A/N- Last chapter was mostly journal entries except that small Hestia POV at the end. Since the first chapter, we've always been hinted that Annabeth is slightly suicidal but it's now been said out in the open.


The next day I slept through my alarm and woke up half an hour before I was supposed to be at the school.

I ran out of the house and arrived at the school.

I ran out of my house and arrived at school a frazzled mess of wild hair and hastily thrown on clothes, having skipped breakfast and my usual morning coffee.

I hurried through the doors and down to my usual spot and it was vacant.

Wonder where they are.

I sat and waited for a good ten minutes, and then began to search the school.

Where are they?

Was there a special event going on or had there been a drill of some sort?

A bolt of panic shot through my chest as I considered the idea that maybe I'd been found out; perhaps they knew that I'd been found out; perhaps they knew that I was reporting to Chiron and Argus, and just didn't want to see me anymore.

I sighed inwardly-I honestly wanted to know Nico and Rachel better but I guess it wasn't meant to be-I returned down to the basement lounge, wondering if they were there instead, and was surprised to find only Percy sitting in the lounge, doing homework.

He looked up at me and smiled briefly. "Hey," He greeted.

"Where is everyone?" I asked him while walking towards him.

Percy finished the sentence he was reading and looked up. "You mean Annabeth, Nico, and Rachel? I'm guessing you haven't heard what happened, have you?"

"No," A feeling of dread consumed me. "What…w-what happened to them?"

Percy laughed softly. "Nico and Rachel have been suspended for a week," he informed me, "and Annabeth is currently in the principal's office."

Huh?

I raised my eyebrows and waited for him to explain.

Percy stared back at me, a hint of a smile playing on his lips, saying nothing.

"What's so funny?" I finally demanded.

Percy laughed again. "I probably shouldn't think what happened is funny, but sit down, Hestia, it's story time."


The Daring Report

March 30, 2013

An incident at Goode High school this morning involving three of the four shooting suspects has left students and teachers alike shocked, concerned…and amused.

At 8:20 this morning, five minutes before the first bell, Annabeth Chase was approached at her locker by three senior students, who verbally abused her and then shoved her up against her locker.

The trio kicked her several times; however before they could do further damage the attack was infiltrated by students Nico Di Angelo and Rachel Dare who charged the assailants and began physically attacking them in hopes of saving Annabeth.

What was so amusing about this incident, you may ask?

Simply put, Nico was apparently heard muttering phrases like, "Take that, you villains!" and "I shall run through, nave of destruction!" Rachel, on the other hand, simply screamed loudly for the entire duration of the fight.

Annabeth's reaction to her defenders was adverse; she was quoted as yelling, "Go away, you freaks!" in the middle of the chaos.

School security eventually broke up the fight.

Nico, Rachel, and the three initial attackers have all been suspended from school for a week; Annabeth is left rattled but unhurt.

"I didn't ask [Nico and Rachel] to help me," she said while being questioned with the others in the principal's office. "They just showed up out of nowhere and jumped into the fight."

It seems that heroics are not welcome at Goode High….


"So Annabeth is okay?" I asked Chiron half an hour later, sitting in his office.

Chiron nodded. "Her mom came to pick her up ten minutes ago; she's going to take the rest of the day off. She's just a little shaken up, that's all." He sighed.

"Unfortunately, this situation puts Nico and Rachel in a bad light." He nodded at Argus.

"What?" I asked.

"Before this incident there was no record of violent behavior on either Nico or Rachel's part," Argus explained. "Now, of course, that's changed."

I nodded. "That makes sense, I guess-though they weren't exactly attacking unprovoked. They were sticking up for a classmate."

"True," Argus replied, "but the fact still remains: they are both capable of violence and Nico was making death threats, Hestia."

I had to laugh; I couldn't help myself. "Did he really say, 'I shall run you through, knave of destruction'?"

Argus nodded gravely. "I know kids say things like that in the moment, but the police have to take everything into consideration."

I sighed. "Poor Annabeth. I'll have to drop in on her and see how she's doing."

"That might be an idea," Chiron put in. "You might want to check up on Rachel and Nico too, Nico especially. He seemed really upset, and I don't think he gets upset easily. I could swear the kid had smoke coming out of his ears when he left the school grounds."


The Writings of Sir Lionel

The 30th of March, Anno Domini 2013

It is a rare occasion when this knight finds himself infuriated; however such an occasion has risen this day.

I arrived at school and spotted my ally Rachel, and we were making our way towards our first class when we came across a horde of villains attacking none other than our fellow suspect, Annabeth.

What were we supposed to do, I ask?

Simply stand there and let the rabble beat her to death?

I wasn't going to stand for that and so Rachel and I charged the attackers, determined to bring them down and save our poor beleaguered schoolmate.

Perhaps I should have anticipated the reaction of the authorities.

Rachel and I-along with the attackers-were hauled to the office of the headmaster, interrogated and lectured by him and a police officer, and finally sent away on a weeklong school suspension.

As I have said, the reaction of the authorities is really not surprising.

However, it is not the reaction of the headmaster and the police that so incensed me; rather it was the response of the victim herself, Annabeth-who yelled and Rachel and I, called us freaks, and told us to go away.

We risked our standing and our bodies for her, should she not at least have the decency to thank us?

But alas, once again the heroes are seen as villains; such seems to be my fate….


A/N- Thanks for following, favoriting, and review my story. It means alot on my end! Stay tuned for the ninth chapter next week!