A/N:I'm sorry I wasn't able to update for a week. I'd been busy for reason you already know. And I know this chapter isn't exactly long, or satisfying, but I need to deal with some issues - and those issues are here. I can promise you one thing, though: The following chapters will be action-packed, especially Chapter 12. :D

CimFan: It went well. I 'll have my medical examination this Monday (it's Friday here). :D

Juzko Disco: Somehow I doubt that. Everyone have their own talent. And I'm not getting rid of anyone here. I love everyone here. Thank you for sticking with me. :D

kamberroxs1998: Yes, Skylar is still with Lester by that point. :D

Potterjay all the Way: Your review made me laugh, you know. I'd bee reading a lot of 'I HATE YOUs' lately because of the way I end my chapters, but oh, well, like you said, as a writer, I simply adore cliffhangers. I'm not going to answer your questions, except for this one: Chiron wasn't the one who did the branding. Who it was, you'll just have to wait. :D

kate: Percy's part is happening around mid-March and Lester's part is happening around mid-February so they have a month between.

IDon'tHaveAccount: Truthfully, I wasn't aware there are a couple of Percy Jackson fanfics about Chaos. I searched about Greek mythology and I came across Chaos and I decided to use her. But thank you, for reading my story. :D

DON'T FORGET TO LEAVE A REVIEW.

Disclaimer: I don't own the Percy Jackson and the Olympians.

"Seldom, very seldom, does complete truth belong to any human disclosure; seldom can it happen that something is not a little disguised or a little mistaken."

-(Jane Austen, Emma)

WISE GIRL'S SEAWEED BRAIN 2.0:

DARKNESS ARISING
Chapter 10: THE DESCENT

ANNABETH

Last week of school before spring break found Seaweed Brain and I in front of Goode High.

If it was up to me, I would've stayed at Camp and helped with the reconstructions of all the ruined buildings, but Chiron persuaded me not to and take Percy back to school. And since Calypso was staying at Camp, I agreed. I was torn from staying and trying to figure out a way to reveal her inner motives and taking Percy away. I didn't want any more harm to come to him, but at the same time, I didn't want to leave my home. Chiron, however, assured me that he had things under control and that Percy and I would need to go back to New York eventually as we were picking up the demigod Lester by the end of the week.

Percy gave a puff of exasperated breath beside me. "I don't get it," he murmured. "It's only a week left and we're still here? Why can't we just ditch the last week and start spring break early?"

I scoffed as I helped him up the stairs. It was only yesterday when we were attacked at Camp, and even with his constant protests that he was completely okay, Percy was still pretty weak. "Because education is important," I said simply.

He was limping slightly, which was good – not that I enjoyed seeing him hurt – but he couldn't as well survive a car crash and walk away unscathed, so the burn on his calf – which went deeper than I thought – and the bandages on his cheekbone and wrist were going to help to keep to suspicions away.

He had an arm around my shoulder, one of my hands on his chest as I assisted him in climbing the steps. He claimed he didn't need to, but I wasn't going to let my boyfriend fell on his face.

We were almost at the door when three bodies flew and almost knocked both Percy and I down the stairs. "Percy, man!" a voice whom I recognized as Barry's yelled. "How are you doing, dude?"

Behind him, of course, were Pete and Chuck, grinning. They looked relieved to see their friend okay. Percy smiled. "Fine. Thanks, Barry," he said. The three patted him on the shoulder.

"Damn, dude, we were so worried when we heard the news," said Pete. "We couldn't visit you, though, Coach Hark had put us in a strict practice schedule, especially when he found out what happened to you."

Percy shrugged. "It's okay," he said. "And after Sam left . . ." he trailed off and I could tell that he still felt guilty and hurt because of his friend's departure.

His friends nodded. "Don't be too hard on yourself, man," said Chuck. "I'm sure Samantha had your best interest at heart when she left."

Percy sighed. Barry, Chuck, Pete and I looked at each other. "Anyway," said Barry. "We're so glad you're okay now."

Percy smiled. "Thank you."

They walked with us to our first class, which was English. Mr. Blofis, Percy's stepdad was the one teaching it. He smiled brightly when we walked in, and didn't even stop himself when he hugged his stepson. He and Sally heard about what happened at Camp through Chiron. They were so worried about what happened and almost went to Camp, not until Percy called them and told them he was okay. We got back in New York earlier this morning, and Paul had already left when we arrived, so he didn't see Percy.

"I'm so glad you're okay," he said, patting Percy's back.

I watched them with a smile on my lips. Percy was already a teenager when Paul came. One might think that it would be hard for him to accept Paul into his life, but Percy made room for him, and it was all worth it. Looking at them right now, I knew that even if Percy's father couldn't be there for him, he still had a Dad to look after him.

Paul held Percy at an arm's length, grinning. "Gods, Paul, you're worse than Mom. Stop smothering me," he said, though he was smiling. He grabbed my hand and led me to our place in the middle of the room.

Class started and I let myself get lost in Paul's lectures. Hard as I tried, I still couldn't stop but think about Camp. Calypso was there. Who knew what she could be doing at this point. Percy caught my eyes. He raised an eyebrow so I smiled reassuringly at him.

When English was done, I walked Percy to his next class. I tightly grabbed his arm involuntarily when I saw Amber standing there, waiting for someone. She looked up and smiled shyly when she saw us.

I knew she and Percy didn't have the second period together because we were sitting next to each other for Biology. I stepped forward but Percy stopped me. "Annabeth, don't. Let me talk to her, okay, Wise Girl?" I sighed then nodded. He kissed my forehead. "You need to get to class." He smiled reassuringly at me.

I kissed him on the cheek and walked away. I didn't know what Amber was going to say. Probably to apologize for what she did. I searched for any forgiveness in my chest but found nothing. I didn't mean to be unforgiving, but whenever I saw Amber, I was always reminded what nearly happened to Percy. But then again I realized it all started with me and I couldn't go around projecting the anger I was feeling for myself onto others.

I took a deep breath and stepped inside the room. My classmates looked up and followed me with their eyes when I sat down.

"Hey, uh, Annabeth?" a voice called me. I looked up and saw Jamie. He was this skinny kid with dark hair and freckles on his face who was helped by Percy once when he was being pushed around by some seniors. Percy, having experienced what it felt like to be bullied, helped him. I don't know but I guess my boyfriend made it his duty to help others. Ever since then, Jamie looked up to Percy.

"Yeah, Jamie?" I asked.

He blushed. I laughed inwardly because of that. Percy once insisted that the only reason why Jamie was talking to him was because he had a crush on me. Seaweed Brain even teased me about it. When I asked him why he wasn't feeling threatened, he simply said, "I have complete faith in our love," and gave me a kiss.

"Is Percy okay now?" he asked, wringing his hands in front of him

I smiled at him and he blushed even more. "He is. Thank you for asking."

Jamie looked down. "Um, yeah, sure."

Amber then walked in. She looked happy and I raised my eyebrows. She then walked to where I was sitting and said, "Annabeth, I just want to apologize for what I did. I wasn't thinking. I wanted to break Percy and Samantha's friendship which was why I did what I did. Then I took a proof of it and showed it to you when I heard you two was back together. I didn't consider what you, or Percy, would feel because of it, and I'm really, really sorry."

I could feel the stares of the students around me. I stood up and faced her. "Percy almost died, you know. I'm not saying it's your fault alone; I know some of it was on me, but do me a favor and next time, before you do anything, kindly consider its impact on others. There are times we hurt other people, intentionally or unintentionally, and we apologize and we are forgiven, but what we don't understand is the gravity of what we did." Amber nodded. "Just try not to do it to anyone, okay? Not everyone is as resilient to car crashes as Seaweed Brain."

Amber gave me a shy smile. "Thank you." She then hurried to her seat as the professor was walking in.

The rest of the morning went good. Percy met me for lunch. "Hey there, gorgeous," he said. "You didn't give Amber a hard time, did you?"

I faked being offended. "Am I like Nico?" I asked. "You know I don't hold grudges."

He smiled. "I know you don't," he said. "But I also know how you are when it comes to me."

"And how is that?"

"Pretty protective," said Percy, smiling hugely. "Come on, I'm starving." I shook my head and followed him in the cafeteria.

Our table was less crowded now that Samantha was gone, and Pete was nowhere to be seen. Percy was munching on an apple when I noticed something on his face. Before we went to school, I had placed a bandage on his cheekbone. The wound the androktasiai gave him was almost healed, but there was still a small cut on his skin. To prevent infection, I had covered it up, and the one on his wrist.

Flesh blood was oozing from his supposed to be healed wound.

"Seaweed Brain," I said as I removed the bandage softly. What I saw was perplexing and disturbing. The wound was back, fresher than ever. "What's happening?"

"What?" he asked. "What is it, Wise Girl?"

I was about to answer when Pete came rushing in breathless. "Perce, dude, there's a gorgeous girl looking for you."

Percy looked at him. "What? Who?"

"Brave one," said a voice behind us. Percy and I turned around. Who I saw made me sigh in exasperation.

Who knew an immortal like Calypso could be such a stalker?

PERCY

"You made me curious the way you used to talk about this Manhattan of yours, Percy," Calypso was saying as we walked to the parking lot, to where I parked Paul's car. He lent it to me, and he was using Mom's. "If you have nothing else to do, I would love to tour it with you."

"Um . . ."

Calypso spent the rest of the day sitting in with my classes. I guess it's unnecessary to say that she got the attention of every single guy, regardless of age. It would be hard not to. I didn't know who helped her dress up but she was wearing a floral dress with a leather jacket, partnered with brown boots. She looked stunning in a dangerous kind of way, like someone who could be an undercover spy.

My girlfriend was quiet, which was kind of predictable, given with what happened between her and Calypso back at Camp. She had told me about the confrontation. While I was still unsure whether Annabeth's accusations were true, I was still grateful for Calypso for saving my life.

Before I answer to Calypso's question, I glanced at Annabeth. She shrugged. "It's your choice, Seaweed Brain."

I sighed and looked back at Calypso. She was smiling expectantly at me. I sighed. "Yeah. Sure."

"Of course you'll say yes," Annabeth muttered under her breath. "I'll come, too," she said. She then smiled at Calypso. "I'm sure that's not a problem, right? I can come with my boyfriend while he gives a tour to someone in love with him."

"Annabeth, please . . ." I whispered. She was acting a bit different, since that Calypso-finding-the-antidote-in-the-battlefield thing. I mean, yeah, I get that it's kind of suspicious and Annabeth, being the daughter of Athena, had a point. I was still trying to decide how I felt about it.

"I'll drive," she said, taking the keys from my hand and walking jumping in the car. I gave another sigh as I followed her, but not before opening the door of the backseat for Calypso. She had been trapped in her island for a long time. Who knew, maybe she'd try to open the car's door by kicking it.

I jumped in the passenger seat, beside Annabeth. She started the car and maneuvered it out of the parking lot with skill superior than mine. When we were on the road, Calypso leaned forward and asked, "Where are we going?"

Annabeth looked at me. I shrugged. "Probably the mall's a good choice."

"What is a mall?" Calypso wondered innocently, making Annabeth chuckle. I scolded her with my eyes and she smirked at me.

"A mall is a – okay, how do I put this? – yeah, it's a place where people hang out," I said, satisfied with the explanation I provided.

Calypso frowned. "Hang out?"

Annabeth scoffed. "What he meant was where people spend their spare time in."

Calypso nodded. "Oh, I see."

After parking, we went out and went strolling on the mall. I tried providing useful details to Calypso, but Annabeth always beat me up to it. Somehow, we found ourselves in the men's clothing department. Annabeth stopped, took a shirt from the rack and held it against me.

I rolled my eyes at her. "Plaid, Wise Girl, really?"

"It looks good on you," said Annabeth.

"I think everything will look good on you, brave one," said Calypso, making Annabeth shake her head. She hung the shirt back and dragged me to this fast-food chain we usually ate in. "What is this place?"

Annabeth turned to her. "Fast-food."

"What is a fast-food?" Calypso asked.

"A place where you can get foods fast," said Annabeth, clearly teasing Calypso. I rolled my eyes at her. She then proceeded and went to occupy our usual table. Calypso followed her. I shook my head. I felt like I was stuck babysitting two kids who hate each other's gut.

I followed and sat down beside Annabeth.

While waiting or our order, Annabeth said, "I need to use the bathroom." She stood up and looked at Calypso. "Do you need to come, too?"

Calypso looked at her, then to me. She exhaled and stood up. "I guess."

When they were gone, I settled back on my seat. Before I could contemplate on their behavior, my phone rang. I took it out of my pocket and checked the caller ID. The number was from out of state and was unregistered. I clicked answer. "Hello?"

"Perce?" said a familiar voice.

My jaw almost dropped. "Sam?"

She laughed from the other line. "Hey, I miss hearing your voice."

I sat up. "Where are you? Why didn't you call me immediately? How are you doing? Is everything okay with you?"

Samantha laughed again. "God, slow down there, Jackson. First, I'm staying with Maria's family; they're gracious hosts and I love staying with them. Where I am – now that's another matter. I'm not going to tell you in case you miss me too much and decide to come see me."

We shared a laugh. I had been too caught up with the other part of my life that I had completely forgotten Samantha. I missed her, but in the right way now.

"But seriously, I was busy getting settled that I didn't get the chance to call you until now. And I'm okay, really. I'm okay and now I mean it." She paused. "How about you? Are you out of the hospital now?"

"Yeah," I answered. "I'm actually at the mall right now."

"With Annabeth," she said.

"With Annabeth," I confirmed. I sighed then added, "And a friend."

Samantha chuckled. "Is this friend a girl, Jackson?"

"What else?" I asked and we both laughed. I spotted Annabeth coming in. "Annabeth's back. Do you want to talk to her?"

"Yes," she said. "But the thing is Maria's sister is calling me. She's teaching me how to cook." I groaned. "Don't worry; I'll cook for you when I get back."

"Okay," I said. "You'll call me, right?"

"Of course. Bye, Perce."

"Bye."

"Who was that?" Annabeth asked as I set my phone down.

"Sam," I answered carefully and watched Annabeth's face for any sign of annoyance. Instead, she smiled and took my hand. "She said she's doing okay now," I blurted out. "She's living with Maria's family."

Annabeth nodded. "Though I would love to have you tell me about your conversation, there's something I want to check again." She reached out and removed the bandage from my face. She leaned closer and inspected the wound. She told me that the wound had reopened, which puzzled both of us.

I didn't have any answer. Nor did Annabeth.

"I don't understand," she said. "I'm sure I saw it healing right before my eyes." She then removed the one covering my wrist and I was glad I hadn't eaten anything yet, otherwise I would've barfed all over the table. The wound was reddish-purple, the skin surrounding it almost black and shiny. "Oh, gods," Annabeth whispered.

I stood up and grabbed my bag. Annabeth looked up at me in confusion. "I-I'll handle it. I have some nectar in my bag. I'll be right back, okay?" I kissed her forehead and rushed to where the comfort room was, giving her no time to stop me.

When I got inside, I checked every stall. After seeing that I was alone, I locked the door and dropped my bag on the floor. I went to the sink and opened up the faucet, washing the wound. When the water touched my skin, I jumped back in surprise. It stung, like I poured acid onto it.

I didn't have time to ponder on that one because right then, the mirror before me shimmered, projecting the face of Chiron. An Iris-message. "Percy, my boy, are you alone?" he asked.

"Yes, why?"

"There is something you need to know," he said. "Calypso is missing."

"Of course she is," I said. "She's with me and Annabeth. We're at the mall."

Chiron sighed. "I'm afraid you don't understand, my boy," he said. His face looked tired, and I knew that this Chaos business, together with trying to get Lester to Camp, was taking its toll on him. When he answered, his voice sounded beat up. "Annabeth, as I'm sure you know, was raising a fair point when she accused Calypso of being the mole." I nodded. "It's wrong to point your finger without strong proofs but we'd be fools to ignore the details that are staring at us in the face, so I took some precautions."

"By precautions, you mean . . .?"

"I had the Hecate Cabin put a locator incantation on Calypso," he said. I was quite shocked when I heard this. Chiron was the last person – centaur, whatever – I thought would do something like this. "It would keep us informed about her whereabouts. Lou Ellen was following her, and I knew she was in New York."

"Wait, was?" I asked. "She still is."

"I'm afraid not, Percy," Chiron said. "See, the locator incantation was severed just a minute ago. She's missing, my boy."

"Oh," I said in a small voice. "That's bad. Does that mean she's the traitor?"

"I'm afraid there's much more disturbing news, my boy," he said. Chiron took a deep breath and, in a quiet voice, said, "Lester has been missing for a month."

"What?" I asked, stunned. "A month? Are you sure, Chiron? Weren't you watching him the day you came back to Camp? I thought you saw him."

"I did," he admitted. "But it appears that it was just a mere hallucination."

"A hallucination? Who's powerful enough to create something that can fool even you?" I asked.

Chiron sighed again. For the first time, I saw how old he really was in his tired eyes. "Whoever it is, Percy, they have Lester now, and we're all in danger."

[Next - Chapter 11: UNPLEASANTVILLE]