Hi everyone! Sorry that's been so long since my last chapter, but it's been really hectic lately. I'm trying to finish The Magic Awakens, and work on my own novel. But, I'm happy to release the latest chapter. I'm super excited for this one.
10 minutes earlier…
"Look, she's… it's way too detailed to explain right now. Percy, take a look around. See if anyone else besides Thorn is watching those kids too closely. But be casual about it." Percy nodded.
"Great. Spywork. I should get a tuxedo and a British accent." Annabeth playfully punched his arm.
"Just go." Percy nodded and weaved away from them through the crowd, barely managing to avoid the pack of makeup girls.
He sighed. He knew the real reason Annabeth was telling him to look around instead of Gohan, despite the fact that Gohan had way better vision and hearing than him. She just wanted to be alone with him. Percy couldn't help but snarl. He saw the way that they looked at each other. He had seen that look with plenty of love-dovey couples at school. Through, he supposed Gohan and Annabeth weren't most people. Heck, he could barely explain the feelings he was experiencing at the moment. Being a teenager suuuuucked.
"Need a drink?" Percy almost jumped out of his skin, turning to find himself looking at a pretty sandy-haired girl in a black strapless dress. She flashed him a smile. Percy was stunned for a second.
"Are you… talking to me?" he asked with a baffled expression. Percy was shocked, to say the least. Most girls just ignored him or acted like he was invisible. Not the ones at Camp, mind you. Well, besides Clarisse, the Ares campers and Aphrodite campers. But pretty much all the girls at his various schools acted like that.
"Ummm… yeah. I'm pretty sure. Unless you're invisible and I'm talking to the guy behind you." She reached out and tapped him on the chest.
"Nope, you're there. So, I'm talking to you." She giggled at her own joke, and Percy couldn't help but crack a smile.
"You want some punch? It's cherry." She held up a blue party cup.
"Sure. Thanks." Percy took the cup from her and took a sip. It was one of the sweetest things he ever tasted, literally.
"Thanks. Rough night, Percy?" Percy jolted in surprise.
"How do you know my name?" the girl looked baffled.
"Ummm… what? Percy, it's me. Abigial? Abigial Straton? You know, from Math and History? And Basic? I've known you since the start of school?" Percy mentally slapped himself. Stupid, stupid. That trick Thalia had done with the mist to make the teachers think that they were students. Apparently, it worked on everyone else here too.
"Oh… right! Sorry, long day, like you said." He took another sip.
"This is good!" she smiled.
"Thanks. Made it myself. My own… special recipe." Just then, the music faded out, allowing the next one to begin, blaring over the speakers. It was a very familiar one. One that Percy had heard ever since he was little.
"Tale as old as time…
True as it can be
Barely even friends
Then somebody bends
Unexpectedly…"
Abigail perked up, her face beaming. "I love this song!"
"Yeah, it's a pretty good…" Percy trailed off when he saw one of the couples twirling on the floor. Gohan and Annabeth… who looked way more focused on each other instead of on the Di Angelo siblings.
"Don't they look adorable? My money's on them for king and queen this year." Abigail remarked. Percy simply grumbled as he took another large gulp from his cup. The delicious taste in his mouth barely distracted him from the frustration he felt. Then, just when he thought that the gnawing feel of jealousy in his stomach couldn't get any worse, Abigail proved him wrong.
"You two are super close, right? I always see you two hanging out together. Heck, I kinda thought you guys were gay at first. Good thing Annabeth proved me wrong." Percy blushed with embarrassment. If he heard one more comment like that…
"So, is he like, your bodyguard or something?" Percy frowned.
"Why would you say that?"
"Well, he kinds does everything. You know, he does all the work? Gohan's always the one to save the day, getting you out of trouble. You probably would have been suspended like ten times over if he didn't have your back." Percy pressed his lips together in frustration, his fists clenching. Abigail let out a low whistle.
"Man, you look like a lobster. You really need to relax. Plus, you're a pretty good-looking guy, if I do say so." Percy felt a twinge of excitement buzz through him as he smiled at the girl. Was this really happening?
"Do you wanna…" she began to ask. Then, just to double-check, he turned check on the Di Angelo siblings… only to see that the siblings had vanished.
About fifty feet away, lying on the gym floor, was a floppy green cap just like the one Bianca di Angelo had been wearing. Near it were a few scattered trading cards. Then, Percy caught a glimpse of Dr. Thorn. He was hurrying out a door at the opposite end of the gym, steering the di Angelo kids by the scruffs of their necks, like kittens.
"Oh crap!" he took off, leaving the girl with a surprised look. Then, a smile appeared on her face.
"Well… this gonna be fun." She giggled.
Percy looked around desperately, but couldn't see any sign of Gohan or Annabeth. Thalia and Grover had vanished as well. Then, he paused.
He remembered what Abigail had said to him.
"Gohan's always the one to save the day, getting you out of trouble." As frustrating as it was to admit, she had made a point without even realizing it. Percy tried to shut the words out, but it lingered nonetheless. It seemed like Gohan was always the guy on top, blowing away monsters without breaking a sweat. He fainly reminded Percy of the stories he had heard about Hercules. Always the hero. The guy who had beaten Ares. Saved them from Polyphemus. The guy all the girls threw themselves at.
Then, Percy remembered what Thalia had said to him in the entry hall, looking at him all puzzled when she asked about the finger-snap trick: Hasn't Chiron shown you how to do that yet? He thought about the way Grover had turned to her, expecting her to save the day.
Not that Percy resented Thalia or Gohan. She was cool, and he still considered Gohan his best and closest friend. It wasn't her fault her dad was Zeus, or that Gohan was part alien and was basically Superman.
Still, Percy didn't need to run after them to solve every problem. Besides, there wasn't time. The di Angelos were in danger. They might be long gone by the time he found his friends. He knew monsters. He could handle this himself. After all, he was the son of Poseidon.
Percy took Riptide out of his pocket and ran after Dr. Thorn.
The door led into a dark hallway. Percy heard sounds of scuffling up ahead, then a painful grunt. He uncapped Riptide.
The pen grew in his hands until he held a bronze Greek sword about three feet long with a leather-bound grip. The blade glowed faintly, casting a golden light on the rows of lockers. Percy frowned as he looked around. Nothing. Then, the world went fuzzy as he stumbled. Percy took several breaths as he leaned against the locker. After a minute, everything went back into focus. Percy breathed. Nerves, probably.
Percy jogged down the corridor, but when he got to the other end, no one was there. He opened a door and found myself back in the main entry hall. He was completely turned around. He didn't see Dr. Thorn anywhere, but there on the opposite side of the room were the di Angelo kids. They stood frozen in horror, staring right at him.
He advanced slowly, lowering the tip of his sword. "It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you."
They didn't answer. Their eyes were full of fear. What was wrong with them? Where was Dr. Thorn? Maybe he'd sensed the presence of Riptide and retreated. Monsters hated celestial bronze weapons.
"My name's Percy," he said, trying to keep his voice level. "I'm going to take you out of here, get you somewhere safe."
Bianca's eyes widened. Her fists clenched. Only too late did she realize what her look meant. She wasn't afraid of him. She was trying to warn him.
He whirled around and something went WHI1ISH! Pain exploded in his shoulder. A force slammed into him, sending him flying backward and slammed him to the wall. Percy blinked stars out of his eyes, and was stunned to see Abigail standing over him with an amused grin. Which was a bit disturbing considering her attire.
"Percy, you don't look so good. Looks like you need a little pick-me-up!" She grabbed his shirt and then, to his absolute disbelief, lifted him off the ground like like a rag doll and hurled him across the hallway. He slammed into the opposite locker with a loud crunch and fell to the ground. The breath rushed from Percy as he struggled to get up, still clutching Riptide. Abigail let out a chuckle of laughter.
"You're still conscious! Not bad! You're a resistant one, Perseus Jackson!" Percy groaned in exasperation. This girl was not just another student with altered memories. She had to be a monster. Of course. The ONE hot girl who flirted with him just HAD to be a monster out for his blood. Percy slashed with his sword but only met air. The girl had leaped back at surprising speed, her free hair whipping across her neck.
"So, what are you? A medusa? Snake-woman?" she flashed him a smile. She held her arms up, allowing a bright yellow glow to surround her. The air seemed to heat up exponentially, making it feel like a sauna.
"I'm something new entirely. As you'll soon find out."
"Seriously? Who are you people?" Bianca blurted out. They both ignored her, more focused on each other.
"Doesn't matter what you are. One touch of this, you're dust." She grinned.
"Try it. I dare you." Then, a bright gold bow appeared in her hands, an arrow already notched. Before Percy could move, she fired, and the arrow slammed into the blade, the impact so powerful that it sent Riptide flying out of Percy's hand. Before he could move, she had another arrow nocked.
"Don't even try it."
Then, he groaned as she suddenly turned fuzzy, pressing his hand to his head. His head throbbed like a drum. But why? She had barely touched him!
"Feeling a little slower, are you? That's what happens when you drink poison." Percy froze as he processed her words.
"Yeah. Tasty, wasn't it? I told you it was my special recipe." Percy groaned mentally. He'd felt something like this before. Poison. The punch. Oh gods… he was a complete idiot. Annabeth would probably slap him for his complete stupidity.
"Don't worry, you're not gonna die. Just going to disorient you long enough to finish our job here." Percy shook his head. He had to beat her.
Then, a cold laugh echoed through the hall.
"Yes, Perseus Jackson" Dr. Thorn said. His accent mangled the J in Percy's last name. "We know who you are."
Percy forced himself to concentrate. He would not pass out.
A dark silhouette now moved toward them. Dr. Thorn stepped into the dim light. He still looked human, but his face was ghoulish. He had perfect white teeth and his brown/blue eyes reflected the light of Percy's sword.
"Thank you for coming out of the gym," he said. "I hate middle school dances."
"I don't know, it seemed pretty fun to me." Abigail shrugged. Thorn glowered at her.
"Silence! You've done your part, now leave us, you vile abomination. Run back to your master." She sniffed at him.
"I don't answer to you, Thorn. You just said so yourself." She spat out his name as though she was eating something vile.
Percy stumbled to his feet as he gripped his feet and swung, but Abigail simply bounced his blade away with the base of her bow.
WHIIIISH! A second projectile shot from somewhere behind Dr. Thorn. He didn't appear to move. It was as if someone invisible were standing behind him, throwing knives.
Then, Bianca yelped. The second thorn impaled itself in the stone wall, half an inch from her face.
"All three of you will come with us," Dr. Thorn said. "Quietly. Obediently. If you make a single noise, if you call out for help or try to fight, I will show you just how accurately I can throw. In your state, Jackson, I doubt you'd survive it."
"You don't have to be so grim, you know. We do need them alive, after all." Abigail paused.
"But… I'm sure you guys can survive arrows in your kneecaps." Bianca let out a horrified gasp as she clutched Nico's hand.
Percy didn't know what kind of monsters Dr. Thorn or Abigail were, but they were both fast. Maybe she was an Apollo demigod. Would explain the archery.
Maybe Percy could defend himself if he could get his shield activated. All that it would take was a touch of his wrist-watch. But, defending the di Angelo kids was another matter entirely. He was still poisoned. Slow, groggy. Not to mention it was still two versus one. He needed help, and there was only one way he could think to get it.
Percy closed his eyes.
"What are you doing, Jackson?" hissed Dr. Thorn. "Keep moving!"
He opened his eyes and kept shuffling forward. "It's my stomach," he lied, trying to sound miserable, which wasn't hard. "It burns." Abigail snorted.
"Wow, you are such a pussy. I was expecting someone with your reputation to be a bit more… badass." Percy glared at her, hamming up the act.
"You try it when you've been poisoned!" Thorn snorted, clearly annoyed.
"Bah! My poison causes pain. It will not kill you. Walk!"
Thorn herded them outside, and Percy tried to concentrate. He pictured Grover's face, focusing on my feelings of fear and danger. Last summer, Grover had created an empathy link between them, using it to send Percy visions in his dreams to let him know when he was in trouble. Hopefully, that connection wasn't one-sided.
Hey, Grover! Percy thought. Thorn's kidnapping us! He's a poisonous spike-throwing maniac! Help! Get everyone over here!
Thorn marched them into the woods taking a snowy path dimly lit by old-fashioned lamplights.
"There is a clearing ahead," Thorn said. "We will summon your ride."
"What ride?" Bianca demanded. "Where are you taking us?"
"Silence, you insufferable girl!"
"Don't talk to my sister that way.'" Nico said. His voice quivered, but Percy was impressed that he had the guts to say anything at all. Abigail giggled.
"Oooh, card boy's got a little fire in him! I'm surprised. Here I thought you were just a meek, timid, pathetic f-"
"Shut your mouth!" Bianca snapped, her face flushing red.
Dr. Thorn made a growling sound that definitely wasn't human. It made the hairs stand up on the back of Percy's neck, but he forced myself to keep walking and pretend he was being a good little captive. Meanwhile, Percy projected his thoughts like crazy—anything to get Grover's attention: Grover! Apples! Tin cans! Get your furry goat behind out here and bring our heavily armed friends!
"Halt," Thorn said.
The woods had opened up, revealing that they'd reached a cliff overlooking the sea. Percy could sense the sea frothing, hundreds of feet below. He could hear the waves churning and Percy could smell the cold salty froth. But all he could see was mist and darkness. But maybe he could make the jump…
"Don't even think about it." Abigail spoke, as if she was confirming what Percy was thinking about.
Dr. Thorn laughed. "By all means, Son of Poseidon. Jump! Thereis the sea. Save yourself."
"What did he call you?" Bianca muttered. "I'll explain later," Percy said. "You do have a plan, right?" "I sure hope so."
Dr. Thorn pushed them toward the edge. Percy stumbled, and Bianca caught him. "Thanks," he murmured. "What are they?" she whispered. "How do we fight them?" "I... I'm working on it."
"I'm scared," Nico mumbled. He was fiddling with something—a little metal toy soldier of some kind.
"Stop talking!" Dr. Thorn said. "Face me!"
Thorn's two-tone eyes glittered hungrily. He pulled something from under his coat. A phone. He pressed the side button and said, "The package—it is ready to deliver."
There was a garbled reply, and Percy realized Thorn was in walkie-talkie mode. This seemed way too modern and creepy—a monster using a mobile phone.
A flicker of movement behind him, and another missile whistled so close to him that it nicked his ear. Something had sprung up behind Dr. Thorn—like a catapult, but more flexible... almost like a tail.
"Unfortunately," Thorn said, "you are wanted alive, if possible. Otherwise you would already be dead."
"Who wants us?" Bianca demanded. "Because if you think you'll get a ransom, you're wrong. We don't have any family. Nico and I..." Her voice broke a little. "We've got no one but each other."
"Aww," Dr. Thorn said. "Do not worry, little brats. You will be meeting our employer soon enough. Then you will have a brand-new family."
"Luke," Percy said. "You guys work for Luke, don't you? Or is it his partner?"
Dr. Thorn's mouth twisted with distaste when he said the name of Percy's old enemy—a former friend who'd tried to kill him several times. Abigail snorted.
"You have no idea what is happening, Perseus Jackson. You just have no idea how far out of your league you are. But, you will soon enough." Thorn rolled his eyes.
"I will let the General enlighten you, boy. You are going to do him a great service tonight. He is looking forward to meeting you."
"The General?" Percy asked. "I mean... who's the General?"
Thorn looked toward the horizon. "Ah, here we are. Your transportation."
Percy turned and saw a light in the distance, a searchlight over the sea. Then he heard the chopping of helicopter blades getting louder and closer.
"Where are you taking us?" Nico said.
"You'll find out soon enough." Abigial answered, pressed her lips together in annoyance as a bright light pulsed around her. Even moer curious, the snow seemed to melt around her, falling to the ground as little droplets.
"You should be honored, my boy. You will have the opportunity to join a great army! Just like that silly game you play with cards and dolls."
"They're not dolls! They're figurines! And you can take your great army and—"
"Now, now," Dr. Thorn warned. "You will change your mind about joining us, my boy. And if you do not, well... there are other uses for half-bloods. We have many monstrous mouths to feed. The Great Stirring is underway."
"The Great what?" Percy asked. Anything to keep him talking.
"The stirring of monsters." Dr. Thorn smiled evilly. "The worst of them, the most powerful, are now waking. Monsters that have not been seen in thousands of years. They will cause death and destruction the likes of which mortals have never known. And soon we shall have the most important monster of all—the one that shall bring about the downfall of Olympus!" Abigial grinned.
"That's just the first step, of course. Our master has so much more planned. I mean, what's one world compared to… everything."
"Okay," Bianca whispered to Percy. "They're completely nuts."
"We have to jump off the cliff," he told her quietly. "Into the sea."
"Oh, super idea. You're completely nuts, too."
Percy never got the chance to argue with her, because just then an invisible force slammed into him.
Looking back on it, Annabeth's move was brilliant. Wearing her cap of invisibility, she plowed into the di Angelos and Percy, knocking us to the ground. For a split second, Dr. Thorn was taken by surprise, so his first volley of missiles zipped harmlessly over their heads. This gave Thalia and Grover a chance to advance from behind—Thalia wielding her magic shield, Aegis.
If you've never seen Thalia run into battle, you have never been truly frightened. She uses a huge spear that expands from this collapsible Mace canister she carries in her pocket, but that's not the scary part. Her shield is modeled after one her dad Zeus uses—also called Aegis—a gift from Athena. The shield has the head of the gorgon Medusa molded into the bronze, and even though it won't turn you to stone, it's so horrible, most people will panic and run at the sight of it.
Even Dr. Thorn winced and growled when he saw it. Abigail let out a hiss, though she didn't back away.
Thalia moved in with her spear. "For Zeus!" But, she was forced to retreat as a pair of golden arrows whizzed past her head. She whirled to face Abigial, who had conjured up a shimmering bow and already had three more arrows notched.
"I've been looking forward to this." She grinned. Then, she fired. Thalia brought her shield up just in time, saving herself. The arrows smashed into her shield with a loud TWANG, embedding themselves in the metal. Thalia raced forward, keeping her shield held high. Abigail fired off two more arrows, both of which bounced off the shield. Thalia then slammed the shield into her face, causing her to stumble back and drop her bow. But, she recovered quick enough to grab Aegis and grapple with Thalia for it. She hissed as the aura around her intensified, causing the air around them to heat up significantly, to the point that the snow on the ground melted around them.
"What are you?" Thalia demanded. Abigail smiled.
"Something new. We're stronger than you. We're smarter than you. We're better than you." Then, with a surprising display of strength, she flipped the shield, slamming it into Thalia's face with a loud crunch. The shield fell away as Thalia stumbled back in surprise, blood gushing from her nose. Abigail dashed forward as her knives appeared in her knives, but were caught by Thalia's spear in just the nick of time.
"Not bad." Abigail hissed. Thalia smirked.
"Try this, bitch." Then, a blast electricity shot up the spear, blasting away the other girl with a shocked scream.
Meanwhile, Annabeth charged at Dr. Thorn, stabbing at his feet with her knife. He snarled as he swung at her, barely missing her. His hand changed into an orange paw, with enormous claws that sparked as he slashed. Percy charged as he swung, causing Thorn to retreat. Annabeth glared at Percy.
"What were you thinking? Why didn't you get us?" she hissed.
"I was trying to save them!" he gestured at Nico and Bianca. Annabeth scoffed as she rolled her eyes.
"Where's Gohan?" she demanded. Percy felt that angry jilt again. But at the same time, confusion.
"He's not with you? You guys seemed pretty close when you were dancing together." Annabeth gave him an expression that display a mixture of frustration, surprise, and anger.
"We were doing surveillance! And he left as soon as the song was over, I sent him to get you!"
"Annabeth… I didn't see him anywhere."
Nearby, a cloaked figure watched the fight, but didn't interfere for either side. So far, things were proceeding perfectly as he planned. This was why he was the team leader. He wasn't rash or arrogant or pompous. He planned and executed. He delivered results. His gaze focused on Annabeth, as the wind whipped her hair across her face. The daughter of Athena. Head counselor of Cabin Six. He fingered the pommel of his sword, rolling the owl's head around his hand as his grey eyes twinkled. He could do it right now, while she was distracted. Unseath his sword, ambush her from behind, and cut her down. So quick, so easy, and efficient. All it would take was one swing. Through the neck, or the torso, and Annabeth Chase's story would be over. They didn't need her, after all. But, something stopped him. No. That would be too easy. She was a daughter of Athena, after all. She deserved a more… worthy end. It was all a rather large game of chess. And in chess, one must always be patient. A smile drew across his face. The real show was about to begin.
The sound of the helicopter was getting louder behind Percy, but he didn't dare look. The wind rushed over them, a breeze that made their clothes flap in the wind. However, suddenly, a new sound began to fill the air. Percy frowned as the sound grew louder. It sounded almost like… music? Someone singing? Whatever it was, Annabeth's expression turned to one of horror. Then, Percy was blinded by a bright pink light that illuminated the entire area, causing all dueling parties to stop and cover their eyes. When the light faded, Percy opened his eyes… to see the most beautiful girl he had ever seen standing in front of him. She let out a loud giggle as she shimmered. That was the thing about her. Every part of her seemed to be… permanent. Her hair seemed to change through every color, like a neon sign.
"About time you showed up, Amortentia! Were you distracted by your reflection again? Or putting the moves on another boy?" Abigail snapped. Amortentia rolled her eyes before turning to Percy and Annabeth.
"Hi there." She smiled. Just the sound of her voice made Percy feel strangely lightheaded. It was one of the most beautiful things he had ever heard. Like he had drunken a bunch of soda. She beamed at him, flashing a set of perfect, dazzling white teeth. Nico shuddered, causing the girl to frown.
"You're not attracted to me? That's… strange."
"Who in Olympus are you? And why do you look like me?" Annabeth demanded, causing the girl to look at her. Percy frowned as he looked at Annabeth, and back at the girl. Now that he looked more closely, the girl did seem to resemble Annabeth. The same hair, face, smile. Only… it seemed to gleam on her. Like a magnet, drawing him in.
"Look like you? I just take the form of what men want. I am what they want to be. Only, better. I don't have any of your… imperfections, as you can tell. And don't even get me started on that fashion nightmare over there." Annabeth sputtered as her face turned red with rage.
"Imperfections? IMPERFECTIONS? Say that again!" Annabeth roared, adding some extremely colorful curse words. Surprisingly, Throne was equally angry.
"You! Do not interfere, you… abomination!" the girl scoffed.
"Interfere? Seems that I'm bailing you out." Thalia let out a roar of laughter.
"And what are you gonna do? Are you gonna break a nail?" The girl grinned.
"Oh, poor, brainless Percy. Why should I fight you… when he can do it for me?" As if by cue, she snapped her fingers. For one second, there was silence. Then, a distant boom. A bright blue light shot from the sky and landed on the ground, sending up a plume of dust, snow and wind. Percy and Annabeth coughed as they tried to blow the dust away from them. The dust soon faded away to reveal…
"Gohan! There you are." Annabeth brightened, letting out a deep sigh of relief. However, Gohan didn't answer. Gohan still stood in the same pose he had landed in, his head bent and his fist buried in the ground. Percy grabbed Annabeth's arm, stopping her cold as a wave of fear washed through him.
"Wait." He said, not sure why he said it. Annabeth froze as she looked at Percy, then Gohan.
"Gohan?" Then, Gohan looked up as he stood, and both Percy and Annabeth gasped as a flicker of lightning danced across Gohan's body. His eyes were pink, a bright glow that completely covered them. He looked at Percy and Annabeth, but didn't show any recognition. Amortentia smiled.
"He's mine now." She snapped her fingers, causing Gohan to tighten his fists. Then, he raised his right hand, pointing it right at Percy and Annabeth." Percy swallowed nervously, slowly reaching for his wrist.
"Gohan! It's us! Your friends!" Annabeth pleaded.
"Snap out of it!" Percy added. But, Gohan simply cocked his head as another wave of black lightning danced across his body. A blue ball of energy formed in his outstretched hand, pointed at two of his closest friends.
"What is happening right now?" Bianca pleaded from behind Percy. He gritted his teeth as he tapped his wrist, causing his shield to appear in his hands.
"Gohan! Please! This isn't you! Don't let them control you like this!" Annabeth pleaded. The ball was now the size of a large pumpkin, and crackled ominously as the wind intensified.
"So, tell me Perseus Jackson! What will you do now? Will you kill your own friend to protect the rest of these runts?" Percy pleaded silently, but accepted the terrifying truth in front of him. He had to fight his best friend.
"I'm sorry, buddy." Percy whispered
Then, Gohan fired.