AN: Hello and welcome back to this story, I know that it has been forever since I have updated. A lot has been happening in life here lately, but I don't think you guys really care. So without further ado the 13th chapter of this story is underway, thank you for everyone who follows, favorites, and still reads this story.

Disclaimer: I own neither the PJO or HoO universes, those belong to Rick Riordan.

(3rd POV)

As it turns out coming back to life was a lot harder than it seemed, at least that was what Thalia thought as she learned of everything that had happened in the last five years since that fateful day. Annabeth had grown up a lot from the frightened little girl, Grover had challenges to over come after that day, and the less said about Luke the better. Thalia still found it hard to believe that he had joined the Titans against the Gods, but from how Annabeth and Alex described it to her it couldn't get any worse than it was. Well hopefully it couldn't get any worse than it already was, the prophecy was hanging over her head now after her return. Alex seemed to be slightly relieved at that, although something was clearly amiss with him. He seemed to avoid her at all possible opportunities, but that was impossible now with their current situation. Alex's mom was currently driving them north towards a school to pick up some powerful potential campers, at least that was according to Grover. It was Thalia, Annabeth, and Alex sitting in Sally's car with her talking about baby Alex.

In all honesty it was fun to just listen to Sally talk and not have to worry about anything for the moment. They were just on a simple pickup mission to retrieve two half-bloods now that they had potentially been discovered. Grover was reporting that he sensed a monster around the school, maybe already even inside of the school at this point. His last report was around a week ago and anything could have happened in the last seven days that it took to plan the mission and who would be apart of it. Sally pulled up to the front of the school auditorium were apparently a school dance was being held and an optimal time for the to snatch up the two demigods and leave before anyone was the wiser.

Grover met them in at the entrance and quickly guided them towards the rest of the student body. They were briefly stopped by a teacher but a quick use of the mist was all that was needed for that confrontation to be resolved. They entered the auditorium and spotted the brother and sister duo sitting in a bleachers, one playing some type of card game and another clearly ignoring her brother. They split up and tried to blend in with their surroundings. Thalia and Grover went off and danced together while Annabeth and Alex awkwardly stood there for a moment. Finally they seemed to muster up the courage and speed things along and dance with the rest of the students, slowly making their way towards the brother and sister. Alex seemed to notice something was up and noticed that the brother and sister were gone, the card game still sitting on the bleachers. Alex told Annabeth to go looking for Grover and Thalia while going after the duo which seemed to have been slipped away.

Annabeth spent little time finding Thalia and Grover and explaining the situation, Thalia was clearly unhappy about the procession of events if her angry retort was anything to go by. Not only did they have to find the two half-bloods they originally came for but now they had to find Alex as well. Her anger about this new turn of events was growing by the second. the trio hurried out the door towards the outside in quick pursuit of where they hoped their missing half-bloods went.

Alex meanwhile was running after the half-bloods and following the tracks in the snow that they had left, it had started snowing heavily since they had entered the school. He didn't even get a moment to prepare himself before a sharp pain in his shoulder knocked him to the ground, a spike in his shoulder from some type of monster. He looked around and finally spotted the two half-bloods and what looked like the school's principal. He rose to his knee before the principal began to speak.

The General will be most pleased with me for acquiring the two half-bloods and the pesky son of Poseidon. I might even get a promotion bringing you all in unharmed...well mostly unharmed. Dr Thorn was laughing now at his own quip.

Alex was unamused at best and furious at worst, especially at himself for getting himself into this before warning his friends. Thalia and the others might not even know where he went and his footprints were beginning to be cover up with the wind and snowfall. He couldn't even feel his left arm anymore, whatever this spike was it clearly was the cause of it. Still he tried to pull his pen from his pocket, but stopped when Dr. Thorn pressed something against the boy he was currently holding. Alex stopped in his tracks before he caused something that truly couldn't be undone, only hoping that his friends found them soon.

They made it all the way to a cliff before his friends found them. What must have been Annabeth with her invisibility cap attacking Dr. Thorn because he didn't actually see it happening. That didn't mean that he didn't seize upon the moment, pulling the brother and sister away from him so that they weren't in any danger. Thalia and Grover also seemed to have arrived during that brief moment. The fight was on at that point, Annabeth was thrown off and lost her hat in the process while Thalia charged in to distract Thorn. Grover began to play his reed pipes and vines began to slowly creep up around Thorn. Alex pulled the spike from his should and pulled out Anaklusmos to enter the fight as well. That was until they all heard the sound of a horn blowing and they all froze in place, all except Annabeth that is. She jumped on Dr. Thorn's back while Thalia was thrown to the ground a few feet away. Dr. Thorn split his focus between the emergence of a group of girls with bows drawn and Annabeth on his back.

You can't be here this is direct interference, this is against the rules! Dr. Thorn screamed, seemingly towards the redhead girl in front. The only one without a bow drawn and aimed at the manticore.

I disagree, the hunting of ALL wild beasts is within my domain. And you are most certainly a wild beast. Replied the redhead.

Permission to shoot, Milady? Asked a dark haired girl standing next to the redhead.

Permission granted Zoe. Replied the redhead.

Before anyone could even react and do anything to stop him. Dr. Thorn took one last looked and smiled at the assembled group and fell off the cliff as helicopter flew above them. Many things happened all at once at that moment, the helicopter turning to birds was perhaps the least interesting. Thalia, Alex, and Grover ran straight to the edge yelling and hoping to find Annabeth. As they looked over the edge with hopeful gazes, all hope was lost as nothing was found. No sign of either Dr. Thorn or Annabeth had been left.

AN: Well it took forever to write and get out to you guys but here is chapter 13 for your eager eyes. Unfortunately it took so long that all the work I had for this story has been lost. I guess this is what I get for taking so long, but I digress that it was well deserved. I am going to resume posting to this story as much and as fast as possible. I have no idea how long this is going to take or how long this story is going to last. I am sorry for this cliff-hanger but I thought that this was a good stopping point to get an update out there and for me to plan out the rest of the story from.

I thank you for reading this, please leave a comment about any questions story related or a review. I do enjoy reading the comments and it will hopefully keep reminding me to update this story more often.

Until next time!