A/N: The internet at our student dorms was cut in the aftermath of a blackout and thus I couldn't write anything that required internet search to get canon reference... So instead I wrote next chapter of this fic as I still had access to my own notes in the offline of google-docs. They were a lifesaver!
Chapter 14: In which I pass the mic to my sister
It was almost time for mid-terms. It was October after all. Luna sighed and looked up from her books. Studying was boring. Especially alone. Especially in the silence such as the one currently surrounding her in her dorm room that she didn't need to share with anyone. While the privacy was nice, the silence was sometimes too oppressing. Very unlike the silence at home.
Luna didn't have any proper friends at Yancy. All the girls were too immature. Either giggling airheads or annoying bullies. There weren't many 'nerds' or 'geeks'. And those that were, looked down on Luna for starting in the middle of year and then repeating the year. Boys were the same.
Frankly, the only boy she tolerated was Percy Jackson and that was more because he was the protagonist. The boy was dense, temperamental and unfortunately his ADHD didn't help matters either. Still, Luna did her best to help him. To be like a long-suffering big sister or something.
"I should probably go and try to help him study…" Luna muttered. If only to get out of the room and silence. Even if it meant meeting with Grover too.
The satyr was annoying too. Since day one, Grover had been convinced that Luna was somehow evil despite her being on year above back then and having next to no interaction with him. Not to mention that the goat-boy was horrible at keeping his cover and in general was almost as immature as the others. While Luna knew that he'd grow up, it still annoyed her. But well, at least she wasn't biased because of her foreknowledge. Right? Her feelings towards the satyr were purely from their interactions. The books only made her tolerate him more than she'd otherwise bother.
Luna got up from her bed and took a stack of papers from her table. At the school's computer lab, she'd taken her notes of class and book and written them all by using Comic Sans font before printing out. She'd heard from somewhere that the font was easier to read for dyslectics. And with only the pertinent information and key points included, it should be helpful for Percy if he didn't need to go through the entire books while the letters danced in his eyes. And notes like that were easier to concentrate since they were much shorter too. Perfect for ADHD demigods.
She found the boys from the library. They seemed to be studying math. After Luna helped Percy to calculate the appropriate price level for the candy he received from his mother Sally and then sold to other students, she'd been elected to be his official tutor in… everything really. Thus when she approached the table, Percy eagerly waved her to take a seat. (Grover in the other hand fought to keep his face neutral in her precense.) The son of Poseidon was adorable like a puppy. Messy black hair, green eyes with hint of blue in them, like the ocean itself, lightly tan skin even though the summer months were well over already. His wardrobe consisted only of t-shirts, jeans and hoodies in different shades of blue and grey.
"Hey, Luna, how're your studies going?" The boy asked with a grin.
"Quite well, all things considered." Luna smiled back. "What about you?"
"Alright, I guess." Percy shrugged. "Math is easier since the numbers don't move around the page."
"And verbal exercises?" The girl grinned. The demigod thunked his head against the table.
"Don't remind me…" He groaned. "I barely understand what they want me to count… And when I do I need to figure out how to do it…"
"But once you have all the numbers in place, it's easy, right?"
"Yeah…"
While Percy was occasionally dense, he was still reasonably smart sometimes. If his dyslexia and ADHD weren't hindering him, he'd be doing quite well in his studies. Luna had seen in many times. But the biggest problem with the schools Percy had attended thus far was that they dismissed him completely. He was pinned as a troublemaker and thus deprived of help. Despite his… ailments, the school didn't offer any extra help or tutoring. Mr. Brunner was the only teacher who even tried to make the lessons easier to understand for Percy too but he didn't have any extra time to offer extra lessons because he still needed to keep tabs on Camp Half-Blood and mythological activity in general.
So Luna was basically Percy's only hope.
"I brought you some notes." The girl offered after a moment of silence. Percy lifted his head up.
"Notes?"
"Don't you think we've got enough papers here already?" Grover muttered. "Besides, you failed your last year, what makes you think your notes are any good?"
"Because I know how to deal with short attention span." Luna stated flatly and laid the papers in front of Percy. "And I used a different font for this that should be easier to read. Only most important things are included but they should help you get through the exams."
"Thank you, Lune!" Percy smiled and began flipping through the papers. "These are great!"
"Good to hear. I'm willing to make notes like that for you for our finals and other mid-terms too, but after that you're on your own. I'll be changing schools once this year is over." She leaned her forearms against the table and leant forward. "And 'Lune'?"
"You needed a nick-name. And you have hummed this song many times while we were studying. I asked mom what song it was and she told me it was Clair de Lune." The boy explained. "Is that okay?"
"Yeah, it's fine. Thanks."
"What do you mean you know how to deal with short attention span? You're not–…" Grover began but Luna cut him off.
"I've got ADD." The girl glared. "It's not bad and I've never needed an official diagnosis, but it still has affected my studying."
"ADD?" Percy repeated.
"Like ADHD but without the H." The older girl deadpanned.
"I know that!"
"Then why did you ask?"
"Because!"
"That isn't a good answer. Now do you want my help with cramming, or not?"
"Is that a threat?"
"Not really, no."
"…Please help me."
"There you go. Good boy."
"I'm not a dog!"
"Oh… I must've been mistaken then. With your puppy eyes and all…"
"Ugh… You are the worst…"
To the astonishment of all the teachers, Luna scored full points in all of her exams. When she was accused of cheating (naturally), she simply dared them to prove her wrong. Thus she was subjected to body search performed by a female teacher and then had to do an extra test with miscannelous questions from various subjects.
She scored full points from that one too.
"My parents died last spring. Of course I didn't bother with the exams." Luna explained in indignation. "And I got separated my brother last autumn so I didn't really have motivation to do anything back then. We've never been apart before."
And that was that.
Really. The teachers accepted that she was doing well now and didn't bother with the matter anymore.
Idiots.
After exams, when Halloween was approaching, Luna was planning another heist. Only this time she wouldn't be alone. And so on the 25th of October, she strode to the heist location through the front doors with her companion.
"Ruby Jones, pleasure to meet you." Thalassa shook hands with the museum's superintendent. She was dressed as an insurance company's representative. Just like the Ruby Jones aka Chat Noir from Magic Kaito manga.
"A pleasure indeed. Though I'm not sure why you need to be here."
"Well, thus far Thalassa has gotten away on every single heist. And all the artifacts have been insured for quite large sums including this one. While no obvious connection between the artifacts has been found… Our company still wants to ensure that no foul play is going on at the background from the direction of the museum. Thus a fresh and unbiased pair of eyes."
"And your companion?" The superintendent side-eyed the young man next to Thalassa.
"Lucas? He is a high school student and getting to know our line of work. Since this is such a special occasion, I decided to take him."
"Nice to meet you, Mr. Grande." 'Lucas' bowed shallowly.
"I trust this is no problem." Thalassa arched her brows and straightened her glasses.
"Of course not. Please, do look around. Just don't disturb the guards." And the man, Grande, left.
"He backed off quickly." Luke remarked.
"Clay found some inconsistences with the superintendent's finances. I suspect there has been some insurance frauds going on well before this heist. Thus my presence is expected by unpleasant." Thalassa muttered and led the boy around the display hall. Because of supernatural aid, many of her plans were made in the fly. But sometimes she did do some proper ground work too. Like in this case.
"Is it just me but is that security guard glancing at our direction more than is normal?"
Thalassa scanned the guards and let her eyes stop at one of them. He was guarding one of the doors of the hall and thus blocking that exit. He was of average height and built. Unremarkable face, slightly curly hair… But the eyes.
"I think you just found out greatest adversary…" She murmured, smile spreading on her red painted lips but hidden behind her gloved hand. "Look around, especially at the display case. Meanwhile, I think I'll ask him a bit of security details. Discreetly of course."
"Sure." Luke nodded and wandered off. Luna took a breath and steeled herself to the mindset of Thalassa once again before approaching the security guard.
Clack, clack said her heeled boots. Once close enough the guard looked up at her.
"Evening, good sir. Mind answering a couple of my questions?"
"I don't see why not ma'am." The guard nodded. He glanced at the tag pinned on the lapel of her jacket. "Insurance?"
"Yes. I'm sure you've heard how much some of my colleagues have had to pay for the stolen artifacts taken by this same thief. We don't wish the same happening here." Thalassa replied. "Ruby Jones."
"I understand. Marcus Harold."
They shook hands.
"How long have you worked here, Mr. Harold?"
"A coupl'a years. Usually I'm in the camera room though."
"But you know the floorplan well enough that the director decided to have you here and put someone else to watch the cameras?"
"Some college kid studying data handling or something."
Meaning that Clay had succeeded and the temporary charm Luna had crafted for him was holding.
"But the ground team is old and trusted staff, correct?"
"Exactly."
"Has the superintendent, Mr. Grande behaved suspiciously at all?"
"Not that I know of. Dedicated time for the security measures. Tried to be creative like the advisor chick who was helping with the black stone in that bracelet."
Thalassa resisted the urge to snort. No one could match Athena when it came to wits. Unless of course they were overcome through creativity and outside the box.
"I suppose you can't divulge me any details about the security measures taken then?"
"Sorry, but no. Only the team working on them knows. I only have to keep my eyes peeled."
"Understood. I won't be taking any of your time then, Mr. Harold."
"Have a good evening, Miss Jones."
"Oh, it certainly will be interesting one."
Thalassa met with Luke again.
"Anything?"
"I should be able to open the lock effectively. With Clay ready for blackout and you distracting the guards, it should be easy." Luke muttered back. "Thanks for distracting the guard."
"No problem. He might've recognized you despite your disguise though…"
"What do you mean?"
"The entire time I was asking questions, he never questioned your presence. This is amusing him more than anything else." Thalassa bit her fingernail, also painted red.
"… You don't mean-?!"
"That's exactly what I mean. Please keep your cool and don't use your bypass ability."
"Roger that."
The target of the night, Wings of Wind was a silvery grey stone which was the central part of a silver necklace studded with small diamonds. The frame itself also had wings made of silver which was rest against the wearer's collarbones. Surprisingly elegant. And it wasn't too much of a stretch to figure out that it was Hermes's stone.
With the messenger himself disguised as a guard in the same room than Thalassa and Luke.
This was going to be interesting.
The lights went out. And Thalassa appeared in her trademark costume on the balcony running around the room well above everyone's heads. A spotlight pointed at her and she thanked her forward thinking was making sure that while the mask showed only black through the eyeholes, it would also act as a pair of sunglasses simultaneously.
"Why hello everyone…" She purred, effectively drawing attention away from the display case in the dark and Luke who was working on opening it. Clay had already disabled all electricity in the security systems and otherwise. Frankly, the only workable source of light was the spotlight on her.
"Thief!"
"Catch her!"
Some guards were scrambling towards her. That's right, there had been some positioned at the balcony too. Thalassa glanced at the display. Thankfully the mask covered her eye movements thus keep it secret as to where she was looking at.
Luke was ready. The necklace was tucked into safety and the display case was closed again. The boy was back in his place closer to doors.
"Not so fast, filles un garcons…" She grinned and leaped.
The spotlight was too slow. It only reached her when she was already landed, with her dress and cape covering the display and thus obscuring the absence of the treasure.
"Why thank you." Thalassa lifted her head and offered a wide smile before dropping a smoke bomb.
When the smoke was gone, the light only pointed at the empty case and Thalassa was back next to Luke in her Ruby Jones get-up. Beauty of Love was so useful tool for this.
"Find her!" Mr. Grande roared and the guards scrambled to answer to the command. In the chaos, the two thieves (and their accomplice from the camera station) disappeared to the night.
After the night of excitement, the trio slipped back to normality then. Luke and Clay back to camp and Luna back to her dorm at Yancy. It had been quite fruitful night.
Halloween. Candy, ghosts, lore and commercialism mixed. Traditions old and new.
Some students were stuffing their faces with candy. Some were gathered in the auditorium to watch horror movies. Some were ripping the decorations apart.
Luna was in her room, prying the newest godless stone apart from the silver frame in order to find out the sequences that made up its power and then try to replicate them. She wanted to enhance her shoes even more. In a way that she could control the speed she was going and adjust it to her need. She was already working on natural speed and had taken running laps around the school perimeter when she had time. With good music on the background, it wasn't a task or anything.
Ching-scrape
And it came off.
Maybe she could try testing it on her own first though.
Luna put on her special shoes and made her way out of the school. She left a note in her room in the case Percy or one of the teachers came looking for her but she doubted that would happen.
Now though… Now she wanted to fly.
Luna was practically flying when she run through the crowds of people and leaped from building to building whenever she gained higher ground. Sometimes she took a bigger leap and enjoyed the moment of weightlessness before gravity took hold of her again.
No one looked up. No one saw a preteen girl in the air.
No one but one. And Luna didn't notice him until she was neatly caught into his arms from her latest freefall.
"Whops… That was a tad too dangerous for a mortal like you." The voice of her… savior(?) said. Luna frowned and looked up at his face.
"I could've handled it." The response came automatically. Then she registered the face she was looking at. Mischievous eyes, salt-and-pepper hair… She discreetly took in the man's attire and the fact one moment he stood in the air and the next on top a skyscraper. "Though it is also possible the angle and height was a bit too wrong."
"Just a smidge." The man chuckled. "Nice shoes." He said then, indicating the pair of wings painted by the heel of them.
"Thanks. The same to you." Luna nodded at his shoes when she was let on the ground stand on her own.
"You know… when I noticed the power of my stone being spread around New York, I didn't imagine catching a little girl using it." He said nonchalantly.
Luna wanted to say that she wasn't a little girl. She was seventeen and more. Eighteen maybe since she'd lived a year in this world too. But she bit her tongue. Outwardly she was thirteen and compared to the immortals of this world, she was an infant.
"But I have to say your plan of acquiring it was impressive even if I don't approve Luke's involvement in it."
"The God of Thieves doesn't approve thievery?" Luna asked with arched eyebrows. Because that was too good to pass up.
"I don't approve him leaving the camp without permission." Hermes corrected her. Luna remained quiet but nodded anyways.
"How are you sure that I was the one stealing the stone then? I could've gotten it from… sources." She decided to ask instead. The god chuckled.
"I put a tiny tracker in it. Just enough to tell how many hands it went through after exiting the museum. Three. Two boys and a girl. You."
Luna huffed. Effing immortals and their cheat tricks. And apparently Hermes read that thought right out of her mind if the new chuckle was of any indication.
"Out of curiosity though, how many stones do you have?" Hermes asked.
Luna just slipped her fingers underneath her hoodie that hung to her hips and thus obscured her belt containing the stones. She loosened the strings holding her belt together (her jeans stayed up even without it, she was a girl after all) and pulled the belt free through the loops of her jeans. Five stones were adorning it. Green, clear, pink, light green and blue.
"But that's not all of them." Hermes said, his arms crossed but humor sparking in his eyes. Luna shook her head.
"I've got… three more and one I've given to my brother." Luna explained while threading the belt back to its place.
"That makes it ten altogether. Not a bad loot."
"…I don't know if that's a compliment of not." She frowned. Hermes laughed.
"It is one."
"Thank you then."
"Wanna race?"
"What? Really?"
"Yes, really. No teleporting. I'll take it easy."
"I feel like I should protest the kiddy-gloves I can't really afford to. Where to?"
"Statue of Liberty."
"Deal."
Two wisps of wind were left behind then the two of them took off.
Luna naturally lost the race. But she felt like she had won anyways.
A/N: This fic as far few readers and followers than some others yet I keep writing this. Hmm...
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