"Miss Mason, you had a question for me?" Her Latin professor asked, peering over his glasses, the rain pattering on the umbrella fastened to his chair.

"Um... yeah," She replied awkwardly, looking anywhere except for at the man. She caught sight of the book he was reading - Oliver Twist. She also looked at his legs, which were odd in proportion to his body. She attributed it the accident he had lost the use of them in. "Do you happen to know where Percy is?"

"Percy?" He questioned, a contemplative look on his face as he pondered for a few moments. "Ah! You mean young Perseus." 'His full name is Perseus?' Alessia thought in surprise, trying to keep her laughter in for the moment. "Hmm... I believe I see him over there by the fountain." He pointed towards the large marble fountain that covered a large portion of the plaza. True to his word, there was the boy. But... Alessia had just been there, and hadn't seen him. She shrugged it off. She had only gotten four hours of sleep the night before, maybe that was why she was missing everything today.

She turned away, hearing the faintest of a word. "Sorry, what was that, sir?" She turned back around. Her teacher only smiled.

"Ah, I was just thinking that I should write a letter to my half-brother. I seem to be seeing parts of him around me everywhere, today."

Alessia smiled. "I think he'd enjoy that, sir."

She made her way over to Percy, who waved her over when he saw her. She whacked him on the head when she got close enough. "Ow," he complained, "what was that for?"

"Where have you been?" She hissed quietly. "Today has been so boring." The boy rolled his sea-green eyes.

"That's a shame. I was at the McDonald's on third, having a good time."

"Ass," she scowled.

"You know it," was his only reply.

Alessia then had a realization. "Wait... So, you weren't asleep on the scaffolding in the museum?" Percy looked at her confused.

"Uh... No? Why would I have been. Are you feeling okay, Alessia?" He tilted his head at her, and she blushed. She was okay, right?

She put on a smile. "Yeah, of course, why wouldn't I be?" She tried to sway the conversation in a different direction. "So, you said you were at the McDonald's on third, right? You better have gotten me a-"

He interrupted her by reaching into his bag and pulling out a wrapped burger. "-A double quarter-pounder with extra cheese, bacon, and lettuce? What do you take me for, an idiot?"

Alessia snickered. "You sure you want me to answer that?" Percy rolled his eyes. She unwrapped the burger and inhaled deeply, savoring the smell. How could something so bad smell so good?

"You know, when the cows revolt and destroy the upper-class and take their place at the head of the world, I'm going to point them to you." A new voice entered the conversation.

"Ay, G-Man!" Percy smiled as Grover laid down his crutches and sat down on the steps of the fountain. "How do you like the weather?"

Grover shook his head. "Nearly slipped and died three times on the way out of the museum, and I hate the rain, but other than that, it's fine." The other two kids laughed at the boy's misfortune.

"You know, I personally like the rain. Did you know the scent you smell is called petrichor, and it's actually the plants' oils being released? I love it."

"That's so weird... Why do you even know that?" Grover asked, making the other boy shrug.

Alessia nodded in approval. "I agree. It's my favorite scent in the world, really. And nothing wrong with a little rain. It's like a free shower!" Grover went pale, but neither of the other two took note. Before the conversation could progress further...

"Oh, wow, look! It's the loser, the cripple, and the orphan! So poor they only have a single burger to share between them!" Nancy and her gang laughed, although it sounded more like a cat choking than anything else. Alessia started to stand up, but Percy pulled her down.

"It's not worth it. Idiots will always be dumb. Beating them up won't change that. Besides, you're on your last warning. Your mom would be heartbroken." Alessia frowned. He was right, of course. Her mom, really one of the only good things left in her life, was hoping that she'd be able to at least complete a full year of schooling in a row. It wasn't her fault! Weird stuff just... happened around her.

Nancy smirked. "That's right, coward. Let the orphan boss you around. Maybe he'll give you a little love, unlike your daddy-" Oh, that was it. Alessia shot up, seeing red. Her vision blurred slightly, and when it cleared, Nancy was in the middle of the fountain, crying. Whispers started echoing throughout the plaza.

"Did you see-?"

"The rain, it like... grabbed her!"

"What the hell...?"

Breaths came in big gulps as Alessia recovered from... whatever she had just done. She turned towards Percy and Grover, both of whom's eyes were wide enough to contend for a world record.

"Miss Mason! Miss Bobofit!" The math teacher, Mrs. Dodds growled as she stalked towards them. She pulled Nancy out of the fountain and dried her off, cooing to her. It made Alessia want to gag. Evil bitch child, check, and evil bitch adult, check. They were perfect together. As soon as Mrs. Dodds was certain that Nancy was firmly coddled and smothered with attention, she turned towards Alessia, with a look that could only be described as 'evil' on her face. "Follow me, hunny." It was an order and a threat in one.

"Wait, I did it!"

"Sit down, Mr. Underwood." The old crone gave them the stink eye. Alessia turned to him and gave him a smile that said 'Thanks for trying.' She turned back around and followed Mrs. Dodds, who was walking at a very fast pace, fast enough that she almost had to run to catch up.

They walked through the museum, which was strangely devoid of people. There had been dozens here before, and now they were all gone. "Mrs. Dodd- Mrs. Dodds! I didn't do anything."

The teacher fixed her with a glare. "We know exactly what you did, hunny." For some reason, the woman's eyes flickered at saying this. "I'm surprised you would go against your father like that..." 'Father? What?' She voiced her thoughts.

"My dad's dead... He died in a plane crash before I was born." The woman snorted.

"As if." The opened up into the room they had been in before, making Alessia look around. Nobody was there.

"Mrs. Dodds, I don't think we're-" She turned back to her teacher, or where she had previously been at least. "Mrs. Dodds?" She yelled out.

"Up here, hunny." Alessia looked up. There was her teacher, standing on the scaffolding where she had thought she had seen Percy earlier. "We know what you did. Many people are angry about it."

"Look, I'm sorry. I don't know what happened, but I'll buy Nancy a new t-shirt or whatever!"

"Lies!" The woman screamed. All of the sudden, the woman grew... wings?! "Die, hunny!" The woman-bat hybrid thing dove down at her, and she rolled out of the way. She had nothing to fight her with, Alessia quickly realized.

"Somebody help me!" She yelled. Her former math teacher cackled.

"Nobody can-" A choking noise interrupted her sentence as a sword pierced through the middle of her body. Her eyes widened as she looked down at the rapidly retracting metal, and then she looked at the man who wielded it. "I-impossible... Direct interference is... not... allowed."

"This is well within my domains, Alecto. Tell my uncle hello." Mrs. Dodds... or Alecto, or whatever, dissolved into a fine golden mist before her eyes, which quickly drifted away.

Alessia's vision started to blur as the adrenaline began to wear off. The man who had stabbed the bat-woman made his way down from the scaffolding. He was tall, but Alessia really couldn't make out individual details until he started to get close. He pulled something that looked like cornbread from his pocket, but slightly glowed, and fed it to her. It tasted... delicious. Like cream soda in solid form.

Her vision began to darken around the edges, but she finally managed to get a good look at her savior's face. It was more aged, but it definitely looked like... "Percy...?" Was the last word she muttered before she succumbed to the darkness.

Sorry about this late, late update guys. I had wanted to do this earlier in the week, but I've been really drained of willpower for the past couple days. I'll be on vacation until the sixteenth, but after that I'll hopefully be feeling better and get started on this weeks chapter. The story is changing! Also, enjoy the longer chapter, and expect it to become closer to the norm. I'm thinking I'll have to continue this on past 52 chapters, otherwise we'll be rushing through this like nobody's beeswax, and I want this to be enjoyable for you guys to read.

Getting closer and closer to back on schedule, and with much love,

PJO Fan Power