Hi there! to make up for not posting faster, this chapter is nearly 2,000 words.
Disclaimer found on prologue.
"Tch. Dammit, all because of her."
"Didn't you say you wanted a challenge, Lyric?" Evion asked, getting on the nerves of the person he was helping by using their real name.
Lyric growled, "I told you not to use that name!"
"Still. What about 'They are easily subdued, I want a challenge.'" Evion said, trying to mimick Lyric's voice and adding exaggerated hand movements.
Lyric slapped his hand away, and huffed. "I would have appreciated the challenge if it were not a surprising one, and if it came the victim."
"Whatever."
-Line Break-
Percy felt... Troubled. It was Friday, he wasn't troubled by the fact that he had to answer Stacy's invite. No, he would just simply decline. He felt troubled at something he didn't know. He tried to focus at the English lesson taught by his second stepfather, Paul Blofis. But he couldn't, no matter how hard he tried. There was this nagging feeling that was gnawing at the back of his mind. He gripped his pen and tried to shake of that troubling feeling.
Other than that mysterious feeling at his head, another thing factored why Percy couldn't concentrate. He wa stuck right next to Stacy, who kept as close to Percy as possible. He found it fortunate that the armchairs were at least a few inches away from each other, to avoid cheating and talking.
Percy looked at the clock at the front of the room. Only a few minutes of class remained, then Percy would be free for lunch.
He didn't even bother listening to his stepdad, he could just ask for help at home, even if Paul disapproved of it. Percy was so deep in thought that he didn't notice a hand on top of Percy's.
Stacy found it odd that Percy was deep in thought, so deep that beads of sweat rolled down his face. She put her manicured hand on top of Percy's when he wasn't looking, and found it even odder that he didn't shake it off (Not that she didn't like it).
The bell rung, signalling the end of class.
"Don't forget about the homework class." Mr. Blofis reminded.
As soon as he said that, Percy took his bag and ran out of the room and into the boy's room. He hunched over the sink, panting as the beads of sweat trickled down from his chin and the tips of his hair unto the sink. He opened the faucet and splashed the water to his face.
Percy felt better immediately, but he still felt troubled. "I'm going to find out what this means."
-Line Break-
Word had spread around camp how Annabeth survived an encounter with the hunter.
Now, Annabeth wasn't paying attention at the awe-filled looks she was receiving from the younger demigods. No, she was trying to find someone.
It took Annabeth two hours to find that son of Apollo.
"Evion!" she shouted. Evion turned around confused at who shouted his name, and saw Annabeth Chase.
Annabeth had been researching about Evion when Clarisse told her about him when she asked about Kira. She discovered that she was one of the few people trying to befriend the deceases girl.
Evion was no fool, though he did act like one. You could even force him to play chess with an Athena child and he would win. So it was very obvious he was thinking of the reasons Annabeth Chase was looking for him, and several different ways to answer any kind of question she threw at him.
Annabeth studied Evion's face carefully, and not a single trace of sadness. Perhaps he didn't know of his friend's death? Annabeth shook that idea away. There was no way you wouldn't know what happened in camp when Aphrodite spread the word. And it had already been 2 days since the shroud burning, unless he was absent then, which was impossible.
"Yes? What do you need from me Annabeth Chase?" he said coolly and suddenly, breaking Annabeth from her train of thought. He studied her. Her face, her eyes, even her body movement, yet it did not convey anything to explain her presence.
"Ah, I just wanted to ask..." Annabeth paused then continued, adding more to the confusion of the other half-blood "About a bit of Kira's mytery of a background."
Evion stared at the calculating gaze of the Athenian child, and clicked his tongue. He realized he did not looked the least troubled by Kira's death, his supposed best friend. Not that he actually cared, maybe he did but it was buried deep down that he couldn't feel it. A gentle breeze passed, blowing both their blond hair, before he answered.
"I shouldn't tell, I made a promise to her to not tell anyone." he whispered, eyes staring at anything but her eyes. He wasn't scared that she could find him lying. No, what he said was true. He promised her, even when he betrayed her he would keep it.
Annabeth was shocked, to say the least. She didn't expect him to day that, which surprised her. She looked at his blue eyes, which showed her he told the truth.
"Ok, then. Thank you..." with that Annabeth turned around and left.
-Line Break-
Nico di Angelo was quite surprised at the underworld. He saw the bodies of some of the campers he sometime saw at camp. They were trialed to see if they were to go to the Fields of Punishment or Elysium. But before they were, Nico questioned them.
One after the other appeared after an indefinite amount of time. Only four of them died, three because they were targeted, because of this so called Half-blood Hunter. But then there was Kira, who tried to kill the hunter. She just smiled as she explained her predicament. 'I wanted to die, Nico di Angelo, son of Hades.'
Nico paced in his room at the underworld. The room was made of black obsidian rock, and the only thing that gave the room light were the torches that kept burning at the walls. His king-sized black and red bed was at the end of the room. He paced around the table that was at the center.
The smile she gave and the way she said those words troubled him. That smile was pained, yet happy at the same time. But he didn't know what to think of it.
The other thing that was in his mind was if he should go to camp, or just stay at the underworld. If he went to camp, chances were... He would die, and if he stayed here, he would be safe.
For the better part, the side of Nico that wanted to be safe won.
-Line Break-
Annabeth contemplated on whether or not she would tell Percy. She had been thinking of this situation since the incident.
As far as her confusion went, her grief at letting a person die for her sake followed.
If she told Percy, then he would be relieved and freak out. And she would have to explain how she survived, something she didn't want to do. Percy might understand about it, but the pain of her losing someone for her sake was still fresh.
The death of Luke, she blamed herself for that. If maybe she'd have accepted... 'No.' Annabeth thought 'That was years ago...'
But, Kira died maybe for her or not. Still she died on the account of herself, and Annabeth finally decided on telling Percy.
-Line Break-
The nagging at the back of his mind just got more annoying as Percy got home.
"Mom! I'm home!" Percy could smell the dinner that his mom was cooking.
"Percy!" Sally Jackson-Blofis got out of the kitchen and hugged her son. "How was school?"
Percy smiled "Same old, same old. Mom, I'm going to my room. Call me for dinner, okay?"
"Okay, dear."
Percy went to his room and dropped his bag on the floor. He turned on the lights and plopped himself on his bed. He kept thinking on what that troubling feeling he was experiencing. Until he saw something with his peripheral vision.
"Percy? Are you awake?" he heard a familiar voice say.
"Hmmm?" he turned to the Iris message and saw Annabeth. He was questioning why she would call, but at least he could see her face.
"Uhm, Perce... There's something I need to tell you..." Annabeth bit her lip, hesitating. Hesitating at what, Percy obviously didn't know.
"Yes, Annabeth?"
Annabeth looked around her, and Percy saw that she was in his cabin. "... Hunter?" she mumbled, Percy only managing to hear the last word.
"What? Annabeth, I can't hear you."
"... Remember about the hunter?" she said louder, but still no more than a whisper.
"Yea, why?" Percy was confused why Annabeth would be talking about that, but then they must have caught him. Percy's eyes widened.
"You caught that maniac?" Percy smiled, traces of hope in the statement.
Annabeth was visibly shaking, "N-no."
Annabeth didn't know why she stuttered, but she cast it away for now.
"Then what is it?"
"... He's targeting me." Annabeth said "And he tried to kill me two days ago."
Now that surprised Percy. His emotions were a jumbled mess. His face shown the emotions he was experiencing, shock at the news, fear that Annabeth may get killed, happiness that she was still alive, curiousity at how she survived (Not that he was ungrateful) and anger that he wasn't there to protect her.
"He ALMOST DID WHAT?" he shouted, he heard a clang downstairs. His shout must have startled his mom. At least he found out what that troubling feeling he got.
"I'm going back! I'm going to kill him for trying to kill you if he's still alive!" he threatened.
"Percy, just calm down, everything is alright."
"Nothing's alright!"
"I'm alive and that's what matters." Annabeth got quiet at the end.
"Tell me that bastard is dead..."
"He's not..."
"Then how are you alive?" he asked in a concerned tone.
"Somebody fought him... And died while he managed to escape."
He looked at Annabeth look at the ground. "Bye Percy." with that she cut off the IM.
-Line Break-
Dimitri had been enjoying the peaceful morning. Too peaceful in fact that he was starting to question where that annoying pest was.
He sighed and sat down on the dewy grass. He took of his glasses and wiped the lenses using the necessary cloth, he wore it afterwards. He looked at his red guitar, then to the sky. He lied down on the forest floor, arms behind his head as he looked at the patch of sky he saw through the thick branches of the trees.
Dimitri should have been concerned about the hunter might start to target him, but he didn't care. Or atleast he didn't bother to care. He hardly thought about the hunter and his psycho works. He'd much rather focus on the present, live his life to the fullest. But he didn't live his life to the fullest, doing what needed to be done, not putting much of an effort. All he wanted was to play his guitar all day long in his old room, but then he had to find out what he really was. If he died, he died. That was nature's, or at least The Fates' way of saying his time is up
He sighed and propped himself on his elbows, then sat up properly. He leaned against the trunk of the tree behind him and started strumming his guitar, until he was interrupted.
"Hi there Dimitri." Evion was perched on top of a tree branch, smiling mischievously as he did his favorite past time. Annoy Dimitri. Dimitri groaned and just continued to play his guitar.
-Chapter End-
Review!
Date submitted: May 12
