Hurrah another chapter! This one will have some action in it coupled with angsty inner turmoil of course. I hope y'all enjoy this chapter, thanks to everyone for all the reviews :D Reminder: I don't own Class of the Titans, with many sighs on my part. p.s. I don't know if people are looking at the chapter names but I know only the first one directly corresponds with the contents, the other two are just to complete a quote by my favourite comedian. Haha yeah okay, on with the chapter.


Another Chance
Chapter Three: Climbing Trees

The forest grew darker and more welcoming to Archie as he ran from the bright track and from Atlanta. He didn't care where he was going and didn't intend to find out, he just wanted to be away from all that had happened.

He couldn't believe what he had done, truthfully. If this had happened earlier, even yesterday, Archie would not be running away from Atlanta; quite the opposite in fact. But it was today and he was running away, the argument between his head and his heart having no effect on his blind feet.

But abruptly he stopped, right at the edge of the emerald trees. He longed to turn and see Atlanta running after him, however no sound came to his ears but the rustling of old branches in the wind. He pushed through them, causing crackling in the place of soft rustles. Of course she wouldn't be running after you, he thought angrily. Anger towards Atlanta was his weapon now, to overpower and – he hoped – destroy his other feelings towards her, though it wasn't working very well. He just had to get away from her, afraid of what he would do when her laugh caught him into an updraft of affection, knowing she didn't feel the same.

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Atlanta watched Archie pause at the edge of the looming forest, wishing he would turn around and willing her feet would move from their firmly rooted position. Why aren't you moving? She questioned them crossly as Archie's purple head disappeared into the darkness of the forest. As soon as his pale form was engulfed by the shield of branches she burst into a sprint, propelled by a force more than her own. In seconds she reached where Archie had been standing, her breathing heavy from the quick exertion of energy. That was... odd, she thought, wondering what had caused her to move at that moment.

She contemplated the leaves, wondering if something in the branches had made her move or Archie pause, but their wise dark faces answered her with only the rustles with which they had replied to Archie. She had never been afraid of the forest, being the descendant of Artemis the hunter, but her lineage also endowed her with the knowledge of how dangerous it could be. The forest at New Olympia especially, with its tendency to be home to a few of Cronus's minions, posed a great threat. She pushed that thought aside along with the branches as she stepped into the emerald forest after Archie.

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Archie wasn't afraid of the forest; more than once it had given him sanctuary when he was distressed, this time included. True, he usually found a punching bag more useful, but the forest contained something more: it was real, it was living. He would never tell his friends though; his image would be completely ruined. Ooh I'm Archie, picking flowers in the forest with my cute widdle animal fwiends is my favourite thing! Herry's mocking voice came to his ears. "Yeah right," he smirked at the thought.

What he wouldn't admit even to himself was that the forest reminded him of Atlanta, and that he felt closer to her whenever he was in it. This usual state of mind, however, was completely ignored at present, his sole intention to do exactly the opposite. Thrashing through the branches, he really didn't care who heard; finding the best of both worlds Archie was using the forest as a punching bag while he tried to escape his broken heart.

Suddenly he reached a clearing, a small opening in the trees where the orange evening sun tinged the grasses with a warm glow. His lack of anything to thrash made Archie stop and realize how tired he was and how deep into the forest he had gotten, the trees surrounding him menacingly thick and dark. Had he not felt so exhausted, Archie would have made note of how out of place a small clearing was in the middle of the forest, but his eyes and mind slid shut as his tired body slumped to the soft grass.

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Archie is certainly not a hard creature to track, thought Atlanta with a laugh, following the trail of broken twigs and branches that marked Archie's path through the forest. She was making an effort to find humour in what was happening and to keep her mind on Archie as her surroundings made her increasingly wary. It was not often in the forest that you found no animals, despite the fact that a large angry mass had made its way through minutes before.

Atlanta checked her back pocket and sighed in relief: her bolas were where they always were, should she need to use them. I hope Archie has something with him, she worried, the thought of him getting hurt or lost more upsetting than usual. But, he can take care of himself, she said confidently. She quickened her pace, anxious to prove her thoughts correct, but immediately halted. Archie's trail of destruction had stopped right where she was standing and all around her the dense forest remained undisturbed. Atlanta shivered. This was not right.


Ooh, something's afoot! For some reason each one of my chapters gets less light-hearted and more badly written. It should get better soon… I hope you smart guys figured out already that there'll probably be more than four chapters, I lied in the author's note of chapter 2. I'll just have to see where this goes! p.s. don't mind the horribly obvious foreshadowing in Atlanta's second paragraph. I know, it's terrible.