Am I the only one here who thinks Jack should have joined Pitch? They'd be such a kickass team...
Luke and Annabeth walked into what looked like an abandoned building. I didn't think I could easily slip in through the front door; if there were more people I could easily be ambushed. I scanned the wall, and saw an open window about a story high. I studied the wall. The bricks barely jutted out; it was possible to climb, but very difficult, especially with my cast. I guess I could just hold on with my right hand for balance and put the rest of my weight on my other arm and legs.
I started scaling the wall, falling once or twice, but managed to reach the window in ten minutes. I was on the second floor of the house, and there was a railing a few feet in front of me, looking down on the first floor. I crawled to the railing, and looked down. There was just one room with the lights on. It was dim, but I was able to make out Luke's and Annabeth's backs facing me from the end of a table. There were other people around the table, but the shadows covered their faces. I flexed out my fingers, which were still sore from the climbing. I army-crawled closer to the room, and strained my ears to hear their conversation. I grimaced inwardly as I thought about how my mom would tell me that I should never eavesdrop.
"-week" someone said.
"But...too soon...suspect."
"Can't..." Luke scolded.
"But why not?" Annabeth whined.
"Because you're Annabeth! We've been through this a million times!" One of the figures yelled at her. I wish I had my earbuds so I would have been able to pick up their entire conversation instead of just snippets.
"Think...suspects?"
"Well...way...acting, yes."
"I'll...better...time." This was getting too confusing.
"-others?" They muttered a few more words.
"Anyway...York." I suspected they were talking about New York, but you know, it was just a guess.
"Never...coming," a figure agreed.
"And...girl?"
"If...plan...disguise...two years." Annabeth's form seemed to flicker, and for a quick second, her hair turned red and her body shrunk. I rubbed my eyes. I must be tired. I heard Luke curse loudly.
"-go," he told her sternly.
"But no one-"
"Go! We can't be sure." He looked over his shoulder, looking at the window I had come through. He slowly scanned the second floor, and I quickly slinked back into the shadows just as his eyes passed over me. They stood up and walked to the another door. When they opened the door, I could swear-but that couldn't be possible. But I knew what I saw. I didn't understand it, but somehow...I had to tell Nico. I could probably trust Connor and and Thalia, but Rachel wouldn't understand this.
"Sloan! Go close the window upstairs. The cold is getting in and the heat is escaping."
"Yessir," he replied. Crap. I attempted to crawl to the room that was at the end of the hall. I managed to get in the room, but Matt saw me close the door.
"What?" I heard him whisper. I looked around the room frantically. Why were there kitchen supplies in here? Did they just move the kitchen upstairs or something? That would be stupid. Whatever, I just need a weapon. Let's see...spoon, no, butter knife, wouldn't do much damage...blender...pot holders...ah! A pan! I quickly grabbed it, and just in time too. Matt slowly opened the door and cautiously walked in. I hit him over the head with my weapon. Which reminds me, I forgot my Riptide at the house. I've become so careless.
"What the f-" I punched him under the chin, successfully knocking him out. I caught him by the front of his shirt just before he fell, and dragged him to the middle of the room. The pan thing always works in the movies...
I had to leave before Luke realized Sloan wasn't coming back. I walked out the room and looked downstairs. I heard sadistic laughter coming from the room Luke and Annabeth had entered, and winced slightly. I couldn't do anything at the moment. The other people from the meeting were laughing about something in the room with the door closed. I don't want to know. It looked like it was clear for me to go downstairs and walk out the front door. I weighed my options. On one hand, there was a good chance one of them would walk out of the room and catch me. On the other, it was really the only way. I really didn't want to jump out of the window, the shock would really hurt my arm, and climbing wasn't an option either. Again, thanks to my arm.
I took the risk to choose the front door option. I kept to the edges of the steps to reduce the sound of the creaking. Surprisingly, I made it to the door. The few of Kronos's Army didn't seem to be too cautious. No wonder we could track them down so easily. I turned the knob, still half expecting someone to jump out of nowhere and kill me. I opened the door, which unfortunately made a very loud creak. The laughter died down, and the house was silent. I heard footsteps coming from the two rooms. I swore under my breath and dashed out of there. I took the nearest turn, and heard someone yelling a threat at me. Had they seen me? I kept running until my arm couldn't take any more shock from each bound. I walked the rest of the way home, and fell asleep to the thoughts of what I had just witnessed. There was no way the group would stay in that house after tonight.
LINEBREAK
I love Saturdays. I can sleep in, and go to sleep early in the morning. The best part was, I didn't have homework, which is a rarity. Of course, my cousins and Connor had to ruin it by kidnapping me. Okay, maybe they didn't really kidnap me, more like asking me to come with them, but the tone in their voice told me I had no choice.
I was sitting in the back of Connor's van (Why a van, anyway? What other teenager owns a van?) while Thalia sat shotgun and Nico was sitting beside me. Did I mention the blindfolds? Yeah, Thalia and Connor blindfolded Nico and me. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention we were going to the rebellion's headquarters.
"Remind me again why we're not allowed to see where we're going?" Nico complained. "I mean, last time you just ignored me."
"Last time?" I asked. "You've gone to their head quarters before?" Naturally, I was ignored.
"Not everyone trusts you yet. In fact, only Connor and I trust you. You should be grateful we persuaded them to let you in," Thalia explained.
"Don't you guys have your HQ in Los Angeles?" I asked, remembering when the Big Three were telling us about the Rebellion. I heard a snort. Probably from Connor.
"Please, I was part of the MoA too. It's a decoy. We keep our captives there, in case they escape. That way, they give the false information to captives, and if they destroy it, thinking they're getting rid of us, they're getting rid of their own people."
"Nice."
"It was my idea," Connor admitted. There was a moment of silence.
"Are we there yet?" Nico randomly asked.
"No."
"Are we there yet now?"
"No."
"Now?"
"Shut up." Silence.
"What about now?"
"You're annoying."
"Are we there yet?"
"I'll strangle you." He shut up, knowing she wasn't kidding.
An hour passed before Connor confirmed we had arrived. They let us out and led us into a building, where they finally stripped off the blindfolds. The building looked like a school, except without any windows, and the walls were paint splattered. I din't even want to know. I saw two kids pass, carrying paintball guns, and wearing some sort of suit. I'm guessing some sort of armour that they were testing.
"C'mon, we have to go see Hera."
"As in Zeus's wife?"
"Exactly." They led us down through the hallway until we reached a classroom that looked like it could be an office. It probably was. There were five adults sitting at a table playing a card game. One of the women looked like she was in her early fifties and was wearing dark blue suit, and had a sharp, elegant face. I recognized her from a few pictures I saw in Zeus's room. Hera. The man beside her had a dark beard, small eyes, and extra belly fat. He was wearing a Hawaiian shirt with cargo shorts. I was guessing Dionysus, but the fact he was the only male adult in the room confirmed it. The other woman who looked like she was in her mid-twenties, was wearing a silver jacket and braided, auburn hair, and had the same face shape as Apollo. Artemis. There was another woman, who had the same features as Hera, except lighter hair, a more relaxed position, and was wearing a dark green sweater. Through the process of elimination, I chose her as Demeter. Then there was Athena. I could easily see the similarities between her and Annabeth, other than the fact Athena had dark hair, a different nose and looked older and more stern (obviously). Connor cleared his throat, and the adults looked up.
"Ah yes, hello Cale, Tina," Dionysus greeted. He looked over at us. "You must be Perry and Norman."
"Percy and Nico, sir."
"Yes yes, that's what I said." He turned back to look at his cards. Artemis looked at us, and her stare made me, what's the word? Uncomfortable.
"You said you wanted to meet them," Thalia said.
"Yes, of course." Hera replied, standing up and shaking our hands. "Athena will talk with Percy, while Dionysus will talk with Nico." Wait, what? Athena stood up and left the room. She turned around and looked at me in annoyance.
"Aren't you coming?" I rushed after her, and she led me through the halls. A paintball whizzed past my ear and I heard laughter from around the corner. I shot a glare at the corner.
The classroom we had entered was empty and pure white. In the middle of the room was a table with two chairs across from each other.
"Sit," Athena ordered. I nervously sat down in one of the chairs as she sat across from me.
"So, what are we-"
"Hand me your wrist," she interrupted. I put my hand on the table, and she flipped it over so it was palm-side up. She put her thumb on a vein in my wrist. A human lie detector. Not bad. I gave a small, slightly nervous, smile.
"I will ask you questions, and you will respond with the truth." I gave a curt nod. "Have you ever worked for the Murderers of America?"
"Athena, you know the-"
"Answer." I sighed.
"Yes, I have worked for the Murderers of America."
"Are you working with them now?"
"No."
"Why did you choose to join the MoA in the first place?" I thought about it. It was such a long time ago, I barely even remembered.
"I-I don't...I'm not sure."
"You are lying." I glanced down at her hand, and tried to remember more details.
"I was always pushed around as a kid," I admitted. "My classmates would always tease me because of my dyslexia and ADHD. They shoved me around. I guess I just wanted it to stop. I figured the only way to stand up to them was to become tougher than them." I chuckled at how stupid and naive I was. "Afterwards, I just wanted to get to know my father a bit more. I thought he would actually love me. I thought that my training would help me protect my mom and my friends." I hesitated. "Guess I was wrong." I looked up at Athena, and her eyes seemed to soften a bit, but her face was still hard.
"And why did you choose to stop working with them?"
"They lied to me. They told me they would protect me. Protect my mother as long as I obeyed their rules. That the purpose they were killing for was noble. They kill children," I explained, remembering what Damon had told me that day. I never really dwelled on it until now. "They killed my mother, even though I didn't break the rules. I was late, I was stalling. But that isn't a major rule. Not big enough to kill the only person I really love. They killed Bianca, for no valid reason. They don't even give a damn about what happens to their kids." I said all this staring straight into Athena's unnerving eyes. I looked down at my hands and noticed they were clenched. I slowly relaxed them.
"One final question." I looked back up at her. "What do you feel about my daughter?" This question caught me off guard.
"What? Who, Annabeth?"
"Yes."
"She's my best friend. Ever since we were seven. Thanks for taking my memories of her, by the way." Athena gave a smile that indicated no apology. "I can count on her just as much as I can count on Nico."
"Why do you want to save her? After all, you were supposed to kill her."
"I don't want to kill anymore," I replied.
"You are avoiding the first part."
"As I have told you, she's my best friend. I can't just let her die, especially not even knowing who or why they are doing this to her, not without telling her what I was supposed to do." I didn't want to tell Annabeth who I really was, but I had to tell her. It was only fair. She stared at me for a moment before releasing my wrist.
"Either you are a very good liar Perseus, or that is what you want to believe. Deep inside, you know the truth."
"What do you mean?"
"It is not my place to tell. You will figure it out in time. You may return to the office." She walked out of the room, and I got up to follow.
When I entered the hall, Athena was no where to be found. I shrugged it off and started walking back the way we had came, until I felt a giant engulf me into their arms and into their chest so that I couldn't breathe.
"Mnygmflmph," I mumbled. The person released me and held me at arm's length. He had shaggy, brown hair, eyes that reminded me of a baby animal, and a large nose.
"Brother!" He engulfed me in another hug, but not as tight. "I knew you would come back!" I wrapped my arms around him.
"Hey Tyson. Good to see you. You grew." He finally released me, and I had to crane my head up to get a good look at him.
"Now we can eat peanut butter and stop the bad guys together!" He had always liked peanut butter.
"Yeah. But that will have to wait. I have to get back to the office for something." Tyson nodded enthusiastically.
"I can come with you!"
"Awesome."
As we walked, Tyson was ranting on and about how much he missed me and what he had been doing. I never realized how much I had missed him. I walked into the office, but Tyson said he couldn't enter without permission, and he left to go do something, probably eat peanut butter or explode a few things. I walked over to the table that the ex-Olympians sat, and saw that Dionysus and Nico had already arrived. Nico, Thalia and Connor were sitting in extra chairs and were playing cards with the others.
"So you finally came back. Where's Athena?"
"She left without me. I thought maybe she'd return here." Demeter nodded.
"Sit." I pulled up an empty chair and sat beside Nico.
"Dionysus has decided that Nico will be accepted to the rebellion, but we must wait for Athena's decision." I nodded in understanding.
"How exactly do you decide?"
"Motivations," Hera simply replied.
"What exactly do you guys do? Besides try to stop the MoA and Kronos's army?"
"I can't tell you that until you are accepted." I looked over at Nico's cards.
"What are you playing anyway?" Nico opened his mouth to answer, but Athena walked in with a folder and a portable finger scanner.
"I apologize for being late."
"No need for apology. Have you come to a decision?" Hera asked calmly.
"He shall be accepted," she confirmed. She placed the finger scanner thing in the middle of the table. "Scan your left pinkie."
"My pinkie?"
"Yes. The fifth finger. The smallest one. The weakest one." Nico put his pinkie on the scanner and the scanner recognized it as 'Nicholas di Angelo.' Hera picked it up and started to click a few things. She placed it in front of me, and I did what Athena had instructed. This time, the scanner recognized me as 'Perseus Jackson.' Obviously. Hera picked it up and repeated her actions.
"Now you will be allowed to enter any Rebellion safe house."
"What about here?"
"You can. You must find out where it is first," Hera explained.
"We have to find it? You can't just tell us?" Hera gave me an amused smile.
"Now what fun would that be? Is there any other information you would like to share?" Athena looked straight at me, like she wanted me to say something. Her eyes bore into mine, and I almost seemed to hear her urging me to tell me about what I had found last night. I cleared my throat.
"I think there is something. I'm not sure it is important to you guys, but it's important to me and Athena. Even Nico, Thalia and Connor." Hera nodded, indicating that I should continue. I started to explain what I had seen.
Once I had finished, Nico's and Thalia's mouths were open and the adults' eyes were wider than usual.
"I didn't think they'd be that advanced," Dionysus commented.
"I've been thinking about it all day, and the pieces are starting to fit together. If my theory is correct-" I started.
"And if it is not?"
"Then we wait for the next opportunity. What I'm saying, is that if I am correct, and if my plan goes smoothly, we'll be able to stop the MoA for a while." Everyone looked at Athena. She was. After all, the master of plans.
"Let us hear the details of the boy's plan. It seems, if he is correct, which he seems to be, that his plan might work." I smiled. It wasn't everyday you got a compliment on your intelligence by Athena. I started telling them my plan. By the end, Nico was staring at me.
"You went without me?" he asked. I shrugged.
"I didn't want to wake you. Besides, I didn't think I would run into Luke and Annabeth."
"I think you will need more evidence," Athena suggested.
"What do you mean? What kind of evidence?"
"You will find what you need in the box your mother gave you. I presume you opened it by now?"
"Uh..."
"Well then, I suggest you do. I'll send Connor and Thalia to take you home. You should start the plan on Monday," Athena said. She glanced down at my cast and scowled. "I think we can get that fixed up for you." She brought her hand to her mouth and told somebody to send in Will Solace, whoever he was.
"How are you going to get this fixed?"
"Some of Apollo's and Hermes's children have been working on formulas that will help speed up the healing process. I hope you don't mind us testing it on you?" Demeter asked.
"You mean this may not be safe?" She shrugged.
"I would expect that any medicine created by Apollo's kids would work. Hermes's kids are also reliable, but I choose not to let them test on anybody but themselves. They are loyal, but we can't trust them not to pull pranks." A boy about seventeen entered the room. He had light blond hair, a sharp nose, and was a bit on the short side. He carried a small vial of a liquid that resembled apple juice. He gave a quick glance at my cast and raised an eyebrow at me.
"Broken bone?" He took out a baggie from his pocket. "This speeds up the process of the more major injuries. Don't worry, it tastes better than it looks." The food looked like a giant version of hamster food. Green, dry, and flakey. I really hope it tastes better than it looks.
"Do I drink it at the same time as I eat this or..."
"Take a bite, take a sip. Eat about a third of the green block and the entire vial of the drink." I did as I was told, and everyone was staring at me, as though they were waiting for me to die or something. I'm glad to say the advanced medicine tasted delicious, which is more than I can say for regular medicine. Unfortunately, my right arm started to hurt more than ever, and I let out a small groan.
"That would be the medicine finding the injury and helping fix it. It's a faster process of the bone mending itself, so it's a lot more painful than the normal healing. That's really the simplest way to put it," Will explained. "It'll last about two hours, then you can remove the cast. It'll probably be mended by then."
"Probably?" I complained through clenched teeth. Will gave a small wave and left the room.
"I think you should start heading back. I hope your plan goes smoothly Percy." I gave a nod of thanks, and we stood up and left. Athena stopped me as I walked through the door.
"I know you are not supposed to get any help from us, but in the box, you will find some pieces of technology you can use to hack, download, or to contact me." She handed me a key. "The lock was specially made so that it could not be picked. The lock actually scans the key, so no need to turn it."
"Why are you helping me?" I thought she hated me.
"I am helping Annabeth." She returned to the office, and I slipped the key into my pocket. I caught up to my cousins and Connor, was once again blindfolded, and we drove home with my arm screaming in agony.
I was going to have it longer, but decided it would be way too long...uh...I watched Rise of the Guardians...and...The Hobbit...um...yeah, I have a boring life.
Oh yeah, who's excited for the world ending? Me!
Guest – Psh. It wasn't even three weeks...
Katerina Riley – Yes, but you should also factor in the fact they had been really good friends for three years (mentioned in a previous chapter) and she's someone Percy trusts. And thanks! Annabeth's not acting strange. She's acting normally in the situation she's in right now...but that is all I shall tell you.
brunetteAnnabeth – I did. She's dead (no, not really) Thank you.
Guest – This is...soon...
Dr Katniss Annabeth Nina – I SAW ITTTTT! IT'S AMAZING! GO WATCH IT! NOW! I WANNA WATCH IT AGAIN! Wreck it Ralph is also a pretty awesome movie. I like these more original ones (even though Rise of the Guardians was lightly based on a book) because you don't compare them with the book. And how do you know? Perhaps I was referring to the last Artemis Fowl book and changed topics (which I often do)
Jay – Dear child who reviewed, I have once again thoroughly enjoyed reading your reaction to my chapter :D I feel so warm and fuzzy inside...that might be because I just ate my hoodie though...
KatieElizabethGrace – Sure. If that helps keep you calm.
GotSwagJackson – I can tell you're newer, because at the beginning I updated once a week. The fastes for this story was five days, and out of all my stories, seven minutes is my record. But that's a drabble sooooooooo... I know right! How did you make it this far? I'd give up on reading a story if it has bad grammar...unless it's only like once every 150 words or so...then I don't mind as much.
cookielover2498 – They are talking about lollipops and unicorn rainbows! Thanks.
AllenMoyashiWalker – Is it? Is it reeaally?
Guest101 – If you mean the really mushy Percabeth found in the world of ff rather than the more canon Percabeth, then I wouldn't hold my breath, but it will come...in due time...this is a Percabeth story after all.
The Innocent Little Human – I want to give him a hug. She's acting weird because she can. Obviously.
Wimpyyoshi – Language Yosh (I shall call you that from now on. It is close enough.) What if our LA teacher reads that review, figures out it's you, and will look at you scornfully, huh? Bacon started freaking out when I told her...anyway...uhh...yes, good enough (I was planning on doing this in this chapter, so don't inflate your ego)? How about no. And thank you (wow, I think that's the first time I thanked you for anything...) And thank you agasin (setting a record here, now are we?) Maybe you should just update your story...
Guest – It bothers you? Perfect! I'm a natural at that! I missed this story too, so I decided I should stop getting distracted and write more than three sentences at a time.
Guest – Here's an orange.