Lizzie froze when she heard the rustling sound behind her. So did Apollo.

Slowly sitting up she turned around, and her breath hitched as Apollo grabbed her arm tightly.

She had been expecting someone, a person maybe. Or maybe even a tree nymph or naïd.

What she did not expect was a pit scorpion. Nope, she hadn't seen this coming. Especially since the pit scorpion was a huge one. It was three times but bigger than the first time Lizzie had encountered one.

What even in Hades?

Memories of her first year back in camp half blood began flooding her mind. Luke inviting her to the forest on the pretext of hunting, revealing himself as the traitor. Lizzie shook her head, focusing on their current situation. The scorpion could attack any moment.

"Pit scorpion." Apollo breathed. "And why is it so huge? It sure looks like it wants to come after us. It's snapping its pincers already."

Lizzie doubted that the scorpion had just come to say hello. Her hand inched towards Riptide which was in the pocket of her pants. She knew it wasn't going to be of much use, Luke had said as much the first time, but it was the best weapon she had, or the only weapon she had with her.

"It's going to launch anytime-" She was cut off when the scorpion charged. Lizzie and Apollo jumped out of the way in time, in different directions.

The scorpion headed for Lizzie. Lizzie backed away and dodged as its pincers made a grab for her.

So much for a quiet night.

"How in Tartarus did this beast get in here?" Lizzie exclaimed as she uncapped the pen and Riptide came turned into a sword she ducked as the scorpion attempted to sting her, swiping her sword against it before jumping out of the way. The scorpion backtracked slightly as her sword cut it.

"Don't. Know." Apollo said through gritted teeth. He was running around the scorpion and reaching for his bow and behind his back. "We'll worry about that later. Let's get rid of it first. He notched an arrow on his bow.

Lizzie yelped as she struck the scorpion's tail before ducking again she wasn't lucky this time, however, the scorpion grabbed her waist using its pincers.

"I go behind, you distract it from the side-Lizzie!" Apollo's eyes went wide. Lizzie was hacking at the scorpion's pincers with Riptide while barely managing to dodge the tail.

"Just shoot! Kill this scorpion!"

"My arrows could hit you. I could do shoot you by accident! "

"You are the God of Archery!"

"I'm trying to take aim, but the scorpion's moving you around too much!"

"Don't worry about hitting me! Just shoot!" Lizzie narrowed her eyes as she instinctively reached out to hit the scorpion with her sword. This time, however, her wrist was stung. A red welt started forming and yellow pus started to ooze out. Everything that Lizzie had experienced before with in her previous encounter with the pit scorpion started following.

The last thing she remembered before losing consciousness was the sound of an arrow finding its target, being showered by golden dust and the feeling of dropping to the ground before a strong pair of arms caught her.

.

.

.

When Lizzie woke up, she was lying in a white bed that was soft with a white blanket over her and a plump white pillow under her head. She blinked as she looked around. She was in the infirmary in the big house.

"Lizzie! You're awake!"

Lizzie turned her head before groaning. Her head hurt so badly. Her bones felt like they were in fire.

Looking up she saw Hazel and Nico. Hazel was standing beside her bed while Nico stood at the edge of it.

"How are you feeling?" Hazel asked her.

"Like I've been burnt up from the inside and my muscles stretched over and over like the way the do it medival torture times."

"Considering you were struck by a pit scorpion, I wouldn't expect anything else." Hazel said. "Thank the gods Apollo was there though, he healed you."

"He did?" Lizzie asked.

"Yeah. Otherwise it would have been immediate death for you. He caught you when you came falling to the ground. It was pretty shocking. It was late at night, and everyone came rushing out of their cabins when we heard the commotion." Hazel told her.

"I didn't know you could scream so loudly." Nico spoke.

"Why, Nico, did I interrupt your precious time with Will?" Lizzie teased.

Nico blushed as he scowled at Lizzie. "I was with Hazel in the Hades cabin and Hazel and I weren't the only ones who ran out to see what was going on."

"Wait, that means that the whole camp knows about the incident?" Lizzie swallowed. This wasn't good.

Hazel nodded. "More or less. Word travels fast. Everyone's pretty much afraid now. They are thinking something's amiss." Her gold eyes looked at Lizzie, and Lizzie could tell that Hazel was worried about her. "What if someone's out to get you?"

"I don't know..." Lizzie furrowed her eyebrows. "The scorpion seemed pretty bent on getting me."

"Only someone inside the camp could have summoned it. Or a god, or a goddess. But I highly doubt that the gods even want to interfere with us." Nico continued.

"So you're saying..." Lizzie began, understanding and apprehension drawing on her.

"That someone is planning something. Yes." Nico frowned. "And it might involve you."

Lizzie looked up at the ceiling in fustration. "Can I just hope for once that nothing involves me? For Zeus's sake, I've had enough of monsters attacking me for a lifetime! I think I can start a booth for queue numbers. Here take number fifty, you'll need it."

Hazel looked at her with a mixture of amusement and worry on her face while Nico just rolled his eyes at her.

"We'll figure this out later. Right now, you better continue sleeping. At least, that's what Apollo said. More rest for you. You'll recover faster that way."

"What? No! I'm feeling perfectly fine! You can't confine me to the bed all day!"

"Apollo's orders, Lizzie." Hazel told her patiently, "I've placed some nectar beside your bed. Remember not to drink too much, or you'll burn up. We've got to go now."

"Fine," Lizzie grumbled. "Leave the poor demigod alone here, won't you? Useless and lying in the bed." Hazel laughed softly as she and Nico walked out of the door.

The moment the infirmary door closed. Lizzie threw the white blanket off her and sat up on the bed. She got off and stood up. Looking down, she sighed. She was dressed in pale pink pajamas, and had a feeling Piper was behind it. No way was she going to be seen making her way to her cabin in these.

"I thought I specifically told your friends to tell you not to get out of bed, but considering that you are one of the most impulsive demigods I have ever come across, I really shouldn't be surprised."

Lizzie swore under her breath in Ancient Greek as she turned towards the source of the voice.

Apollo was leaning against the door.

Thanks for reading!