A bit delayed for no reason, but here is chapter seven. I don't know how fast/slow I'll pump these out once classes begin. We'll have to see.

I'll give you a cookie if you can guess the song that's playing in the elevator. ^^

Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson.


Chapter 7

Aim

I didn't realize that our move was going to happen the very next day.

The Hermes Cabin was training in the armory mid-afternoon when an Athena camper rushed in saying how Annabeth got a call from Percy to meet him in Manhattan. Without protest or hesitation we picked up our swords, bows, shields, and spears and packed them into three vans. No matter how hard people tried, no one could sway that stubborn Clarisse into coming with us. The Apollo boys even relinquished their claim on the chariot and gave it to her. Nothing seemed to stop her from holding her ground.

"Prideful pricks," Jace muttered, spitting in the direction of the cabin as we made our last trip from the armory.

The ride to the island was slow, sullen, and tense. Jace and Phoebe were tightly holding hands, seeming to be afraid to let go. Tempest and two other campers including the Annabeth girl rode on the pegasi above the vans, keeping surveillance so nothing could sneak up on us—not that we wouldn't be prepared.

As we drove into the city, a twang of regret tugged at my stomach. I have always wanted to see New York City, visit the museums, shop on 5th Avenue, and take a ferry to the Statue of Liberty. I wanted to go sight-seeing. I didn't want to have to see a beautiful and historical city be destroyed by a war and not be able to enjoy the beauty and mystique it had to offer. This was not my ideal trip to see the city of my dreams, not that I had a choice in the matter. I wrapped my arms around my legs and sighed, wishing deeply I wasn't in this predicament. I caught Phoebe looking at me for a moment, her eyes lightening as she gazed at me, but she turned and rested her head on Jace's shoulder. I tightened my grip around my legs.

Percy was waiting for us when we pulled up to the Empire State Building, a tower that no one could not recognize. Chiron wished us luck and headed back to Camp Half-Blood, leaving Percy a bit flustered before he took a deep breath and quickly told us his plan of getting Zeus to defend the entrance to Olympus. Suddenly we were trying to jam twenty kids into an elevator. I was in the second lift up and the sardine-packed campers stood silently as the elevator shot up. 300… 301… 321…

"And now it's solid… Solid as a rock… That's what this love is!" A terrible disco tune quietly droned from the speaker, defiantly not an ideal song to play before going up to Olympus.

597… 598… 599…

The doors opened.

My jaw dropped.

I honestly wish I could describe the elegance and beauty of the city of Olympus, but I was at a loss of words. I wasn't the only one flabbergasted though. As we walked up the stairs to throne room, campers muttered to each other and pointed to different things. One thing about it seemed off. It was quiet. Not a living thing seemed to be moving. I saw golden shutters shut when we walked past but nothing else. It was sad and depressing to see such an enchanted city come to something like that. I suppressed a bereft sigh.

By the time our group—more like me since I was getting too caught up in Olympus and was not paying attention to anything else—got there, Percy was in a deep conversation with a woman I had never seen. He suddenly fainted and the crowd gasped.

"What's going on?" I asked Tempest as I shoved through the group to find my friends.

"That's Lady Hestia," she said. "She's being all vague and stuff then he fainted. Oh, it seems he's come to already."

I didn't catch what she said, but Lady Hestia was interrupted with a male voice and a different god appeared, this one not looking as friendly or warm.

Jace caught his breath. "Dad."

Lady Hestia vanished into smoke.

Percy tensed. "Um, Hermes," he started, his voice on the very edge of unsure, "we need to talk to Zeus. It's important."

Hermes's eyes were frigid. "I am his messenger. May I take a message?"

The group of campers froze, anxious about the edgy conversation that didn't seem to be going anywhere.

Percy turned to us, noticing our unrest. "You guys," He said. "Why don't you do a sweep of the city? Check the defenses. See who's left in Olympus. Meet Annabeth and me back here in thirty minutes."

"That's an excellent idea," Annabeth said. "Connor and Travis, you two lead."

Conner and Travis looked up from a map and grinned.

"On it." With those two words we were shepherded out of the throne room and back into the glorious city of Olympus.

"Well, you heard what Percy said," Travis said.

"Take groups of five or six and split up." Conner finished.

Naturally, Jace, Phoebe, Tempest, and I formed our own little group and headed off toward some gardens. Tempest ran ahead doing aerials and front handsprings as she went. Phoebe trailed behind her so she could keep an eye on the overly-enthusiastic girl and not be too far from Jace who was in front of me.

"Why didn't Ollinator come?" he asked me suddenly, a bit of malice and scorn in his voice.

"The satyrs were told to go to Central Park and deal with whatever is there," I answered with just as much venom.

"Hn," he said, a strange smile growing on his lips as he twisted his head to look at me. "Strange that he's not here protecting his precious little demigod."

I stopped in my tracks. "Excuse me?"

He turned fully to face me and walked a bit closer, accepting the challenge. I suddenly felt very small standing under his six foot something form. "You heard me."

"What do you mean by 'precious little demigod'?" I asked bitterly.

"Oh, please. Is it not that obvious?" He scoffed. "Don't you notice that he's always hovering around you, asking you how you're doing, making sure you're okay…?"

I felt my temper rising. "He's my best friend. He does that because he cares."

Jace's smile was mocking. "I think he more than cares."

"Jace," Phoebe warned, but he ignored her.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" My voice dropped to a dangerous tone.

"He wants to keep his baby wibble half-bwood all safe and cozy so the creepy-weepy mwonsters won't get her." He smiled as he spoke in a baby voice.

My smile was forced and bitter, not meaning the true nature of a smile in the slightest. "Isn't it the job of a satyr to protect a demigod?"

"Of course," he said obviously. "Just not once you are in the camp. He's a hover. He wants to be your human shield. Oops, I meant goat shield."

I was having a terrible time keeping my temper under control. My face was flushed and hot. My fists tightened.

"Jace, please," Phoebe said urgently. "Don't do this."

"He's trying to protect me and keep me safe while I figure this out." I said through clenched teeth. "He's not hovering. He's keeping a friendly eye on me so I'll be safe."

"Any normal satyr wouldn't do that."

My rage was reaching its tipping point. "He's fine. You wanna go, Lover Boy?"

"Can't take a joke, huh?" He said, putting his hands behind his head and sneering at me. "You're just like him. But you don't linger."

Boiling water. "I can so take a joke! And so can Ollie!"

"Can he now? Like the way he cried for a week after Lauressa—"

Out of nowhere, Phoebe roughly slapped Jace across the face. Her eyes darted back and forth and her eyebrows knit in confusion and pain. It took him—not to mention me who was so pent up with anger I couldn't register anything—a moment for it to sink in. He slowly moved his hand to his cheek and put his head down.

"How could you?" Her voice sounded hurt. "She's only fourteen!"

Jace muttered something I couldn't hear.

"Look at me."

He gradually lifted his head up and looked at her. "Blue, orange… burgundy…"

"Stop that."

He shut his mouth.

They had a very short, very hushed conversation. Whatever Phoebe said must have been something important because his eyes widened and he glanced at me several times.

"Okay?" Phoebe said softly.

Jace nodded his head and faced me. "Maggie, I…" he paused and took a breath, "I am really sorry. I truly am."

The last bit of fury melted away. "It's okay."

Phoebe briefly wore a small, smug smile. "I told you."

Jace grinned wearily at her and bumped her shoulder with his. "I know."

"Am I missing something?" I asked.

"I tend to be three steps ahead of people when it comes to figuring things out about themselves," Phoebe said. "You'll learn in due time when it is right."

I opened my mouth to protest, but closed it, knowing that with Phoebe there was no way I was going to pry anything out of her. Fortunately for us, a stocky girl from the Hephaestus Cabin breathily ran toward us, a look of worry and apprehension on her face.

"Guys, you have… to come now," she said between breaths. "The Stoll… brothers are getting… Percy."

"What's going on?" Jace's face morphed from one of remorse to serious business.

The girl motioned us and took off running the direction she came. "I can't explain. You have… to see. Travis said to… get everyone."

Without a second thought, Jace ran ahead, leaving Phoebe and me in the dust.

"Rising to a challenge like usual," Phoebe mused before sprinting after him. I had no other choice but to follow.

I caught up to them at an overlook resembling a waterless Niagara Falls. About a dozen campers clustered and scurried around tourist binoculars, looks of panic and concern on their faces. My stomach fluttered with anxiety as Tempest motioned me over to a pair of binoculars she occupied.

"It's…" For once, the chatterbox girl was speechless. I took a breath and looked through the binoculars, my stomach dropping to my feet at what my eyes were met with.

The city was dead. Traffic stopped. Not a car was moving. People lay unconscious in the streets, stopping altogether with their jobs and responsibilities and sleeping. I panned the binoculars over, hoping deeply to see a sign of movement. Everything was still. Not a soul was moving.

And that horrible ear piercingsilence.

New York is supposed to be called the "city that never sleeps." That's all I saw. No human movement. No sound. Not a bird chirped, or a car horn honked. It was rather uncomfortable. It was sad.

I felt sick.

Percy ran through and pushed a camper out of the way. As he turned to face the rest of us, his face paled and his eyebrows knit in concern.

"Are they dead?" asked Silena.

Percy turned from the binoculars to face us, his face grave. "Not dead. Morpheus has put the entire island of Manhattan to sleep. The invasion has started."

:::^:::

Six hundred floors later, the lot of us stood outside the Empire State building for a pep talk. I wasn't paying too much attention except to hear something about Kronos slowing time, the Hermes Cabin being split in two to defend the Manhattan Bridge and Brooklyn Bridge, and how we were supposed to pick up cell phones and drop them when we were done.

"Wait a second, Percy," said a camper, interrupting my thoughts. "You forgot Lincoln Tunnel."

"How about you leave that to us?"

Everyone turned toward Fifth Avenue as a band of thirty-some adolescent girls strolled toward us. They were clad in white tank tops, silvery camouflage pants, and black combat boots, typical garb for a group of people heading to war. Swords at their sides, quivers in their backs, and silver bows in hand; they were ready for war. A pack of white timber wolves strode next to them as they walked.

The lead girl wore a snarky smile as she looked at the lot of us.

"Oh gods," Phoebe muttered. "Not them."

"What's wrong with people coming to our aid?" I asked. "And who are they?"

To answer my question, the girl up front slapped a bracelet and the most hideous shield appeared. "The Hunters of Artemis reporting for duty."

I was still confused. "Who?"

Jace glanced at Phoebe before answering my question. "They're a bunch of chicks who hate dudes and swear by Lady Artemis to never get some. The only bright side is you get to live forever."

"That sounds… enchanting." I said lamely. Phoebe suddenly went stiff and briskly walked away. I turned to see what made her react so rashly when Tempest near choked one of the poor hunters to death when she walked near us.

"What's with Phoebe?" I asked as other hunters cautiously neared the group of star-struck campers.

"Ah," an unhappy smile crossed his lips, "they tried to collect her a few years ago. Very messy."

"Wha—"

"Don't push it, Maggie."

"Right."

The two of us jumped at an over-ecstatic cry of Tempest.

"Elva!" she said, still holding the short huntress in a death gripping hug. "I'm so happy to see you!"

Elva tentatively patted Tempest on the back and squeezed out of her arms, fixing her spiky black and purple streaked hair. "Nice to see you as well."

"I have so much to tell you!" Tempest excitedly jumped up and down, not missing the opportunity to do a few flips. She led the mussed girl over to Jace and me. "Guys, this is my long-time friend, Elva!"

"I wouldn't officially call us friends," Elva murmured as Phoebe rejoined our group, clearly more comfortable with this hunter than the others. "We've only had five or six encounters and once was when Lady Artemis was kidnapped."

"And that's enough to call you a friend!" Tempest said with unfailing eagerness. Elva sighed and looked up at us. I blinked a few times and leaned in a bit to make sure my eyes weren't deceiving me. Without a doubt, Elva's eyes were a piercing purple.

"Are you related to Liz Taylor?" I blurted.

Elva gave me a weird look. "Not as far as I know." She blinked.

Still purple, I thought.

"Why?"

"You have purple eyes!" I exclaimed.

She shrugged and got a boastful smile. "Lucky, am I not?"

I bit the inside of my cheek. "Extraordinarily."

"Isn't she awesome," Tempest asked, oblivious as usual. "Anyway, Elva here was on a mission for Artemis and happened to be chasing a monster across my property four years ago. That was fun."

"I presume you guys know Tempest and her… rashness." Elva said. "She jumped in without hesitation. Explaining everything was the easy part. Leading her to camp was a more difficult challenge."

"I couldn't part with my horsies!" Tempest cried.

We rolled our eyes.

Percy cleared his throat, calling us to attention. "You guys are the greatest heroes of the millennium," He said. "It doesn't matter how many monsters come at you. Fight bravely, and we will win." He raised his sword in the air. "FOR OLYMPUS!"

"FOR OLYMPUS!" we cried, our voices echoing off the building and being swallowed up by the silence.


Maggie argues with a different person this time. XD Ha, that's kind of not funny.

Review?

Over and out,

Mahersal