Author's Note: Finally! I'm back! Mostly. I may have completed my exams, but I recently started work experience, at Target. And at the end of each day, I can no longer feel my legs. But, goods news, as you can see, there's a new chapter here for you, and thank you all for the positive feedback.

Anyway, some bad news, my request to that deviant artist seems to have fallen through. Wait... that's for the other story... eh, I'll include it in the AN for it's next chapter as well.

Also, ye gods above, have you seen the full E3 reveal for Mirror's Edge Catalyst? I watched it just five minutes ago, and nearly cried.

Anyway, enough dawdling, on with the story!

Disclaimer: I Don't own PJO.

Chapter 2

A Really Bad Call

Percy kept his head down and only let his gaze onto his targets every few seconds. He kept the same distance and waited till an opportune moment.

Judging from the Punk-Girls pockets, he'd have to try for a diversion. Pretend to stumble into her and pick her pocket in the process. Quickly mumble an apology and pretend to be in a hurry. It wasn't the best of tactics and Percy preferred to avoid using it, but today he didn't see any other choice.

The Punk-Girl was at the back of the group with the scrawny boy, but she slowed down for just a bit and started to turn her head slightly. Percy quickly cast his eyes away, and looked up the skyscrapers, pretending to be amazed, like he was a tourist in town for the day.

When he looked back down the Punk-Girl had resumed her normal pace and was looking ahead. If she'd somehow felt that someone was tailing her then she might've had experience with thieves before. Or maybe he was over-reacting and it was just coincidence. Either way, Percy made a mental note to be extra careful.

He decided it was now or never. He closed the gap slowly and carefully, weaving through the crowd without eliciting any protests from anyone. This part was important. If you made a business man shout in anger than there's always the chance that your mark will turn around see you reaching for their pocket.

Percy was right behind her now. Percy calmed himself, and went in for the grab as he went to 'accidently' bump into her.

He never stood a chance.

The Punk-Girl whirled around and pressed on arm against hi shoulder and closed her free hand around his wrist. Percy looked up and met her gaze. She'd raised an eyebrow in a way that said, you really trying to pull this crap on me?

He ripped his arm out of her grip, turned and bolted. The Punk-Girl yelled something to her friends, and when Percy looked back, all four of them were giving chase.

Oh, shit.

As Percy ran from the group of angry teenagers, he pondered exactly what went wrong.

Was it when she looked back? It was probably then.

Percy bolted straight at a taxi, jumped, kicked out his legs and slid over the hood of the car. In direct pursuit, Ye-Olde-Hunter-Girl simply jumped, tucked in her legs and landed on top of the car, then launched of the top without breaking her stride.

Percy was still thinking about the fault.

I bet it was the hood. What kind of tourist wears their hood on? And I wasn't even wearing a backpack! Really, that was just a bad call.

Percy looked back and saw Ye-Olde-Hunter-Girl steadily gaining on him.

Yeah, that was really bad call.

She was obviously much faster than he was. Percy could tell that much, so he needed a way to out manoeuvre her, or hide.

After a few minutes of running through the crowded streets, Percy ran into a back alley, saw the chain link fence up ahead and didn't slow down.

He jumped at a wall and planted his feet on it, running along its surface for a few steps before jumping from the wall on top of a dumpster, which he then used as a springboard launch over the fence.

He rolled his body forward, landing on the hard concrete on the other side with the back of his shoulders. He kept on rolling as he hit the ground, his legs came down and his hands splayed against the ground. He came up onto his feet and kept on running.

All this happened in the space of three seconds.

Inwardly Percy smirked. He didn't often get the chance to practise his free-running in actual live situations, and he pretty much nailed that one.

But when he looked back, Percy's inside grin shattered like a porcelain vase.

The other three were nowhere to be seen, but Ye-Olde-Hunter-Girl was still running after him. On this side of the fence. Percy didn't see how or when she got over it, but here she was, and she wasn't even breaking a sweat.

Percy was majorly outclassed.

A part of him wanted to give up. But that was drowned by the other part, which was mostly afraid of getting his ass kicked.

Turns out he didn't need to decide, as the Hunter-Girl had done so for him.

Percy felt her weight (which wasn't that much actually) crash into him, and he was knocked to the ground.

Percy lay there on the ground, panting and out of breath. The Hunter-Girl got up, walked over to an upside down trash can, and sat down. She wasn't even out of breath.

Then she spoke to him. "T'was not a bad manoeuvre you pulled back there at the fence."

Percy was too beaten to take notice of the way she spoke. "Yeah…. Thanks.

"I've not faced against a runner dexterous as thee for a long time."

"Yeah… I try, but… I… don't get to practise… as much as… I'd like."

Ye-Olde-Hunter-Girl just nodded.

"I don't suppose… you'd just… let me go?" Percy asked.

She turned to him, raised an eyebrow and seemed to think for a moment. "No."

"Ah… well… understandable, I suppose."

After a few minutes the younger Hunter-Girl, Scrawny Boy and the Punk-Girl ran into the alley. Still lying on the ground, Percy was pleased to note that they were indeed exhausted. That took some of the sting out of being caught.

But not much.

The younger Hunter-Girl spoke between breaths. "So… um… the… fence…?"

Ye-Olde-Hunter-Girl got up, unsheathed one of her silvery knives, and cut through the fence like it was butter.

Percy blinked at that.

The younger Hunter-Girl, the Punk-Girl and the Scrawny-Boy all stepped through the new, sizeable hole made in the fence as Percy went to get up.

When Percy saw the look in the Punk-Girl's eye as she stepped towards him, he had a minor panic attack. "Uh… hey… listen, I didn't actually manage to ta-"

The Punk-Girl interrupted Percy by grabbing him by the throat and slamming him against the wall.

"AHH! Hey watch the head buddy-"

"QUIET!" The Punk-Girl roared, "You're gonna tell me now, why did Luke send you?"

Percy blinked. "Huh? Who the hell is Luke? What the hell are you on about?"

The Punk-Girl sighed, let go of his neck and stepped back. "Okay then, you want to do it the hard way?"

Then, she simply clicked her finger in his face and said, "Don't worry, we're your allies. Just fill us in on what you know."

"Uhh… with no due respect, what have you been smoking?

The Punk-Girl stepped back a little. "Uh? Why isn't it working?" She turned to her friends. "Usually it works, even on the aware, unless I'm wrong?"

The Scrawny Boy stepped in. "No, it usually works… wait a second." Then, the Scrawny-Boy stepped forward, and sniffed towards him.

Percy took a step back. "The Hell is wrong with you man? Or have you all been smoking something?"

"Hmm… I can't smell anything, and I mean anything. I think he's just a clear-sighted mor-" He cut himself short, and continued speaking in what he thought was whispering. "Guys, he's just a mortal kid."

Percy felt this should be the part where he backed away slowly.

Percy started backing away slowly.

"So then," the Punk-Girl started, "do we just, leave him then?"

The question seemed to be directed at Ye-Olde-Hunter-Girl, who looked down for a second. She looked up and straight at Percy.

"At first I though perhaps the boy was here for a reason. We are a member short, but…" She hesitated. "No, the boy was just a coincidence, we leave as we were."

Percy stopped backing away. At first, he wanted to get far, far away from them. But now that they were telling him he was to carry on as if nothing happened… well, he suddenly got curious. Besides, there was something just not, normal about them.

The group of four all turned to him for a second, and then they turned back to each other. The younger Hunter-Girl just shrugged. They turned around, and started to walk away.

Ye-Olde-Hunter-Girl turned back to Percy. "If I were thee, I would not follow."

Percy stared at the group walking away.

Well now that she's said that, I have to follow them.

Percy stuck to the crowds and the nooks and crannies of the streets. He tailed them from respectable distance, making sure there were always plenty of things obstructing him from their view.

The group of four would recognize him, so he pulled down his hood and picked up a blue and black baseball cap he found on the ground along the way, and pulled it low over his eyes.

The group was mostly just wondering aimlessly, looking for a car that could carry them. Percy could see them nudging and looking pointedly at vehicles parked in the street, and looking back at the Punk-Girl or Ye-Olde-Hunter-Girl for approval.

After what transpired in the back alley and what he could see here, Percy guessed the older Hunter-Girl was somehow leading them. The Punk-Girl it seemed had some experience regarding thievery judging from the way she caught him, and the way she seemed to know which cars were suitable or not. But Percy couldn't tell if the possible experience came from dealing with thieves, or being one.

Just about eleven minutes and an exasperated younger Hunter-Girl later, the Scrawny-Boy pointed out a red sedan, just inside the ground level of a car parking complex. The Punk-Girl stopped for a moment, looked around, and nodded her approval.

They walked inside, and Percy picked up the pace a little. From just around the corner Percy saw them walk up the car warily. The Punk-Girl however, didn't hesitate. She went straight to the car like she owned it, which was probably a smarter move, unlike her friends, who looked very suspicious.

That and it's also what Percy would have done.

She walked straight to the driver's side, and pulled the handle. The car was unlocked, and she went to slip behind the wheel. The older Hunter-Girl laid a hand on her shoulder.

"We have already discussed this; I will be the one driving."

The Punk-Girl pushed her hand away. "Yeah, but I look closer to sixteen than you do. We're going to get arrested with you driving."

"Perhaps, but I have been driving since automobiles were invented."

Percy raised an eyebrow. Okay then, I'm tailing a bunch of crazy people.

They hopped into the car, Ye-Olde-Hunter-Girl in the driver's seat, younger Hunter-Girl riding shotgun and the Punk-Girl and the Scrawny-Boy taking the back seats.

It was time for Percy to make his decision. Follow a bunch of potentially insane teenagers without knowing where they're going, or turn back, continue to live on the streets for who knows how long with nothing changing whatsoever.

Percy couldn't explain it, but there was still something, different about them, and Percy learned to trust his instincts. He had to know exactly what was going on.

Also, Ye-Olde-Hunter-Girl told him to stay away, which meant he was pretty much under oath to not stay away.

Surprisingly, he decided rather quickly.

He sneaked towards the car.

He got to the back, and stooped low behind the trunk. With any luck, it would be unlocked like the doors.

The engine revved, and he used the noise to cover up the sound of him opening the trunk.

It was unlocked.

He gently climbed in, and before he closed it, he noticed that, oddly enough, there was a handle on the inside.

Percy softly closed the trunk when he was inside, leaving him lying there, in complete darkness.

Okay then, I don't know where I'm going, or how long I'm going to be in here before the car stops. I'm travelling with a girl I tried to mug, and one who thinks she's been around since the stone ages.

What could possibly go wrong?

Everything, really.

When the car started to take off, and drive away, Percy was excited for the first seven minutes or so. Then for the next ten, his excitement dulled to mild anticipation. Then, complete and utter boredom prevailed over the journey.

Not to mention it was an incredibly bumpy ride, getting tossed around in the trunk like loose groceries.

After some time the car gradually slowed to a stop. Percy could hear doors opening. He counted four, so all of them were out of the car.

He waited for just a minute, before opening the trunk, and peering outside.

He was at a convenience store.

All this waiting, sneaking and anticipation…

And he arrived, at a convenience store.

But, at that moment, the four walked out from the store, and Percy hurriedly closed the trunk, leaving him there in darkness once more.

Percy could hear them talking, but couldn't make out what they were saying. The car doors opened and closed again, and the engine started.

He felt the car lurch forward, and readied himself for another long drive.

Percy had fallen asleep, despite how uncomfortable it was. The boredom and lack of interesting things to look at had seen to that.

Whatever he dreamed of, Percy couldn't remember. When the car came to a sudden stop, he banged his head and against the inside of the trunk, and jarred himself awake.

His instincts kicked in and he pulled a hand over his mouth to muffle the cry of pain that let loose from his mouth.

Once again, he heard the sound of doors opening and closing.

They didn't hear me hit my head did they?

He heard dull footsteps getting closer, and a muffled voice. "…something…from the trunk…"

Percy's blood turned to icy water in his veins.

Well, it's been a so-so life.

Then, he heard something else.

"…nothing …no time …waste."

Percy almost let out a sigh of relief.

He waited just a few more moments and when he opened the trunk, the darkness gave way to prevailing light, and he was blinded for just a moment.

When his eyes finally adjusted he saw that it was probably somewhere around twelve or one o'clock. Despite the momentary lack of sight, it was actually cloudy. Still, a few hours in darkness will do that to you.

Percy got up and stepped out of the trunk, and saw the figures of the group retreating into a large building. When he saw the details of said building, he took a moment to look around.

I'm in Washington D.C.

….

Huh.

When Percy was fully out of the trunk, he noticed a few odd looks coming his way. Not that he minded though.

Percy went off in the direction the group had gone, into what seemed to be a museum.

Percy had just stepped through the door, when a bow was suddenly nocked point blank, aimed right between his eyes.

"Uhh…"

The one holding the bow, Ye-Olde-Hunter-Girl, lowered the bow, grabbed him by the neck and threw him against a wall.

"I told thee, not, to follow, wicked boy."

So it was her then.

All four of the group crowded around him, and none of them looked particularly happy to see him.

"Now I know what you're thinking. Why was that guy who tried to mug us hiding in the trunk of a car we sto-".

The Punk-Girl interrupted him. "Wait, wait, you were hiding in the trunk the entire trip? That's just creepy. Besides, why would you follow us? You don't just do that for nothing."

'Believe me; I actually didn't think it through for very long. Honest."

Ye-Olde-Hunter-Girl stepped forward. "I believe the boy, that he was being stupid, and didn't think anything of following us."

She turned to her friends. "The question remains… what to do with him now?"

Everyone was silent for just a few moments.

Then…

"I don't see any way around it," The Scrawny-Boy said, "We'll have to take him with us."

Ye-Olde-Hunter-Girl sighed, and looked down on Percy, "Fine," She said simply, and walked off.

The younger Hunter-Girl walked off with her. The Punk-Girl and the Scrawny-Boy remained.

The Punk-Girl turned to him. "You have no idea what you've gotten yourself into, do you?"

Percy got up, and looked her in the eyes. "No… I guess not."

"Come on, I'll do my best to explain things along the way."

They went to catch up to the others.

The Punk-Girl turned to him. "Tell me… do you believe in any kind of gods… or deity?"

Percy turned to her, and frowned.

I'm not entirely sure I like where this is going.