Chapter 2: I'm So Not Harpy About My Ruined Trip
Out of this entire situation, the one thing that scares me the most is my brother's name. Getting bitten by a possibly poisonous ghost spider? Nah. Being attacked by a half-human, half-bird person? Not that scared. But about to die because I'm related to my brother who's a total dork? Most embarrassing moment of my life.
I mean, seriously, have you met my brother?
"How did you know my brother's name?" I asked.
The harpy laughs.
"There's not a monster, half-blood or an immortal who does not know the tale of Percy Jackson. I was only here because I smelled the fresh scent of a half-blood," It said, referring toward Sam. At the time, I did not know what a Half-blood is. So I just got in her way and protected Sam.
"Get away from her! She's just a kid!"
"Oh sweetie," The harpy said. "She's not."
It then pinned me down on the ground with its claws. Sam screams in fear while I grunted in pain. But while it pinned me down, I was able to get a good look at the harpy's face and attire. She had short black hair with brown eyes; her wings were black, like the wings of crows and ravens. She had these sharp blades attached to her claws; wearing a black combat suit that you'd see in mercenaries from movies; even the wings had some armor on them, protecting them so they wouldn't be damaged. It was kinda weird, I mean, why is a mythological creature dressed up like some professional hitman?
"But, now that I have you, perhaps your brother will come and save you if I let you live."
I tried to get its grip off me but I couldn't.
"Look, birdperson." (Not the Rick and Morty kind, they're alright.) "I don't know why my brother is involved with this! I don't know if he owes you money or if you two got into a fight. But leave Sam alone or you're gonna wish my brother was here!"
The harpy laughed.
"Figures he'd keep his mortal family away from his other life. As for your friend, well, I gotta eat something."
"FREEZE!"
A cop arrived at the scene and held his gun at her.
"Down on the ground! Now!"
The harpy turned around and launched some of her feathers at the cop. This was my opportunity to get away from its grips and grab Sam and run.
The Harpy snarled at us as she rose upwards with its wings and chased us. I tried to calm Sam down and get her to focus on running as we reached towards a door and entered inside.
"Any idea why that thing's chasing us, Sam?" I asked.
"No! I didn't think it existed until a few minutes ago."
The Harpy screeches and I tell Sam to duck. We managed to evade her attack but we kept running as she crashed. It gave us some time to put some distance away from her and we managed to hide inside a broom closet.
Sam was freaking out as I tried to calm her down.
"Sam, relax. We need to focus."
"How can I relax?!" Sam replied. "We're being chased by a living, talking mythological creature that's after me AND knows your brother!"
"I know; we just need to call for help and get out of the building. I'll call my brother while you call your dad."
"Uh, Stella? I don't have a phone, remember?"
I silently cursed. I totally forgot that Sam's dad never gave her a phone. His reason was that it'd attract a lot of attention.
"Okay, I'll call your dad first. What's his phone number?"
Sam gave me her dad's phone number and I called him. The phone rang for a while until I got a response from him.
"Hello?" He said.
"Mr. Stacy? It's Estelle Blofis, from school."
"Stella?! Is Sam with you?! The station got a report of a disturbance in the Museum, I'm on my way now!"
I explained to Mr. Stacy about the situation as calmly as possible. I told him about how there's a lady that's half-bird coming after me and Sam.
"It was flying and everything, looks exactly like a-"
"Harpy…" Mr. Stacy said through the phone.
"Y-yeah, how did you…"
"Estelle, listen to me. I need you to promise me that you'll keep my daughter safe. Find a hiding spot and wait for me to get there. Once you're safe, let me know where you are and I'll pick you girls up. Got it?"
I nodded, which was dumb because he can't see me nodding.
"Sure, but Mr. Stacy, why did you believe me about the Harpy?"
"...You wouldn't believe me if I told you."
"Sir, if Sam's in trouble. I have to know too, she's more than just my best friend. She's like a sister to me. I want to help."
Mr. Stacy was quiet for a moment and then spoke, "You aren't gonna like the truth of what's out in the real world, Stella. What's out there in the shadows…"
I did not like what he was saying, but right now, my best friend was scared and confused. No matter what awaits me, I have to protect her.
"Whatever it is, I won't let it harm Sam. I promise."
Mr. Stacy sighs through the phone.
"Okay, just be careful and stay hidden. I'll be there shortly, just be safe."
I hung up the phone and told Sam what her dad said.
"Okay, so we'll just find a place to hold our ground and wait for my dad to come," Sam said. I nodded and told her that I'm gonna call my brother next. Just as I was about to call him, my phone was ringing and the caller ID was none other than him. I don't know if it's just a coincidence or not, but I'm glad it happened. I answered the phone.
"Hey Estelle, It's Percy. Me, Annabeth and the kids just arrived and mom told me that-"
"Percy," I yelled quietly. "Perfect timing! Sam and I are in trouble!"
"What? Did you guys cause another lunchroom incident?"
I rolled my eyes. It was one time and it was for a science project that went out of control in the lunchroom. Sam and I cleaned it up but we were gonna be smelling beans for weeks in there.
"No, Percy, we're being chased by someone!"
"What?"
I explained to Percy what happened and then started describing the creature.
"It was like half human, half-"
"-Bird…" Percy finished.
"Y-yeah… it even knew you…"
Percy was quiet for a second but then started panicking.
"Estelle, you and Sam need to get out of there! I'm on my way right now!"
"We can't, Sam's dad is on his way right now and-"
"Don't! He'll get hurt too! Just get out of there!"
Percy sounded scared. Like he knew something.
"Percy… what is it you're not-"
BAM
A giant claw just appeared from the ceiling. Sam and I screamed and I ended up dropping my phone while we ran out of the closet. The harpy found us like she knew exactly where we were hiding. We kept running until we reached a small office room. Probably where some of the employees are stationed. We hid underneath a desk just in time before the creature entered.
"Where are you?" She snarled.
Sam was shaking in fear and I was doing my best to calm her down.
Remember that one scene in Jurassic Park? The one where the two kids were hiding in the kitchen from the velociraptors?
It was exactly like that. The harpy was clearly smelling our scent and was looking for us. There was not a lot of room for it to fly so we could actually hear its claws on the carpet. The footsteps just kept getting closer and closer, so Sam and I had to move or we'd get caught. We quietly sneaked around while the harpy kept moving.
"I know you're here," She said. "Come out, wherever you are."
We kept moving closer and closer to the door, but then she jumped right in front of us. We both managed to move out of sight before it could see us. Sam was really scared, but she was managing to keep herself together. Barely though. So, we kept hiding, hoping that the harpy would either leave or have an opening for us to leave.
The harpy kept sniffing us out, trying to find us. As Sam and I kept moving away from the creature, Sam hit the desk on the way, which ended up making one of the pencil holders fall down and cause a noise. The harpy reacted quickly and quickly jumped toward the noise. We had to split up and hide somewhere quickly before the harpy could get to us. Sam went in one direction while I went in the opposite direction. The harpy was just at the spot where she dropped the pencil holder. It sniffed at the spot and somehow caught Sam's scent. She followed the trail of where Sam was hiding. She doesn't know that it's getting closer, but she can definitely hear her. I had to do something, fast.
I then saw a pencil on the floor and saw the entrance wide open. I threw the pencil and it landed outside. The harpy reacted quickly and headed outside, it then ran off, assuming that we ran off.
I breathed a sigh of relief and checked on Sam.
"You okay?"
"I'm scared," Sam replied. "Why is this thing after us? Why does it know your brother? I'm so confused?!"
"I know," I assured her. "Don't worry, once your dad gets here, we'll be safe and then my brother will explain what he knows about the harpy," I assured Sam. We both got up and slowly walked toward the exit of the office. We looked around and saw if the creature was still around. Luckily, it's not so we're quickly ran the other direction where the harpy ran off. We kept running until we could reach the main hallway.
"We're almost out of here, Sam. Come on!" I yelled. I grabbed her arm as we tried to reach the main entrance. Suddenly, I heard a voice from the entrance.
"Girls?! Sam?! Stella?!"
It was Mr. Stacy, walking into the entrance with a shotgun.
"Dad!" Sam yelled as we ran towards the entrance. She hugs her dad while he asks where the harpy is.
"We managed to lose it by the office area," I answered.
"Okay, both of you, head outside and stay in my car."
"Wait, dad! What's going on?!"
"I'll explain everything later, just go to the car and-"
But it was already too late, a loud screeching noise appeared; suddenly, a giant bone came flying right past us and blocked the main entrance. We all looked and saw the Harpy looking at us from the second floor.
"There you are," The harpy snarled at us.
Mr. Stacy yelled at us to go while he shot at the harpy. Sam and I ran while that's happening, but the harpy threw a chair at us, preventing us from escaping. We ran toward the front entrance reception desk and hid under there. I told Sam to stay under while I check on her dad. Mr. Stacy was putting up a fight with the shotgun. Which is weird, earlier I saw the cops doing the same but it only bounced off the harpy's wings.
"How is this possible?!" She yelled.
I then noticed something on the shotgun, it wasn't police-standard equipment. It had engravings on it, almost seeming ancient. Possibly Ancient Greek or Roman; it's hard to tell. I also noticed that the shotgun is bronze instead of the standard material, whatever that is. The only reason I assume it's bronze is because it has that light brown-like color on it. I'm no weapon expert so I can't guarantee. However, it is doing some damage against the harpy so I can't complain. The harpy tries to get close and attack Mr. Stacy, but he was holding out well on his own.
Truth be told, I want to help. I hate being a damsel in distress, but what can I do against a mythological creature that's immune to modern weapons? For now, all I can do is keep Sam safe.
Meanwhile, Mr. Stacy was pushing the Harpy back with his shotgun, until he just ran out of ammo. Mr. Stacy cursed, while the harpy chuckled sinisterly. It then swung its wing at him and made him fly off on top of the reception desk and landed near us. "Dad!" Sam shouted as she crawled next to him. Mr. Stacy groans in pain as the harpy comes closer to us. I noticed that the shotgun he had was dropped nearby, so I tried to grab it. Again, I'm not a gun expert so I have no idea how to properly use it. So, I assumed that I could bluff our way out of here.
"Stay back!" I yelled as I aimed (poorly by the way) at the harpy. She laughed.
"It's out of ammo, you idiot child."
Yeah, so much for bluffing.
"What the hell do you want?!" I yelled.
"Oh nothing much. You see, I was minding my own business and was just monitoring Olympus when I caught her scent," She said, gesturing toward Sam. "So I figured why not grab myself a snack? I didn't even think I'd get a sibling of the great Percy Jackson."
I scoffed.
"First of all, my brother is not that great. I mean, he's too much of a nice guy to be a menace or a threat or whatever. Seriously, have you seen him with his kids?!"
The harpy snarled while it grabbed me by the claws.
"You weren't even born then, with how much he has done. What he had to do to survive… who he killed for his own glory."
Lots of things were scaring me. The harpy was the least of my worries, Sam's safety is my main concern, but the thought of my brother actually killing someone? That can't be, he's too much of a teddy bear to do that.
"You're lying," I said. "Percy wouldn't even hurt a fly."
She started grip tighter on my chest, making me flinch in pain.
"Oh child, there's not a monster out there that does not know the tales of Percy Jackson, savior of Olympus."
"Olympus?" I said. "That's just a myth!"
Funny how I'm saying that Olympus is a myth to a living talking harpy. Great idea Estelle!
"Oh you silly mortal. There's more to this world than meets the eye."
As she was talking, Mr. Stacy took out his pistol and aimed it at her face. It actually worked because she grunted in pain and let go of me. I got up and ran toward the Stacy's with the shotgun and gave it to the detective.
He started reloading the shotgun but was only able to load two shells in before the harpy regained her vision and looked at us.
She jumped at us while dodging Mr. Stacy's vision to avoid getting shot. She then grabbed the Shotgun from him and threw it out of the way.
"Not this time, Detective."
"Leave him alone!" Sam yelled.
The harpy snarled at her, "You stay out of this, half-blood! I'll deal with you later."
Half-Blood?
What the heck is a half-blood?
I stood in front of the harpy to protect Sam.
"You want Sam, you'll have to get through me!"
The harpy laughs.
"Please, what can a little mortal child like you do?"
I was really out of options, honestly. Nothing can harm her, Sam's dad is hurt and we have nowhere else to run or hide. Frankly speaking, we are boned.
Or so I thought.
Just as the harpy was about to pull the finishing blow at Sam's dad, it stopped midway. She started sniffing at the air.
"This scent… it can't be…"
The harpy gasped and looked at the front entrance.
We all looked at where she was looking at and who I saw gave me both relief and anxiety.
There, by the entrance, with jet black hair, green eyes and wearing a simple hoodie and jeans was none other than my brother, Percy Jackson.
"Percy Jackson…" The harpy snarled in great anger. She let go of Mr. Stacy and started walking toward my brother.
I wanted to tell my brother to run since he was just not a fighter like Sam's dad. But I noticed he was holding a weapon. A bronze sword.
"Vulture, step away from my sister and her friend if you know what's good for you," Percy said.
I kinda snorted a bit, "I'm sorry, The Vulture? That's your name? What, did you steal it from a comic book?"
The harpy replied, "It was a title given to me by Lord Kronos during the war. For the many bodies I brought to him. You remember, Percy? The war, how so much followed you… to their deaths?"
The look on Percy's face was not something I can never forget. He was always happy or just dozing off; maybe get mad whenever me or the kids did something wrong. But right now, all I saw in Percy was pure anger and fear.
"Don't you dare get near my sister again, or I'd do the same to you as I did with your sisters."
Percy aimed his sword at the Vulture as she snarled at him with just as much hatred.
Right now, the only thing I'm more focused on is my brother. Percy wouldn't harm a fly, yet he killed a mythological creature's sisters? What on earth did he do? What was he hiding from me?
I have so many questions right now, but at the moment I have to focus on Sam's safety. I gesture to her to help me pick up her dad.
"Estelle," Percy shouted, "Get out of here, I'll deal with birdbrain here."
I didn't want to leave my brother behind, especially when he's up against someone who just took out several cops and a detective on her own. But, again, what can I do? I'd just be in the way.
"Fine," I said. "But you better be careful! And you got some explaining! Sam and I deserved that!"
Percy nodded.
The harpy ignored us while facing Percy.
"I've been waiting a long time for this, Percy Jackson. You'll pay for everything."
Percy scoffed.
"Bring it on, birdbrain. Also, what's with the suit?"
"Since you half-bloods are adapting, I had to adapt myself."
"So you decided to dress up as an assassin? In broad daylight? Maybe you really do have the brain of a bird."
"Silence, Percy Jackson; or perhaps I should pay your sister a visit when I'm done with you."
"In your dreams," Percy said.
The last thing I saw was the Vulture jumping at Percy.