If you're reading this story while it's still incomplete: Updates on Sundays here on out. With everything that's going on in my life, Sunday's are going to work better as the day I update.

IMPORTANT A/N at the end too!

Anyways, back to the story!

Chapter 26: Percy Jackson

"Maybe," I thought as we ran, our screams blending in with the crowd's, "maybe, if I had convinced us not to leave, maybe we wouldn't be running right now. Maybe I would be safe. Maybe Annabeth would be safe. Maybe Nico would be safe. Harry, Delphi, Rachel," the names blended together while I ran aimlessly, bumping into people, not stopping to apologize, we were at a concert, no one would ask questions.

My back aches as I wake up and when I look around, I know why. The sun was rising when I remembered it as night, and I'm laying slouched across a seat in Cassandra's car.

I wipe the spit off my face and stand up, careful to not hit my head on the ceiling. Harry is still passed out cold, but that was expected. He's probably still suffering from the effects of jet-lag. The sun is just touching the sky, no one else is in the car other than us. Through the chaos of yesterday, I must've gotten more tired than I thought I was.

I opened the car slowly, hoping that it doesn't wake him up.

It doesn't and I step out of the car, jumping up the steps into Rylie's house. I try the door, locked. Ringing the doorbell, I see Max bounding down the stairs to unlock the door for me, his mop of bronze hair flopping left, then right, across his head.

He lets me inside and as we get closer to the kitchen, I hear snippets of their conversation.

"We can't-"

"I need to-"

"What about Max?"

"He'll... We'll figure it out."

"How? How Rylie?"

"Mom, I need this."

A sigh, then, "Okay."

I step into the kitchen, Max following close behind, and as I reach for the blueberry jelly to spread on my toast, I hear him say, "Where's Rylie going?"

"She's going on a trip..." his mother trails off. No one knew where we were going next. We didn't even know where we were going next.

The rest of out breakfast was eaten in an awkward silence after that, the girls leaving to help Rylie pack.

Harry came up a little while after that, sitting down with a cup of burning hot coffee in his hands.

The Annabeth comes back into the kitchen wheeling a small suitcase, the others trailing after her.

"Ready to get back on the road?" She asks.

"No, but are we going to?" I shoot back, stuffing the last piece of bacon into my moth before I stand up, following them out, leaving Harry behind to wonder what just happened.

We make out way down the driveway and back into Cassandra's car. Loading up again, we're on the road.

Even before we reach the highway, I'm asleep.

I wake up to screaming. It's terrified, high pitched, I'm-going-to-die screaming.

Annabeth is still calmly driving, although I could see her knuckles turning white.

I looked behind us, the only things I could see were more cars. The screeching sound of wheels over a bridge make me realize where we.

Crossing the Mississippi River in a car, with a monster chasing us, surrounded by mortals.

Not the worst situation to be in.

Not the best, but definitely not the worst.

I turn back to the others, the only one in a thinking state of mind though, is Rachel.

"What's after us?" I have to shout to be heard over the screaming.

"Manticore! Didn't you and Nico face one of those before?" She shouts back.

Manticore, Manticore... Where had I-

Oh.

Oh.

We were screwed. And if it was Dr. Thorn then he would have some beef with us...

"Let me out of the car." They didn't hear me. I unbuckled my seat belt and made my way to the front of the car. "Let me out of the car, Annabeth. I'll be okay, just let me out of the car."

"Don't make promises you can't keep, seaweed brain." But she opened the sunroof for me and I wiggled my way out through it, balancing on top of the car for a moment, judging the distance. Then I jumped, off the car and rolling onto the sidewalk.

The Manticore was closer now, of course it was. I had been a sitting duck for almost a minute.

The lion-scorpion was running, weaving between cars, faster than they were going. I knew if I blinked, it would vanish.

I wonder if the mortals thought it was a speedy bicycle. Or if they even saw anything at all.

A breeze whispers by my cheek. Without looking, I know who it is.

"Hi wise girl."

"If you're going to die, I'm dying with you."

"Who's driving?"

"Nico. Let's go!"

"Wait."

So we stood there, our caravan driving on without us. I watched until they were out of my sight.

I turn back to Annabeth, only to see her pinned

"I'm not here for you. I'm here for them. But you would be a nice revenge treat too. Shall I bring you to Death cold? Or will you come willingly?" The monster's breath is in my face, smelling like he never brushed his teeth, not even with a stick and charcoal, like the people from 1700's did!

His scorpion tail was flicking behind us, Annabeth was pinned down by one of his spikes. Annabeth was pinned down by his spikes.

Annabeth was pinned down by his spikes.

The sides of my vision started to cloud with red.

"Percy! A little help here would be nice!" Her voice drew me from my thoughts. I couldn't get to her but I had a plan.

"Shh, wise girl, I'm thinking." I turn back to him. "If force equals mass times acceleration, why don't you run faster? That should answer your question, shouldn't it?" I uncap Riptide, it's bronze metal glowing. And for the minute, I don't think about what the mortals are seeing. I just attacked.

I sliced upward with Riptide, only to have it blocked by his claws. He swiped at me, left, right, but I blocked both times.

He stood, balancing on his back legs, as I tore at him. Only one thought blazing through my mind as we danced a dangerous dance, sword to claw, his body almost backing into traffic.

And then he lunged at me.

While we were fighting, Annabeth must've dislodged the spine from the steel fencing. People passing would wonder for the next year why there was a hole the size of a .30 Caliber bullet in the metal.

She flung the spike at him, he jumped out of the way at the last second, and the poison grazed his sides.

"You can't hurt me with my own weapon, pretty girl!" He chortled.

I backed up, walking backwards until we hit the barrier.

She's clutching my arm, face white.

"Together?" She asks.

"Together." I reply.

And we jump backwards, falling towards the water.

From above, I can hear the strangled cry of Dr. Thorn as we dive.

And then we hit the water.

I'm floating towards the shore as I wake up. The St. Louis Arch is hazy in the distance, but that could just be the sleep clouding my eyes.

The Manticore's laugh is still echoing in my brain.

He's not dead.

He'll be waiting for us on the beaches.

I'm cradling Annabeth close to my chest like a sea otter pup. She looks peaceful, sleeping like that. I almost don't want to wake her up, but I know she would kill me if I didn't. I shake her awake, guiding us a little faster to the land's rocky shore.

"Wise girl. Wake up, wise girl." I whisper in her ear.

She slowly woke up, and I shielded her eyes from the brightness of the sun when she opened them, blinking.

"He's not dead." Was the first thing she said, the second was, "Let's kill him."

What a beautiful sight to wake up to.

As we got closer to the land, I start walking in the water, the rocks and riverbed too shallow for us to float on anymore.

Annabeth stood up behind me and we trudged through the water, my powers making it a little easier for us to walk.

We reached the shrub-full shoreline and hauled ourselves out of the muddied water and onto the land.

I was refreshed but Annabeth looked as though she had been shadow-traveled. I wanted to tell her to rest, to go back to sleep, but I knew she would never hear it from me.

She grabbed her Yankee's cap and put it one. I could feel her hand in mine, pulling me along.

"Com'on!" An invisible person whispered next to me, "Before Dr. Thorn figures out where we are!"

So we ran, I must have looked like an idiot, being pulled along by something invisible, but so what? I would probably be categorized under "insane" if I went around, telling people that their short-haired kitty I just killed was actually a wild boar from Greek Mythology.

We ducked into an alleyway, away from any prying eyes.

"In here." Annabeth pulled me through a door marked "pit."

As soon as we pulled the door open, I knew we were in trouble.

The first thing I saw was the face of him.

The Manticore had found us again.

I looked to Annabeth, only, she wasn't there.

I couldn't feel her hand in mine.

Suddenly, Nico pulled up to the mouth of the alley, I could see him conversing through the rolled-down window.

Then, a spike hurled at the car, before Nico rolled the window up completely.

Annabeth's hand slipped back in mine and without even speaking, we knew the plan.

"On three." I mouthed.

One.

Two.

Three!

"Perseus Jackson!" Dr. Thorn roared as we ducked between his legs. I was already uncapping it, hoping that security wouldn't see it as a baseball bat or a rifle.

I did not want my face on all the papers from Washington to Maine again.

I was met with the blaring music, screams from the crowd, and no space to run.

But run I did.

Shoving my way, left, right, just trying to get away from that exit.

Annabeth had dropped my hand but I could see the path people had parted for her, tripped girls, and shouting boys were all after her, but her mob would stop the Manticore.

Hopefully.

I looked backwards and for a split second, I saw I thorn driving itself towards me. I ducked, and it hit the stage.

He was after me.

"Maybe," I thought as we ran, our screams blending in with the crowd's, "maybe, if I had convinced us not to leave, maybe we wouldn't be running right now. Maybe I would be safe. Maybe Annabeth would be safe. Maybe Nico would be safe. Harry, Delphi, Rachel," the names blended together while I ran aimlessly, bumping into people, not stopping to apologize, we were at a concert, no one would ask questions.

So I ran, tearing through the crowd, spikes nailing the walls around me.

Then, like it was a dream, the world changed and I was out like a light.

I woke up to dim lights and Thalia leaning over me, cardboard boxes of packages were all stacked neatly in piles.

"Oh. You're awake."

"Nice to see you too, pinecone face." I replied in a friendly greeting.

Thalia stood up and left the tent, the cold wind breezing in from the open flap.

I had so many questions.

But I also had the feeling that none would be answered tonight.

My muse for this story, I guess, has slowly been dying. I WILL complete it, but it will definitely be more... fast paced. I know what to do, I know where I need to go, but I'm just letting y'all know that you guys have maybe 10 more chapters, if that, more like 7 or 8, before this is over. I have loved writing this story and I'm definitely gearing up for the home stretch here.. I still don't know how I'm going to write the last chapter and the epilogue...

That's a lie... I have a rough outline but nothing permanent written down!