Chapter 12
After breakfast – prepared by Percy, of course – Artemis called the group together.
"Alright everyone. It's time. This mission requires stealth and speed. We need to get in and out without drawing attention, and dispose of these monsters quickly and without incident.
"From our satyr reports, we have a couple young demigods in the school, which will make this even harder, as we do not want them seeing through the Mist and discovering us. It would only put them in more danger. If you are discovered, bring the child here and we will deal with it accordingly.
"Now, the Kobaloi are posing as the office staff, the lunch ladies, and the yard aids. Thankfully, this means they will most likely not be in classrooms, and will be found in offices and areas that are frequently unoccupied. This will make our job significantly easier.
"All right, now, I'll lead one group, and the others will be led by Perc-Perseus and Thalia. On second thought, Phoebe, you'll lead one as well. Phoebe, you, Skylar, and the little girls will wait outside. Guard the entrances and make sure the authorities do not make it inside the building until all of us are out, if it comes to that. Manipulate the Mist if you have to, but don't attract attention and don't let anyone past you.
"Thalia, you take Jenna, Arianna, and Kaelyn and cover the lunch ladies. I'll take Arietta, Lydia, and Anya and get the two yard aids, as they'll be able to escape more easily. Perseus, you will take Hadley, Kiara, and Kate and cover the office staff. The wolves will stay here and guard the camp.
"We have three hours. We are going to have to have impeccable timing in order to attack during times when the children are in class and not in the hallways or cafeteria. It's eight o'clock now, so we'll need to wait until nine to enter the school. From there, handle it as you please, just get the job done discreetly. It is imperative that none of the monsters escape.
"A fair warning about Kobaloi - they're nasty creatures. They have many forms. Thankfully, our sources tell me most of them are young, and so are not as powerful. The sources could not determine if there were any adults, but you will know if you find one. They are much more powerful and intelligent, and are capable of much more destruction. No matter their age, try to dispatch them before they morph, and above all, be careful.
"Now, everyone grab your things. We have fifteen minutes before we head out," Artemis dictated.
Everyone scattered to find their things, and Artemis walked to the top of the hill. She looked out across the town spread before them, hoping that all would go well.
Percy, meanwhile, was helping the little girls. He was nervous for them, but found comfort in the fact that they would be as safe as possible. Nevertheless, he pulled out a few new charms for Ally's bracelet.
"Ally," he called. She skipped over.
"Yes Percy?" she asked sweetly. Percy bent down to her level.
"Here," he offered, attaching the charms. Ally admired them as Percy explained what they did.
"Okay, so the conch shell lets me know if you're in danger. If that happens, I'll come as soon as possible. I made it after I realized sounding your horn every time you needed me wasn't very effective, and could possibly be dangerous if there are monsters around to hear it.
"The glass bubble creates a magical shield around you and anyone near you, but will only be able to last for about ten minutes before it shuts down and needs to regenerate. The mirror acts as a sort of map. It can show you anything that is touched by natural light.
"And lastly, the little vial is a healing tonic - one of Apollo's recipes. If you or any of the Hunters get hurt, use it. It will automatically regenerate, so no need to worry about it running out. It also works on mortals, but only use a drop or two; otherwise it's too potent. For demigods and immortals, give them the full bottle...I hope that's enough, I thought that it covered about everything…." Percy told her, trailing off as he tried to think about anything he might have forgotten. Ally giggled.
"Thank you Percy! I'll be okay, though, because you're coming, and you promised to protect us!" she exclaimed, her eyes shining with trust and innocence. Percy smiled back at her, trying to hide how her words affected him.
"Wait a second, how do you make this stuff?" she asked, suddenly wondering how exactly Percy made all of her magical charms. Percy shrugged.
"Gods' blessings come with a lot of power. I control at least some aspect of almost all of their elements, so it's easy enough for me to create things. The glass bubble and conch shell are part of my father's domain, the mirror Aphrodite's, and the healing tonic Apollo's, obviously.
"Chaos's blessing also helps with the magic stuff. Honestly, I don't really know how it works. Now c'mon, lets go help your sisters," he told her, grabbing her hand and leading her over to Cali, who was having trouble with her sheath of arrows.
Not much later, the Hunters were ready. After a quick run, they stopped in the trees bordering the back of the school.
"Okay, Phoebe, get your group into position. I'll distract the mortals at the front door. The office is a little ways in, and the Mist should obscure you, but only for a few minutes, so hurry. Let's go." Artemis ordered.
Phoebe motioned to the little kids and they all ran swiftly to their positions around the perimeter. Luckily for them, the school had plant life and shrubbery bordering the school, and had quite a few trees close to the windows that provided good hiding places.
Percy watched as Ally and Cali climbed nearby trees, while Luna, Alexis, and Skylar hid in bushes outside the front doors. Phoebe ran around the side of the building and ducked into a space between the back door and the wall that was hidden by a small shelf. She could see and hear everything without being seen or heard herself.
The school only had two exits, so they didn't have to worry too much about the monsters – other then the two yard aids – escaping outside. However, that also meant that if things went wrong, it'd be hard to get the mortals out. They would just have to hope it didn't come to that.
Artemis led the way, placing her hand on the doors to unlock them before slipping inside. Percy was the last to go in, and took one last look behind him before shutting the door and hearing it latch softly behind him.
Artemis led her group around a corner, heading for what Percy knew to be the yard aids 'office'. It was located in the back of the school, and so hopefully wouldn't attract much attention.
Percy watched Thalia and her group sneak into the cafeteria across the hall, then positioned himself outside the office door so that when it opened and people came out, he could jump them before they noticed him. That way, if a mortal came out, he could let them get by and then corner any monsters. The girls followed his example, pressing themselves up against the wall.
Moments later, loud clanging and banging sounds emitted from the cafeteria. Percy tensed, and the girls with him drew their bows. He waited for the office door to open, and a moment later it did. Percy sucked in a breath, hoping a monster would poke its head out first, and not a mortal.
Of course, with his luck, the mortal principal stepped out the door, slightly alarmed. Percy cursed, than snapped his fingers. He had never been good at controlling the mist, but this time it worked. The mortal looked around, shrugged, then shut the door behind her and walked down the hall to the teacher's lounge, in the opposite direction of the monsters.
Percy breathed a sigh of relief before turning back to the open door. He motioned to the other girls to follow him, than crept towards it. Right as he was about to walk into the doorframe and reveal his presence, a lady with brown hair, bright green eyes, and glasses stuck her head out with a scowl. She immediately locked her gaze on Percy, who drew in a breath.
Those eyes were definitely not normal. Before he could move, however, her eyes widened and she disappeared with a slight 'pop'. Percy refrained from swearing. Then he heard a giggle coming from his right, and saw a fairy like creature, fairly similar to the one he encountered in the woods, hovering about four feet above the stairs leading to the lower level. This time, Percy did swear.
"I'll cover this one, you guys get the others!" he ordered in a tone low enough not to raise suspicion, but loud enough that the girls would hear him. They nodded and pushed the door open wider, darting into the room with restrained battle cries.
Percy ran after the creature, watching as it darted down the steps and around a corner. Following it down a hallway, it finally stopped outside a classroom. The door was slightly ajar, allowing fresh air to enter the classroom. Percy could see a pretty young teacher showing some first graders how to do an arts-and-crafts project that apparently required a lot of colored paper and glue.
"Oh no you don't!" Percy hissed, lunging at the creature. He managed to nick its arm, but it still darted into the classroom. Percy grit his teeth.
What was he supposed to do now? If he charged in there like a maniac, they'd call the cops. If he did nothing, that monster could kill them all. Percy made a split second decision. He grabbed a clear glass jar from the teacher's supply room next door, dumping all the pencils out of it, and grabbed a piece of paper. Then he opened the door and walked in the room.
Immediately, 19 sets of eyes swiveled and locked onto him. One gaze, however, remained locked on something by the wall.
"Um, hi." Percy started lamely. He held up the jar and paper.
"I'm volunteering today, and that bug has been flying around all day. Mr…erm, Smith, asked me to catch it." He fibbed, hoping the teacher bought the lie.
"Oh, go right ahead. Yes, it is rather big isn't it? What is it, some kind of dragonfly?" she agreed. A little girl with blonde ringlets and piercing blue eyes raised her hand.
"Yes, Emily?" the teacher asked. Emily shook her head.
"It's not a dragonfly. It's a fairy," she said matter-of-factly. Percy zeroed in on the little girl. She must be a demigod, he thought to himself. Then he looked to where she was pointing.
The teacher chuckled.
"Oh, Emily, dear, that's very imaginative, but it's just a bug," she told her smiling.
There, hovering by the wall, was the office lady, now equipped with wings. Percy watched her before reluctantly taking out Riptide, uncapping it and causing it to elongate into its sword form.
"That's a really big flyswatter!" one little boy called out, and Percy sighed in relief. His relief, however, didn't last long.
The Kobaloi sneered at Percy before beginning to transform. The children began to shriek in alarm.
"What is that?" the teacher gasped, gathering the students near her on the far side of the wall.
Only Emily remained where she was, apparently stunned by what she was seeing. Percy dropped the jar and paper on a nearby desk, having forgotten he was still holding them.
The Kobaloi had now returned to its human form, but retained its green tinted skin and glowing eyes. Her teeth were sharp, which became apparent when she smiled, and her hair floated about her face as if she was underwater. The result was quite startling. Percy stared at her, dumbfounded.
"What's the matter, Perseus? You didn't think we only had two forms, did you?" she cackled wickedly.
"Don't worry, I'll get it!" Percy said loudly, recovering his wits and trying to keep his cover.
Thankfully, the classrooms next door were empty. Percy suspected the students that usually occupied them were in the gym or the library or some other class on the main level, which was good. He really didn't need people running in at the wrong moment and thinking he was a gunman or something.
Just as he had that thought, the Kobaloi smirked, and an automatic gun appeared in her hands.
Percy had never been familiar with guns, as monsters never used modern technology, but this one looked dangerous. He raised his sword, but the Kobaloi pointed the gun at Emily, and Percy knew he had to do something. He launched himself across the room, throwing himself in front of Emily.
The Kobaloi, now furious, fired round after round at him, but the bullets all deflected as he threw up a defensive shield. It was similar to the magic he had used in Ally's charm, and though he wasn't sure whether it came from Chaos, one of the gods' blessings, or being a Guardian, he was thankful regardless.
The kids shrieked and dived behind desks and bookcases, and Percy quickly extended his shield to cover them as well, grunting from the effort. Before Percy could stop her, the teacher darted to the phone on the desk and dialed 911. Percy continued to distract the monster, acting slightly reckless in his attempts to dispatch the monster and get out, fast.
"Hello? Please help, my name is Victoria Soto, and there's someone with a gun in my classroom at Sandy Hook Elementary School. 749 Birch Street. Please come quickly, she-" A stray bullet flew by Percy's head, severing the phone cord.
The teacher looked at the severed cord in shock, before shrieking and covering the few kids that were still standing.
When the monster turned back to Percy, he edged around it, causing it to turn it's back on the mortals. Percy noticed the teacher hiding the kids in a closet over the monsters shoulder, and kept swiping at it to cause a diversion.
I have to stop it before someone gets hurt! Percy thought desperately. Emily was still out in the open, frozen in place. Thankfully, his shield seemed to have protected her as well. Percy looked around frantically, determined to end the monster before someone got hurt.
Desperate, he threw Riptide with all his might, and the Kobaloi's eyes widened. Too late, it attempted to dart to the side, before it was impaled by the sword and dissolved into yellow dust.
Percy stood for a moment, blinking. He was shocked that had worked – he'd tried it once or twice on bigger monsters, and it had worked mainly because they never expected him to actually let go of his sword. Huh. Maybe he should use that trick more often.
Before picking up his sword and brushing himself off, Percy threw the jar he had set down at the window, shattering both. The teacher turned around at the sudden noise, her eyes widening.
"Quick! She's escaping!" Percy said exaggeratedly. The teacher looked horrified; she was shaking like a leaf. Percy moved towards the window, but was halted by her shriek.
"No! W-what are you thinking? You can't go after her, she's a mad woman! The p-police are on their way, they can catch her," she reminded him, and Percy's expression morphed into one of panic.
The teacher suddenly seemed to realize something.
"The other students and teachers! How did she get in? I have to warn them, make sure they are alright!" she worried. Percy's eyes widened.
"Please don't worry, ma'am. I'll go. You need to take care of your kids." He placated her.
She nodded and turned back to the closet, opening it and ushering the screaming, crying children out. Using the noise as a distraction, Percy walked briskly over to Emily, kneeling down in front of her.
"You saw what she really looked like, didn't you?" he asked her.
She nodded seriously, but her eyes showed that she was scared. Percy's features softened, and he offered her his hand.
"I can tell you what she was, but you have to trust me, okay? If you come with me, I'll explain everything," he told her, and after a moment of hesitation, she placed her hand in his delicately.
"Do you have any parents around? Do I need to call someone?" he asked. The little girl shook her head no, causing her curly blonde hair to bounce up and down.
"Okay then. Come on," he said.
He pulled her to the door, the teacher oblivious as she comforted the panicking kids. He raced back down the hallway and up the stairs, towards the front entrance. He skidded to a stop when he saw a police car pulling into the parking lot. Thalia ran up to him.
"Percy! The cops are here! We got the rest, everyone's waiting for you outsi-" she stopped herself, noticing Emily, who was clinging to Percy's hand and looking up at Thalia with a scared expression.
"Who's this?" she asked, in a slightly gentler tone.
"Emily. She saw through the Mist, saw the Kobaloi. One of them ran down to the first grade classroom. I took care of it, but we have to go. Take her with you; she said she doesn't have any parents. Take her to Artemis, but make sure to go out the back. I'll distract the cops, then follow you." He said, handing over Emily.
Thalia started to protest, but Percy scowled.
"We don't have time, Thalia! We're about to have company. Now take her and go!" he said urgently, already moving towards the front doors.
Thalia looked pained, but grabbed Emily's hand and ran around the corner, back the way Artemis had gone.
Percy looked around quickly for a distraction. Deciding to be efficient, he used the butt of Riptide to break the glass panes in the front doors, setting off the school alarm and making the front doors tricky to open with all the broken pieces of glass. The police cars were just pulling into the parking lot when Percy turned and ran.
He sprinted after Thalia and Emily, and after a minute or two he came to the back door. He could hear the police at the front entrance now, trying to unlock it unsuccessfully. He reached out his hands, planning on bashing into the push-bar door handle and sprinting out of there as fast as he could.
But it didn't happen like that.
Instead, the door remained solidly in place, and Percy ran straight into it, almost breaking his wrists and smacking his forehead on the window instead. He rubbed his wrists as he looked at the door in confusion. What was wrong with it? He tried opening it again, but it wouldn't budge. That's when he saw it.
Glue. Specifically, demigod glue, also known as Hermes' Express Sticky Glue ("For Every Pranking Occasion"). It was hard to spot, but easy to recognize, as it blended in with the surface it was put on, but glowed when touched with celestial bronze, as it did now when it came into contact with Riptide's blade. Percy recognized it from many of what the Stolls considered their finest pranks.
He cursed. He'd have a hard time breaking through the glue without proper demigod tools. He wished Leo were here. Growing desperate as the police moved closer, Percy hit Riptide against the glass, causing it to shatter. As he jumped out the window, cutting his hands on the glass and sprinting away, he shoved Riptide (now in pen form) back into his pocket, the shouts of the police officers left behind carried off by the wind.
****LINE BREAK****
Percy jogged into the clearing where the Hunt was set up, looking over his shoulder to check that no one was following him. When he turned to greet the Hunters, he came face to face with what seemed like a legion of silver arrows.
"Whoa! Just me! Hold your fire!" he yelped, dodging to the side to avoid a stray arrow. The Hunters lowered their weapons immediately, while Phoebe pretended to look sheepish about her empty bow.
Percy brushed himself off and glared at Phoebe. He quickly refocused, however, when he noticed Emily standing behind Thalia. Ally and the others stood around her reassuringly, but she was still very clearly nervous. Percy walked up to her and kneeled down.
"Hey there, Emily. You okay?" he asked her softly. She nodded.
"My name's Percy, and I'm a demigod. That means that one of my parents is–was normal, and one of them is a god. My father is lord of the sea, and his name is Poseidon. Do you understand?" he asked her. She nodded slowly.
"I think you're a demigod too. Do you have any parents?" he asked her. She shook her head yes.
"My daddy. He has to go to work though, so the nice lady next door takes me to school. I take the bus home. Daddy doesn't get home until dinner," she said quietly.
"Okay. When I asked you before, you said your parents weren't around, do you remember? Can you tell me where your dad is now?" Percy asked softly. Emily's eyes watered.
"I don't know. He didn't come home for two nights ago. He went to work but never came back," she sniffled, tears running down her face.
The other Hunters looked on sympathetically, and Ally and the others patted her shoulders comfortingly.
"Did your dad say anything before he left? Anything strange?" Percy questioned. Emily seemed to think hard.
"No," she shook her head. "He said he loved me, and he was getting a promo… a prema…" she struggled to find the words.
"Promotion?" Percy suggested gently. Her eyes lit up and she nodded.
"That! A pro-mo-shun. He said he would get me a new toy on the way home. But he never came back. Do you know where he is?" she asked, looking up at Percy with hopeful eyes. Percy looked back sadly.
"I don't, Emily. I'm sorry. But I'll do my best to find him. Don't you worry. But Emily? Have you ever seen anything like that monster before? Anything strange?" he asked. She nodded earnestly.
"My kin-der-gar-den buddy last year had furry legs. And hooves. His foot fell off in class and I helped him put it back on before anyone noticed. But he was nice. And once a lady followed me on the bus, but the driver made her get off. I watched her, and she had glowing eyes and scary snakes for legs.
"And once, when Daddy wasn't home, a nice lady came. She smelled good, like the beach. I love the beach. She was very nice, and played with me. She was sad. She said she had to go, and couldn't come play with me any more. But she said she loved me, just like my Daddy. She said her name was G-G-Gal-ee-nee. She was pretty." She revealed, growing a little less shy as she became more comfortable with the group.
"Galeenee? Who's that?" Percy asked, confused. Artemis looked surprised.
"Galene. The goddess of calm seas…I thought she had faded long ago. Emily must be her last child, so she collected her essence enough to visit her before she truly faded. The council confirmed her essence completely gone just a few years ago." Artemis supplied, looking surprised.
Emily looked up at her curiously.
"That nice lady was my mommy?" she asked. Percy smiled at her.
"Yes. Is that okay?" Percy asked her. Emily beamed.
"Yeah! She was the nicest lady I've ever met," she said enthusiastically. Percy smiled.
"Hey! My dad is Poseidon, god of the oceans. So that kind of makes us related, in a sense, doesn't it?" Percy asked. Emily seemed to think about it.
"I guess so…" she said hesitantly. "I've never had a family before. Just Daddy and me."
"Well Emily…how would you like to join a new family? At least, for a little while, until we find your dad?" Percy asked. Emily tilted her head to the side, curious.
"What kind of family?" she asked sweetly. Percy opened his arms, gesturing to the girls in the clearing.
"This family," he told her. Emily looked around, seemingly taking in all the smiling faces of the girls, and noticing the power radiating from them. She seemed unsure, so Percy decided to help her out.
"Maybe we should introduce you, hm?" he asked, and Emily looked at him curiously. Percy smiled.
"Well first, there's Lady Artemis," he said, pointing. "She is the leader of the Hunt, which is what we call our family, and protects all of us during quests, when we protect other people from monsters, like the one in your school."
"So, like the Mommy?" Emily asked, and Percy tried and failed to hide his grin.
"I suppose so, in a way," he answered, before continuing. "That's Thalia, her Lieutenant. She's like the oldest sister, and helps Lady Artemis make sure we all behave. I know she looks scary, but she's nice, don't worry."
"Hey! I'm not scary," Thalia protested, and Emily giggled. Thalia winked at her playfully.
"That's Phoebe – she's next oldest, and our best tracker. Then there's Arietta and Arianna – we call them Ari and Anna, so you can tell them apart – Skylar, those three are Kate, Kiara, and Kaelyn, then we have Anya and Jenna – she's really good at magic – then Lydia, Hadley, and the little girls – Luna, Alexis, Cali, and Ally." Percy rattled off, pointing to each of the girls.
"Hey! We're not little!" Cali argued, and Percy ruffled her hair and laughed.
"Sure you are, squirts," he teased, and they fake pouted until Percy reached over and tickled them, causing them to fall over each other laughing.
Emily watched them, smiling shyly, before turning back to Percy.
"What about you?" she asked, and Percy blinked, surprised, before breaking into a smile.
"I'm Percy, silly," he teased, and she giggled.
"No, what do you do?" she insisted, and he winked.
"I'm the Guardian," he told her. "It's my job to protect everyone, even Lady Artemis, and take care of them even if they don't need my help."
Emily brightened.
"Like the Daddy!" she exclaimed, and Percy flushed.
"No! No, more like the big brother," he hurriedly corrected, not looking at Artemis or the other girls. Emily puckered her lips and nodded.
"So what do you think? Would you like to join us, Emily?" Thalia asked.
Emily looked around, biting her lip, and nodded slowly, her smile growing. Percy beamed back at her, and Artemis stepped forward.
"Emily, there's one condition to joining this family," she said seriously. Emily's smile slowly faded into a worried expression.
"What is it? I can draw you a picture if you want, but I'm not very good at it. And I don't have any money in my piggy bank…but you can have my teddy bear if you want. He's in my room at home," she said, looking concerned. The Hunters all chuckled.
"No, no, nothing like that. To join us, you have to swear not to fall in love with any boys." Thalia explained, a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. Emily brightened considerably.
"Oh! That's easy! Boys have cooties!" she told them seriously, then looked stricken and turned to Percy, eyes wide. He held back a laugh and raised his hands.
"Cootie free, I promise," he told her, and she relaxed and smiled back. Thalia smirked, deciding that she liked this girl already.
"Okay then Emily, repeat after me. 'I promise to loyally follow the goddess Artemis. I promise to forfeit the company of men and be a loyal sister until I am old enough to officially join the Hunt.'" Thalia instructed her.
"'I promise to l-loy-al-ly follow the goddess Art-e-mis. I promise to…"
"Forfeit," Thalia prompted.
"For-feit the comp'ny of men and be a lo-y-al sister 'til I am old enough to join the Hunt.'" Emily repeated. Thalia looked to Artemis, who smiled.
"Close enough," she granted, and a silver glow surrounded Emily.
When it subsided, Emily's hair looked shinier and blonder. Her eyes seemed brighter, their icy blue color becoming more pronounced. She seemed to glow like the other hunters, looking youthful and energetic, even more so then she had before.
"Emily, you are now a probational member of the Hunt," Artemis explained. Emily tilted her head to the side.
"Pro-bay-shunal?" she asked, and Artemis smiled.
"It means you are a part of the family, but are not bound to me forever. While you are with us, it is as if you are a member of the Hunt, but because you may change your mind and leave if you so choose, you are not immortal as the other Huntresses are. When you are old enough, if you decide to truly join my Hunt, you will take a more permanent oath and earn your immortality, but for now, the promise you just made is enough."
Emily nodded, having understood most of what Artemis said, and Percy whooped.
"Alright then! Who's up for a celebratory dinner?" he asked, breaking the silence.
The Hunters cheered, moving towards the picnic table. Ally tagged Emily and raced her to the table.
Percy chased after them, swooping them up in his arms and depositing them gently onto the picnic benches, the two of them giggling madly. Percy smiled at them, helping the other little girls up onto the benches, when he spotted something on the ground and froze.
There, on the ground under Phoebe's seat, was a small, plastic bottle.
A bottle of Hermes' Express Sticky Glue.
And the bottle was half empty.
A/N: Okay everyone, that's the chapter! Thanks so much for reading! This chapter was written to honor the victims of Sandy Hook, and not to make fun of or in any way debase or disgrace the event itself or the people involved. If this offended anyone, it was not at all my intention and I am dearly sorry.
Again, thanks so much for reading! I appreciate it! Don't forget to review! Until next time!
