Anyway so this is Chapter Two so yeah.

Still don't own HoO!

Again, unless Medusa ambushes you, review!

CHAPTER TWO

***Annabeth Chase***

WE MEET JASON'S YOUNGER TWIN AND A GIRL WITH PERCY'S EYES.

At first glance, I notice the girl has hair like mine. I feel excitement bubble in my chest. Another daughter of Athena.

When I see her eyes, however, my mind goes to Percy. She has his same exact eyes. Daughter of Poseidon then?

When the boy joins her, I immediately notice how he looks like Jason. I glance at Jason. He notices too.

The boy can also resist charmspeak. Son of Aphrodite?

I hate not knowing things!

They ask for Luke, and my whole body stiffens, before I find out it is Lucas not Luke.

"What about you?" I ask Jason's twin, "What's your name?"

He mumbles something so quiet I can't hear.

"What?" I ask.

Aubrey won't meet my eyes, but she replies for him, "His name is Zach."

"Are they demigods?" Percy whispers to me.

I study them. They are both of strong build, and tan, but that's not enough to go on.

"They could be mortals who can see through the Mist," I whisper back to Percy.

Percy uncaps Riptide. Zach tries to step back even farther, against the rail, but Aubrey is paralyzed, staring at Percy in horror, with her mouth hanging open.

"You wouldn't kill me," she gasps.

Percy shook his head, "I'm not killing you. See, if you're not a demigod my sword will so through you without you feeling anything. If you're a demigod, then it'll only poke you."

Aubrey is still staring at Percy in disbelief like why on earth would he ever hurt me?

Why does Aubrey all of a sudden trust Percy so much?

Aubrey hold out her arm, and it's shaking. Zach tries to get her to put it down, but she slaps his hand away.

"Percy," I warn him, "Be careful, please."

Percy simply grabs Aubrey's arm to steady it, makes a confused face when she flinches, and lightly presses Riptide to her skin. The sword doesn't go through.

Aubrey whispers something to Zach, but he frowns, shaking his head. Aubrey ignores his protests and snatches Zach's arm, holding it out for Percy.

The sword doesn't go through him either.

Zach takes his arm back, glaring at Percy with a death glare that reminds me of Piper when she's angry. In other words: if looks could kill, Percy would be halfway to the Underworld by now.

"So you guys are demigods," I tell them, trying to be gentle, "One of your parents is just probably a step-parent, and you don't know it."

Aubrey's eyebrows scrunch together, in a form of confusion that's identical to Percy's confusion face. "I'm pretty sure that both my parents are my actual parents."

Zach nods, "I'm sure too."

I felt sympathy. It is a lot to take in. "I'm sorry, but it's true. One of your parents is–"

"Is it possible for demigods to have children?" Zach interrupts.

I'm slightly taken aback. "Well, yes."

Aubrey glances at Zach with a slight grin, "Our parents are demigods, then."

"Both of you?" Percy asks.

Zach glances at Jason for some reason, then at Piper, then Percy and I. "Yep." He pops the "p".

"How do you know?" Hazel asks.

Zach shrugs, "Reasons."

Then he elbows Aubrey lightly, quirking an eyebrow, and they both break out laughing.

I frown at them. I'm suddenly suspicious. What is really going on here? Why the change of attitude?

"So, where do you live?" I ask. "Maybe we can drop you off at home."

Both of them turn pale, their laughs are gone. "We can't go home," Aubrey struggles for words.

Percy frowns. "Why not?"

Neither have an answer.

"Can we…" Zach begins, his voice is small, "…stay with you?"

I'm more than a little suspicious now, but then Aubrey looks up at me, with those sea-green eyes.

She looks like Percy.

Her eyes plead with me, and I can tell everyone else on the ship is slowly giving into her.

And I want to, as well. I can already tell I'm going to like this girl. Maybe she's descended from Poseidon, which is why she has those eyes.

I want to give in so bad.

"Annabeth," Percy says, "Annabeth, maybe we can let them stay. They may help or something."

Percy's already given in. I look around. So has everyone else.

I don't want to be a wet blanket, but I argue, "Where will they sleep?"

Percy bites his lip. "I'm not sure."

Aubrey raises her hand. "I will sleep anywhere. On the floor is fine by me. But please, please don't kick us out."

Those eyes are glistening with tears. She doesn't look fourteen; she looks like a hurt three-year-old.

"They can sleep on the floor of my room," Hazel volunteers.

"Or mine," Piper adds. I notice the way she's eyeing Zach. It's not suspicious, it's like she's known Zach her whole life and she's only just now realizing it. Almost… endearing? What the Hades?

"Whose floor do you want to sleep on?" I ask them. "Mine's also up for grabs. And so is Percy's." I glare at Percy.

"Oh! Yeah, no problemo," Percy says quickly. "I like having random people sleep on my floor. All in a day's work!"

I elbow him, but I notice that Aubrey's smiling, though her eyes are sad. Maybe Percy reminds her of someone.

"Can I sleep on Hazel's floor, please?" Aubrey says. I'm slightly hurt, though I don't know why. I also notice how she remembers Hazel's name easily.

"Can I sleep with Percy?" Zach asks.

"That sounded so wrong!" Leo exclaims suddenly.

Aubrey exchanges a disgusted look with Zach. And Aubrey whispers something to him, and he snickers.

"You have a really dirty mind," Aubrey tells Leo, who blushes.

"Anyway, man," Percy turns to Zach, "You can sleep on my floor. It's super comfy. It has polished hardwood, it's shiny and rock solid."

I glare at Percy. "We'll get them some bedding, Seaweed Brain."

Aubrey stiffens visibly. "You call him Seaweed Brain?"

I nod slowly, wondering about her reaction.

Aubrey looks sick again. Zach watches her worriedly.

"Anyway," Piper interrupts, "Are you all hungry?"

Aubrey nods, but Zach shakes his head.

Zach frowns at her, and then says to me, "She's always hungry."

Aubrey glares. "Zachary Jason G–" Zach's hand is suddenly covering her mouth, and he hisses something to her. The blood drains from her face, and she gulps loudly.

Zach's middle name is Jason? This is too much of a coincidence. Demigods don't have coincidences.

"Zach," I ask, "What is your full name?"

He looks nervous. "Um… Zachary Jason Grande?"

Leo frowns. "Like the latte size at Starbucks?"

Zach nods, and Leo snickers.

"What about you?" I ask Aubrey.

"Aubrey Smith."

"What about your middle name?" Jason asks, though he's still eyeing Zach suspiciously.

"I don't have one."

This is a little curious, but before I can push it, Aubrey's stomach growls.

I lead them downstairs to the food/hangout area, and give them plates and cups.

"Just tell it what you want to eat and drink and it'll appear," Percy explains, sitting down next to Aubrey, who flinches at the sound of his voice, but nods.

We were now one chair short (Couch Hedge was upstairs), so Leo left, returning with a foldable chair for himself.

Everyone soon had their food, and I noticed Aubrey's food was blue, like Percy's.

"Um, Aubrey," I nod at her blue pizza, "what happened to your pizza?"

Aubrey looks like a deer in the headlights. She glances at Percy, then his plate, and says, "I wanted to see if it tasted any different from normal pizza. You know, since Percy's eating it."

Everyone seems to buy it, but I notice that she chews the inside of her cheek, like I do when I'm lying. So she's lying, too, most likely.

Percy grinned. "It's good, isn't it?"

Aubrey nods, but doesn't return the grin. As I watch, she eats the food like a pig, shoving it in and chewing. I glance over to Percy, who is doing the same exact thing.

She could be Percy's twin. Except for the hair and because, obviously, she's a girl.

Piper notices too, exchanging a glance with me. In fact, everyone but Percy and Aubrey themselves notice, and we all start to watch them shovel blue pizza so fast that you'd think they were satyrs.

When Percy was on his forth piece and Aubrey was finishing her third, grabbing her fourth, Percy looks up and notices the stares.

"What?" he asks. Aubrey looks up, too, and glances at Percy, who was still eating, and seems to piece it together.

She sets down her pizza modestly and scoots back in her chair uncomfortably, though she's still eyeing the pizza like she wants to pick it up.

Percy continues eating and everyone else shakes it off, but I make a metal list about the suspicious things about Aubrey and Zach.

Aubrey:

a) 1) Has Percy's eyes

b) 2) Eats like Percy

c) 3) Has my same type of hair

d) 4) Seems so sure she's descended from demigods.

Zach:

a) 1) Basically Jason's twin

b) 2) Resists charmspeak.

c) 3) Middle name is Jason.

I start to eat my own food, slowly, thinking.

"Annabeth, you okay?" Percy asks me.

I nod.

Something's going on here. I intend to find out what.

Just cuz I want to: I like cookies! Yay!

... I'm so weird lol

QOTD: Fave PJO or HoO character? Mine's Annabeth or Leo