almost no fears. Boldly stepping up to the enemy.

"Permission to kill, my lady?" asked the girl.

Dr. Thorn wailed. "This is not fair! Direct interference! It is against the Ancient Laws." He sounded like a little spoiled brat.

"Not so," said another girl, stepping out of the group. She had auburn hair in a ponytail and moon-colored eyes.

"The hunting of all wild beasts is within my sphere. And you, foul creature, are a wild beast. Zoë, permission granted," said the girl.

"If I can not have these alive, then I shall have them dead!" declared Dr. Thorn.

He lunged for Percy and the spiky-haired girl, knowing they were still dazed.

"No!" screamed the blond girl, and she charged at Dr. Thorn.

"Get back, half-blood!" yelled the girl who had first stepped out of the forest. "Get out of the line of fire!"

The blond girl ignored her, leaping onto Dr. Thorn's back and driving her knife into his mane. He screamed in pain, wiggling around, trying to get her off his back while she hung on for dear life.

"Fire!" Zoë yelled.

"No!" cried Percy.

The hunter girls fired, bombarding Dr. Thorn with arrows. He stumbled backwards, toward the cliff. "This is not the end, Huntress! You will pay!"

And with that happy note, he jumped off the cliff, with the blond still on his back.

"Annabeth!" cried Percy, his voice breaking.

He raced to the edge, but was stopped by the shooting of guns from the helicopter.

The bow and arrow girls scattered. Only the one with the auburn hair stayed.

"Mortals are not allowed to witness my hunt." Then she thrust her hand into the air and the helicopter turned into a flock of crows.

I really hoped the girl wouldn't notice me, seeing as I was mortal.

The girls stepped forward, but Zoë stopped in front of the spiky-haired girl. "You," was all she said.

"Zoë Nightshade." The spiky-haired girl didn't seem to like her. "Perfect timing as usual."

Zoë looked us over contemptuously. "Four half-bloods and a satyr, my lady," she reported.

"Yes," said the girl with the auburn hair. "Some of Chiron's campers, I see."

"Annabeth!" screamed Percy again. "You have to let us save her!"

The girls had surrounded us, and they were literally holding Percy down.

"I'm sorry, Percy Jackson, but your friend is beyond help," said the girl with the auburn hair.

Percy struggled to get up.

"You are in no condition to be hurling yourself off cliffs," said the girl.

"Let me go!" Percy cried, shaking. "Who do you think you are?"

Zoë stepped forward, about to slap him across the face.

"No, I sense no disrespect, Zoë. He is simply distraught. He does not understand."

The auburn haired girl looked up, her moon eyes glowing. "I am Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt."

All I could really think about right now is, this is the hunt goddess?

Chapter 2! What did you think? I tried to give Bianca some humor! :D

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