Hannah POV

"Hello, girls," the thing hissed, drawing out the s.I flinched at its voice. It was terrible.

"Leave us alone! I'm sick and tired of people trying to rip my life apart!" Bri exclaimed angrily from beside me, and I looked over at her and noticed she was crying.

Bri never cries. Ever. Period.

"You see here girl!" it shot back at her, see coming out in a terrible raspy hiss, even worse than the first one. "You were meant to die; it's why you were born!" It's eyes flared red, making it even more inhuman than it already was.

"My mom obviously didn't want me!" Bri yelled at it. Her voice was shaky. I doubt anyone else could tell, it was barely there, but I heard it. "I bet in her eyes I'm dead, not really a person. I might as well be something she'd scrape off her shoe!"

What was coming out of her mouth was shocking me to speechlessness. I couldn't say anything, as with each word it was as if she were stabbing me in the chest.

"Bri…" I whispered as I finally found my voice. She pushed me away, and I resisted the urge to whimper as that small act was like the final blow. Painful. Searing. I hated it.

She looked up at the monstrosity invading my house. She closed her eyes as it lunged to strike.

What the heck was she doing?

I jumped in front of her, and my hands shot out in front of me on their own accord.

If I hadn't been watching, I would've missed the white spurt of water that burst from my palms and hit the thing. As soon as the water touched it, it's beak formed the perfect comical O before it crumbled to dust.I turned to look at Bri. Her eyes were open now.

"You idiot! Are you trying to get yourself killed?" I screamed at was looking over my shoulder as I spoke the words, and only after a moment did she turn to look at me.

"Yeah," was her quiet reply.

I felt my face harden as I shook my head.

"Why?" I said, as I felt a tear run down my cheek.

I didn't give her time to reply as I pushed past her, threw the door open and walked over to the stairs. I didn't want to walk, so I decided to trust my new-found powers on this one and, with the help of a bit of water, slid perfectly down the rail, as if I'd been doing it my whole life.

I stormed out of the building, not caring who thought I was deranged or mental. I was angry, and upset. So sue me.

I was about 30 feet from the building, when I heard her calling my name. I didn't spare a glance behind me as I turned a corner, started running, and after three or four more, turned into an alley.

I leaned against the brick wall, tilting my head back to look at what little sky was visible between the narrow walls.

It was blue. Bright, sunny blue. Not a cloud in sight.

The sky did not agree with me at the moment, obviously. I was all for dismal and dreary.

I heard the thin layer of gravel that was scattered across the dirt ground crunch under someone's feet. I looked over to see the dark silhouette of a scruffy, apparently balding, medium-weight man in tattered clothing walking toward me. One of his eyes twinkled in the dim light.I grimaced. He was so not a sight for sore eyes.

He smiled at me, a gross, bone-chilling smile. It looked like his front tooth was halfway chipped.

I turned to walk out of there, feeling uneasy and just wanting to be alone for once, when he grabbed my arm.

For someone of his appearance, he was quick.

"Let me go," I growled.

"I don't think so, sweetheart," he said, his creepy smile growing bigger.

"You don't want to mess with me right now. I am so not in the mood."

"Well, how about I put you in the mood?" his grin was bordering on Rated D for Disturbing now. I tried to jerk my arm out of his grip, but it only tightened.

"Let me go!" I said, louder this time.

"No can do, honey." I flinched, disgusted.

"Whatever. You asked for it," I said, and clenched my fist, concentrating on a rusted water pipe crawling up the wall behind him, hoping my ability wouldn't fail me now, not so early in this game I had just discovered I was a part of since birth.

He laughed, and I had to resist the urge to wince at the awful sound. I needed to focus!

But, I lost it precisely at that moment, because the man's grip on my arm was released, and as he disappeared from my peripheral vision, there was a resounding "Ooof!"

I spun toward where I expected he landed, to see a dark figure towering over him.

"I could've sworn I heard her say 'let me go' a few good times. Listen much?" a smooth, baritone voice said quietly and sarcastically, and with a calmness that was more frightening than if he had yelled at the man. I thought that that had just added to the menacing air already surrounding him.

The figure's leg moved swiftly, and had I not heard the grunt that followed, I would've assumed he was just stretching. The mystery guy had kicked the creep in the stomach.

And, even though a normal girl would've been extremely grateful for this shrouded stranger… I was angry. Fury was bubbling up inside me.I didn't want to be saved. I don't want a hero. I want to fight for myself, and now that I know I can, the first chance I got was taken away from me!The man stood up, whimpering, and limped away, almost doubled over holding his gut.

My "savior" turned to me and grinned cockily.

"Deserted alleys aren't such a good place for relaxing."

"Why did you do that?" I asked him, and it was barely above a whisper.

"Why?" he tilted his head to the side innocently, infuriatingly. "Well, not much of the response I was expecting." His smile twisted into a smirk.

"What did you expect? Me to grovel at your feet thanking you? I could've very well handled myself. I don't need Prince Un-Charming to help me," I snapped.

He only laughed. And, gods, did I want to wipe that stupid smirk off of his face. He was too arrogant for his own good.

"Little Miss Poseidon is feisty. Who would've guessed?" he grinned at me again, and I froze.

"What?"

"Slow, too," he added, as he watched for my reaction.

"Who are you?" I demanded furiously, wanting to know how he knew."Name's Aiden." He leaned against the alley wall and stuck his hands in his pockets. I couldn't make out any of his features besides the fact that he was tall, about a head taller than me. "Son of Ares. I know all about you. You and your sister are all anyone at Camp Half-Blood talks about." I sensed a hint of irritation in his voice. "Welcome to the reality of being a half-blood. That man wasn't human."

My eyes widened. He was a Demi-God, too? And was it possible, was it really possible, that if he hadn't come along, even my powers couldn't have saved me from that weird, creepy man?