Chapter 9

Will's POV

I looked at the ambrosia. How useless could you get? At least Annabeth gave me a job, Merope didn't get one until after she told her that she could cook. I organized it again. This was the third time, I just couldn't find any other way to be useful.

I gave up after I finished organizing it for the third time and walked out to the living room. I imediately smelled something good. Merope was at the kitchen that we never used. My stomach grumbled. I was sure I turned into a bright shade of red. Annabeth, who was, as always, sitting in the ivory table with her nose burried in her notebook, looked at me with understanding.

" Don't worry, my reaction was the same."

I nodded, and turned around. I jumped on the couch and turned on the TV. The news was the same as two days ago.

" Pandemonium is still spreading. Doctors and scientists work to see what the problem is. Hundreds have already died and-"

I turned off the TV and rubbed my temples. I heard sizzling.

" Hey Merope, what are you making?" I asked randomly.

I think she heard me, but she probably decided to ignore me. I could tell she was annoyed, I guess she really didn't like to cook.

" O la la! What is that smell!?" Leo walked in the room, ruining the perfect smell with his oily one.

Thalia and Nico were right behind him. They too looked supprised. Suddenly, a chorus of grumbling stomachs erupted.

" Merope! You never told me you could cook!" Thalia yelled, trying to hide her pink face.

" I didn't want to." Merope grumbled." Anyone can."

" I burnt my lasagna the last time I cooked." Leo countered.

Merope ignored him. She grabbed the food and set it on the ivory table.

Leo, Thalia, Nico and I sat down. Nico was a bit hesitant of course. Leo dug in.

" Wait! It's-!"

" Hot?" Leo suggested, interrupting Merope." I can burst in flames!"

Merope rolled her eyes and sat down beside Thalia, far away from Nico. I blew on my food then gobbled it up. Ever since I stayed down under Festub and fasted for 24 hours, I had been eating like a demon. I couldn't believe how Merope could eat so gracefully.

Nico looked at his plate, he inched to pick up the fork, but then stopped. I sighed.

" It's not poisened, take it from the doctor." I said.

Nico opened his mouth to protest, but then closed it again. He picked up a small piece of rice and ate it.

" WHAT!? NOBODY TOLD ME WERE EATING!?" Percy ran in the room and charged at the dinner table. He quickly sat down and began to take food from the table." Shich he sood! Wham hee his swall?"( this is good! What is it called?" )

" It's called Yong Chow Fried Rice, and this is Crispy Osmathus Ribs." Merope said.

" Ooooo, Asian food." Leo said, licking his fingers.

" Ewww! Leo, you still have oil on your hands!" Nico said.

Leo choked." Water! Water!"

" No! Puke it out, don't swallow it in!" Thalia said.

" That's a disturbing way of saying it." Percy said.

" This is why one of the main ways to keep healthy is to wash your hands before you eat." I said.

Everyone laughed. Even Nico and Merope cracked a smile. Except for Leo, who was still choking.

Eventually Leo got the oil out. Don't read this if you're eating, but Leo got the oil out of his throat when Percy used his powers to drag it out. It was the cleanest way but not the brightest.

Leo ran to his room and still hasn't come out yet.

" We need to go up for air, soon. Then we'll head strait for Hawaii." Annabeth announched." It'll be a smooth ride, you shouldn't need to buckle your set belts."

Annabeth walked away. A bit later, I felt a slight pressure. I guessed that we were rising. This was not good for my stomach because I just ate. Once we reached the surface, my ears were popping. We landed on a remote part of the largest Hawaian island, near Hilo. I think Nico part screeched when he walked outside into the sun.

" I immediately hate Hawaii." Nico grumbled.

" I always wanted to visit here." Percy said.

Leo limped outside, he looked better but he still looked sick.

" Leo, you should rest." I said.

" I'm fine." Leo insisted. And to prove his point, he clutched his stomach suddenly and groaned.

" Leo, I think what Will is trying to say is, we need someone to watch Festub." Annabeth said.

Leo looked like we was actually thinking about it.

" Fine. Just bring me back some souvenirs."

We had to restock. We all traveled in buddy pairs to spread out. We had a limited amount of money, so we were just going to buy cheap stuff in the cheap stores.

I traveled with Nico di Angelo. Not that I would ever tell him, but I had the strongest crush on him ever since he arrived at Camp Half-Blood all those years ago. I did a very good job of hiding it too.

Percy and Annabeth traveled together and Merope and Thalia did the same. Nico and I were in charge of getting oil and spare parts...and a suvinear for Leo.

We walked down a really smelly street. It was around mid-day so the streets were bustling and busy. Nico and I swam through the crowd of people. Suddenly, I felt a tingle down my spine.

Nico spun around in alarm.

" You feel it too, right?" Nico said.

" Yeah, other demigods, bad ones."

" And I think they know that we're here too."

Suddenly a shower of arrows knock Nico's and mine's balence away. Some normal people looked around surprised. And almost immedietly, Nico regained it and disapeared into the shadows. Standing on the roof was a boy, around my age, I couldn't tell what his hair color was because the sun reflected off of it. He had a quiver full of golden arrows and he was wearing a completely black jumpsuit that even covered his head and face.

" Yeah, is it every boy for themselves?" I pulled out my own arrows and aimed at him. I knew that he had the upper and though, being at a higher place. I shot. He literally caught it in mid air.

Whoever this demigod was, he was serious.

Suddenly Nico appeared right behind him and unseathed his sword. He slashed at the boy, who pulled out a gladius and countered. The two almost looked evenly matched, except that Nico was faster, and he had a stronger weapon. I pulled out an arrow and and aimed at the enemy's ankle. I didn't want to kill him of course. I let go of the string, the arrow whistled through the sky and hit the boy's ankle. He howled in pain. Nico took the opening and kicked him in the stomach. The boy fell to the ground with a sickening thud. Nico jumped down after him.

" Who are you?" Nico said.

The boy slowly got up. Nico gripped his sword tightly and I inched for my arrows. Suddenly, the boy turned into a elephant. Both Nico and I widened our eyes.

" Frank-"

The elephant gave a war toot and charged at us. I dodged, knowing that arrows were no good. Nico summoned a huge black rock and tossed it at Frank. The elephant wavered. I took my chance and punched it in the back of the neck. The elephant collapsed dramatically. Normal citizens ran away screaming. Frank slowly returned beck to a human, with his clothes still intact.

Nico furrowed his eyebrows." Why would Frank attack us like that?"

" It might not be Frank. it could be somebody else." Though even while I said it, I didn't believe it. And I couldn't help but noting that Nico said 'us'.

Nico knelt down and took off the boy's mask. There was a unconscious face of a boy with black hair and a warlike handsome face. It was Frank. Nico sighed sadly.

" Let's bring him back to Festub." I said.

" Yeah," Nico picked up a magnet off the ruble on the floor." I got Leo a souvenir."

Chapter 9 end.

Hehehe, just so you know, Will will get rejected. Sorry all of you Nico/Will fans. Also, tell me if you think I was rushing things.