I'm really sorry about having to change all the chapters, I was just really unhappy with the story the way it was. Also, to all of you whom I responded to your reviews, I can't seem to copy and paste from the previous Chapter 4.

So, sorry about that. Please enjoy.

Chapter 4:

Three Strikes and You're Gone

Percy's day had been uneventful so far. He had been so bored that he had fallen asleep in mathematics, and when his teacher had caught him with his mouth half open and (according to Rachel) drool coming out, he had gotten the belt across his palms. Now he couldn't write properly, and if Mrs Wadre, his Foreign Languages teacher, found out that his writing was even messier than usual, he would get the belt across his back! His heart had sped up when he noticed a certain emerald eyed red head glancing at him in sympathy.

Minutes ticked by like hours. Percy's knees bounced in anticipation. He was hungry. He was bored out of his mind. His hands were throbbing.

He was anxious to talk freely with Rachel and Grover.

Lunch arrived after three hours of mental torture. His hands were starting to swell, and the blood was clotting.

Grover took him to the bathroom to wash and bandage his welted palms.

When they were done, they fetched their packed lunches and made their way to where Rachel was sitting, all alone.

"Hey." Rachel said in a voice that was way too cheery.

"What happened?" Percy asked immediately.

Grover sat on the bench and immediately started chowing down on his lettuce and celery wrap. "Eng ont mybe," he said through a mouthful of food.

Percy cocked his head at Grover in confusion. "Say, what?"

Grover swallowed with an audible 'gulp'. "I said, 'And don't lie', to Rachel." The two boys turned to look expectantly at the agitated redhead.

Rachel seemed to shrink under their gazes. "Look, I just_"

The headmaster started smashing his wooden mallet into gong that was located above the threesome's heads. Percy winced and clutched his ears.

Grover paled. "Lunch is over already? I swear, it's getting shorter every day. So, detention with Mr JoJo now. Yippee. If I'm not at Latin, then assume I'm dead." He bounded off, not wanting to be late to his detention. Percy didn't even want to know what ridiculous thing Mr JoJo had accused Grover of today- for some reason, the ageing Bio teacher just had an aversion to Percy's curly haired best male friend.

"Look, Percy," Rachel said, tucking a stray red curl behind her ear. "I appreciate your concern, but it's nothing, really."

Percy raised an eyebrow, clearly not believing her.

Rachel raised her chin defiantly, and though she was about half a head shorter than him, he still backed down.

"That's better," she murmured. Percy flushed as he realised how close they were. Their hands were brushing. Their noses touched. Rachel's warm breath tickled Percy's face. He leaned in, and-

The second gong strike sounded. Percy and Rachel jumped apart, faces flaming. Rachel gave a little awkward wave before hurrying away, head down.

Percy was still rooted to the same spot. His heart was racing. Palms sweaty, knees weak, arms heavy. Bile had arisen in his throat and he swallowed sharply.

If that gong hadn't sounded… what would have happened?

Well, he wasn't stupid. He knew what would have happened.

Would he really have… would Rachel have…

Percy shook his head, collected his notepad and charcoal sticks, and made his way to his next class.

Percy was halfway through Latin when it happened, which was unfortunate, because Latin happened to be Percy's favourite class as Mr Chiron Brunner taught it.

Percy had been on a good roll, answering the questions on the pop quiz with ease, which was rare in academic areas for him.

Then the gong was struck. It wasn't unusual for the gong to be struck during class. It just meant trivial things like bandits were on the school property, or a feral animal had breached the fence lines. Percy continued his work.

The gong was struck again.

Percy frowned. Was this the time when the class was supposed to be crawling under their rough wooden desks and pretending they weren't there? Mr Brunner hadn't said so. Percy touched the tip of his charcoal stick to the papyrus paper and-

And when the ear- piercing sound reverberated throughout the whole school a third time, he knew for certain that something was wrong.

Mr Brunner wheeled to the front of the class in his wheelchair (both his legs had been amputated after he had escaped a wild fire) and said in a calm voice, "Please will you lay down your pencils and make your way to the Arena. There, we will be informed of the matter." When the class immediately started chatting excitedly, drowning out Mr Brunner's gentle voice, the usually quiet teacher yelled, "In an orderly fashion!"

Percy put down his pencil, stood up and was herded along by the crowd of eager teenagers.

He tried to find Rachel in the mob, or even Grover, but all he could see was his black hair that wouldn't stay out of his eyes. Maybe he should take up his mum's offer of a haircut.

When Percy's class arrived at the Arena, an emergency meeting place where the tiny village often had gatherings, the mayor was already speaking,

"-gather a party of men to extinguish the flames_" the rest of his words were drowned out by the new crowd of chattering people who had arrived.

Percy was left stumped. What flames?

Just then a breeze blew through the Arena. It seemed to carry an evil essence. Even through all the chatter of fellow visitors, Percy thought he heard a girl's screams. He shivered.

He spotted Rachel being jostled violently by the surging crowds.

Just as he was shoving through clusters of people to reach her, he was yanked back by his collar. He instinctively swung his fist out behind him in a wild strike. Percy's hand was lost in a meaty fist that had closed over his.

A man's throaty chuckling met his ears. "Percy, calm down, buddy. It's just me."

Percy immediately stopped fighting. He grinned and Beckendorf released his collar. "Hey, man. What's going on?" Percy turned to see Beckendorf standing at the head of a group of tough looking men. People had parted to make way for the group.

"Care to join the party?" Beckendorf asked, gesturing to his group.

-gather a party to extinguish the flames-

"Since you're so good with water." This was said in a mock ridiculing tone. Beckendorf had seen Percy when he had a bucket of water in his hands. The guy was downright unbeatable. Percy himself was unsure of how water enhanced his abilities, but he knew it had something to do with his dad being blessed by a water nymph. Or something.

Percy smiled hugely, glad that he had been included. "Wouldn't miss it."

Percy was dragged off by one of Beckendorf's mates, every eye on them as they set off for the burning building.

Percy never felt more alive than when he was sitting astride Blackjack, the stallion galloping at full stride, the horse's mane blowing in his face, the wind messing his hair.

Blackjack soon overtook Rodrick, the slowest of the band. He overtook everyone excepting Beckendorf. It was considered disrespectful to overtake the leader.

Another horse muzzled its way up to Blackjack's long stride. "Hey, Perce!" The man on the horse yelled, his voice fighting against the wind that threatened to drown it out. Percy at first didn't recognide the guy, but then it clicked.

"Hey, Travis! How ya been! How's Katie?" Percy was nearly screaming so that Travis would hear him.

"Never been better!"

On the back of Travis's horse was a black haired, slight woman perhaps 21 years old. Percy assumed she must be Travis's mysterious fiancé, Katie Gardner.

Percy soon could smell the stench of burning materials. The fire was bad.

The air was thick and choking with smog.

Percy couldn't even see the source of the smoke. His vision was corrupted by curling ribbons of the grey, foggy substance.

Travis was now in front of Percy in line, the black haired woman hanging on tightly to him.

"Single file!" Beckendorf shouted from somewhere up ahead. The men and Percy tried hard to stay as one line. They had been trotting carefully through the thick smoke for about five minutes in deadly silence when Beckendorf halted so suddenly that Travis was forced to stop abruptly, therefore Blackjack rammed straight into the horse's rear.

Percy's pure black stallion snorted with contempt.

"Oi, Beck, what's that for?" Killian called up in his uneducated drawl.

Beckendorf paused before saying quietly, "I- I think-" He stopped, then continued, "I'm pretty sure I heard something."

Nobody answered. Then Percy said, "We must be getting close, then."

"It's only a little further," the black haired girl riding tandem with Travis piped up. She had a strange accent, and spoke with hesitation, as if English was a second language for her.

The party trotted on, cautiously. This was unknown turf. Never before seen, travelled.

They were just following the tendrils of smoke that continued to hold the men in their warm, suffocating embrace; curling, slithering over their faces like that of a snake.

Percy shivered involuntarily.

Another couple of minutes, and Percy could make out a large, looming shadow.

Was that the building on fire? It seemed so, as the smoke became thicker all at once, as if he had stepped through a barrier and suddenly the air became denser.

Percy suddenly became aware of a different sound. Like keening, except… it sounded so heartbroken that Percy wanted to suddenly lie down, curl into a ball, and sob his heart out; he wanted to cry for Tyson, for his dad, for his poor mother who tried so hard to be the mother that Percy needed; but most of all, he wanted to cry for himself. Why? He didn't know. Maybe he would never know.

And maybe he wouldn't be able to help himself, but perhaps he could help this suffering person who was trapped in the burning building.

Percy jumped off his horse and joined the group huddle. He caught the girl's eyes as she stood just slightly outside the group of men. Her eyes pierced him right through, held so much sadness that his miserable feeling returned. Tears came to his eyes. Tyson.

Man up, Percy, he thought to himself.

"Right, team," Beckendorf said with authority. One of the men dragged the strange girl into the huddle. "How will we proceed from here?"

Sorry about the cliffy- not!

Hehe.

Until next time, fans.