Percy's talent for languages gets to come in useful. Also- I have officially started the minific.
Replies:
Rage2091: Sadie is not impressed.
Undeath9087: Hah, I love how little you guys trust me lol. And Percy's just like 'Eh, does that mean she'll stop being an annoying dumbo about boys?
Guest: Greece may be included in the minific, but the end chapter will be just a snippet of what Poseidon's been up to since Percy disappeared- and I'll say now that technically it goes back a month because it's based on her tenth birthday.
Ryan Fowler: Sadie hates godly chaperones.
Juby1905: Lol

When Percy came too she was on her feet almost instantly- though most of the other kids were slowly waking up too- and her gaze instantly focused on Sadie- who was alone again- and Sadie let out a relieved noise when she saw that Percy was on her feet, rushing towards her before pausing- and Percy turned to follow her gaze- which was focused on a young man.

He wore a gray military outfit with a wool coat too heavy for the warm September night. His enormous ears seemed to be the only things holding up his oversized hat. A rifle was slung across his shoulder. He couldn't have been more than seventeen and there was a look of recognition on Sadie's face.

She watched as Sadie thrust her hand sideways-and then her staff was in her hand and the boy looked terrified as he raised his hands in surrender.

"Nyet!" then he spoke in halting English. "Sadie Kane. We…need…to talk."

Sadie looked torn for a split second before her gaze returned to Percy- who sprinted over to her big sister-and Sadie's arms wrapped around Percy tightly.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine- who is-"

"Let's find out- is Carter-"

"I think he's just knocked out." Percy nudged Carter with her foot, and in response she got a tired little groan.

"Yeah, he's fine." Sadie's gaze shifted to Leonid. "He was one of Menshikovs." and that made Percy tense up, her eyes narrowing and then-

"No, no please I am here to help please- Help you- no threat-" and Percy blinked rapidly.

"Oh that is so weird-"

"What is?" Sadie frowned at her and Percy hesitated before muttering.

"I- uh- seem to have picked up a gift for languages from Apophis-"

"You-" Sadie sucked in a sharp little breath, "Okay, okay that is good to know. I guess that'll make things easier. What was he saying?"

"He said no, no please I am here to help, please."

"Okay." Sadie glanced down at Carter and then, "Tell him to follow us."

"Follow us." The boys eyes widened almost comically at Percy's fluent Russian, and Percy let Sadie drag her to the steps of the gazebo, where they sat down, the stranger sitting next to them nervously.

"Ask him his name." Sadie ordered, and Percy nodded, doing as she was told quickly.

"Leonid." the Russian man told them, before he launched into his story.

He told them that he'd escaped from the Russian nome, convincing Shu to whisk him to Brooklyn to find the Kanes- specifically Sadie, who he'd apparently ran into during their brief visit to Russia.

Percy acted the translator as the Russian told them that Kwai and Jacobi had taken over in Russia, that they were planning attacks on the First Nome and that they were working for Apophis somehow.

The man was terrified, which didn't help- being fluent in a language wasn't helpful when the boy talking it was near hysterical with fear himself and was stumbling over his words.

And it also didn't help that everyone was waking up- teachers began corralling students and calling parents. Apparently they feared the mass blackout might have been caused by bad punch or hazardous gas and they'd decided to evacuate the area. Which meant that there would be police and paramedics on the scene.

At least Carter was awake, and Percy and Sadie dragged Leonid over to him as he stumbled around rubbing his eyes.

"What happened you two?" His gaze focused on Leonid, "Who-"

"Long story, I was talking to Anubis, Shu showed up- I'm gonna kill Isis and Horus by the way- but Shu brought Leonid and he's got info about an attack on the First Nome. Which means the rebels will be after him and we need to warn Amos."

Carter blinked, and Percy didn't blame him- it was a lot to take in. "What- but-"

"Amos?" Leonid looked frightened at that. "He turn into Set. Eat face?"

"Amos will not eat your face." Sadie said quickly, "Jacobi's been telling you stories."

Leonid still looked uneasy. "Amos not become Set?"

"Percy-" Sadie gave her a pleading look, "Little help please-"

"How can Perc-"

"Our Uncle was possessed against his will." Percy told the Russian, "He's not Set. He's a good guy." And Carter blinked rapidly at Percy, his mouth dropping open.

"Did you just-"

"Yeah." Sadie snorted, "Percy speaks Russian now- and possibly lots of other languages- I dunno."

"I speak French, and Egyptian- most languages I think. It's- a leftover talent." Percy's nose scrunched up- she didn't like the idea of anything being left over from Apophis, and it was strange calling anything from him good.

"Oooookay." Carter blinked slowly, before he studied the Russian worriedly. "Sadie, what if it's a trap. Do you trust this guy?"

"Oh I can handle Leonid. He doesn't want me to morph him into a banana slug, do you, Leonid?"

"Nyet," Leonid said solemnly. "No banana slug."

"There, you see?"

"What about visiting Thoth?" Carter asked. "That can't wait."

"I-" Sadie paused, considering for a second before sighing, "I hate it but you visit Thoth. Take Walt. And, uh, keep an eye on him, all right? Anubis wanted to tell me something about him, but there wasn't time. And in Dallas, when I looked at Walt in the Duat…" Sadie looked like she wanted to cry and Percy wrapped her arms around Sadie tightly,

"I'll keep him safe." Carter promised, "Percy, which one of us do you want to go with."

And Percy hesitated, considering for a second before, "I can speak Russian so I can probably play translator for Leonid.
'Sides." Percy pulled a face, "You might need me to get to Egypt."

"What?" Carter frowned, "What do you mean?"

"A portal. The others told me they've been risky lately but I didn't have any issues before." Percy pointed out, "It's how I got to Dallas."

"Percy-" Carter frowned, "It's dangerous. You could materialize inside a wall, or wind up scattered through the Duat in a million pieces."

"I know it's risky but how else are we supposed to get there?"

"Maybe-" Sadie shifted, "We know Chaos is what's messing with portals lately" Sadie spoke slowly, "Maybe what happened- maybe it makes it easier for Percy to resist it's influence. Carter it's risky but she's right it's gonna be our best option."

"I hate it when you two are right." Carter grumbled the words, yanking them both in for a hug- and Percy hugged Carter back tightly while Sadie grumbled and pretended not to want the hug- but she hugged Carter back too after a moment- and Percy heard Sadie mutter for him to be careful.

A moment later Percy and Sadie were racing across the campus, Sadie dragging Percy and Leonid along with her.

It didn't take them long to reach a courtyard, and Percy blinked as she spotted a familiar block of carved limestone in the courtyard. "Sadie isn't that from the Brooklyn Museum?"

"It's not stealing if no one knows it's gone." Sadie shot Percy an innocent look, which made Percy giggle. "Besides." Sadie added, "I figured it'd be good for emergencies- and anyway they don't know it's gone. The school think Alyssa made it."

"Cool."

"Right." Sadie cast a worried glance at Percy, "You okay doing this? I know you don't like portals."

"I can do it." Percy told her, "I know I don't like doing it much but I'm not as bad as I used to be. It takes me a lil' while but I can do it." and she focused- it took her several long minutes before the portal opened- and Sadie beamed at Percy, giving her a one armed hug.

"That's what I like to see from my baby sister." She declared proudly as they stared at the circular doorway, the swirling vortex of golden sand.

Sure enough the portal opened up in the First Nome, and Percy gripped her big sister's hand tightly, instantly taking off through the underground city, and Sadie dragged Leonid with them.

Percy had gotten to know it well, though she hadn't been allowed to spend too much time alone.

In any case, it wasn't quite what it had been during their first visit, and Percy could see from the look on Leonids face that it was shocking too him, seeing all the shops in the central cavern closed, the market stalls empty, there was only one salesman, who perked up when he saw them before slumping as they passed by.

Their footsteps echoed in the silent tunnels. They crossed one of the subterranean rivers, then wound our way through the library quarter and the Chamber of Birds.

And then they reached the long corridor and the bronze doors of the Hall of Ages, where Percy had spent so much of her time of late, it was one of the few places she was allowed to go without needing to be too closely supervised.

It was as they were walking through the hall, past the bronze curtain of light with images from the time of the New Kingdom that Sadie stopped in her tracks, her eyes going wide as she gasped loudly. Percy followed her gaze quickly and she saw a thin man in priestly robes held a wand and a knife over a black bull. The man muttered as if blessing the animal. He had a beaky nose, high forehead, thin lips that twisted in a wicked smile as he ran the knife along the poor animal's throat.

"That's him." Sadie breathed the words, moving toward the curtain of light. Percy and Leonid both grabbed her arms before she could grab at the lights.

"Nyet." Leonids eyes were startled "You tell me the lights are bad. Stay away."

"Y-you're right-" Sadie shook herself, "But that's Uncle Vinnie." and Percy blinked.

"That's the man you saw in the wall at the museum?"

"Not Vinnie." Leonid looked confused, "Khaemwaset."

"Sorry-" Sadie gave Leonid a confused look at that, "Is that a name-"

"Yes-" Percy felt as if she'd been bashed in the stomach by something hard and blunt. "Yes it is- but that- you can't have seen him-"

"Why not? Percy you look like you're going to puke."

"Prince Khaemwaset. Otherwise known as Setne." Percy met her big sister's eyes, and she saw Sadie's expression turning shocked.

"How could I have seen a long dead prince?"

"I don't know but- it can't be a coincidence." Percy shook her head, "We went there to get a scroll which he wrote Sadie, and you see his lookalike warning you that we can't get the scroll and telling you about the shadow box? No way is that... you have to admit."

"I don't like this." Sadie shook her head, "I don't like this at all."

"We- we should talk to Uncle Amos." Percy declared, taking a deep breath, "Tell him about the stuff Leonid's been telling us and tell him about the fact that you had a weird talking wall vision of one of the most evil magicians in history who might just be the only person who can help us permanently get rid of a certain evil snaky bastard."

"Language." Sadie elbowed her gently, shaking her head, "But okay, okay, we can do that."

"Right-" Sadie paused, her eyes narrowing as she looked towards the end of the hall, towards the stone steps where she clearly expected their uncle to be sitting- he wasn't though and Sadie frowned. "Great, where do we-"

"Come on." Percy took off- one perk about the fact that she'd had a month of living in the First Nome? She knew it better than Sadie, and she didn't hesitate to drag her big sister up the steps- very much not looking towards the purple light which she often stared into, instead moving towards the back wall behind the throne, and Percy knocked on the door twice, rocking back on her heels when a moment later it was pushed open, and she gave her most innocent grin. "Hey there uncle Amos- and- hey Zia!"

"Percy!" Amos's voice was sharp, he sounded like he wasn't sure if he should be telling her off or hugging her, "You are in a world of trouble young lady. Your mother was incredibly worried-"

"But did I die?"

"I-" Amos groaned loudly, looking over Percy's shoulder, "Sadie. Control your sister would you-"

"Oh gods no!" when Percy glanced out Sadie was holding up her hands, "That is so not my job."

And then Amos was drawing Percy into a hug with one arm, holding out his other, "Come here Sadie. I've been so worried- about both of you."