Chapter 2: Unobservant or Just the Mist?
Nico came in when Will found him immediately and handed him a plate of food. "Eat. All of it."
Nico rolled his eyes but sat down. Percy was already with Annabeth, Jason, Hazel and Thalia explaining what they had been talking about. Will followed his gaze then looked back at Nico.
"You okay?"
"I'm fine," Nico said.
"Where were you?"
"With Percy and Thalia. Talking. About this whole quest," Nico said taking a bite.
Will nodded. "It's gonna suck. But there is one good part."
"What?" Nico asked.
"I get to see cute ten year old you again," Will teased.
"Shut up," Nico scowled. "You're being too bright too early. Let me pout in peace."
He finished up and walked out of the room toward the viewing area. Hazel and Jason joined him. Thalia came a minute later still crunching on some toast. Jason looked between her and Nico. "I'm mad at you guys."
"You don't have the ability to be mad," Nico said.
"I still am," Jason crossed his arms trying to scowl but terribly failing. "I mean having a conversation between big three kids without me and Hazel."
"It was more like let's try not to kill each other while we watch this. It's bad enough that we actually almost did it," Thalia said. "But you and Percy will have that talk another time I'm sure."
Jason blushed as Hazel giggled. She looked at Nico then. "We were just worried."
"I'll be fine," he told her.
"We just need to stay together for this," Thalia agreed. "Just the five of us and Annabeth. Or Percy might try to kill me again."
"I'll make sure he doesn't," Annabeth said agreeing as she sat down. As soon as she did and stopped talking, as the last person in the room to stop doing so, the projection started.
Percy, Annabeth and Thalia stood in front of an ugly woman and man. The woman demanded to know what they were doing there.
"What are you doing there?" Sadie asked. "It looks like one of those gross military schools."
"Because it is," Nico said.
"Chiron called us in for a mission," Percy said. "We're actually pretty close to the beginning so you'll see."
Percy started to make an excuse when the man told them visitors weren't allowed. Then Thalia stepped forward and snapped her fingers. The air shimmered. She told him they went to school there.
"He's a monster," Hazel said suddenly. "The mist won't work."
"I didn't know that yet," Thalia shrugged. "I might have had experience but not enough to identify a monster like that right away."
"I mean his eyes were different colors," Percy said. "So yeah. It was stupid we didn't."
The man asked if the woman knew them and she did asking why they weren't at the gym. Grover ran up just then yelling they had made it and was immediately asked what he meant. He came up with a flimsy excuse that they made the punch for the dance.
"A dance?" Carter said. "Those things are the worse."
"No," Sadie argued. "They're so fun."
Walt smiled as Anubis stirred the memories of the dance within him. Percy shrugged at Carter. "I mean yeah, I wasn't really the dance type. I usually played basketball on the side till I found the right partner."
Annabeth held his hand with a smile squeezing it.
Carter rolled his eyes. "The only dance I went to wasn't even at a school I went to. Sadie forced me to dance with her friends."
"And Lacy still wants your number," Sadie laughed. "Now she knows you're taken at least."
"My sister Lacy?" Piper asked. "Don't tell me you were at the dance with Drew too."
"And all her plastic BAG friends," Sadie agreed.
"Okay," Annabeth said. "We can talk about this later. Can we continue this now."
The woman teacher agreed the punch was good. Then Percy, Thalia and Annabeth followed Grover to the gym. Percy asked Thalia how she did that. She asked him why Chiron hadn't shown him how to use the Mist yet. His face contorted and he looked down.
"Sorry," Thalia apologized. "Didn't even realize how jerkish that sounded. You know he didn't teach you because he thought the prophecy would be on me now as the older one. You're actually probably his favorite. Besides Annabeth of course."
"Of course," Percy agreed.
Annabeth glared at them both.
Grover praised the fact they were there. Then he exchanged a high five with Percy and hugs with the girls. Percy asked what the Emergency was. Grover told him he found two. Thalia repeated that incredulously as Grover nodded.
Hazel felt Nico stiffen next to her. She leaned forward. "You and Bianca?"
"You'll finally get to see her," Nico nodded twisting his ring.
Across the room others were catching on. Reyna looked at Nico. "Grover found all three Greek children of the eldest three gods. That means you?"
"Yeah," Nico nodded. "Me."
"So who is the other?" Reyna asked.
Nico looked down and she was left to the silence.
Grover told that they were a ten and twelve year old brother and sister who were strong and he needed help.
"I should have recognized it," Grover cursed. Bleating he continued. "I recognized big three scent before. Why not then?"
"The fates work in strange ways," Juniper told him. "You still found them and got them help. You're still the bravest satyr for facing the monsters out there to keep them safe.
Grover explained that there was a monster who was stopping him from getting close to the siblings. Grover looked at Thalia and you could see Percy's face fall again. She said they had to dance if the half-bloods were there. Then Grover answered her question saying the monster was Dr. Thorn.
"Wasn't that obvious?" Percy asked. "I mean his eyes were two different colors and that accent definitely isn't natural."
"Wait, what?" Piper asked. "I didn't notice that."
"Reallly?" Percy asked. "It was just like right there!"
"You're actually pretty observant," Annabeth told him. "Which is surprising to everyone because you don't act like you are."
"Hey!"
"Need I remind you the summers we were fourteen and fifteen?" Annabeth said.
"Fine," Percy pouted.
She kissed his cheek. "Don't worry. Now I think it was kind of cute."
The dance was a normal school dance. Girls in huddles wearing special outfits. Boys looking uncomfortable and unsure of what to do. Then there were two kids at the bleachers Grover pointed out. The girl had long brown hair with a green floppy hat which was old fashioned. The boy was shorter with trading cards in his hands. She was shaking her finger at him and his dark eyes seemed amused. Bianca and Nico Di Angelo.
"That's you?" Rachel asked. "I mean I met you only a year or so later and you already looked a lot different."
"A lot changed," Nico said.
"But you had a sister. Another sister. Bianca," Jaz said. "Is she…"
There was no answer which was answer enough for almost everyone. Percy exchanged looks with Thalia. Then Jason and Hazel caught on. Frank was looking worriedly at his girlfriend and made the first move. "You were ten then huh?"
"Ten…." Nico agreed trailing off.
"So is that mythomagic?" Frank grinned.
Nico rolled his eyes with a little blush. "Maybe."
"Mythomagic?" repeated Reyna.
"You'll see," both of them said together.
Annabeth asked if they knew. Grover said he hadn't not wanting to put them in more danger yet. Percy said they should grab them and get out of there. But Thalia grabbed him and pointed to Dr. Thorn who was nodding at them.
"And there we go," sighed Will. "Percy's luck hits again. And now Nico's hits again."
Thalia ordered none of them look at the kids and wait. She ordered they dance. Annabeth repeated the last word skeptically and Thalia nodded with a look of disgust on her face as she asked why Jesse McCartney was playing.
"Jesse McCartney?" repeated an amused Piper.
"I know. I mean yeah, that was like the times," Thalia agreed. "But they needed better music."
"What would you prefer?" asked Leo jokingly. "Like some classic punk rock?"
"Yeah actually," Thalia said.
"Like the Ramones," Nico said.
"You know the Ramones?" Percy asked. "I didn't think you were that caught up yet."
"Yeah," Nico said. "I'm getting there. But I like other bands too."
"Led Zepplin," Percy grinned.
"Yessss!" Thalia cheered.
Jason looked at Hazel and then back again. "Is it just me or is there something very different between the Romans and Greeks in our family?"
"I don't know what they're talking about," Hazel admitted.
"We'll educate you," Percy promised. "Watch, Thalia's about to make a comment."
Grover said he had chosen the Jesse McCartney. Thalia suggested he play Green day.
Percy and Nico nodded along.
Grover repeated that confused and Thalia just took him to dance stopping his complaints by telling him she would lead. Percy looked at Annabeth who was grinning as they now stood alone and asked what that was for. She replied it was cool to have Thalia back.
Thalia grinned at Annabeth. "Thanks."
"I kind of missed having an insane older sister," Annabeth said. "I mean no one else really put up with a know-it all seven year old who now started to learn to curse because of the other girl she hung out with."
"Sorry," Thalia winced.
"You taught Annabeth how to curse?" Jason asked surprised.
"Your sister had a bad mouth and would scold Luke for teaching me while cursing," Annabeth laughed.
"See?" Percy smiled. "I would have liked that. Imagine that with our conversation before."
"I don't think I want too. That would mean the world's end," Thalia laughed.
Everyone else looked at her, Percy and Nico confused as they started to laugh crazily again.
Percy stuttered trying to converse with Annabeth staring. He asked hesitantly what buildings she had designed lately. She started to rant about a design class she took online. Percy was looking at her with such interest he seemed to space out on everything else.
"Ugh," Grover said. "See? This is what I put up with for five years or so!"
"What?" Percy and Annabeth asked.
"You can't even see that he's staring at you like crazy and super nervous?" Piper asked skeptically. "And to say I didn't believe my cabin's stories."
"It's more obvious than when Samira stares at her boyfriend," Alex pretend barfed.
Samira rolled her eyes and leaned over to elbow her sister and whisper. "What about when Magnus stares at you?"
Alex looked at her incredulously.
Thalia called over to them. Telling them to dance. Annabeth prodded him with an eyebrow raised and Percy asked her who he she should ask.
"Really?" half the room asked.
Percy blushed crazily. "Sorry."
Annabeth punched his stomach and told her he should ask her. Awkwardly they got into dancing positions. Percy was looking around nervously and kept moving around. Finally he asked Annabeth if she was having trouble at school or something. Annabeth replied it was her dad.
"Again?" Magnus asked worriedly. "I mean I thought at that point you were okay. Mom still kind of kept tabs on you at this point. I thought it was all okay?"
"It was. You'll hear," Annabeth sighed.
Percy asked if it was her stepmom again because he thought it had all been fine. Annabeth shook her head saying her dad wanted to move and he took a job in San Francisco.
"What's so bad about the bay area?" Jason asked offended.
"Um besides the greek roman thing which we didn't know about yet?" Annabeth asked. "The mountain of despair."
"Right," Jason said closing his mouth. "That."
"Which is kind of an unfair deal," Frank said. "You guys get Olympus and we have guard duty over that area."
"Which makes me wonder about this quest," Percy muttered.
Percy asked if he wanted her to move with him. She replied a half-blood couldn't live in San Francisco. Percy asked why. Annabeth rolled her eyes and said it was because it was right there.
"Okay," Annabeth said. "So there I was actually wrong. Half-bloods can be completely fine in the bay area."
Percy asked if she would go back to living at camp. Annabeth said it was more serious than that. Then she turned and said they were gone. Percy followed her gaze to where the Di Angelos had been sitting but were now gone.
Everyone turned to Nico when a loud stream of curses in several different languages came pouring out of everyone's mouth. Louisiana French and Porto Rican Spanish being some of the loudest.
