CHAPTER 2

WE BREAK AWAY FROM THE DARK FORCES

I can't stand it when teachers try to fail me----but I can't stand it when they really try to kill me!

Sarissa and I were watching as our monstrous teachers laughed at us. I really didn't know what was so funny.

"We can't fight them in here." I whispered. "It'll draw too much attention."

"I know, but how do we get out?" she whispered back, urgently.

"There won't be any out for you half-bloods." said Ms. Moree, with a chuckle.

"Yeah," said the female teacher, who held up the gun. "Lights out!" At that moment, she fired a round of bullets at us. Surprisingly, I deflected most of them off Riptide and dodged the others. Sarissa had gone on the other side of the teacher's lounge where the male Lamia stood. He grinned at her. She must had been shocked, stunned, or whatever, because she didn't move an inch and the Lamia smacked her across the face. She went flying through the air and crashed into the table.

"Hurry and kill him, Nancy, we don't have forever." growled Mr. Bearman. He looked hungry to me. He had droplets of drool on his hairy chin.

"I am!" yelled Nancy. "The kid's fast." She clicked her trigger and one bullet came out. I jumped over the couch, just as it hit me in the arm. It just scarped the surface, but it was white-hot and burned. I could see and even feel the blood, but my adrenaline was pumping so hard, I didn't take notice.

"Try this, son of Poseidon!" said the teacher with the rocket launcher. He held up his deadly weapon and cried, "Blastos!" A ball of bright light erupted from the rocket launcher's mouth and went flying straight at me. There was a small explosion, which destroyed most of the furniture. I went flying through the air and hit the back wall near the window. I looked over and watched Sarissa pick a piece of broken wooden table----I wonder where she got that idea from?----and pierce the Lamia's heart with it. He burst into dust and ash.

"No! Lawrence!" said Ms. Moree, angrily. She flew at Sarissa. She had her pinned against the wall by her throat, with great agility and speed. But, again with surprises, Sarissa elbowed her in the face, hard. Ms. Moree lost her grip and stumbled backward.

"The Titans shall rule!" roared the teacher with the rocket launcher. "I am Ploiario, the infamous Greek Seeker, and loyal servant of the Titans."

I didn't really care who this guy was, I was more preoccupied with his large rocket launcher of death. I glanced over at Sarissa to see her locked in fierce combat with Ms. Moree. Sarissa kicked Ms. Moree in the stomach and sent her to the ground. Ms. Moree quickly got back on her feet and punched Sarissa, she stumbled into a table. Ms. Moree did a spin and kick, but Sarissa moved out of the way, and Ms. Moree's foot crashed through the table. Sarissa swung at Ms. Moree and crackled her across the jaw. Ms. Moree jumped over Sarissa when she tried to knock her legs out from under her. Sarissa tried a roundhouse kick, but Ms. Moree blocked it. Ms. Moreee used the momentum of the block to spin around and hit her again. Sarissa ducked from a kick by Ms. Moree and lunged at her with all her strength like a football player. Ms. Moree and Sarissa fall to the ground. Ms. Moree pushed Sarissa off. She flew up into the ceiling and back down again. Sarissa got to her feet and swung at Ms. Morre who blocked it. Ms. Moree back-handed her. Sarissa stumbled back with a split lip. Ms. Moree tried to punch Sarissa again, and but Sarissa blocked the attack and finished her off with a roundhouse kick. Ms. Moree hit the floor and scrambled back up again.

My eyes turn back to my own fight.

"Blastos!" yelled Ploiario, and another ball of bright light was sent at me. I dodged it, but only by a few seconds. The spell hit the window, which exploded and sent shards everywhere.

"Look what you've done!" said Nancy.

"No matter," said Mr. Bearman, "we shall soon make haste of the half-bloods."

Ms. Moree swiped her sharp nails at Sarissa like knives----reminded me of Freddy Krueger----and Sarissa was dodging each attack. She eventually got her backed into a corner.

"What are you going to now?" said Ms. Moree with a snicker.

"This," said Sarissa, holding up both her arms and bringing them down sharply. Thick vines erupted from behind Sarissa. Where they come from, I honestly have no idea. But they wrapped around Ms. Moree, who thrashed and screamed.

Sarissa ran around Ms. Moree over to where I stood.

"I got a plan." she said to me.

"What?" I asked quickly.

"Throw your sword at Ploiario."

"No way!"

"Do it, Percy!"

"No!"

"Blastos!"

"Okay!"

I hurled Riptide through the air, like a javelin, just as the end of the rocket launcher glowed. My blade went right through. And what happened after was something I'd never forget.

A colossal explosion ripped through the room. The walls, chairs, and couches tore apart as the impact and force of the explosion expanded. There was a bright shining light and I'd thought I'd gone to heaven! But in reality, I'd been blown off my feet and went straight through the busted window. I saw Nancy let out a horrible scream and I saw her dead body fly through the air and vanished behind a pile of rubble. Sarissa flew right into me and the next thing I know we're looking up at the bright stars illuminated against the night sky.

I got to my feet, brushing off a few aches in my body. Sarissa was already on her feet.

"We have to get away from here." said Sarissa. The fire alarm was ringing and people were evacuating the school.

"I agree," I said, looking at my bleeding arm.

"Your not going anywhere," growled Mr. Bearman, who seemed to be the only teacher to had survived the explosion.

"Your not dead, yet!" I said. I reached in my pocket and felt Riptide. I pulled it out and uncapped it.

Mr. Bearman growled and charged at us. With one sweeping motion, he swatted me aside and was on top of Sarissa with great speed. He held his large thick hollow talons above her face and grinned.

"Flesh of the half-blood!" he roared. He plunged his paw downward, but something silver shot through the air and into his paw. He roared and stood back, giving Sarissa enough time to stand up.

I stared at the shiny silver arrow, as bright as the moon above-----a Hunter's arrow.

"Who dares?!" screamed Mr. Bearman.

At that moment, a dozen young girls ran out of the surrounding forest, all of them holding bow and arrows, ready to take aim at Mr. Bearman. One of the young girls I recognized, immediately. She was a girl of fifteen, with black hair, electric blue eyes, wearing punk rock clothes and chains, underneath a silver vest, while wearing a silver bracelet on her wrist. It was Thalia. All of the Hunters were shiny as though they'd all bathed in quicksilver.

"Foul beast," chuckled Thalia.

"Artemis?" inquired Mr. Bearman, staring at Thalia.

"No," said Thalia, "that's my sister."

"Kill, m'Lady?" asked a Hunter, an arrow ready.

Thalia gave a short nod.

The Hunter let her arrow fly and it pierced Mr. Bearman's chest. The next minute a half dozen arrows were sticking out of his chest. He fell over, gasping and growling, then he seemed to sort of melt slowly into the ground.

"Thalia!" said Sarissa, surprised.

"Hey," said Thalia, with a grin.

The sirens of police cars, ambulances, and fire trucks could be seen and heard in the distance.

"But, what are you doing here?" I asked. "Where's Artemis?"

Thalia glanced around quickly.

"I don't have time to explain here." she said.

"Explain what?" Sarissa said.

Thalia's cold blue eyes seemed to soften.

"What's going on?" I demanded.

"Well," said Thalia, "Annabeth's been kidnapped."

"Great," I said. Here we go again.