Sorry for the long update!
I would like to thank everybody who sent in characters!!! I love you guys!!! Remember, if your character is not picked by now, you STILL HAVE A CHANCE!!! Also, I would appreciate if you added into your reviews something that you either like about the story, or you think I should change. I always like a well-rounded critique!
"Paris, France!" Grover yelled. Annabeth pumped her fist and said "YESSS!!!!! Paris, with the Eiffel Tower!!!!"
"Sorry, guys." I said apologetically. "No time for sight seeing this time. Chiron is getting way stricter about how fast we pick up demigods. The Stoll brothers went to Canada to pick up a girl named Violet Crouse, and they spent all their time at the Olympics. The girl ended up being attacked and killed by a Minotaur, all because she wasn't picked up in time.
Annabeth shuffled her feet, looking at the ground. "Well, I guess we had be better be going" she mumbled.
"Paris, France, Argus!" Grover called to the many -eyed security guard, our private jet pilot. "And step on it!"
"So what's the demigod's name?" I asked Grover.
He shuffled through some papers and said "Cynthia Beaumont"
"Hmm…" I said. "Any lead on who her parent might be?"
Grover shook his head, and said "Nope, it's weird. She shows no sign of having any powers, yet those who've met her say she brings with her an era of coldness, and an impulse to fight her. Yet she cannot be the daughter of Ares, because he was questioned and interrogated, and he said no."
"Yeah, that does sound a little odd." I said, agreeing. Usually we had at least a sense of who the godly parent was. Annabeth came over to where we were sitting, and Grover filled her in. Annabeth shook her head. I gaped. When Annabeth didn't know it, no one did. This was bad.
7 hours later
"We're here!" yelled Tyson, his face pressed to the window. Annabeth drew a sharp intake of breath.
"Would you look at that!" she said dreamily, staring out on to the Eiffel Tower. "Did you know the Eiffel Tower was given as a gift to France by a passionate patriot? It was built in the 1800's, and…"
Note to Self: Never get Annabeth talking about an architectural building, or be prepared to fall asleep with boredom.
"Come on, guys, hustle, hustle!" I yelled.
We checked into a fancy hotel called the "Paris Inn", and immediately sacked on the beds. Guess who got the couch, again? That's right, you guessed it, your very own, Percy Jackson. Joy. Everybody positively loves me.
For dinner we went to this place called "The Manhattan Grill" (don't ask me why it's called Manhattan when we're in the middle of Paris, France, people), and at that grill, we had some unwanted guests. It all started out with us about to leave. Tyson was paying, and he got up to go to the cashier, when this beautiful lady came up to us. Annabeth had just left for the bathroom. She had this air of love and longing, and almost immediately, Grover and I were hooked.
"Hello, my dears" she said, staring straight at Grover.
"Uhh, hi" Grover stuttered. She smiled, showing long, pointy teeth. By now, I know, I should have known this lady was not just out to be pretty. But she was just… so beautiful… I… I… she… was…so…so… beau-
"PERCY! GROVER!" Annabeth yelled. "SNAP OUT OF IT!"
I was immediately brought back to my senses, only to find the beautiful lady had morphed into something… horrible! An empousa! She was had pointy teeth, a brown wooly leg and another leg made of metal, and her hair was coarse and horrible. She lunged at Grover. I uncapped Riptide, but she was too quick for me.
"You killed my master!" she screeched.
"Kelli?"I asked, horrified. But it was Kelli, the empousa, from so many years ago, when she dressed up as a cheerleader and came to my school to try to kill me. She had worked for the Titan lord Kronos, who we had killed. So, yeah.
Kelli bared her teeth at me and aimed for my neck. I was a goner, for sure. Just as she was about to sink her fangs into my flesh, she crumpled into sand. I stood there shocked. Annabeth smiled at me, holding a bloody knife in her hands.
"We'd better get to that demigod soon." I said. She nodded.
Tyson came over to us, and said "I got us all Lolly- Pops!"
We all burst out laughing. Just like Tyson to be that oblivious! We went back to our fancy hotel, and slept until noon. No dreams, yay.
"Come on" Annabeth said. "She's supposed to live near the center of Paris."
Annabeth led us weaving around the city, taking a detour at, you guessed it, the Eiffel Tower.
"Come on, Annabeth!" Grover said. "You know we don't have time for that!" Annabeth rolled her eyes, but led us to an amazingly tall, fancy apartment building. I mean, this is where the rich people of Paris lived. The place even had a doorman!
"To the top floor" Annabeth said to the receptionist. I looked at Grover. Wow. She must be REALLY rich. She had the penthouse apartment!
"I am very zorry." The receptionist said in a heavy French accent. "Zee top apartment eez off limits to strangers."
"Well." Annabeth said crossly. "Tell Cynthia that we are here because of her mother."
The receptionist gave Annabeth a doubtful look, but buzzed the penthouse.
"Zere are a few kids down here who have come because, zey say zey are here because of your mother."
There was silence on the other end. Then girl's voice said "send them right up."
We went to the 78th floor of the apartment building. The elevator had a plush carpet and easy listening music. When we got there, a girl of about sixteen was waiting for us- Cynthia. She was pretty, but in a hostile, regal sort of way, as if she was better than everyone. She had long, softly waved shiny blonde hair, and cold gray eyes. Not like Annabeth's soft, silvery gray, but storm cloud, I'm-Going-To-Kill-You kind of gray. She had curled bangs, and a slim, sleek body. And she was wearing real, genuine, five-thousand-dollar Chanel clothes. Yes, you heard me right. Chanel. The kind of clothes billionaires and supermodels wore. This girl looked like both. Her outfit consisted of a long sleeved, thick, tight pale yellow button up top. The fabric looked to be some sort of tightly woven tweed. Her high skirt was pale pink, with a gauzy patterned silk covering it. She wore shiny white tights and silver stilettos.
I know, I know, you're thinking, how does Percy know all of this? Well, I had to tutor an Aphrodite girl in the art of sword playing (long story), and she… well…. all she ever talked about was Oh, how I wish I could get my hands on some Chanel, bla bla bla,. I guess I soaked up a lot of it. But this girl was DEFINITELY not an Aphrodite girl. She was pretty all right, but in a colder, sharper way.
"What do you want? What can you tell me about my mother?" she asked, her voice throaty.
Annabeth stepped up and said "We don't know who exactly your mother is, but we do know that she is something you wouldn't think of."
"I know what this is all about." Cynthia said. "I've talked to my mother. I know she is a Greek Goddess."
Annabeth gasped, whispered "Who is… your mother?"
"Nemesis, goddess of right measure, bringer of losses and misfortune, daughter of the night, bringer of unhappiness."
Annabeth gasped and stumbled into Tyson. "Can't be…" she said, but we all knew it was true. Cynthia Beaumont was the daughter of Nemesis, the goddess of unhappiness… and revenge. This was bad- really bad. The last child of Nemesis turned over to the dark side and was killed. Who knew what this child would bring. Suddenly I felt so unhappy, down, and horrible. I felt like everything important to me was gone. I felt I needed REVENGE for all the times I had been hurt and tortured. I looked over at my friends, and their faces were twisted and ugly, as though they were thinking the same thoughts I was. Then I looked at Cynthia. She was controlling this. She was making us feel this way.
"Stop!" Tyson shrieked.
"Don't. Ever. Do. That. Again." Annabeth said firmly. Cynthia rolled her eyes, and said
"Now, what are you here for?"
All it took was a little explaining, but Cynthia got it. She agreed to go with us to Camp, to possibly find a better life there. We shipped her off, and stood in the middle of our jet. "Where are we going next?" Annabeth asked.
"We are going to…" submit demigods and see if you get to have your character picked up by the team!
A/N: keep submitting demigods! don't forget to critique the story! I love you guys!
Special thanks to GallagherGirl for submitting Cynthia and being such an awesome story writer!