Before you guys go all loopy and all, everything I do is for a reason. I'm not some dumb child who writes about earthquakes BEFORE doing research on them. I know NY doesn't have quakes like the one in the last chapter. There is a reason for my madness. You ask why? Here's a clue... this story is no longer all human.
I've had a plot written up for this story since the day I started it. About halfway through, I wanted to involve the gods. I changed the plot to have god interference and still make SENSE. No fear, the earthquake was clearly unnatural. Cough Poseidon cough.
So anyway, before I go off in a frenzy about loving my reviewers, I want to thank you for your OH SO DEEP concerns about that kind of earthquake being impossible, but as we learned in Riordan's masterpiece series of PJO, it doesn't all come down to science. Like I said before, authors always think before they type- they dont go all spontaneous ninja or anything.
There's always a method to my madness. In this case~ Poseidon and Athena rivalry.
I want to thank all the wonderful people who've been with me the entire way. The people who helped me get through intense cases of writers block. The people who held me ignore flames. The people who give me ideas. The people who care. I love you guys, and hope you'll stay here with me. This chapters dedicated to you guys... because I know you already know who you are.
Sorry if this chapter isn't amazing. The super bowl is going on at the moment, and I'm distracted. GO STEELERS! GO PACKERS! Meh. I don't particularly fancy either team. But I know a lot of you care, but I'm rooting steelers. When I publish this and the packers have won, well... I won't care(:
Oh look... PACKERS won. (Updated after super bowl) Glee time now.
Chapter 14... Seriously?
The group stood in awe at the spectacle on the television. A lady was standing in the midst of rubble and house remains.
"We are here now broadcasting from the mains streets of Manhattan. I'm Wilma Jones, and this is the Weather Channel. A few moments ago we had a record breaking earthquake that defies nature's law here in New York. Joe here will tell us a little bit about this catastrophe." The lady on the television said.
"Well Wilma, this earthquake was definitely the longest in New York and the majority of the state's history, a total of seven minutes. We don't exactly understand how this odd phenomenon occurred, but we believe it was just abnormal movement of the Earth's tectonic plates. We are unsure and have no facts yet to prove it. It is almost freakish how long and bad this earthquake was. Even in California, such a natural disaster is almost unimaginable considering New York isn't even on the fault line. We have concluded that there were very few injuries and no reported deaths, but a few older buildings such as the one behind me have crumbled into debris." Joe said, gesturing to the pile of rubble behind him. "We will update you as we get information." Travis flipped off the television and prepared to speak.
"Why does this always happen to me? While I'm in New York there's an unusually freakish earthquake. When I'm in Thailand, a tsunami. When I take a trip to Antarctica there's a blizzard. Is it just the weather hating me or what?" Travis sighed, plopping down in a chair.
"At least it never killed you." Katie said sweetly, trying to comfort him.
"Wow, you're unlucky. I'm staying the heck away from you on Friday the 13th." Grover muttered.
"You went to Antarctica?" Percy asked, curious. He hadn't traveled that far for anything yet.
"Oh that is a very long story involving a misunderstanding about Canadian bacon." Travis grumbled, obviously not very fond of the memory.
"So what do we do now?" Grover asked.
"Well after we're all fitted and Annabeth wakes up, we can leave." Luke said. Annabeth was still unconscious, but was showing signs of being healthy. She was sure to wake up soon. Percy was still sitting next to her nervously, peeking at her condition every other second. Nico, Silena, Charlie, Percy and Luke had already been fitted.
"Yoo Hoo, Travis!" A voice screamed that belonged to Yolanda. "Time for fitting!" She said as Clarisse stumbled out of the fitting room. Yolanda was keeping all the outfits after she fitted the stars, and would send them to the studio later on.
"Oh god that was horrific." Clarisse mumbled and Travis's face scrunched together. He didn't want to let Katie see his less than muscle body on television. He wasn't fat, but he was definitely not ripped like some others. He walked into the room with a poker face, ready to face his fear.
"Strip hon." Yolanda said.
"WHAT!" Travis yelled.
"Don't be scared, you can keep your underwear on." Yolanda assured him. He closed his eyes and slid off his jeans and t-shirt. He hopped onto the measuring podium and waited under he felt a measuring tape surround his waist. After ten minutes, Yolanda had sewn him a pair of fitting red pants and she shooed him off claiming he could go. He sighed in relief and changed back to his normal clothes.
"How was it?" Grover asked and Travis shivered, remembering Yolanda's cold fingers on his skin with a measuring tape.
"Creepy." He murmured as Grover was called. Travis nodded at him for good luck, getting an unsure smile in return.
"Is everyone alright?" A voice boomed.
"Dad?" Thalia chimed, as Zeus pounded through the door.
"Holy crap man, you pwned that door." Travis said, sounding like an internet geek. Zeus rolled his eyes and began to speak.
"Sorry about the earthquake earlier. My brother was a bit angry. I suppose we must explain to you now why that exactly happened." He noticed Annabeth scrunched into the chair and his eyes widened. "I hope he didn't mean for THIS to happen." Zeus said, placing his hand on Annabeth's head and omitting an ominous glow. "Long story short, all of you are not normal. My daughter and that goat boy are already aware of it. You're all demigods... half-bloods... children of the Gods. Ever heard of Greek mythology?" Zeus was interrupted in his speech.
"Shoot... Hermes is a God? The whole name thing wasn't just a coincidence?" Travis asked.
"Your dad is Hermes too?" Luke asked in disbelief.
"Half-Brothers of the thief I see..." Lord Zeus spat, but his expression softened when he saw Thalia.
"How could you TELL them? This is outrageous! The others will be furious!" She screamed as Grover came back through the changing room.
"What'd I miss?" He asked and when he saw Zeus changed out of his manager outfit his face dropped.
"We created this show to bring you all together. Now that Dare girl is a different story, but I assure you that we have explanations for everything." Zeus exclaimed.
"LORD ZEUS HOW COULD YOU? The monsters will come for them now that they're aware!" Grover bleated, kicking off his... fake shoes and pants? Percy did always think that the kid looked awful strange. The whole hoof thing was outrageous though as a whole.
"What the heck?" Percy said, staring at Grover's legs.
"So he really is a goat." Clarisse sneered.
"Satyr NOT A GOAT. A satyr!" Grover groaned.
"Right." Clarisse murmured.
"So who are our parents?" Katie asked.
"Well... Katie you are a child of Demeter. Travis and Luke already know of their parentage. Grover is indeed a satyr. Clarisse is obviously a daughter of Ares, a fiesta one at that. I'm almost guaranteed that Annabeth is a daughter of Athena. Silena is a daughter of Aphrodite and Charles is a son of Hephaestus. I'm unsure of Percy and Nico's parentage, but I feel they radiate more power than the lot of you. I predict that they are children of the Big Three." Zeus pondered. The group looked at him as if he was speaking a foreign language.
"I get it." A voice chirped. Everyone turned their heads to see Annabeth awake and well.
"I see my healing powers worked young daughter of Athena." Zeus said calmly as Annabeth smiled.
"Though our parents are the Gods, they have permission to see us if needed. I only see my mother a few times throughout the years, and most times are milestones like my sixteenth birthday. I'm usually left with sitters. But aside the point, you invited this particular lot of celebrities, because we have parentage from Olympus." She finished.
"It's hard to believe that you don't experience the same shock as the others. Normally you would be attacked by plenty of monsters by now, but each of your parents has given you a protective item of power when you were young that kept you off the monster map until you discovered your true parentage. I'm being nice because I understand that you are all special and have had tough lives because of the Gods... but later on you will fear me, for I am Lord Zeus- King of the Gods." Lord Zeus said.
"Do Gods have the ability to appear in multiple places at once?" Annabeth asked, as the remainder of the group still was fazed in shock.
"Yes my dear, as long as the Gods home is powerful then they have the ability to do more things than minor Gods. My home is the sky, while Hades home is the underworld. We all have a haven that we must protect since it is our source of power." Zeus stated.
"What now?" Luke asked. "Now that were special, what do we do? It doesn't really change anything does it? It isn't like our parents were actually there for us when we needed them." An angry face fell upon Zeus's face, but melted when he realized what the children had been through.
Annabeth's father was a drunk. Luke's mother was taken to an asylum. Percy always had a mother, a very sweet one at that, but was forced to live with his terrible step-father Gabe. Silena's father sent her to boarding school to get rid of her when she was young. Charles had no mother. Katie's father constantly moved her because for his botanical studies. Travis and his twin were raised in an orphanage until they were fourteen. Grover never had any friends, just the wild. Nico grew up in the darkness when his mother and sister passed. Thalia didn't meet her father until the show was created and Clarisse never saw her mortal mother because her mother was a celebrity.
"Now all we can do is play along children. Dark things are rising, but staying on the television show with my protection will keep you safe until you are trained. We must create and continue the show for the mortals who greatly anticipate it. Even I do not have enough power over the mist to change their minds."
"What the heck is the mist?" Clarisse blurted out to the king of the Gods.
"You will learn later on. While competing, you will also learn the ways of a demigod from several people we have hired. Good luck young demigods. Find your way back to Times Square and never speak of this to anyone but each other. You will learn more about your lives later on. I now bid you farewell." Zeus waved smugly and ran outside and burst into bright light. The teens raced after him but when they reached outside, he was gone.
Annabeth was fitted quickly, and the large group headed back to Times Square, eager to learn about their lives.
"How are you doing?" Percy asked Annabeth.
"Better. I've got a killed headache, but I'll be okay." She answered as they tried to get a cab because their motorcycle wrecked.
"Wow I suck at this." Percy said, attempting once more to attract a cab.
"Let me try." Annabeth insisted, sticking out her arm and whistling loudly with her fingers. In a matter of moments, a cab rode up to the side of the road and Annabeth smirked. They hopped in the cab and paid the driver a twenty in advance.
"I don't charge family." He said with a smile. Apollo was sitting behind the wheel, his blonde hair flipped over his brow in the most fantastic way.
"So you're Apollo... God of the sun?" Annabeth asked.
"I'm also the God of music, poetry, oracles, medicine and light- but sun works too." He said sarcastically, starting the cab.
"Just thinking of it all makes me seem crazy." Percy said. "But I believe it... I mean that Olympus exists." He stuttered.
"Zeus assigned my sister and I too host and watch over you demigods because we're the best Gods out there." Apollo said as thunder rumbled above. "Okay, SOME of the best Gods out there." He corrected and Annabeth chuckled.
"Who's my father?" Percy asked with a hint of hope in his green eyes.
"I made a haiku for you Jackson. Listen up, because I'm very talented at creating haiku's." Apollo said with a smirk.
"Percy is clueless.
He made Ares mad at him.
Killed his motor bike."
"Aren't Haiku's supposed to be about nature?" Annabeth asked.
"Um... yes- but it doesn't matter. My haiku's rock no matter what they're about." Apollo said, sporting a glittery smile as they arrived at Times Square. "I speed a bit, so you are earlier than the others. They will arrive in in minutes or so." Apollo mused as Percy and Annabeth got out of the backseat and waved goodbye.
"Thanks for the ride Lord Apollo." Annabeth said.
"Call me uncle sweetheart." Apollo smirked as he zoomed away in the yellow taxi.
"That was something." Annabeth started.
"It really was." Percy replied, as they jogged towards the bus.
"Race you there!" Annabeth shouted taking off in a sprint. She was a lot faster than he was, so he settled with a faster jog and arrived a few moments after her. "I win." She breathed as the bus doors opened.
"YOU'RE BACK!" A voice squealed.
"Shoot." Percy muttered under his breath as Rachel jumped out of the bus doors grabbing on to him.
"I was all alone for like four hours!" She whined. He pushed her off and pulled Annabeth into a seat towards the front of the bus.
"SINGING TIME!" Travis shouted as the rest of the group piled into the bus, practically running over Rachel. Zeus appeared magically into the driver's seat and the bus took off full speed towards the hotel.
"Let's sing." Travis suggested, yet again.
"I have an idea. Someone start a song and everyone continues. If you don't know the next line then you're out." Grover suggested. The group nodded and Charlie asked to start.
"Easy come, easy go." He started, giving the group an opportunity to identify the lyrics."That's just how you live."
"Oh, take take take it all, but you never give." Silena added. The couple apparently knew the song- yet nobody else was responding.
"Should've known you was trouble from the first kiss." Rachel added in a shrill awkward voice. To everyone's surprise, Nico sang next.
"Had your eyes wide open...? Why were they open?" He said softly. Apparently knowing a pop song wasn't good for his rock image. The group began to recognize the song.
"Gave you all I had and you tossed it in the trash." Percy sang.
"You tossed it in the trash, you did." Charlie added once again.
"To give me all your love is all I ever asked." Annabeth sang sweetly.
"Cause what you don't understand is..." Grover belted.
"I'd catch a grenade for ya!" The group sung together. "Yeah yeah."
"Throw my hand on a blade for ya!" Clarisse grunted.
"I'd jump in front of a train for ya!" Travis sang.
"You know I'd do anything for ya." Percy chimed.
"You know I'd go through all this pain..." Rachel started.
"Take a bullet straight through my brain!" Katie squealed.
"Yes, I would die for ya baby." Nico sang.
"But you won't do the same." Thalia whispered.
"No... no... no... no." Luke ended and everyone sighed.
"Who knew singing could depress you so much?" Nico asked as he grabbed Thalia's hand.
"What was that song called anyway?" Travis asked taking Katie's hand as well.
"That was the NUMBER ONE HIT GRENADE by Bruno Mars you DOOF!" Rachel roared.
"Chill." Luke breathed and Rachel gave in.
"Let's try another song." Travis suggested.
"My milkshake brings all the girls to the yard and their like... it's better than yo-" Grover started.
"Any song but that song." Travis concluded and the group laughed. The bus came to a gentle stop and the group piled out and raced into the hotel.
"TALENTED TEENS!" A loud voice screamed. The paparazzi had beat them there, and were anxiously hording the lobby.
"Is it true that Silena is pregnant?" Another voice chimed.
"Heck no! Go away!" Silena whined.
"Hey hey!" Someone tapped on Nico's shoulder. "Is it true that your in a relationship with Rachel?" Nico shook the man off him and dragged Thalia through the crowd.
"Interview time." Zeus boomed as he waltzed through the automatic doors. "The children are with me, clear a path." The paparazzi listened and cleared the way.
"Hey you! Is it true you're cheating on your girlfriend?"
"What's your weight?"
"Are you still single?"
"SHUT UP!" Clarisse screamed as Zeus led the teens into a beige colored room.
"Your interviews will take place in here. Everyone wait outside and when you are called, enter the room. I have men on the job holding off the unnecessary paparazzi." Zeus ordered. The teens nodded and he left so quickly that most would have a hard time believing he was ever there in the first place.
"Luke Castellan." A voice called from the interview.
"Duty calls." Luke said smirking, walking off into the room and shutting the door. The group was silent for a few moments before Katie spoke.
"Do you really believe it?" Katie piped.
"I don't know Katie... it could just be one big magic trick." Travis mumbled.
"What are you guys talking about?" Rachel asked, being the nosy girl she is.
"Nothing that concerns you punk!" Clarisse grumbled.
"Rachel, it's nothing. If you know what's best for you... you'll just stay out of it." Annabeth stated, clear as day. But Rachel wasn't dumb. Actually, she was far from it. She had her suspicions. She knew the others had been acting strange since they returned. She knew something had happened when she was stuck on the bus... and she had to find out.
One thing I've been aching to share with you was the reasons for my name. I am infatuated with the word epiphany- sudden realization. I always have random ideas for stories in the middle of class and what not. Yeah so, now you know.
Sorry I didn't update sooner, I didn't find the time since I wrote the A/N in advance this time. Yeah so… the next chapter is the last chapter. It can't come out until next Friday because it's going to be at least 5k long and I'm barely half way done with the rough draft (unedited).
Thank you so much for reviewing, I reached 10k hits! Sorry if I made the story go too fast, I planned to extend out the reactions and whatnot longer but I am SO anxious to make the sequel. R&R my loves! No flaming the God idea, I'll make it work. Thanks again for your sympathy on the PM flames, they stopped(:
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