So sorry, I've been itching to update but I got busy. I went to two birthday parties and two picnic things, so I've been very busy. This chapter is very long and so will the next few because they're taken straight from the actual books. Another reason why it took me so long to update. It took forever to write. But, I hope you enjoy. On a side note, I watched the Titanic recentally for the first time and it was so sad. I cried. And I never cry over movies. So a few days later, I grabbed my clarinet and learned the Titanic theme song My Heart Will Go On. Which is very difficult. That song was made for the Titanic movie, it wasn't just some song they heard on the radio. So, anyways, theres me trying to come up with an excuse for my absence. I really hope you enjoy this chapter.
PFP= Possibly Future Percy
PFA= Possibly Future Annabeth
FP= Future Percy
FA= Future Annabeth
SP= Sleeping Percy
Disclaimer: I am not a boy. Im not even in my twenties, thirties, forties or whenever. Therefore, I'm not Rick Riordan. Enjoy! ;)
Percy rolls off of the bed in surprise and lands on the wooden ground. "Ow..."
Annabeth stares at the women. She was wearing a beautiful white Greek tunic and her brown hair flowed down her back.
She smiled politely and sits down on the floor beside a dazed Percy. "Annabeth, Nico, Bianca? Come sit beside Percy and I," she says, patting the spot beside her. She waves her arm out in front of her and a picnic blanket, with a red and black checker design, appears underneath her and Percy, with a large woven picnic basket.
Nico's about to move forward when Bianca puts her hand out. She asked the questions that Annabeth was too afraid to ask. "How do you know out names? Who are you?"
"I'm the namesake of this cabin. I am Hera, goddess of Marriage and-"
"Hera?" Annabeth makes a face. "I heard you married your brother. Blech!"
"Eww!" Bianca sticks out her tongue. "That's like me marrying Nico!"
Percy bursts out laughing. "That's gross! Marrying is gross but marrying your brother? That's just plain ol' nasty!"
All of the children are making sour faces and then they all burst out laughing. Hera narrows her eyebrows.
"Annabeth Chase!" She growls. Annabeth continues laughing. "ANNABETH CHASE!" Hera screams slamming her fist in the ground.
Annabeth stops laughing momentarily and looks up at Hera.
"Sorry Ms. Hera," she mumbles.
"Mrs! I came hear to talk to you about something," Hera says. The three still standing sit down on the large picnic blanket.
Annabeth exchanges a look with Percy. "About what?" Percy asks.
"About the future," Hera says taking out the food and plates and setting the picnic basket aside.
Percy inhales the smells. "Mashed potatoes! Chicken legs! Cookies! But I wish they were blue, just like mom...made them," Percy looks down at the cookie he had grabbed. Suddenly, it had turned blue. Percy gasps and looks up at Hera.
"It wasn't hard," she shrugs. "Now start eating!"
Bianca slowly reaches for a plate and grabs the corn on the cob. She looks at it unsure. Hera seemed nice, but they had made her pretty mad. Especially Annabeth. Bianca was pretty sure Annabeth had placed herself on Hera's bad side.
Bianca picks off a piece of corn and squirts the juice out onto her plate. It didn't dissolve. That's a good sign. Finally, Bianca stuck it in her mouth and chewed it once.
She actually smiled and motioned for Nico to go ahead and eat some too. Annabeth grabbed a plastic plate and slapped some potato salad on. After Bianca made sure it was okay to eat, she felt a little safer.
"What about the future?" Percy mumbles, with his mouth full of turkey.
"Manners," Hera says, holding a napkin in front of Percy's mouth. "Spit it out."
Percy opens his mouth appalled. Then he shakes his head and closes his mouth.
"Perseus Jackson, spit it out."
Percy immediately spits out the chewed up pieces of turkey into the napkin. The napkin disappears along with the spit out turkey.
"Perseus?" Bianca muses. Then she smiles goofily. "Perseus Jackson?"
"Percy, you eat with your mouth closed and don't take more than you can eat," Hera scolds. "Now what were we talking about? Right, the future. Each of you will have a dream tonight. A dream of the future. They'll all be different. But connected in some way. Do you understand?"
"Yes ma'am!" Percy yells.
Annabeth rolls her eyes and Bianca nods.
"Goodbye. And I'll see you uh...1, 2, 3..." She counts on her fingers. Seven years from now. After Hera left, everything disappeared, much to Percy's dismay.
"C'mon guys, were going to Soos's cabin," Percy says, leading the others out.
"No-o!" Annabeth yells. "If you go in there I'm not coming!"
Percy shrugs and jumps to the next cabin beside Hera's and walks in. Annabeth frowns as Bianca and Nico walk in too. She hesitates. But then decides to lean against the side of the cabin till they came out. A few minutes later, the trio walks out.
"Well?" Annabeth stands up straight.
Percy clutches his stomach. "I don't like it in there. It's like being in an airplane for me. I've never been on one, but my mom said I wouldn't like it and I wouldn't be very comfortable."
Bianca groans as she leans against the side of the cabin. She spoke quietly as she leaned against the cabin. "It was weird, because none of us like it in there, because its not our daddy's cabin."
Percy glances at the rest of the god's cabins. Percy walks straight to the Poseidon cabin and goes in like it was an everyday thing. Nico is quick to follow, with Bianca not too far behind. Nico followed Percy everywhere. He was like his role model. And Bianca followed Nico everywhere, because she was that overprotective big sister. And then Annabeth followed all of them, because she didn't want to be left behind.
Annabeth breathes in the scent. "It smells like the ocean."
Bianca wrinkles her noes. "It's better than Soos's but I feel sea sick."
Percy lays on the bed and relaxes. His soft snores filled the room. Annabeth opens the door and looks out. It was late. Maybe 10:00?
She walks back inside and Bianca and Nico are sleeping on the same bed on the bottom bunk. Annabeth climbs up to the top bunk above Percy and closes her eyes. Guess they were sleeping here tonight.
-
Percy saw three kids in a car and an older lady in the drivers seat. She had long black hair and beautiful blue eyes. Then there were two girls. One had short black hair with blue streaks in it. She had piercing blue eyes and freckles. The other girl had long blonde hair and grey eyes. Just like Annabeth. The future Annabeth maybe?
Then the boy. He had black hair and green eyes. Maybe future him? Sleeping Percy was watching them as they drove. The sleet and snow blinded the view, but the lady kept on driving.
She kept on talking about a little boy in the bathtub and how cute he was when he was three.
The girl with black hair wiped the fog off of the window and peered outside. "Oh yeah, this'll be fun."
'Wait, what'll be fun?' Sleeping Percy thought.
Sleeping Percy glanced outside. There was a large, scary, black castle on a snowy cliff.
The women's voice stole his gaze off of the window.
"Are you sure you don't want me to wait?" The women asked.
"No thanks, Mom," Possibly Future Percy said. So that women was his mom? So it couldn't have been Percy. "I don't know how long it'll take. We'll be okay."
"But how will you get back? I'm worried, Percy." Sleeping Percy gasps.
Possibly Future Percy, or PFP, was blushing.
Sleeping Percy touches the women's face and stared at her. Then he backs away. There could be more than one Percy that looked exactly like him on the world.
Then Possibly Future Annabeth, or PFA, spoke up.
"It's okay, Ms. Jackson." PFA smiled reassuringly. Her blonde hair was tucked into a ski cap and her grey eyes matched the warmness of her smile.
"We'll keep him out of trouble."
The women relaxed.
"All right, dears," she said. "Do you have everything you need?"
"Yes, Ms. Jackson," The girl with blue eyes said. "Thanks for the ride."
"Extra sweaters? You have my cell phone number?"
'I thought we didn't use cellphones.'
"Mom-" PFP tried.
"Your ambrosia and nectar, Percy? And a golden drachma in case you need to contact camp?"
"Mom, seriously! We'll be fine. Come on, guys."
The women looked like someone had stabbed her with an invisible knife and it didn't hurt too much, but it was like she would never expect that person to do that. And that person was PFP.
PFP got out, followed by PFA and girl with the blue streaks.
The car drove away and Sleeping Percy, or SP, directed his attention back to the kids.
"Your mom is so cool, Percy," girl with the blue streaks said.
"She's pretty okay," PFP admitted.
"What about you? You ever get in touch with your mom?"
The girls face darkens and PFP looked scared.
"If that was any of your business, Percy-"
"We'd better get inside," PFA interrupted. "Grover will be waiting."
Girl with the streaks up looked at the castle and shivered. "You're right. I wonder what he found here that made him send the distress call."
PFP stared at the dark towers of the castle. "Nothing good."
The trio walked into the castle.
"Woah," said PFP and SP's synchronized voices.
The place was huge. The walls were lined with battle flags and weapon displays: antique rifles, battle axes, and a bunch of other stuff.
PFP's hand flew to his pocket. SP didn't know what he was doing, but he seemed to relax knowing that thing was there. Girl with the streaks was rubbing her silver bracelet. They both looked nervous.
PFA started to say, "I wonder where-"
Then door slammed shut behind them.
"Oo-kay," said PFP. "Guess we'll stay awhile."
SP could hear music echoing from the other end of the hall. It sounded like dance music.
They stashed their overnight bags behind a pillar and started down the hall. They hadn't gone very far when SP heard footsteps on the stone floor, and a man and woman marched out of the shadows towards them.
They both had short gray hair and black military-style uniforms with red trim. The woman had a wispy mustache, and the guy was clean-shaven, which seemed silly to SP. They both walked stiffly, like they had broomsticks taped to their spines.
"Well?" The woman demanded. "What are you doing here?"
"Um …" PFP murmured. "Ma'am, we're just-"
"Ha!" the man snapped, which made them all jump. "Visitors are not allowed at the dance! You shall be eee-jected!" This guy was...French maybe? And his eyes freaked Percy out. One brown, one blue.
Then the girl with blue streaks, stepped forward and did something very weird.
She snapped her fingers.
The sound was sharp and loud. Maybe it was just SP, but he felt a gust of wind ripple out from her hand, across the room.
It washed over all of them, making the banners rustle on the walls.
"Oh, but we're not visitors sir," The girl with blue streaks said. "We go to school here. You remember: I'm Thalia. And this is Annabeth and Percy. We're in the eighth grade."
The male teacher narrowed his two-coloured eyes.
'So her name was Thalia?'
The man looked at the women beside him. "Ms. Gottschalk, do you know these students?"
SP burst out laughing. A teacher named Got Chalk? He had to be kidding.
The woman blinked, like someone had just woken her up from a trance. "I…yes. I believe I do, sir." She frowned at them. "Annabeth. Thalia. Percy. What are you doing away from the gymnasium?"
Before they could answer, SP directed his attention to more footsteps, and Grover ran up, breathless. He remembered Grover...and now he remembered Thalia. The girl that was now a tree. "You made it! You-"
He stopped when he saw the teachers. "Oh, Mrs. Gottschalk. Dr. Thorn! I, uh-"
"What is it, Mr. Underwood?" said the man. His tone made it clear that he hated Grover. "What do you mean, they made it? These students live here."
Grover swallowed. "Yes, sir. Of course, Dr. Thorn. I just meant…I'm so glad they made…the punch for the dance! The punch is great. And they made it!"
Dr. Thorn glared at them. Mrs. Gottschalk said dreamily, "yes, the punch is excellent. Now run along, all of you. You are not to leave the gymnasium again!"
They didn't wait to be told twice. They left with a lot of "Yes, Ma'am's" and "Yes, sirs" and a couple of salutes, maybe because it was the right thing to do.
Grover hustled them down the hall in the direction of the music. SP saw the teacher staring at PFP, but he walked closely to Thalia and asked in a low voice, "How did you do that finger-snap thing?"
"You mean the Mist? Hasn't Chiron shown you how to do that yet?"
They finally got to a door that said something. SP wasn't sure what.
"That was close," Grover said. "Thank the gods you got here."
PFA and Thalia both hugged Grover. PFP gave him a big high-five.
"So what's the emergency?" PFP asked.
Grover took a deep breath. "I found two."
"Two half-bloods?" Thalia asked, amazed. "Here?"
Grover nodded.
"A brother and a sister," he said. "They're ten and twelve. I don't know their parentage, but they're strong."
SP stood beside PFP and watched Grover.
"We're running out of time, though. I need help."
"Monsters?"
"One." Grover looked nervous. "He suspects. I don't think he's positive yet, but this is the last day of term. I'm sure he won't let them leave campus without finding out. It may be our last chance. Every time I try to get close to them, he's always there, blocking me. I don't know what to do!"
Grover looked at Thalia desperately. "Right," she said. "These half-bloods are at the dance?"
Grover nodded.
"Then let's dance," Thalia said. "Who's the monster?"
"Oh," Grover said, and looked around nervously. "You just met him. The vice principal, Dr. Thorn."
'Oh...'
"There they are." Grover nodded at a couple of younger kids arguing in the bleachers. "Bianca and Nico di Angelo."
SP shrieked. Bianca and Nico. Now that wasn't 'possibly'. They looked exactly the same, except they were both much older. Bianca wore a floppy green cap, like she was trying to hide her face.
'Why would she do that?'
They both had the same dark silky hair and olive skin, and they used their hands a lot as they talked. The boy was shuffling some kind of
cards.
Bianca seemed to be scolding him about something. SP could imagine her saying. "Nico! Stop doing that!" But she kept looking around like she sensed something was wrong.
SP glances at the others.
PFA said, "Do they…I mean, have you told them?"
Grover shook his head. "You know how it is. That could put them in more danger. Once they realize who they are, their scent becomes stronger."
'Scent?' SP snuffed himself. Nothing unregular. 'Maybe the 'scent' was BO.'
"So let's grab them and get out of here," PFP said.
He started forward, but Thalia put her hand on his shoulder. The vice principal, Dr. Thorn, had slipped out of a doorway near the bleachers and was standing near the Nici and Bianca. He nodded coldly in their direction. His blue eye seemed to glow.
"Don't look at the kids," Thalia ordered. "We have to wait for a chance to get them. We need to pretend we're not interested in them. Throw him off the scent."
"How?"
"We're three powerful half-bloods. Our presence should confuse him. Mingle. Act natural. Do some dancing. But keep an eye on those kids."
"Dancing?" Annabeth asked.
Thalia nodded. She cocked her ear to the music and made a face. "Ugh. Who chose the Jesse McCartney?"
Grover looked hurt. "I did."
"Oh my gods, Grover. That is so lame. Can't you play, like, Green Day or something?"
"Green who?"
"Never mind. Let's dance."
"But I can't dance!"
"You can if I'm leading," Thalia said. "Come on, goat boy."
Grover yelped as Thalia grabbed his hand and lead him onto the dance floor.
PFA smiled.
"What?" PFP asked.
"Nothing. It's just cool to have Thalia back."
PFA looked taller than PFP, which seemed weird. If it was Annabeth, she wore no jewelry except her Camp Half-Blood bead necklace, but now she wore little silver earrings shaped like owls—the symbol of her mother, Athena. She pulled off her ski cap, and her long blonde hair tumbled down her shoulders. It made her look older, for some reason.
"So…" PFP said. "Um, design any good buildings lately?"
PFA's eyes lit up, the way they always did when she talked about architecture. "Oh my gods, Percy. At my new school, I get to take 3D design as an elective, and there's this cool computer program…"
She went on to explain how she'd designed this huge monument that she wanted to build at Ground Zero in Manhattan. She talked about structural supports and facades and stuff, and SP tried to listen. But it was bor-ING!
"Yeah, uh, cool," PFP said. "So you're staying there the rest of the year, huh?"
Her face got dark. "Well, maybe, if I don't-"
"Hey!" Thalia called to us. She was slow dancing with Grover, who was tripping all over himself, kicking Thalia in the shins, and looking like he wanted to die.
"Dance, you guys!" Thalia ordered. "You look stupid just standing there."
PFP looked nervously at PFA, then at the groups of girls roaming the gym.
"Well?" PFA said.
"Um, who should I ask?"
She punched him in the gut.
"Me, Seaweed Brain!" 'Seaweed Brain?! That had to be Annabeth and him. He changed PFP and PFA to just FP and FA.
"Oh. Oh, right."
So they went onto the dance floor, and FP looked over to see how Thalia and Grover were doing things. He put one hand on FA's hip, and she clasped his other hand like she was about to judo throw him.
"I'm not going to bite," she told him. "Honestly, Percy. Don't you guys have dances at your school?"
He didn't answer.
And he kept stepping on her toes.
"What were you saying earlier?" he asked. "Are you having trouble at school or something?"
She pursed her lips. "It's not that. It's my dad."
"Uh-oh."
'But-' but he's cut off by FP's voice.
"I thought it was getting better with you two. Is it your stepmom again?"
FA sighed. "He decided to move. Just when I was getting settled in New York, he took this stupid new job researching for a World War I book. In San Francisco." She said San Francisco in a disgusted way. SP wasn't sure why.
"So he wants you to move out there with him?" FP asked.
"To the other side of the country," she said miserably. "And half-bloods can't live in San Francisco. He should know that."
"What? Why not?"
FA rolled her eyes. Maybe she thought FP was kidding.
"You know. It's right there."
"Oh," FP said. SP had no idea what she was talking about, but apparently FP did.
"So, you'll go back to living at camp or what?"
"It's more serious than that, Percy. I…I probably should tell you something."
Suddenly she froze. "They're gone."
"What?"
SP followed her gaze. The bleachers. Bianca and Nico, gone. The door next to the bleachers was wide open. Dr. Thorn had disappeared.
"We have to get Thalia and Grover!" FA looked around frantically. "Oh, where'd they dance off to? Come on!"
She ran through the crowd. SP was about to follow but a mob of girls had gotten FP. He made his way through, but FA was gone.
About fifty feet away, lying on the gym floor, was a floppy green cap just like the one Bianca di Angelo had been wearing. Near it were a few scattered trading cards. Then SP saw Dr. Thorn. He was hurrying out a door at the opposite end of the gym, steering the di Angelo kids by the scruffs of their necks, like they were kittens.
FA was gone, probably heading the other way, looking for Thalia and Grover.
FP almost ran after her, and then he stopped.
He took a pen out of his pocket and ran after Dr. Thorn.
The door led into a dark hallway. SP heard sounds of scuffling up ahead, then a painful grunt.
He uncapped the pen. A sword grew into his hands.
He jogged down the corridor, but when he got to the other end, no one was there. He opened the door and SP and FP were back in the main entry hall. They completely turned around. They didn't see Dr. Thorn anywhere, but there on the other side of the room were the di Angelo kids. They stood frozen in horror, staring right at them.
SP rushed straight forwards and joined them in the corner. Behind FP was Dr. Thorn. He looked like he wanted to kill FP.
He advanced slowly, lowering the tip of his sword. "It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you."
They didn't answer. Their eyes were full of fear.
"My name's Percy," he said, trying to keep his voice level. "I'm going to take you out of here, get you somewhere safe."
Bianca's eyes widened. Her fists clenched.
Finally, FP whirled around and something went WHIIISH! Something got his shoulder. A force like a huge hand yanked him backward and slammed him into the wall. SP flinched.
FP slashed with his sword, but there was nothing to hit. A cold laugh echoed through the hall.
"Yes, Perseus Jackson," Dr. Thorn said. His accent mangled the J in his last name. "I know who you are."
He tried to free his shoulder. His coat and shirt were pinned to the wall by some kind of spike—a black dagger-like projectile about a foot long.
A dark silhouette now moved toward them. Dr. Thorn stepped into the dim light. He still looked human, but his face was ghoulish. He had perfect white teeth and his brown/blue eyes reflected the light of my sword.
"Thank you for coming out of the gym," he said. "I hate middle school dances."
He tried to swing his sword again, but he was just out of reach.
WHIIISH! A second projectile shot from somewhere behind Dr. Thorn. He didn't appear to move. It was as if someone invisible was standing behind him, throwing knives.
Next to FP, Bianca yelped. The second thorn impaled itself in the stone wall, half an inch from her face. Right were SP's forehead was. He yelps as he feels for a wound. Nothing.
"All three of you will come with me," Dr. Thorn said. "Quietly. Obediently. If you make a single noise, if you call out for help or try to fight, I will show you just how accurately I can throw."
SP didn't know what kind of monster Dr. Thorn was, but he was fast. FP closed his eyes.
'What're you doing?!'
"What are you doing, Jackson?" hissed Dr. Thorn. "Keep moving!"
He opened his eyes and kept shuffling forward. "It's my shoulder," he said, sounding miserable. "It burns."
"Bah! My poison causes pain. It will not kill you. Walk!"
Thorn herded them outside, and FP shuffled his feet forwards.
Thorn marched them into the woods. They took a snowy path dimly lit by old-fashionedlamplights. The wind blowing through my SP's clothes was so cold he felt like a Percysicle.
"There is a clearing ahead," Thorn said. "We will summon your ride."
"What ride?" Bianca demanded. "Where are you taking us?"
"Silence, you insufferable girl!"
'Don't talk to my cousin that way!'
"Don't talk to my sister that way!" Nico said. His voice quivered, and Percy nodded. Good job Nico.
Dr. Thorn made a growling sound that definitely wasn't human.
"Halt," Thorn said.
The woods had opened up. We'd reached a cliff overlooking the sea. At least, SP sensed the sea was down there, hundreds of feet below. He could hear the waves churning and could smell the cold salty froth. But all he could see was mist and darkness.
Dr. Thorn pushed them towards the edge. FP stumbled, and Bianca caught him.
"Thanks," he murmured.
"What is he?" She whispered. "How do we fight him?"
"I…I'm working on it."
"I'm scared," Nico mumbled.
He was fiddling with something—a little metal toy soldier of some kind.
"Stop talking!" Dr. Thorn said. "Face me!"
They turned.
Thorn's two-tone eyes glittered hungrily. He pulled something from under his coat. At first SP thought it was a weapon, but it was only a phone. He pressed the side button and said, "The package—it is ready to deliver."
'Package? What package?'
There was a garbled reply, and he realized Thorn was in walkie-talkie mode.
FP glanced behind us, probably wondering how far the drop was.
Dr. Thorn laughed. "By all means, Son of Poseidon. Jump! There is the sea. Save yourself."
"What did he call you?" Bianca muttered.
"I'll explain later," I said.
"You do have a plan, right?"
"I would kill you before you ever reached the water," Dr. Thorn said, as if reading FP's thoughts. "You do not realize who I am, do you?"
A flicker of movement behind him, and another missile whistled so close to FP it nicked his ear. Something had sprung up behind Dr. Thorn—like a catapult, but more flexible.
"Unfortunately," Thorn said. "You are wanted alive, if possible. Otherwise you would already be dead."
"Who wants us?" Bianca demanded. "because if you think you'll get a ransom, you're wrong. We don't have any family. Nico and I…" Her voice broke a little. "We've got no one but each other."
SP frowned. 'You've got me.'
"Aww," Dr. Thorn said. "Do not worry, little brats. You will be meeting my employer soon enough. Then you will have a brand-new family."
"Luke," FP said. "You work for Luke."
Dr. Thorn mouth twisted with distaste when he mentioned Luke. But Luke was a good guy. Right? "You have no idea what is happening, Perseus Jackson. I will let the General enlighten you. You are going to do him a great service tonight. He is looking forward to meeting you."
"The General?" FP asked. SP giggles. He had said it with a French accent. "I mean…who's the General?"
Thorn looked toward the horizon. "Ah, here we are. Your transportation."
They turned and saw a light in the distance, a searchlight over the sea. Then they heard the chopping of helicopter blades getting louder and closer.
"Where are you taking us?" Nico said.
"You should be honoured, my boy. You will have the opportunity to join a great army! Just like that silly game you play with cards and dolls."
"They're not dolls! They're figurines! And you can take your great army and-"
"Now now," Dr. Thorn warned. "You will change your mind about joining us, my boy. And if you do not, well…there are other uses for half-bloods. We have many monstrous mouths to feed. The Great Stirring is underway."
"The Great what?" FP asked.
"The Stirring of monsters." Dr. Thorn smiled evilly. "The worst of them, the most powerful, are now waking. Monsters that have not been seen in thousands of years. They will cause death and destruction the likes of which mortals have never known. And soon we shall have the most important monster of all—the one that shall bring about the downfall of Olympus!"
"Okay," Bianca whispered to me. "He's completely nuts."
"We have to jump off the cliff," FP told her quietly. "Into the sea."
"Oh, super idea. You're completely nuts too."
That's when they all fell to the ground. A wave of missiles flew over their heads. Thalia and Grover fought Dr. Thorn.
Thalia moved in with her spear. "For Zeus!"
FP though Dr. Thorn was a goner. Thalia jabbed at his head, but he snarled and swatted the spear aside. His hand changed into an orange paw, with enormous claws that sparked against Thalia's shield as he slashed. If it hadn't been for Aegis, Thalia would've been sliced like a loaf of bread.
The sound of the helicopter was getting louder behind them, but FP didn't dare look.
Dr. Thorn launched another volley of missiles at Thalia, and this time they could see how he did it. He had a tail—a leathery, scorpion like tail that bristled with spikes at the tip. The missiles deflected off Aegis, but the force of their impact knocked Thalia down.
Grover sprang forward. He put his reed pipes to his lips and began to play—a frantic jig that sounded like something pirates would dance to. Grass broke through the snow.
Within seconds, rope-thick weeds were wrapping around Dr. Thorn's legs, entangling him.
Dr. Thorn roared and began to change.
He grew larger until he was in his true form—his face still human, but his body that of a huge lion. His leathery, spiky tail whipped deadly thorns in all directions.
"A manticore!" FA said, now visible. Her magical cap had come off when she'd plowed into us.
"Who are you people?" Bianca demanded. "And what is that?"
"A manticore?" Nico gasped. "He's got three thousand attack power and plus five to saving throws!"
SP, looked at him strangely. 'What?!'
The manticore clawed Grover's magic weeds to shreds then turned towards us with a snarl.
"Get down!" FA pushed the Bianca and Nico flat into the snow. At the last second, FP remembered his own shield. He hit his wristwatch, and metal plating spiraled out into a thick bronze shield. Not a moment too soon. The thorns impacted against it with such force they dented the metal. The beautiful shield, was badly damaged. Would it even stop a second volley?
SP heard a thwack and a yelp, and Grover landed next to him with a thud.
"Yield!" the monster roared.
"Never!" Thalia yelled from across the field. She charged the monster, and for a second, they thought she would run him through. But then there was a thunderous noise and a blaze of light from behind us. The helicopter appeared out of the mist, hovering just beyond the cliffs. It was a sleek black military-style gunship, with attachments on the side that looked like laser-guided rockets. The searchlights blinded Thalia, and the manticore swatted her away with its tail. Her shield flew off into the snow. Her spear flew in the other direction.
"No!" FP ran out to help her. He parried away a spike just before it would've hit her chest. He raised his shield over them, but he knew it wouldn't be enough.
Dr. Thorn laughed. "Now do you see how hopeless it is? Yield, little heroes."
They were trapped between a monster and a fully armed helicopter. They had no chance.
Then SP heard a clear, piercing sound: the call of a hunting horn blowing in the woods.
The manticore froze. For a moment, no one moved. There was only the swirl of snow and wind, and the chopping of the helicopter blades.
"No," Dr. Thorn said. "It cannot be-"
His sentence was cut short when something shot past FP like a streak of moonlight. A glowing silver arrow sprouted from Dr. Thorn's shoulder.
He staggered backward, wailing in agony. "Curse you!" Thorn cried. He unleashed his spines, dozens of them at once, into the woods where the arrow had come from, but just as fast, silvery arrows shot back in reply. It almost looked like the arrows had intercepted the thorns in midair and cut them in two, but that couldn't be right. No one, not even Apollo's kids at camp, could shoot with that much accuracy.
The manticore pulled the arrow out of his shoulder with a howl of pain. His breathing was heavy. FP tried to swipe at him with my sword, but he wasn't as injured as he looked. He dodged his attack and slammed his tail into my shield, knocking me aside.
Then the archers came from the woods. They were girls, about a dozen of them. The youngest was maybe ten.
The oldest, about fourteen. They wore silvery ski parkas and jeans, and they were all armed with bows. They advanced on the manticore with determined expressions.
"The Hunters!" FA cried.
Next to FP, Thalia muttered, "Oh, wonderful."
One of the older archers stepped forward with her bow drawn. She was tall and graceful, with coppery colored skin. Unlike the other girls, she had a silver circlet braided into the top of her long dark hair, so she looked like some kind of Persian princess.
"Permission to kill, m'lady?"
FP couldn't tell who she was talking to, because she kept her eyes on the manticore.
The monster wailed. "This is not fair! Direct interference! It is against the Ancient Laws."
"Not so," another girl said. This one was a little younger, maybe twelve or thirteen.
Her expression was stern and dangerous. "The hunting of all wild beasts is within my sphere. And you, foul creature, are a wild beast." She looked at the older girl with the circlet. "Zoë, permission granted."
The monster growled. "If I cannot have these alive, I shall have them dead!"
He lunged at Thalia and FP, knowing they were weak and dazed. "No!" FA yelled, and she charged at the monster.
"Get back, half-blood!" the girl with the circlet said. "Get out of the line of fire!"
But FA leaped onto the monster's back and drove her knife into his mane.
The manticore howled, turning in circles with his tail flailing as Annabeth held on for dear life.
"Fire!" Zoë ordered.
"No!" FP screamed.
But the Hunters let their arrows fly. The first caught the manticore in the neck. Another hit his chest. The manticore staggered back, wailing, "This is not the end, Huntress! You shall pay!"
There was a snap-snap-snap from the helicopter—the sound of gunfire.
Most of the Hunters scattered as tiny holes appeared in the snow at their feet, but the girl with the auburn hair just looked up calmly at the helicopter.
"Mortals," she announced, "Are not allowed to witness my hunt."
She thrust out her hand, and the helicopter exploded into dust—no, not dust. The black metal dissolved into a flock of birds—ravens, which scattered into the night.
The Hunters advanced on us.
The one called Zoë stopped short when she saw Thalia. "You," she said with distaste.
"Zoë Nightshade," Thalia's voice trembled with anger. "Perfect timing, as usual."
Zoë scanned the rest of them. "Four half-bloods and a satyr, m'lady."
"Yes," the younger girl said. "Some of Chiron's campers, I see."
"Annabeth!" FP yelled. "You have to let us save her!"
He sounded crazy when he yelled that.
The auburn-haired girl turned toward me. "I'm sorry, Percy Jackson, but your friend is beyond help."
'Why does everybody know my name?'
He tried to struggle to his feet, but a couple of the girls held him down.
"You are in no condition to be hurling yourself off cliffs," the auburn-haired girl said.
"Let me go!" he demanded. "Who do you think you are?"
Zoë stepped forward as if to smack him.
"No," the other girl ordered. "I sense no disrespect, Zoë. He is simply distraught. He does not understand."
The young girl looked up at FP, her eyes colder and brighter than the winter moon. "I am Artemis," she said. "Goddess of the Hunt."
"Um…okay."
Grover gasped, then knelt hastily in the snow and started yammering, "Thank you, Lady Artemis! You're so…you're so…Wow!"
"Get up, goat boy!" Thalia snapped. "We have other things to worry about. Annabeth is gone!"
"Whoa," Bianca said. "Hold up. Time out."
Everybody looked at her. She pointed her finger at all of us in turn, like she was trying to connect the dots. "Who…who are you people?"
Artemis' expression softened. "It might be a better question, my dear girl, to ask who are you? Who are your parents?"
Bianca glanced nervously at her brother, who was still staring in awe at Artemis.
"Our parents are dead," Bianca said.
"There's a bank trust that pays for our school, but…"
She faltered. She could tell from their faces that they didn't believe her.
"What?" she demanded. "I'm telling the truth."
"You are a half-blood," Zoë Nightshade said. Her accent was hard to place. It sounded old-fashioned, like she was reading from a really old book.
"One of thy parents was mortal. The other was an Olympian."
"An Olympian…athlete?"
"No," Zoë said. "One of the gods."
"Cool!" said Nico.
"No!" Bianca's voice wavered. "This is not cool!"
Nico danced around like he needed to use the restroom. "Does Zeus really have lightning bolts that do six hundred damage? Does he get extra movement points for-"
"Nico, shut up!" Bianca put her hands to her face. "This is not your stupid Mythomagic game, okay? There are no gods!"
'Huh? She knows there are gods. She would've been at camp for like ten years by then and she doesn't remember?'
Then the world dissolved and Percy shot straight up in his bed.
He did learn something from the future. He learned that sometime in the future, Bianca and Nico wouldn't know him, but the real problem is, he wouldn't know them either. But why?
Then Annabeth got up too. She glanced down at Percy, and he looked up.
Annabeth sighs and climbs down the ladder. "What was yours about?"
"Bianca and Nico-"
"Me?"
Annabeth and Percy jump up at Bianca's voice.
"Sorry," Bianca whispers.
Percy moves over so Bianca can sit too. Bianca gratefully sits beside Percy and lays down too. "It was weird. Because...we didn't know them and they didn't know us. We were just meeting. At a school."
Bianca frowns, "I'd never forget you guys."
"Unless someone wanted us to forget each other," Annabeth sits up. "Think about it. We were old, right Percy?"
"Yeah, but-"
"And we didn't know each other and we were with..."
"Thalia and Grover."
Annabeth frowns but continues, "so, who would want to take away our memory? Specifically which god?"
"Hades!" Percy yells.
"Exactly!" Annabeth exclaims.
"What?! No!" Bianca yells. "My dad wouldn't do that. I met him. He hates Soos, tolerates Poseidon but he likes me! And N-Nico."
Annabeth raises an eyebrow, "why'd you quiver? Why'd you hesitate?!" She demands.
Bianca hesitates again. "Because he told me that he cares about us but...Nico wouldn't do the 'job' as good as me. But I'd be unable to. But why Hades, Percy?"
"You answered your own question. Hates Soos, tolerates Poseidon. He hates Zeus..." Percy said it properly that last time, but Bianca didn't get it.
Bianca cocks her head to the side.
"He hates Zeus, that's why! He doesn't want you here. He thinks you're not welcome because he doesn't have a cabin. Remember? He'd send you and Nico away and take away your memory because he doesn't want you here."
Percy sees a tear trickle down her cheek. Her hands fiddled together in her lap. "I don't want to forget." Bianca turns to them. "Promise me you'll remember when we meet. Promise me. I can't remember 'till you remember first, so please promise me you'll remember."
Annabeth stutters, "I-I never say a promise I can't keep-"
"I promise Bianca," Percy says wrapping her into a hug.
Annabeth glances at them, "I...I promise. And I won't break this promise because its a promise and I never break a promise."
Bianca nods and Annabeth joins the group hug.
"Thanks you guys. Thanks..."
Percy pulls back first, "what happened in your dream Annabeth?"
Annabeth sighs, "we were on some boat..."
Wow, that that was long! Sorry, it was kind of a drag and I didn't really go over it because that would've taken forever. I'm not going to make it that long again. It was just too long. (Thats what she said;))Review please!