AN:

Hey guys, we're finally back. As always, before we get started, I want to give thanks to everyone for the support you give me. Now, first and foremost, I know this was a pretty long time for me in terms of update speed, but to be honest with you, I've had barely any time to do anything but schoolwork recently. Whoever convinced me engineering was a smart idea should be reprimanded. Anyways, this chapter is finally shaking off the restrictive bonds of world building. The rest of that business will be done amidst the plot. That's right, things are finally getting going now. Just stick with it, I really think you'll enjoy where this is headed. So, here it is, chapter 2 of "All That's Left"

XxXxX

Hazel was nervous standing outside the imposing double doors; despite Percy insisting that everything would turn out fine. He told her that Jason was a perfectly even keeled and reasonable guy, but that hadn't done too much in terms of consolation. Something about meeting an ex-military cybernetic who was the head of a group fighting a literal street war against a violent gang was slightly nerve wracking. Still, she hadn't asked to join up just to turn back because she was afraid of a little conversation.

"You ready?" Percy asked from her side, looking down on her with a glint in his eye she couldn't identify.

"Yea…" she swallowed the lump in her throat. "Yeah let's do this."

Percy smiled knowingly, like he hadn't expected a different answer in the slightest. She wondered how this man, still a stranger by any definition of the term, had more confidence in her than she did. Whether that was depressing or inspiring, she wasn't sure. Percy made to push open the double doors, but a hand on his stopped him.

"Shouldn't we… I don't know… Knock?" she asked hesitantly.

"Hazel, never announce your presence. It makes you easier to kill. That's basically vigilante 101." He said with a wink.

She couldn't tell if he was joking or giving her a lesson, but she heeded his words anyways. Deciding to throw caution to the wind, she pressed into the doors, sending them careening open with more force than she intended. They flew back, crashing against the walls, the noise proclaiming her arrival to the heavens.

"Smooth." Percy muttered from her side, chuckling to himself as he walked in.

The room was dimly lit and decorated sparsely; probably to be expected of a veteran soldier. The dominating feature of the room was the massive desk in the center, covered with various papers and mementos. There were two people in the room already, and she quickly realized that both of their eyes were on her.

She felt the warmth of a blush creep up into her cheeks. The heat sprawled across her face like a warm towel of embarrassment. She already wasn't the most confident person, and the two pairs of eyes drilling into her were far from encouraging. One set, a startling grey, not dissimilar to the clouds of a brewing storm, scanned her analytically. The other pair, sitting on the opposite side of the heavy desk, was a striking lightning blue that eyed her with curiosity.

Under their gaze her brain was screaming and kicking for her to run, to curl up in a ball and hide. Everything in her ached to wilt under their stares, but she fought the urge. She doubted devolving into a blubbering mess at just a look wasn't the most endearing thing she could do right about now. Despite herself, she schooled her features, putting on the most confident façade she could muster. Apparently, that was enough for both of them, because their eyes flicked to her companion instead.

"Percy, we're in the middle of something." Jason sighed, gesturing between himself and the blonde-haired girl.

Beside her, Percy shrugged, telegraphing he couldn't care less what they were in the middle of. Hazel tried her best to look apologetic for both of them, but Percy wasn't doing her any favors. In fact, the smirk on his face told her that he'd been hoping to interrupt, and if she could see that, the analyzing eyes in the room would be able to read it clear as day.

"Annabeth," Jason began, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Is it alright if we finish this later?"

The boring grey eyes flickered from Jason to Percy and back again, before finally falling on Hazel of all people. The stormy eyes traced her outline, clearly sizing her up more vigorously than before. After a few moments, Annabeth nodded to herself, seemingly satisfied.

"That is acceptable." She said evenly, obviously putting effort in to seem completely levelheaded. "We'll reconvene when you're done here?"

"Yea, sure. I'll call for you." Jason replied, waving a hand dismissively at her. His eyes never left Percy as she left the room.

Hazel watched the stare down with trepidation. Jason's eyes screamed irritation, and Percy's single mockingly raised eyebrow was a sign of his amusement. She couldn't help but feel like she was trapped in a room with two nuclear bombs, and neither had a failsafe. As soon as the heavy doors shut softly behind Annabeth, the battle of wills melted away like ice cream in the summer heat.

"Sit." Jason said, gesturing to the seats across from him, the animosity that had just filled the air forgotten instantaneously.

Hazel followed his instructions, dropping herself onto one of the seats across from the blonde man. She sank into the soft cushion on contact, and the plush leather was just begging to be snuggled into. Despite her sudden urge to cozy up in the admittedly extremely comfortable chair, she did her best to sit tall and straight, hands folded in her lap, trying to appear militaristic for the ex-soldier. If she was going to ask for a position in his group without any notable skills, she figured being respectful was a must.

In the seat next to her, Percy was not following the same formula. He had lain himself sideways across the chair, his legs dangling over an arm as his head rested against the other. His bright emerald eyes twinkled with mirth as he eyed Jason. Hazel could tell he was trying to get a rise out of the man, she just couldn't quite put her finger on why.

"Who's this?" Jason asked, agitation creeping into his voice already.

"This." Percy began, nodding his head towards her. "is Hazel Levesque; our newest recruit."

"Percy, what have I told you about civilian recruiting?" Jason grumbled tiredly. They'd obviously had this conversation dozens of times by now, and Jason seemed to have gotten sick of it long before this iteration.

"That it's bad, and we should never do it under any circumstances. But what have I shown you about civilian recruiting? Leo? One of mine. I'm pretty sure Piper was a civilian before I found her. Annabeth too. That's three of the best people we've got, and they were all civilians before. Hell, I'm a civilian Jason. Who's to say Hazel isn't the next civilian turned brilliant asset?" Percy argued.

A disinterested look graced his features, but his voice betrayed him. The emotion was evident there. This was something Percy was deeply passionate about, that much was clear. He may have only been partially arguing with such conviction for her, and mostly arguing for the principle of civilian recruitment itself, but Hazel still appreciated the sentiment. It felt good to be believed in.

"The others I will accept as fair points I suppose." Jason relented. "But you and I both know you're a special case. I'd hardly say you classify as a civilian."

Percy rolled his eyes, but Hazel's furrowed a bit. Just what exactly made Percy a special case? Why was everything so enigmatic when it came to Percy? The more things about the guy got explained, the more confusing he got. It was disconcerting that with each thing she learned about him, he seemed more of a stranger than the moment before.

"That's not the point, Jason." Percy pointed out. "What I'm saying still stands. She deserves a chance. Hazel's old enough to make decisions for herself, and she wants to help. Isn't that what we're looking for? People who want to help?"

"I never said this, but you have a point. She gets, a chance then." Jason acquiesced, eyes drifting to her golden ones. His lightning stare engulfed his, and she did her best to hold it despite the protest of all her anxious nerves. "So, Hazel, why come here? What makes you want to help?"

"I…" she paused to choose her words carefully. This felt like the job interview of a lifetime. "My mother was taken, and no one will do anything about it. If no one will do something, I will. I'm only here thanks to the fact met Percy by pure happenstance, but I'm glad I am. He's made it abundantly clear that you're the only chance I have of saving my mom. He's also explained to me that you're all going through the same thing I am. If I have the chance to reunite with my mom and to help everyone here meet their loved ones again as well, what kind of person would I be if I didn't do everything in my power to help you?"

Jason folded his hands in front of his face, lips pressed into a thin line. He soaked up her words, and she dared to think he even looked the slightest bit pleased, though he was trying to hide it. To her right, Percy was grinning haughtily, obviously taking great joy in her slowly winning Jason over.

"Compelling." Jason commented finally. "A want to attitude is invaluable to us, and can get you a long way, but we're going to need more than that. What does you joining up do for us? I'm not putting someone in harms way if they're going to be next to helpless."

"You're next to helpless and you put yourself in harms way all the time." Percy added wryly. His eyes sparkled with impish glee as Jason smoldered.

"And you're next to being sidelined unless you remember yourself." Jason retorted, obviously being pushed passed his limit by Percy's prodding.

Percy smiled playfully, dragging his hand across his mouth like he was zipping up a coat. Hazel was torn between admiration and disbelief at Percy's casual disrespect he'd been consistently displaying. Part of her envied him for having the confidence in himself to speak his mind and do as he pleased, but the other part couldn't believe he was so nonchalant about his interactions with his superior. Admittedly, the line between superior and equal for the two of them seemed hazy at best, but the idea still held true. It was baffling his utter disregard for the hierarchy of the organization he'd helped to found.

"Anyways." Jason grumbled, turning away from the childlike man still draped lazily over his leather chair. "What can you do for us? What does Hazel Levesque have to offer?"

"I…" she hesitated, because she still hadn't thought of one thing that would make her stick out. Not with all the talent they supposedly had at their disposal. "I'm not sure entirely, to be honest. But Percy told me that you guys are willing to teach, and I'm willing to learn. I picked up on things pretty fast in school, I guess. I know that's not much, but I-" He held up a hand to stop her, the last of her sentence dying in her throat.

Percy finally sat up in his chair, any feigned indifference disappearing now. He leaned forward in anticipation, eyes watching the interchange like a tennis match. Hazel could see his fingers drumming nervously against his leg, and she could have sworn they were marching in tune with her racing heart.

"I've heard enough." he said curtly.

"I- Oh…" her gaze dropped. She'd heard that tone before. It was the one that people used right before they gave her bad news. The one people used when they pitied her. She'd heard it more than she would care to admit, and that made it as recognizable as the back of her hands.

"I'm sorry, I don't think our normal arrangement will work out for you." Jason said slowly, his words falling from his lips like honey.

"I… I understand…" she forced out.

Her worst fears for how the interaction would play out were seemingly about to be realized. She felt bile in her throat. She wanted to throw up. She'd been teased with the idea of being able to do something good. The opportunity to help her mother. Instead, she'd only been forced to face her inadequacy in the form of rejection. She rose to leave, but a hand on hers stopped her. Percy was coming to her defense.

"Come on Jason, I'll vouch for her." Percy argued, his voice finally serious. His eyes were swirling hurricanes now, telegraphing the intensity of his thoughts.

"That's exactly the problem Percy." Jason snapped. "You do this every time. You bring someone down with no skills or experience, and somehow every time you weasel me into letting them join, saying you'll vouch for them."

"I don't see the problem with that." Percy crossed his arms. "Everyone I bring into the fold is a good soldier. A good person. What's wrong with that?"

"It's not so black and white, Percy." Jason argued. "Every time you bring in these inexperienced people, good agents have to take time off to teach them because you won't. You bring in new blood just to wash your hands of them once they're here!"

"Jason, you know that's for good reason!" Percy hissed. "You really think I should take some new recruit with me into the field? On the missions I'm assigned? Or do you think that we could risk me not going out while I spend time training them? You know that wouldn't work. It's not possible that I play tutor and do my actual job." Percy protested vehemently.

"Well you better make it possible." Jason said, his eyes narrowing almost imperceptibly.

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that if Hazel is getting in, it's only as your protégé. It'll give you someone to reign you in a bit, and she'll be learning from you, who I must begrudgingly admit is the best man we have. It's a win-win in my eyes." Jason explained, standing firm.

"You're telling me that we have no one else to teach her the ropes?"

"Oh, come on Percy. You know we don't have the manpower for that right now. We're spread thin as is. If you want Hazel so badly, you make the choice. It's under your tutelage, or it's not at all. It's all up to you, Perce. Is she in, or is she out?"

Hazel looked to Percy, doing her best to plead her case with just a glance. Some may have misconstrued the desperation in her golden eyes as pathetic, but she knew Percy would see it as something different. She knew he would see how much she wanted this. Needed this. She knew he would because he had to.

For his part, Percy looked torn. He was eying the ground in front of him like it was the most interesting thing in the world by a vast margin. She could tell he wanted to say no, but something was stopping him. Everything she'd learned about Percy so far leaned towards him saying no. He clearly hated doing what anyone told him too, even Jason, maybe even especially Jason, and he obviously liked working alone. He was the exact opposite of someone who would want an apprentice. Still, there was a hesitation there, and the longer it lasted, the more hopeful she grew.

Finally, Percy's gaze raised from the floor underfoot. His sea green eyes mingled with her golden ones. She could see the muscles in his jaw tighten and untighten like corded steel. His eyes were unreadable, and his nostrils flared for a moment. The room rang with deafening silence as her and Jason waited for an answer. When he finally spoke, his voice came out hushed, but powerful. Two words was all it took.

"She's in."

XxXxX

It was raining. It was always raining in Sapphire City. She'd always thought the rain was beautiful, but it was much easier to say that snuggled up inside. The dull pitter patter on the roof would often lull her to sleep, a comforting white noise as she nestled into bed. Now though, trapped in the torrential downpour, it was much less soothing. The pounding as the biting cold rain splattered down all around her seemed much louder than it ever had, and it was assuredly less peaceful too.

Percy, who was perched on the rooftop next to her, didn't seem to share her discomfort. He looked at home in the inescapable reach of the mourning skies. His mask was on, and his midnight hair dripped lazily in front of his emerald eyes, but in the soaking rain he looked more at peace than she'd ever seen him.

"Why exactly did we come here again?" Hazel shouted over the heavy rain.

It was a genuine question. This was the first time they'd left the base since she'd first gotten in. The last week had been a whirlwind of introductions, training, and trying to figure out her exact role in the organization. So far, she'd made almost no progress in finding her calling as a vigilante, but despite her misgivings, Percy said she was coming along fine. On a happier note, her coworkers, for lack of a better term, all seemed fairly pleasant. It was a little victory, but those were most important.

"Because," Percy said, reaching down to his belt. "We finally have something to do."

When his hand came back, she saw a handgun in it, the metal gleaming menacingly in the dim light. He quickly flipped it in his hands, thrusting it towards her grip first. For a moment she hesitated, but an imploring nod from him urged her onwards.

The weight of it surprised her, but not because it was heavy. It was ridiculously lightweight. Even more shocking, the grip seemed to be perfectly molded to her hand, resting comfortably in her fingers. The craftmanship was obviously Leo's, and it was obviously custom made for her. She'd never had her own gun before, and she wasn't quite sure how to feel about it.

"This is for me?" she asked curiously, hopelessly trying to wipe away the rain on her face.

"Yeah, I had Leo make it for you on your first day. You just didn't need it until now." He explained, as if gifting someone a custom-made firearm was an everyday occurrence.

"I'm going to need it?" she squeaked. "You haven't even taught me to shoot yet!"

"It's easy." He said, waving a hand at her. "All you do is point."

He reached over his shoulder, grabbing one of the pistols he had sequestered on his back. It was larger than hers, and clearly heavily customized. What every little attachment and alteration he had installed did, she had not the faintest clue, but it sure looked intimidating. He raised the gun, pointing it across the street.

"And shoot." He continued, punctuating his words with a finger tightening around the trigger.

The gun jerked an infinitesimal bit in his hand, but Leo's workmanship was second to none, minimizing the recoil dramatically. The bullet whizzed out of the barrel of his pistol, silenced to barely above a whisper. A camera on the warehouse across the street exploded in a shower of sparks, the fiery lights joining the rain in its trip to the cement before it faded.

"Something tells me it's not that easy." She mumbled. "And I'm not sure I even want to shoot anyone."

It was something she'd been struggling with since joining up. Just another thing to add to all the reasons she felt useless in her new life. If she was going to learn from Percy, she'd have to do some of the things Percy did, which included shooting people. The problem was, changing from the regular teenager she was a week ago to a gun wielding vigilante wasn't the smoothest transition in the world to make.

"Don't worry." Percy rested a hand on her shoulder, giving it a slight squeeze. "I doubt you'll have to. I'm only giving it to you as a precaution, just in case you need it. I'll take care of everything for us."

"About that. What exactly are we taking care of?"

"That." He said, pointing across the street to the warehouse whose camera he just destroyed. "It's one of Nakumara's warehouses. One of the last one's in the city I haven't raided. We're about to finish what I started."

"I take it we're looking for something in particular?" She asked. Percy nodded in approval.

"You're catching onto things fast." He commented. "You're right. Jason's been sending me out periodically to raid these things looking for information. Hopefully, we'll find some clue as to Nakumara's operations. If not, well, Nakumara and his crew deal in more than just people, and we could use the supplies."

"So how do you usually do this? Do we charge in guns blazing?" She inquired.

"No." he laughed for a moment. "What have I been telling you from the very start? Jason is the soldier. Me? I'm a ghost."

Without warning, he rose from his squatted position, jumping clear off the roof. Hazel darted towards the edge, sure he'd just killed himself, only to see him at the bottom of the twenty plus foot drop completely unscathed. He didn't even look bothered that he'd plummeted off of a rooftop like a stray shingle. He waved up at her, eyebrows raised in challenge. She realized pretty quickly he wanted her to follow.

"I'm not jumping off of a three-story roof, are you insane?" she called down to him, straining for her voice to carry over the downpour.

"Oh, come on, Hazel! Do you really think I'd let you fall?" he hollered back.

"I don't know. Maybe." She said, feeling a little silly at the idea that she was doubting him. Still, it was difficult to throw yourself from a rooftop in reckless abandon, no matter who was waiting at the bottom to catch you.

"You wound me." He teased, placing a hand over his heart. "You'll be alright Haze; you just have to trust me."

She thought about it for a second. Did she trust him? In the past week, she'd learned a great deal about the man waiting down below. She'd seen that he was a lone wolf to the core, a loose cannon who was used to doing whatever he wanted by his own rules by himself all the time. She knew that he didn't like that she was forced on him; that he resented being forced to play teacher, but part of her could tell that he didn't hold any of that against her specifically.

Besides, she could look past that part of him; thanks to the fact that she'd started to familiarize herself with the other side of him as well. She'd seen his kind nurturing side. She'd been on the receiving end of it already a great deal. She'd seen his sarcastic nature, and his fun attitude. She'd even been privy to some of his deeper philosophical thoughts. He was a contradiction. Enigmatic but open. A lone wolf, but a kind teacher. So yes, all in all he may be a crazy loner with a passion for jumping off of rooftops, but she definitely trusted him.

With a deep breath, she tried to relax. Big breath in, big breath out. She exhaled all her fears, and then she was running, jumping off the roof with the same fearlessness Percy had put on display. That lasted all of about a half a second before she realized what she had just done, and then she was screaming.

It felt like she was falling in slow motion. Her eyes were shut tight, but even in the darkness beneath her eyelids she could feel as much. After what seemed like an eternity, she felt her feet hit solid ground, only instead of going splat, she landed with a soft touch. Her toes kissed the ground like a butterfly's wings, and her eyes opened hesitantly. She was on the asphalt, completely unharmed, and Percy's eyebrows were raised to the sky in amusement.

"How the? What the?" she stammered out; confusion wrought across her features.

"Moon boots." He said, nodding towards the shoes on her feet. The ones he'd given her on her first day. "I turned them on for you while you were busy playing with your new gun."

She looked down at her feet, awe on her face as she noticed the dim blue glow emanating from the sole of her shoes. She hadn't even known her shoes could turn on; she thought they were just shoes. Even crazier, she hadn't felt Percy touch her feet, which was both a little impressive and a little unnerving.

"Moon boots?" she questioned, her head still a little dizzy from the panic of the fall.

"Moon boots." He agreed. "A little project that Leo's been working on. They're supposed to be able to change gravity for the user. I promised to test out the 'low' setting for him. Good news, they work."

"Wait, you didn't even know if these worked?" she asked in horror. He'd just made her jump off a roof with nothing but a prototype to protect her?

"Relax," he said, ruffling her hair. "I tested them first, didn't I? Now come on, Jason's going to throw a hissy fit if we're not back soon."

She nodded in affirmation, too disgruntled to talk. She was still a little miffed that he'd hedged their lives on a bet that Leo's experimental shoes would work. She followed him across the street, stepping over puddles as they drew closer to the warehouse. There were no guards posted outside, but she doubted the same would hold true once they got in.

He led her into a side alley, his footsteps reverberating off the stone walls. He came to a stop about halfway in, gently knocking his fingers against the warehouse exterior. Percy nodded, seemingly satisfied with the location.

"This will do." He said quietly to himself, digging around in a small pouch looped around his belt.

His hands came out with four small metal balls. He stuck on the wall them a good distance away from each other, the outline between them tracing a rectangle on the stone. When the last one was placed, he gave it a squeeze, causing all four to start beeping. Percy strolled casually away, whistling as he walked. She was too confused to move, but luckily Percy noticed, grabbing her by the arm and dragging her away just in time, twirling her around to put himself between her and the blast.

With a huge boom, the wall erupted in front of them. Stone and debris was sent crashing through the air as a massive hole was blasted open in the wall. The shockwave rustled her clothes and dust caked her hair, but she was otherwise unharmed thanks to Percy.

He let her go, already walking towards the open hole in the wall. She saw a few cuts and scrapes leaking blood on his back, no doubt thanks to him shielding her, and she felt guilty for not moving sooner. She simply hadn't had time to process what was happening, and he'd paid the price for it. There was no time to feel apologetic though, as Percy was already through the wall. She ran to catch up with the man who'd just saved her.

The entire interior was dimly lit, with grey walls and floors making up the entire place. Rows and rows of shelves were lined with guns, ammo, and boxes who's contents she didn't want to see. Drops of blood decorated the floor, giving her a clear path to follow to find Percy. When she reached the end of the liquid path, he was waiting for her; he was standing near the end of an aisle of shelves, his pistol out, and his eyes narrowed.

"What happened to vigilantes never announcing their presence?" she asked him, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Relax." He consoled. "I want them to know I'm here."

She opened her mouth to respond, but found it clamped shut by his palm. He put a finger up to his face, waiting for her to give a sign she understood. When she nodded, he removed his hand, tapping his ear, a sign for her to listen. She strained her ears, trying to make out whatever noise he heard. It was eerily silent to her, but obviously he heard something. After a few moments she heard it. Footsteps drilling towards them, heavy combat boots pounding against the hard floor. She steeled herself, her knuckles in a death grip around her pistol.

All of a sudden, Percy pushed her back against the shelf with one arm, using the other to raise his gun towards the larger aisle that opened up beside them. A man rounded the corner and was met with a silent gunshot to the head before he could process the sight of them. The guard collapsed to the ground with a soft thud, blood already pooling around his head.

She fought the urge to squeal. It was much easier to picture yourself fighting gang members when you were daydreaming about saving your mother, but when they were up close and personal, it was a much different thing. As terrible as they were, as that man probably was, he was still a man bleeding real blood. A real person, dead in a second. It was gruesome and messy to say the least. She felt queasy.

"You alright?" Percy whispered, obviously noticing the fresh green tinge to her skin even in the dim light.

"Yeah just…" she breathed out. "Just haven't gotten used to that is all."

"Hopefully, you'll never have to." He said sincerely.

After giving her a moment to gather herself, he led her deeper into the warehouse. Hazel finally understood what he meant when he told her that he was a ghost. Where her wet shoes squeaked softly against the ground, his were completely silent. It was as if he was floating across the ground rather than walking over top of it. He was a wraith and she was a one man marching band.

The further they got, the more guards they ran into. The gang members were obviously searching for the pair, but Percy dropped them with a single shot every time before they came close to finding them. She tried her best to pay no attention to the quiet gunshots and the corpses they left behind, but it was impossible to ignore the iron smell of blood in the air, or the clink of the bullet shells as they clattered on the ground.

After a while, the endless maze of shelves of illegal contraband ended. The racks opened up into a massive open space, filled with dozens of men brandishing intimidating assault rifles. Across the way they saw a small office, the dim blue glow of a computer screen shining through the window.

"Here, take this." Percy whispered to her, being careful not to alert the guards. He pressed a small USB into her hands. "Sneak around in the shadows and get to the office. Download everything on that computer and wait for me."

She nodded, too nervous to speak, squeezing the USB tight in her sweat palm. She snuck her way towards the nearest wall, as it was the furthest away from the overhead lights. With a gulp of air, she stepped out into the open, leaving the cover of the shelves and pressing herself into the shadows. With each footfall she tried to minimize the noise that her shoes gave off doing her best to imitate Percy. The further along the wall she got, the more she thought she was doing pretty well at this whole sneaking thing; that was until she saw Percy.

If she hadn't been actively looking for him and known where he had started, she'd have missed him entirely. While she was inching closer to the office, he had been climbing one of the racks of weapons. He was at the top now, and she watched in awe as he leapt from the top of the shelf to the rafters, clinging on with one hand. She kept on scooching along, back cemented to the wall, eyes on Percy as he hoisted himself up.

Her heart was beating in her chest as the whole scene unfolded. Using her hands to feel her path along the wall, her eyes flicked back and forth between Percy overhead and the guards milling about in front of her. She was close now, but there was a problem. There were no shadows left to hide her covering the last ten feet between her and the office door. She'd have to run for it, but she'd be putting herself right in the clear line of sight of every gangster in there.

She looked up to Percy, his emerald eyes visible to her even from this distance. His eyebrows were furrowed, his gaze flickering between her and the door. He raised his pistol, pointing it down towards one of the men below. She saw the muzzle flare, and she knew this was her shot. Hazel whipped towards the office, ignoring the fear in her chest, and ran for the door.

It was the longest ten feet of her life. Each step felt like an eternity as chaos erupted around her. Screams and gunshots rang through the air, and she did her best to not look back. Her legs churned underneath her, threatening to collapse due to her extreme overload of apprehension. One stray glance from a guard and she was done for. She soldiered on, crashing into the door with force.

Finally, with a cry of relief, she was bursting into the office door, slamming it shut behind her. The pandemonium outside was muffled now, and she took a moment to catch her breath. Her blood pounded in her veins, adrenaline filling her like a drug. She felt terrified, but also exhilarated. She could see what Percy enjoyed about this line of work. She felt more alive than she ever had, despite the fear that was like a block of ice in her stomach.

The gunshots still cracked outside the office doors, but the fact that they were still shooting told her Percy was still alright, at least for now. Rushing to the computer, not wanting to waste the time Percy was buying her, she sat down at the desk. The computer was still logged in, which she was thankful for. She couldn't hack like Annabeth, so she was glad that the gang member's best idea for cyber security was a bunch of guys with guns standing around protecting a computer.

Opening the files on the computer, she saw stacks upon stacks of data. There was way too much to even begin to comprehend. In a brief scan, she saw names, addresses, photos, shipment schedules, and so much more. It was a jackpot. This computer seemed to hold all the information of their operations. She fumbled with the USB, hurrying to start the download. She pressed the USB into the slot, but it wouldn't go. Flipping it, she tried again, only to be met with failure once again. Her nerves were through the roof, and her shaky hands weren't helping. She flipped the USB one last time, and it finally slid into the slot.

"Happens every time." She muttered to herself.

She started the download, watching impatiently as the terabytes of data completed the transfer. It was agonizing, waiting for everything to transfer over. As she waited, she allowed her attention to drift back to the sounds coming from outside, or rather the lack thereof. The crackle of gunfire had stopped. It was silent.

Her palms were sweaty as she waited for something, anything to happen. Her heart was in her throat, pounding nervously against her jugular. One shaky hand grabbed her pistol from her waistband, rising slowly to go check on what was going on outside. When she turned around, she was met with a man standing over her. She hadn't even heard him come in. She let out a scream, and tried to raise her gun, but a hand stopped hers. A familiar chuckle filled the room.

"It's me Hazel, no need to go wild west on me." Percy chirped, one hand removing his mask to reveal a reassuring smile.

She looked him up and down. He looked like he'd taken a tour of a red paint factory. Blood caked his body, but he seemed unbothered. If the cheesy grin on his faced was anything to go by, most if not all of the crimson liquid wasn't his. Seeing he was the one who made it out of the firefight alive was a huge relief. Seeing what it took for him to survive was much less relieving.

"What did we get?" he asked, stepping around her small form to examine the computer screen.

He leaned over the desk, waiting for her to join him at his side. She swallowed the nervous lump in her throat that had been there since they'd split up. He looked back at her, who was still rooted in place. Her golden eyes met his, and his eyebrows were raised expectantly, waiting for a response.

"Everything… We got everything…"

XxXxX

AN:

There you are, another chapter finally. I hope you really enjoyed this one. I wanted to do a lot with this. First, I wanted to expand on Hazel and Percy's characters. I wanted to delve further into Hazel and her sort of nervous and shy persona, and also the difficulties of transitioning from regular teen to vigilante. For Percy, I wanted to demonstrate a little more of who he'll be in this story. Still mischievous and playful, but a bit more reckless and insubordinate. He's a bit of a loose cannon, and isn't used to working with others, but he's going to have to learn. I like it this way, because it gives him lots of room for growth as a person without changing the key things that make him who he is. Hopefully you can vibe with that. As for the part with Jason, I wanted to show that Percy and Jason have a strained relationship, but a friendship, nonetheless. It's something I wish canon explored more. I wish Rick Riordan had put more into exploring how Jason's militaristic ways would clash with Percy's more free-thinking mind, but he didn't, so I'm taking that on in this story. That's all for this time. Once again, sorry about the wait. I'll do my best to be faster with the next chapter, but I can only go as quickly as school will allow. Please be sure to review and let me know what you think, so I can use your input for next time. Until then,

Peace