Chapter 7:
Annabeth POV-
I gawked at Calleigh. Calleigh is my sister?! Well, my half-sister at least. Now that I was looking, I could see the resemblance: same blonde hair, same intelligence, same attitude, and same sense of ease around weapons.
"So you knew," I guessed. It wasn't a question, it was a statement. Everything about us would seem confusing and impossible to everyone…unless, you knew what you were looking at. In other words, Calleigh is a demigod, so she knows exactly what is going on. Calleigh shrugged at my statement, confirming it, before sliding in the booth across from my…our mom.
"Well, yeah. I definitely had some strong suspicions: the disappearing weapons, the messed up film, ADHD, Greek Orthodox—I mean come on, and then the monster dust. But it's not like I could have actually asked you," she said. And I definitely saw her point. Even if she had all the evidence in the world, she could not have asked us if we were demigods. That kind of stuff does not go over well in a professional setting. But it made sense now why she had trusted us so quickly.
"So mom," I asked tentatively, "You wouldn't be here to clear our names would you?" I asked hopefully, but I already knew the response that I would get.
"I can't do that," she stated simply. I sighed. I had expected that, but it was still disappointing.
"Figures," Percy muttered quietly, but, obviously, Athena heard him, and she cast him a glare, before turning her attention back to me and Calleigh.
"Actually, I have some information for the two of you," she informed us. We both nodded, looking at her expectantly.
"Calleigh," she said, "I know you have been covering a series of suspicious serial disappearances and murders recently," Calleigh nodded in response, "And, Annabeth, I know that Chiron sent you and your friends here to investigate a group of monsters working for Gaea." I nodded as well.
"Well, you are looking for the same thing," she stated, "and by working together, Calleigh, you and your team can solve your case, and Annabeth, you and your friends can wipe out the monsters residing in Miami."
"What's the catch?" Thalia asked arching her eyebrow. Thalia was right. It was too easy, too black and white. There is always a catch.
Athena pretended not to hear her, and stood up.
"I'm afraid that's all the information I can provide. Goodbye, girls," she told us, walking out of the café without as much as a backwards glance.
Calleigh POV-
My mother's exit left an awkward silence.
"Soo…" Thalia asked, "What now?"
I didn't have a great answer for that. I had no idea how I could possibly get the team involved without revealing the fact that we are all demigods…and if I revealed that, I don't know how I wouldn't be seen as crazy, especially by Eric.
"So who are your godly parents?" I asked the kids (obviously except for Annabeth).
They didn't say anything.
"Are you really going to make me guess?" I sighed.
They said nothing again.
"Okay. Fine," I studied the teenagers. I started with Clarisse. Tough. Strong. Cocky. Violent. "Ares," I predicted, knowing I was right. Clarisse shrugged in agreement and slammed herself down on the other side of the both that my mother had left vacated.
I turned to Nico. It was obvious who I thought was his godly parent. The gloomy mood and depressing black exterior gave it away. Hades. But, as far as I knew, the big three were not supposed to have kids, of course, I have been out of touch for a while.
"Hades," I announced. He gave only a tiny, melancholy nod.
I looked at Thalia and Percy. They would be the hardest for me to pick out. They looked like relatively average campers to me, like they could fit into practically any house.
Percy. What did I know about him so far? Athena obviously didn't like him, his mom lives in New York and his "father" who I guessed was the godly parent, "died in a shipwreck." And suddenly, it made sense. Poseidon. It would explain the sea-green eyes. But, another child of the big three?
"Poseidon," I guessed. Percy smirked, and plopped down next to Annabeth putting his arm around her shoulder. Now, I know why my mother dislikes him so much. I smiled, rolling my eyes a little before I turned to Thalia.
I mentally ran through all the Gods and Goddesses in my mind.
Athena, no.
Aphrodite, definitely not.
Hermes…a solid maybe.
Demeter, no.
Hades, no.
Apollo, no.
Ares, probably not.
Poseidon, I doubt it.
Hera, hades no!
Artemis…well she was wearing the outfit, but there was no way that Artemis would go against her sacred pledge to maidenhood, so no.
That left one, or at least one main one (there are countless minor gods/goddesses that she could be the daughter of, but with the way she radiated power, it was highly unlikely). This last one was probably the most likely, although I did not like the implications.
"Zeus," I stated, and the second the words left my mouth I knew they were true.
"Wow," Thalia smirked with a laugh, "You are Annabeth's sister."
"So I have all the children of the big three staying at my house, and no one bothered to tell me?!" I exclaimed in annoyance. Several of the teens chuckled uneasily.
I suddenly realized how much their presence, combined with the presence of Clarisse, Annabeth, and myself, made us targets, and I didn't like it.
I pulled my personal, smaller pistol out of my purse, along with a Ziploc bag of bullets. Bu not ordinary bullets: celestial bronze bullets. I emptied the gun of its lead bullets, replacing them with the celestial bronze ones, while (most of) the kids gawked at me (except for Clarisse, who actually seemed impressed).
"What?" I asked, "Y'all get swords and knives, I chose bullets. I'm better with guns anyway."
