The strange sightings started a few months ago, with people claiming to have seen creatures of unspeakable horror. These people had even recorded videos, though they showed absolutely nothing. They were labeled as mentally insane and everyone was in fear of getting whatever virus was spreading.
Next, people started to notice the damage, the city was getting destroyed overnight with no reasonable explanation. People were vanishing and even more were catching whatever mysterious virus caused hallucinations. Scientists were working round the clock to discover why people were seeing these monsters, though couldn't find any true differences between the 'affected' and the 'unaffected'.
Then one scientist started seeing these monsters himself and decided to do tests on the air around him instead of himself. Apparently he was a genius because he found out that it wasn't a virus problem, but rather our eyes adjusting to a change in the sun's rays. According to him, the visible light spectrum had shifted causing things that were invisible to become visible.
Now the world's scared because these monsters are real and have been real this whole time. Some schools have even shut down but, unfortunately for Alex, the end of the world didn't affect his studying. He was currently enduring the worst torture of all, math class. It wasn't like Alex was bad in math, he had a solid A in the class and his friends were with him. He just hated all the rules you had to learn, hated how many problems there were and how it never ended.
"Alex" called his teacher expectantly. She was going around the room and asking each person what the answer was to the homework questions. Normally this was the easiest part of the class because everyone got an A for trying. Unfortunately for him, he wasn't paying attention and would sound like an idiot. He looked over to his brilliant friend, who always knew what was going on. She was sitting behind the teacher's back at the moment so she mouthed the answer.
"Two hundred and twenty five" He replied
"Very good, Alex." She nodded while writing down a grade on her clipboard.
His friend smiled and turned back towards the front of the room, he must have done something right.
Suddenly he saw a figure dash past his room. It was definitely a girl and it looked like she had long, sandy blond hair, though that's all he could make out since she was moving so fast. If Alex didn't know better he would have thought it was his crush, Kara. She was in a few classes with him and was smoking hot. She also had the best voice that this school, and possibly the world, has seen. Everyone thought that, given the right connections she could go places. The only problem though was that she was constantly skipping. After all, people can only play the 'family emergency' card for so long before people start to catch on.
Suddenly Alex had a brilliant idea, he could see it now: Alex catching Kara in the act and convincing her to let him join. If she didn't he would pull the macho man card and tell her that he would drag her back to school. Then they would spend the whole day chatting and learning about each other's likes and dislikes and, in the end, he would ask her on a proper date. It all sounded so perfect in his head, so perfect that Alex raised his hand and asked if he could use the restroom.
"Go ahead" the teacher said before returning to her lesson. Alex was a great student after all and had never skipped class.
However, Alex's friend wasn't so trusting. She knew that Alex had just gone before class and that a figure had just run by. She watched him skeptically as he walked out the door. He started walking in the direction of the restroom and swung the door shut. Then, he ran.
Alex followed in the direction he saw Kara running, though didn't know if he would ever be able to catch up. Sure he was captain of the football team, but that didn't mean that he could catch up to someone who had an obvious head start.
After a couple minutes of running with still no Kara in sight Alex had just about given up. he slowed to a stop, put his hands on his knees, and started gasping for breath. He had run all the way to the arts side of the school and, since it was the last hour of the day, it was completely empty. Which is why Alex was amazed to hear some sort of a loud clattering noise coming from the theater. If Alex didn't know any better he could've sworn it was the sound of swords clashing and heavy breathing. Alex let his curiosity get the best of him and, despite his better judgement, followed the sounds.
He rounded the corner into the theater and saw something that made him want to wet his pants. It was a like a goat, yet out of it's neck also sprung the the head of a lion! The lion's mane was covered in a red sticky looking substance that Alex hoped to God wasn't blood. Then, to top it off, its tail had a snake head on the end. The monster type thing was way more horrific than anything Alex had seen in the past and it seemed to be in a killing mood. So when It growled and turned around Alex flinched back and started looking for escape routes.
That's when Alex noticed Kara, she had a glowing gold sword in her hand and seemed like she was fighting this creature. Her. Alone. Fighting this creature of unspeakable horror. Alex couldn't make sense of it and was about to forget his fear and save the damsel in distress. That is, until Kara started fighting. She fought with incredible speed, agility and grace. She easily dodged every attack this beast threw at her and even played a little on the offensive. She would attempt the cut the beast with her sword and would get pretty close.
Then Kara noticed him in the corner and lost her concentration. It was only for a split second but it was enough for the monster to whack the sword out of her hand inflict a nasty wound in Kara's arm. She quickly ducked and ran for cover, though there's not much cover you can find in a stage. Instead she was forced to run backstage and play run around the curtain.
Alex was so focused on Kara that he forgot to be focused on his own surroundings. That's why he didn't notice the old woman who had crept up behind him until too late. She took him down in a matter of seconds and held him in a wrist hold. A wrist hold of all things. If this old woman had known of Alex's fighting classes he would have been offended. For this wrist hold was one that he had learned to escape from at the early age of 8. Though, instead of escaping and running like any sensible man would do, he decided he wanted to know what in the world was happening.
"What's going on!" Alex asked with a terrified voice that wasn't completely fake
"Would you be quiet little mortal. My sonny is playing and I do not wish for you to distract him."
For a moment Alex wondered if this strange lady could be talking about Kara. After all, he had distracted her during the fight. Though deep down he understood, this crazy lady was talking about the monster. She was in league with that demon and he had to get out.
"What'll you do with me once your son's done with Kara?" he asked skeptically
"I don't know." She responded as if Alex's question was the dumbest question she's heard all day.
"He won't eat me, will he?"
"My son won't eat mortals. His tastes are far too refined for that. He prefers to consume the godly ones." She replied, "Though with the mist gone you stupid mortals have a stronger scent. It distracts all of my children from their real prizes."
Alex had had just about enough of this crazy talk so he went silent just long enough for the crazy lady to focus on her 'son' instead of on him. As soon as she forgot she was holding him he twisted out of her reach and ran for Kara's glowing golden sword. He ran as quickly as he could and hoped this lady didn't know of his inability to swordfight. He swiped down, picked up the sword and brandished it as best as he could. If he couldn't help Kara take down the monster he could sure help her with this old lady. Though, to his surprise, the lady had disappeared. He held the sword aloft as he glanced around the room, afraid to even move.
A scream from above sent him back into action and after a quick assessment he realized that Kara had fled up to the catwalk, and the monster had followed her there. She had just about fallen off the side and was now backing dangerously close to the edge.
He ran towards the ladder that Kara had originally climbed and made his way up as fast as possible. Though the monster was facing Kara, the snake head was facing Alex and somewhere deep down Alex knew that he was meant for this. He walked towards the snake head with a newfound courage and even rolled his shoulders a little bit for dramatics.
Then he actually swung the sword, or better said, he flailed the sword. Alex had placed both his hands on the pommel and made far too wide of a swing. This had then left himself completely open and the snake had lunged. It bit him right on his chest and made him stagger back a bit. The snake seemed to find this hilarious and started chuckling in slithering wheezes.
Alex looked down and saw the blood oozing out of him. He knew he had been poisoned and was so surprised that he just stood there. He had been taken down so easily, he had been taken down in a matter of seconds. Alex, the boy wonder who had taken fighting classes since he was 6 and was the first in his class to win a black belt. Alex, the kid who was captain of the football team and still maintained straight A's. The kid who had perfect looks and everything came easy for. This Alex had been taken down in less than 10 seconds by a snake head.
Well, if he was going to die today he had better make it worth it. After all, he would rather die a hero than live a coward. It's with that thought that he stabbed his sword right under the snake and into the goat body. There was no grace or beauty in his strike, in fact, his hand was shaking and the sword had gotten some blood on it. Though that didn't stop the strike from hitting it's mark. Alex buried it deep into the goats backside and hoped beyond hope that it did something.
Maybe Alex was just hallucinating but he swore he saw the monster disappear into golden dust. It was as if the monster was there one minute and not the next, causing the sword to clatter to the ground amongst the dust that was falling. Then, through the fading glitter he saw Kara. She seemed to have fallen backwards in a desperate attempt to crawl away from the beast. She was mere inches away from the edge and was looking at him questioningly.
Alex tried to give Kara a winning smile, one that normally made women go wild but now just made him look drunk. He tried put his hand on the ledge to steady himself though didn't get the chance as he his body fell out from under him and he promptly passed out.
Sorry for the late update but I've been really busy with work and was having a little trouble trying to figure out how the mortal world would be taking the mists disappearance. I rewrote this chapter multiple times before this version came up and wanted to give you guys quality over quantity. Updates will normally be every Friday and I will try harder to keep it that way.
(Matt)- I understand that it took was a lot of teamwork and sacrifice to defeat Gaea, though I still don't think that was enough. I feel like Rick Riordan wrote five different books leading up to how powerful Gaea was and then they destroyed her in a couple pages. I don't think it was impossible to defeat her, I just felt like she may have gone back to sleep because she was working on destroying the mist and therefore her whole essence wasn't completely fighting the seven. After all, if Gaea could talk to people, create dreams and nearly kill Percy while she was sleeping, how much harder must she be to defeat while she's awake. Thanks for the review! I hope this story is more believable to you now. At least, as believable as a PJO fanfic about can be.