Hello there! Percy is totally out of character but please forgive us. Also, this chapter is slightly longer than the first one. Slightly. We tried. Don't kill us please. Reviews are appreciated and please feel free to share your thoughts on this chapter with us!

-Xera & Carna

Chapter 2

Marcus

"Do you know what demigods are?" the stranger blurted out suddenly.

Huh? What the hell is he getting at? Why on earth is he asking about demigods of all things? I raised an eyebrow skeptically and glanced at Lin only to find that she looked as confused as I felt.

"Yeaaaahhhh?" I replied, not knowing what to say.

"Well, they really exist and I'm pretty sure you're a demigod." he stated matter of factly, like it was normal for your freaking parent to be a god.

What's going on? Is this dude crazy or what? I sent out a telepathic message to my sister.

The only reply I got from her was the mental equivalent of a shrug.

I sighed heavily, running my hands through my long hair. My sister could be so irritating sometimes. No, actually, she was irritating all the time.

Normally, that was what I liked about her.

But right now, I was just annoyed as fuck. I had no idea what to do ( You didn't bump into a stranger holding a freaking sword and claiming that you were a demigod everyday, after all.) and my sister was of no help whatsoever.

So for once, I did something every reasonable, sane person would do.

I grinned brightly at him before turning around, grabbing Madeline and running away like a bloody horde of man-eating, pink tutu-wearing zombies were after me.

Why did you run?

My sister asked me whilst muffling her laughter with a gloved hand.

What else was I supposed to do? That dude's definitely suspicious!

I replied, looking back behind me to find that the stranger was following us. Then, I remembered a very, very, very, very important detail.

Our bread was still lying on the floor of the alley.

I wanted to curl up in a dark corner and drown in despair. That was the first real meal we had had for the whole day. And now it was gone…

The soft slices of sourdough bread that felt like soft pillows of rich flavour.

The mouth-watering croissants with their flaky, golden brown crusts.

The enticing aroma of the loaves, wafting into your nostrils gently and enticing you to gobble it all down like a savage beast.

I could barely run without collapsing into a miserable bundle of hunger and guilt.

I now had a very important decision to make.

Do I abandon the food or turn around to retrieve it and be caught by some lunatic that may or may not be trying to murder me in cold blood?

Obviously, I chose the bread. And who could blame me? I was absolutely starving. I needed that food to survive!

So I immediately spun around and made my way to the alley, pulling Madeline pass the crazy dude. I couldn't stop the amused snickers that escaped my mouth when I saw him standing there with a blank expression, shocked as to why we had stopped running away from him.

Why are we going back? My sister asked me and I could practically hear her raised eyebrow. I didn't reply and simply continued on. She would find out eventually…

We reached the alleyway then and I let go of Madeline's hand to grab the bag full of the delicious goodness that is the bread.

FINALLY, MY BABY IS BACK WITH ME! I breathed a sigh of relief and held up the bag, shooting a cheeky grin to my sister as she doubled over in silent laughter.

That's when me and my oblivious ass decided to look over my shoulder.

The mental dude was standing right at the opening of the alley, blocking our only way out and grinning wolfishly.

Wow. Turns out being on the receiving end of a creepy smile is scarier than I thought.

"Will the two of you follow me if I buy you a meal?" he asked us, creepy smile still pasted on his face. (He's totally overdoing it with the kidnapper vibes here.) I felt offended. Did this crazy and mildly disturbing guy really think I would follow him just because of a measly meal? I mean, I am not such a cheap guy, you know!

I was just about to reject his utterly ridiculous offer when he opened his mouth and said, "What if I treated you to George's Steakhouse just down the street?"

Holy Shit.

That place was fancy as fuck with a price tag to match. Lin and I had only managed to eat there once after over 2 weeks of practically starving ourselves and "working" endlessly. But all that suffering had been totally worth it.

Juicy steaks with tangy sauces poured on top, served with a generous helping of warm, buttered potatoes baked to perfection.

Fresh cherry tomatoes that bursted in your mouth, its sweet yet slightly sour spreading in the mouth in a tornado of delicious flavour.

And as desert, mouth-watering chocolate cake that seemed to melt the moment it hit your tongue, dissolving in a wonderfully bittersweet flavour.

My train of thought was interrupted when my sister practically shouted at me telepathically. Marcus Hill, hurry up and agree right this instant! That food will be MINE.

I forced myself not to wince at her volume and replied, Of course, sister...This idiot will be broke by the time we are done.

A sly smile spread across my face and I enquired, "So we can order anything on the menu?"

Slightly confused, the crazy idiot frowned slightly, a little wary now but he nodded after a slight hesitation. Great! He's gonna regret this later on! A bright and enthusiastic smile spread across my face as I announced cheerfully, "Okay then! Let's go right now!"

And with that, I grabbed Madeline's arm with one hand and the dude's with the other, dragging them towards the restaurant with a spring in my step and a small wink at my sister.