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A big thanks to dessers6, wisegirlindisguise, and wingednflying for reviewing the last installment. To see the results of your guesses, stay tuned for the next few chapters.

Disclaimer: Not Rick, no PJO for me.

Chapter 2

I laid back against the stone steps, waiting. It was about six pm, three hours after I was supposed to be picked up by 'Good Smiles'. Typical.

Abby and Felix were engaged in, according to Felix, an 'intense game of Rock, Paper, Scissors.' Peter was reading a book off to the side, and Alexis was playing some hand-held video game. Which left me to wait and brood about my summer. There were a few other kids waiting to be picked up, but they gave us wide birth. But I didn't blame them. We were a weird crew. We had all met in the school hospital three years ago. I had broken my leg, Felix was getting a note to excess him from Phys'ed classes, and the other three were all getting their medication. Turns out Abby, Peter and Alexis all have dyslexia and ADHD, though it seems much more mild in Peter then in the other two. Peter can at least read if he puts his mind to it.

So yeah, we had met together, decided that outcasts should stick together, and became fast friends. Ever since then, we've watched each others backs, helped out when one was down, and became an unbeatable crew. Until summer.

Abby started shouting in triumph as her rock smashed threw Felix's scissors. I found myself watching her as she danced around, her curly black hair bouncing in the air. Then I noticed Peter watching me. Our eyes met, and a silent understanding passed between us. He knew how I felt about Abby. You couldn't hide much from Peter. He was pretty darn smart.

Then a grey van appeared in the distance, and I groaned as I recognized the logo on the side. They had finally come to retrieve me. "Well guys, looks like my ride is here."

Felix came over and gave me a fist pound. Alexis looked up from her game, smiled and waved good bye, Peter nodded silently towards me, and Abby gave me a big hug, turning my legs to jelly for a few seconds.

The van pulled up, and a tall business-like man stepped out of the drivers seat. He had a dreary grey suit on and looked a thousand years old, with thin salt-and-pepper hair and a nasty stoop. I didn't recognize him, but he had the 'Good Smiles' happy face logo stitched to his pocket. He looked around and asked in a voice that sounded like a hoarse whisper. "I'm looking for a Mr. Raymond. Is he here?"

Sighing, I stood up and walked over to him. "Here." I said as I walked over to him. "I'm right here."

The man looked me over with eyes that seemed to bore into your soul. Then he turned his gaze to my friends. He glanced over Peter, looked a little at Abby, then turned to Felix. I could have sworn the old guy was glaring at him, and Felix was looking like he wanted to bolt out of there. Then he finally turned to Alexis. His back seemed to straighten, and his eyes were narrow slits.

"Alexis Richardson." The man said. His voice was suddenly strong, and angry. Alexis snapped to attention, looking wearily at the old relic.

"How do you know my name." She asked, setting her game down and standing up.

"We have found you at last." The man said. He seemed to be getting taller.

"We?"

The man was defiantly growing now, his back straightening as he went. His hair became thicker and darker, and muscles seemed to appear on his chest. Suddenly, he was no longer an ancient old man. He was at least ten feet tall, with muscles the size of small boulders. Wisps of flame escaped his mouth, and his eyes shone with an unearthly greed.

"Run!" Felix shouted, as the man roared. A blast of heat engulfed me as a blast of flame shot from the giants mouth. I looked back to see my friends all laying on the ground, opposite a line a fire blazing out from our assaulter.

"What the hell?!" I shouted, turning towards the freak.

"Today is my lucky day. I haven't feasted on flesh in a thousand years. For I am Cacus, the mighty fire giant of Latium!"

"What?"

"Peter! Abigail!"

"Alexis!"

I turned. There was a sea green Toyota Highlander pulled up to the curve, with its driver's and two passenger side doors flung open. Two women were charging towards Abby, Peter, Alexis and Felix. One was a women in her early forties, with pale skin and wild black hair. Alexis mother. The other was tall and athletic, with curly blond hair, tanned skin and grey eyes that were clear even from a distance. Pete and Abby's mom. Then there was a man charging straight towards Cacus. He was also athletic, tanned, and had untidy black hair and sea green eyes. Pete and Abby's dad. And he was carrying a sword.

Wait. A sword? I took a second look, and sure enough it was there. A shimmering bronze sword, blazing through the air. Cacus turned towards him and laughed. "You think yourself a match for me, Half-Blood! I shall crush you!" Cacus took a swipe at Pete and Abby's father, but he rolled out of the way, the slashed with his blade at Cacus's stomach, but Cacus leaped back at shot some more fire. I thought for sure that sword-guy was toast, but he just rolled to the side and launched once more at Cacus. I ran around the unfolding battle until I was kneeling next to my friends.

Peter turned his gaze from his father, though shock and awe were still clear on his features. "You alright?" He asked me.

"Besides the fact a big fire giant-thing just tried to kill us? Fine."

"You can see that!?" Felix asked, bewildered.

"Uh, yeah. I have eyes."

Felix turned to Abby and Peter's mom who was kneeling beside us, eyes wide. They had a quick and rapid discussion in some foreign language. Abby and Pete's mom suggested something, but Felix shook his head. Then a crash brought them back to reality.

Somehow, Abby and Pete's father had tripped Cacus, and was now standing over him, his foot on the back of the giant's neck and his sword pointed at the back of the giant's head. With one mighty thrust, the blade pierced the flesh, and Cacus roared. Then he exploded in a blast of greyish dust.

Silence. Long, uncomfortable silence. Well, I don't know about you but I HATE silence. So I chose to break it.

"What the HELL!"

Peter and Abby's dad was walking over, wiping a cloth over his blade. Then he placed something at the tip and it shrank into a simple ball-point pen. Felix stood up and bowed to him. "Hello sir. It's an honour to finally meet you."

The dad looked at Felix and assessed him quickly. "Laurein's kid? Felix Overdale?"

I don't think I had ever seen Felix so happy at the recognition. "Yes sir! That's me!"

"I've heard good things about you. Helped escort three half-bloods five years ago. Grover has high hopes for you."

"Grover Underwood?" Felix asked, perking up instantly, like he had just heard his favourite food, veggie taco's, were on ten-for-a-dollar. "THEE Grover! Lord of the Wild, and the chosen one of Pan!"

"As well as a personal friend of mine." was the reply, as a kind smile appeared on the man's face. Then he turned to Alexis. "Ah, Alexis! I've heard so much about you. It's a pleasure to finally meet you."

Alexis's eyes widened, and she glanced at Abby and Peter, standing slightly behind their father. "You've hear about me?"

"Yes" Peter and Abby's mother said, walking over to stand beside her husband. Alexis mother stood on his other side. "In fact, we could even say that we're all related."

"We are?" Alexis said, looking at her mother, who was nodding with a sad smile on her face.

Alright, I would like to note that I am considered a rather patient person. Not very out-spoken, rather quiet while I wait for my opportunity to speak. But I have my limits, and being nearly killed by a giant disguised as an old man is defiantly one of those limits. "Alright," I said, causing everyone's head's to turn towards me. "I'm glad everyone remembers their manners and everything, but I'd like to know WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON! We were just attacked by an evil fire giant disguised as an old man that says he's from pre-Roman times and that his name is Cacus, which I'm pretty sure I've read in ancient Greek stories and then you guys show up with a sword disguised as a pen and you kill Cacus and he doesn't really die just burst into dust then the sword becomes a pen and you act like nothing happens and I really want some answers now!" I shouted, then started panting to get my breath back. I hardly ever went into rapid-fire mode when I was talking, and I could tell by the wide-eyed expressions of my friends that they had noticed.

"So, you actually saw that?" Felix asked again, looking a little nervous.

"Dude, I'm not blind."

"Maybe he's another half-blood." Abby and Peter's mom offered, looking me over.

"He can't be, Mam. He doesn't smell."

"Thank you for noticing that, Felix." I said rather grumpily.

"No, I mean you don't have a scent. You're not a half-blood."

"Maybe he is." The dad offered "And Alexis's scent just threw you off. She's rather powerful, isn't she?"

"She is." Felix admitted.

"I am?" Alexis asked.

"What's your name, son." The dad asked, kneeling down so that he was eye level with me. "Your full name."

"Raymond." I said. "Perseus Raymond Jackson."

Did I just hear the sound of multiple minds being blown? Ha, anyway, next chapter will hopefully be up shortly.