The Rise Of The Heroes

by JkAlex

What if, as a child, Percy had made a decision that changed the course of his own story and that of others? What if he had ended up on the streets, surviving on his own for years, meeting a mortal girl who could see through the mist? And found three other demigods with the promise of a better family. PercyxThalia.

4. Metallica - Seek & Destroy

Chapter 3: The pages of playboy magazine is the way to go.

A slight twitch of pain appeared on Thalia's face, but it was only for a second. She refused to express more than that as she felt a needle go in and out of her skin.

"Hold on a little longer," Percy said.

Another stab, this one more painful than the last, causing Thalia to grunt in pain.

"Can't you be gentler?" she asked through clenched teeth.

"Stop complaining. It's only five stitches."

"You don't know what it feels like."

In response, Percy simply tugged at the collar of his shirt, allowing Thalia to see a large, long gash on his right shoulder that ran from his collarbone to the center of his chest. From the look of the wound, it was very fresh. She could still see the numerous stitches that held the edges of the wound together, and many of them had come loose, causing the wound to open up and begin to bleed, staining his shirt.

At the sight of that wound, Thalia felt a little regretful, considering the time Percy had taken to stitch up the wounds Luke, and she had received from their fight with the hellhounds and the Minotaur.

She didn't speak again and let Percy continue to sew up the wound on her shoulder, a cut made by the claws of a hellhound that came too close.

An hour had passed since the accident at the church. When they had escaped the burning place, Luke had... borrowed a car that was parked. Despite knowing him for six months, Thalia was still amazed that Luke could pick any kind of lock just by putting his hand on it and concentrating. It had been a really useful skill for getting transportation or food from locked stores at night.

In less than fifteen minutes, the small group was on the other side of town as they made their way down the road.

Half an hour later, Luke led them to a ramshackle old cabin in the woods. It was where Luke, Annabeth and Thalia had been staying for the past few days, but had been forced to leave to get help for Annabeth.

"So... how are you holding up?" Thalia asked, breaking the silence. A little small talk would help distract her from the slight twinges of pain from the stitches.

"About what?" Percy asked without looking up, continuing to stew over the wound.

"You know... Everything. About the gods and finding out you are a demigod."

During their journey, Thalia and Luke had told Percy about the truth of the world they lived in. About the existence of the Greek gods who had children with mortals, resulting in the existence of demigods. Half-mortal, half-god beings. Half-blood. And because of that, they could see the world as it really was, plagued by monsters that tried to kill them, and they could do things that mortals had only seen in movies or fantasy books.

Percy already knew about the existence of monsters, gods, the mist and much more. He had told them that the years on the streets had shown him much, more than he wanted to reveal. The only difference was that he now knew who, or what he is.

This was the life of a demigod. One who did not belong to the divine world, but did not belong to the mortal world either.

Percy thought about it for a few seconds, but in the end he just shrugged and replied:

"I guess... at least it makes sense why the monsters called me a half-blood. But in the end... it doesn't really matter."

"What do you mean?" Thalia asked, curious to hear his answer.

Percy stopped sewing Thalia's wound, and she could see his eyes glaze over as he was lost in thought.

"For years I've wondered... Why am I different?" Percy began, his voice barely above a whisper. "I saw things others didn't. And I could do things that others could only dream of."

"Like what you did in the church, fighting the hellhounds and the Minotaur?"

Of all the things Thalia had seen in her life, that was the most impressive... and terrifying. She had never seen anyone hit so hard that the earth itself shook.

"Yeah..." Percy nodded slowly. "All my life I've felt like a freak. And for a long time I wondered why I was like that. Why I could see those... monsters. But in the end... the reason doesn't matter."

"It doesn't matter?" Thalia exclaimed, incredulously. "You found out that you are literally the son of a god!"

"And that's why the monsters are after me, right?"

"Well, yes, but..."

"Then it makes no difference if I know the reason or not. It won't stop the monsters from coming after me. If anything, it just makes me feel more guilty."

"Guilty? About what?"

Percy looked at Sammy for a few seconds, sleeping peacefully on a tattered old sofa. Next to him lay Annabeth, her entire body wrapped in blankets, only her face visible.

"Because I'm a... demigod, monsters have been after me my whole life. That means people who were close to me in any way were always in danger, and..."

"You feel guilty because Sammy has been in danger all this time because of you," Thalia finished, her tone sympathetic.

Percy said nothing. He just clenched his fists and nodded.

This was something that had settled in his mind over the past few days since Thalia and Luke had revealed the truth about who he was. Percy had always known that he wasn't a normal person. He could see monsters that other people couldn't, and he could do things that others could only dream of. And now that he knew the reason behind it all, the reason why the monsters were always after him, he could only blame himself for putting Sammy in danger.

The monsters were after him because he was a demigod, not Sammy. She was just a mortal who could see them, but the monsters weren't specifically after her.

So wouldn't it be safer for Sammy to be away from him? Thalia, Luke and Annabeth were different. They were demigods and the monsters would always hunt them, but Sammy was different. She had a chance to escape them, and they wouldn't come looking for her.

"I know what you think," Thalia said, pulling Percy out of his thoughts. "I know you think Sammy would be safer if she wasn't with someone like us."

"Am I that obvious?" Percy asked with a sad little smile.

"It is obvious that you care about Sammy and want the best for her."

"The best thing for her right now would be to be away from someone like me. That way her life wouldn't be in danger."

"You may be right..." Thalia admitted. "But do you think it would be easy for her? You've lived on the streets for a long time. Running from the monsters. It wouldn't be easy for her to start a new life knowing the truth about what's out there. She will probably develop trauma for the rest of her life, and... if she lived on the streets with you, I guess she has no one else."

Percy was silent. He thought about Thalia's words. He was at odds with himself because he felt they were both right. This time there were no right decisions, only choices. And they would have to be made in the near future.

After Percy finished sewing the wound on Thalia's shoulder, he used his knife to cut off the excess thread.

"Done," he said, taking some liquid from the first aid kit they had brought with them and pouring it over Thalia's shoulder, wiping away the blood. "Just try not to make any sudden movements or the stitches will come loose."

Thalia made a few slight movements with her shoulder. She felt the sting of the wound, but fortunately the stitches didn't come loose.

"Thank you," she said sincerely, assessing the wound. "It will leave a scar, won't it?"

"Yes. I'm sorry," Percy apologized, placing a gauze pad over Thalia's wound and taping it.

"It's all right. It doesn't bother me. I'm used to it" Thalia put her black leather jacket back on as Percy finished covering her wound. "I have more scars on my body than I care to remember. A lot of them are because I didn't know how to treat them back then. But you're pretty good at it."

"When you face so many monsters and get hurt, you learn how to do these things."

"I can see that..." Thalia gave Percy a slight sideways glance that reflected her intrigue. "You... How long have you lived on the streets?"

"I... Five years..." Percy replied in a distant, sad voice. "I've been on the streets since I was twelve. And you?"

Thalia was a little reluctant to answer, but Percy had told her.

"Two years," she replied. "I've been on the streets since I was fourteen. It... It hadn't been easy."

The days without food or water. The sleepless nights, not only for fear that some monster would find her, but also because she had no place to sleep. The cold... the heat... the thirst... the hunger... the fear... Thalia had lost count of the number of times she had felt all of these things until she had learned how to survive. Countless times she had done not-so-pleasant things in her time of desperation and need. She had always told herself that she had to survive, and that had brought her comfort.

She looked at Percy and found him smiling at her slightly, as if he understood perfectly.

His sea-green eyes reflected fatigue, distress, but most of all... understanding.

No words were needed to understand each other's grief.

---

"Luke, time to go!" Thalia yelled from the passenger seat of the car they had stolen.

Several days had passed since they had left the cabin in the woods. Luke had said it wasn't safe for them to stay in one place for long now that they were a large group. As soon as Annabeth had recovered, they decided to take the car, which conveniently fit five people. One at the wheel, one as a passenger, and three in the back.

Usually it was Percy, Thalia or Luke who drove. They were the ones who looked old enough to have a driver's license. They took turns every few hours when one of them got tired or wanted to take a nap. That's what they'd been doing for the past few days. Traveling and stopping overnight to camp or stop at a gas station for gas, supplies, and bathroom breaks.

Right now they were in Lost Creek National Park, Colorado. Why in an area so far from the big cities? Because, according to Percy, it was better for them to be away from large gatherings of people, as monsters tended to hide in crowds.

They had stopped at a gas station on the side of the road to do just that. While Percy waited behind the wheel, the girls had gone to the bathroom and Luke had gone to buy whatever he could with the money he had stolen from a careless passerby. The guy looked like a bastard who wiped his ass with money, Thalia said, so they didn't feel guilty about stealing his wallet. It was a jackpot. They had two hundred and thirty-five dollars and several credit cards. The credit cards were useless, but the cash was more than welcome.

"What the hell is taking that idiot so long?" Thalia complained, tapping her finger impatiently on the armrest of the seat.

"Maybe he's in trouble?" Annabeth asked worriedly.

"Or... maybe he's eating the stuff he bought?" Sammy chimed in.

"Selfish bastard. Knowing him, that's very likely," Thalia said, throwing a grumpy look at the gas station.

"I'll get him," Percy said. "Thalia, take the wheel in case we have to make a quick getaway. Keep the engine running."

Percy saw Thalia nod before he walked out the door.

He stretched his muscles, making a satisfying crack in his joints. Sitting for a couple of hours was stifling, and even more so with the noisy company he had, though it didn't bother him as much as he thought it would. Which was kind of funny to him. It was... nice.

Percy thought he'd better go find Luke before Thalia started shooting sparks of electricity out of impatience. He had already seen her once, and even though she looked great doing it, he didn't want to be around her again when that happened.

The store was not much different from any other. The shelves with the different products and the refrigerators with glass doors close to the walls. The manager didn't even look up from his magazine when he rang the bell, signaling that someone had entered the store.

Wasting no time, Percy started to look for Luke, but first he had to do something very important. He went to one of the candy aisles and grabbed a couple of bags of chips. He didn't know when they'd be back in a store to restock, better safe than sorry.

Percy found Luke in a hidden section of the store. He had his back to Percy as he read what looked like a magazine, muttering to himself.

"Do women really have them that big?" Luke muttered almost inaudibly. "They look like marshmallows..."

"What things look like marshmallows... Luke?" Percy asked, crossing his arms.

Luke turned quickly, pale as a ghost.

"Percy! I... well... nothing important." Luke laughed nervously, trying to subtly hide the magazine in his hands.

Percy narrowed his eyes at the magazine.

"What are you looking at?" he asked.

"Oh, well... you know. This area of the country is quite famous for its forests, and people often come to camp in them, or so the manager told me. So I picked up a survival magazine that they sell in the store. It is quite useful for us, since we camp in the woods quite often."

Percy was silent for a few seconds, narrowing his eyes at the teenager. Luke felt a cold sweat run down his neck, hoping his lie wouldn't be discovered.

"I see," Percy replied with a nod. "That makes a lot of sense. Can you show me?"

"Huh?"

"You know, the magazine. It would certainly be useful if I read it, too."

He held out his hand for Luke to give him the magazine.

If possible, Luke became even paler. He felt a little intimidated by Percy's gaze, even though he wouldn't admit it.

With nowhere to run, Luke accepted his fate and handed the magazine to Percy.

Percy looked at the cover of the magazine, and what he saw left him with his mouth open and a lump in his throat. In front of him was a photograph of a woman wearing seductive lingerie that left little to the imagination. The position in which the woman was posed invited one to admire her voluptuous and alluring figure. Percy's eyes involuntarily went to those elegant curves that continued down to her long and well-defined legs.

He swallowed the lump in his throat and forced himself to speak.

"Where... where the hell did you get this?"

Luke pointed to the counter where such magazines were indeed displayed, where they all shared the same name on the 'Playboy' cover.

Percy swallowed audibly again.

"So... that was the kind of marshmallow you were looking at."

"Please don't tell the girls!" Luke pleaded. "Thalia will kill me, and I will not bear the disappointment in Annabeth's eyes!"

Percy watched Luke for a few seconds. He really did look a little, just a little, desperate. He couldn't blame him, though. If Thalia found out that Luke was looking at those kinds of magazines... let's just say it wouldn't be pretty. The gentlest thing she could do would be to electrocute him.

Percy looked at the magazine, then at Luke, then back at the magazine... at those legs.

He swallowed loudly before letting out a long, tired sigh.

"I'm not judging you, Luke," Percy said sympathetically. "We're teenagers. And it's normal to have... these kinds of interests. I'm just asking you not to show them in front of the girls."

"Thanks, Percy," Luke said, obviously relaxed. "By the way, when you said we're both teenagers, does that mean you have those kinds of interests too?"

Percy didn't answer. He just turned around and started walking towards the exit.

"Let's go. The girls are waiting for us."

"Hey, Percy, answer me!" Luke insisted as he walked behind Percy. "You know my... preferences. It's only fair that I know yours."

"Have you packed the things we need yet?" Percy asked, ignoring Luke's assertion.

Luke frowned, annoyed by the evasion.

"Yes. I was just about to pay for them," he replied.

"Perfect. Add this."

Percy handed him the bags of chips he'd picked up, and they went to the counter. The manager was still with his magazine, chewing nonchalantly on a piece of gum. When he saw the two teenagers, he put the magazine down with an annoyed look on his face and began to run the various products through the machine.

Seeing the amount of food and snacks they were carrying, the manager raised an eyebrow in curiosity.

"Are you planning on going into the woods to camp?" the manager asked.

"No, we..." Percy started, but remembering what Luke had said, he went along with it. "Yeah, that's right."

"I wouldn't recommend it," the manager said disinterestedly as he continued his work. "Not many people frequent these woods, just campers. Still, last month three campers went missing and were never found."

The manager pointed to the side. There, taped to one of the glass windows, were wanted posters of three different people. Two men and a woman.

"The woods are full of grizzly bears. So it's not very safe to go camping, but people don't mind. And apparently, neither do you."

Percy and Luke got out when they finished paying and walked to the car where Thalia was waiting behind the wheel, tapping her fingers impatiently on the steering wheel while listening to a rock band on the radio.

"Percy... about the magazine... You're not going to tell Thalia, are you?" Luke asked hesitantly.

"Don't worry, your secret is safe with me," Percy reassured him, patting him on the shoulder before adding "Legs... and asses."

Luke looked at him in confusion.

"What?"

"My preferences."

"Oh... uh... Boobs."

Luke and Percy looked at each other and there was a mutual understanding. After all, they were both teenagers.

---

Percy had always loved the night. And in his opinion, nights in the woods were the best.

The pure, clean air filling his lungs. The song of the crickets, the hooting of the owls, and the whisper of the wind in the trees, rocking them in a constant and mesmerizing dance. The darkness of the night helped him stay calm and focused. No matter where he looked, his eyes were always involuntarily drawn to the sky. At the stars that adorned the firmament, highlighting the beauty of the night, but there was something else. Something that captured his attention for hours and brought a peace that filled his heart.

The moon.

That beautiful glowing orb high in the dark sky. Percy was captivated and fascinated by that satellite. The millions of stars paled in comparison to the beauty of the moon with its silvery glow. Despite being surrounded by absolute darkness, the moon still shone brightly, adding to its beauty.

A series of sounds brought Percy out of his reverie. The sound of grass and branches breaking under his weight. He turned to see someone approaching in the darkness of the forest, dimly lit by the crackling fire. He recognized the blonde hair as gold.

"Annabeth," Percy said in recognition, "What is it? It's not you who has to do the next watch."

"Yes, I know," Annabeth said in a low voice. "It's just that I couldn't sleep."

"Nightmares?"

"No. I just couldn't sleep. Can I sit next to you?"

"Sure," Percy said, rising from his sky-gazing position. "A little company wouldn't hurt."

Annabeth smiled slightly and sat down next to Percy, gazing into the fire.

A strange silence fell between them. Percy found it comforting as he continued to stare at the moon and stars. Annabeth found it a little uncomfortable. She was an eleven-year-old girl with ADHD; she found it very difficult to sit still without doing something. She glanced sideways at Percy, who seemed completely relaxed. How could he?

"It's a quiet night," Annabeth commented, breaking the awkward silence.

"It is," Percy said, nodding and not taking his eyes off the sky.

"Don't you feel tired? You've been driving all day, and yesterday it was you who stood guard all night without sleeping."

"I'm fine. You have nothing to worry about."

"I can't help it," she said shyly, "When I see the circles under your eyes..."

"I've always had circles under my eyes, Annabeth," Percy said, slightly amused.

"Well, you shouldn't! You need to sleep more, and you need to relax."

"Relax? Are you saying I'm too tense?"

"Of course you are. You need to find a hobby."

"A hobby..." Percy mused, putting a hand to his chin. "Do you have one?"

"Yes! I like to read and learn more and more!" the girl exclaimed excitedly.

"I see... Is there anything in particular that you like to learn?"

"I like to learn all kinds of things! History... Science... Math... and architecture!"

Percy let out a small laugh at the girl's enthusiasm. She was very much like Sammy, and he couldn't help but notice the similarities between them. The same emotions, the same innocent smile...

"That's why I say you should get a hobby. Tell me, Percy, is there anything you like to do?"

Percy thought for a few seconds. There weren't many things he liked to do, looking at the night sky was one of the few. He also found it relaxing and comforting to look at the sea. It was like a longing he had. Other times, he enjoyed sleeping for long hours and, when he had the chance, eating junk food like an obese pig.

In short, and in words that are easier to understand, Percy was a lazy person.

"There aren't many things I like," Percy admitted. "But if I had to choose one, it would be this."

He pointed to the starry sky above them.

"Do you like looking at the stars?"

Percy nodded.

"You said you liked the story. Well, the story is about you, Annabeth, up there. Myths and legends about the deeds of our ancestors are immortalized in the stars."

Annabeth looked up at the sky, seeing it with a new eye. Her gray eyes seemed to sparkle with a newfound fascination.

"Do you know anything about astronomy, Percy?" Annabeth asked, excited to learn something she didn't know.

"Just the basics, but I can teach you what I know."

"Really?! I would like that very much!"

A smile formed on Percy's lips.

"Let's see... Do you know the signs of the zodiac?"

Annabeth nodded, not once, but twice.

"Do you know what yours is?"

"Hmm... I was born in July, so my sign is... Cancer?"

"Cancer, huh?" Percy thought, remembering the story behind the said sign. The words began to flow through his mind. He remembered the story that had been told to him so many years ago.

Annabeth listened carefully as Percy told the story of Cancer the Crab. She was slightly annoyed when he told her that it was considered the faintest constellation, but she relaxed when he told her that it was so named because it was the hardest to see in the sky.

He went on to tell the story of the crab that, in Heracles' battle with the Hydra of Lerna, one of his twelve labors, attacked the son of Zeus and bit his ankles with its claws to distract him so that the many-headed beast could kill him. Annabeth was disheartened when he told her that the demigod had crushed the crab, allowing him to kill the Hydra.

Although the crab failed in its mission, Hera, wife of Zeus, rewarded the little crustacean's bravery by placing it in the sky, where its small act of bravery would be remembered for centuries to come.

Even a small act of bravery can go down in history and be immortalized in the stars for people to appreciate for centuries to come.

'Remember, Percy, every act, no matter how small, has great value.'

Percy remembered the words and repeated them for the little girl to hear.

Annabeth looked up at the sky, trying in vain to see the stars that represented her zodiac sign. After a few minutes, she grew frustrated and gave up looking.

"I can't see it," she complained, an adorable pout on her little face.

Percy just laughed, amused, and ruffled the girl's blonde hair.

"That's why they call it the faintest constellation."

Annabeth stood there, trying to look annoyed, but a small laugh involuntarily escaped her lips. She couldn't deny that she liked his little gesture. It made her stomach flutter and made her feel warm inside. It reminded her of when her father would congratulate her for doing well in school, before her stepmother came into her life and before her family fell apart.

"Hey, Percy," Annabeth called a little shyly, "Who taught you all that? The constellations and the stories behind them?"

Percy stopped in his tracks, puzzled by her question. Annabeth raised an eyebrow, confused as to why he stopped moving his hand. She looked up to see Percy, who seemed lost in thought, a glassy look in his eyes as he peered past the trees.

"It was... my mom," he replied in a distant voice. "When we would go to Montauk Beach and lie on the sand at night, she would tell me stories about the constellations, especially those inspired by Greek myth. I never understood why she was so interested in Greek myths... until now."

Annabeth looked at him with both sadness and sympathy, but before she could say anything to him a thunderous scream echoed through the forest, followed by a deafening silence. Almost immediately, Thalia sat up and grabbed her spray can. She looked around for any sign of danger, but saw nothing.

"What the hell was that?" she asked, getting to her feet carefully.

"Someone's screaming," Percy replied, scanning his surroundings. His hand tightened around his trusty knife.

"I noticed, Sherlock, did you see anything?"

"Nope. Nothing."

"Do you think it was a monster?"

Percy shook his head.

"It was definitely human."

"So what...?"

Her question was cut off by the loud sound of a gunshot, causing Luke and Sammy to wake up abruptly.

"What is...?"

Another shot, followed by another scream, this time even louder than the last, but it wasn't even remotely human. It was like a cross between a growl and a roar. Then there was dead silence. There was nothing to be heard, not the chirping of crickets, not the hooting of owls. Percy felt a cold sweat run down his neck as he swallowed to loosen the lump that had formed in his throat.

He felt someone grab his shirt. He didn't have to turn around to know it was Sammy, looking for the security Percy had always given her.

"We have to go," Luke said, breaking the silence. "This place isn't safe anymore."

"We can't leave," Thalia said firmly.

"What...? Are you crazy?! Did you hear that thing? It definitely wasn't human. If we stay here, we'll just attract it."

"There are people around here. If that thing is around, they're in danger."

Luke was stunned and looked at his closest friend, unable to believe what she was saying.

"Are you saying we should help them?" One look into Thalia's determined eyes was all he needed to know the answer. "That... That is stupid! Why should we help them?"

"Because it's the right thing to do. I couldn't live with myself if I knew that innocent people were dying, and I didn't do anything to prevent it."

Saying nothing more, Thalia walked forward and disappeared into the trees.

Luke stared at the spot where his friend was. He clasped his hands tightly, unable to understand how she could want to help the people who had done so much harm to them.

"What... what do we do?" Sammy asked hesitantly. Still clinging to Percy's shirt.

"Isn't it obvious?" Annabeth said, taking a step forward. "We're not leaving Thalia alone! We're going to help her! Right, Luke?"

The boy was still silent, staring blankly at the fire dancing in the dark. When he heard his name, he clenched his teeth.

"Damn it! That idiot...!" Luke exclaimed. "Come on, Annabeth. She'll probably do something stupid if we're not there to stop her."

They both ran in the same direction Thalia had gone, leaving Percy and Sammy alone.

"Should we go too?" Sammy asked.

Percy let out a long, exasperated sigh before grabbing his backpack and slinging it over his shoulder.

"Luke's right. They'll probably do something stupid if we're not there. Come on, Sammy."

---

Thalia moved quickly through the undergrowth of the forest. It was hard to see in the darkness of the night, but somehow she didn't hit any trees, although she did trip over an occasional stone a few times. She cursed her luck for not bringing the flashlight she had in her backpack.

She strained to hear, alert for any sounds around her, since she couldn't trust her eyesight right now due to the dim light. She tightened her grip on her spray can, which turned into a spear as her heart pounded in her chest.

Was it fear?

Yes, she wasn't going to deny it, it would be stupid not to. Thalia was afraid of whatever was capable of making such a growl. A kind of growl she had never heard before, even though she had lived on the streets for two years.

It wasn't long before Thalia could see a light leading her through the forest; a campfire. In the distance she could see a small camp in a small clearing in the forest. As Thalia got closer, she could see people moving around restlessly, their shadows cast by the fire. When she was only a few meters from being seen, she stopped abruptly.

She walked slowly through the undergrowth, moving bushes and brushing aside some branches, making a sound that was audible to those present.

"Who's there?" a distinct female voice called out.

Hands raised in peace, Thalia made her presence known.

"Easy, I'm not going to hurt you," Thalia said, trying to calm the frightened people.

"A boy?" the same female voice asked.

This comment bothered her. Very much.

"I'm a girl," she said devastatingly.

She realized that with her short, spiky hair and her choice of clothing, black ripped jeans, a black Green Day T-shirt (her favorite band) and a black leather jacket, she could confuse many people about her gender, but she had always thought of herself as a girl. A girl with the tastes, habits, and attitudes of a boy, but still a girl.

Surveying the camp, she was able to identify the people. There were three of them; two teenagers, a girl and a boy, and an adult male. The teenagers looked no older than seventeen. They were sitting by the fire, looking at Thalia expectantly and fearfully. The adult man standing in front of her held a hunting rifle and pointed it directly at Thalia.

"I heard the scream," Thalia said, not taking her eyes off the rifle. "The shots and the... growl. I came to help."

"Help?" The man asked mockingly. "How would a milk-scented brat like you help us?" Thalia wanted to kick him in the balls. "Surely you and your stupid friends wanted to play a joke on us. Well, let me tell you, I don't find it funny at all!"

She heard the click of the gun ready to fire.

"Roy, stop it!" the girl said. "You saw and heard that thing too. It was not human. There's no way she had anything to do with it."

"You better listen to her. She seems smarter than you," Thalia snapped at the man named Roy.

"But she's not the one with the loaded gun," Roy said.

Behind Thalia there was the sound of moving bushes. Roy immediately pointed the gun in that direction, waiting to see what might come from there. A series of more beeps and Luke appeared in the clearing, a gun pointed directly at his face. He didn't look away from the barrel, but his face turned pale as a sheet and he swallowed audibly.

"Luke?" Thalia asked.

"Hey, Thalia... Could you tell him to put the gun down? I don't want to die so young and handsome."

A few seconds later, Annabeth appeared, along with Sammy and Percy, who narrowed his eyes at the gun.

"Thalia!" Annabeth said reproachfully. "Don't leave us like this! You'll make us worry!"

"Yeah... sorry, Annabeth."

"Okay, brats, it's time to talk," Roy said, pointing his gun at them. "Who are you? And what the hell are you doing in the middle of the woods?"

Luke looked at the man and wanted to punch him or kick him in the balls, either would have been fine with him. It would have amused him to know that both Thalia and Percy shared that opinion.

"That's none of your business, old man," Luke said in a disgusted voice. "You should be more concerned with what's in these woods."

"Did you see it too?" the girl asked with obvious fear.

"We heard a scream, followed by two shots," Annabeth explained. "Then we heard some kind of growling."

"It was just a grizzly," Roy said patronizingly. "I shot at it, and it ran away."

"No, it wasn't a grizzly," the boy said, his voice weak. He was shaking visibly and rubbing his arms to calm himself, "That thing was too fast to be a grizzly. Besides, bears don't jump from tree to tree."

"Did you see it?" Thalia asked in a quiet voice that surprised even herself.

The boy looked down, terrified. The girl sitting next to him put a hand on his shoulder to calm him down.

"Tell them, Alan. You saw it better than we did," the girl said in a soothing tone.

The boy, Alan, bit his lip before speaking slowly.

"I... I was sitting by the fire, making some marshmallows. That's when I heard something moving in the bushes, I thought it was some kind of animal or something attracted by the smell or the fire, so I ignored it. Until I heard something snort behind me. When I turned around, I saw... I saw that... thing."

"What was it?" Annabeth asked, intrigued.

"I couldn't tell you for sure... it seemed human, but not at the same time. It was very thin, so thin you could see the bones. It was almost two meters tall, and its arms were incredibly long, with long claws. Its teeth were crooked and sharp, and its eyes looked like empty sockets... Its ears were pointed, and its skin seemed to be falling off on some parts of its body..."

When he finished describing the creature, they all fell silent. Luke and Thalia seemed the most curious about the creature's description. They had never seen or heard of anything like it, and they were the ones who had seen the most monsters.

But Percy... he narrowed his eyes suspiciously when he heard Alan's description. Finding it all too familiar.

'Wait... He saw it?' Thalia thought, 'If it was a monster, then Alan shouldn't be able to see it, unless he's not a mere mortal.'

"Anything else?" Luke asked, "Did it tell you or do anything?"

Alan shook his head.

"It just stared at me. It was there, right where you came from."

Involuntarily, they all gave a small start and moved away from the bushes. They did not want the strange beast to come out and slit their throats with its claws.

"Was that you screaming?" Annabeth asked.

"Yes, everyone does when they see a monster for the first time."

Annabeth turned to look at Roy. He had lowered the gun, but was still looking suspiciously at the small group that had appeared.

"I assume it was you who fired. Did you see anything?"

Roy grunted in annoyance before giving the little girl a sour look.

"Yeah, it was me. I heard the boy scream and came out armed. There was something in the bushes. So I did what anyone would have done; I fired. Whatever it was... it got away."

Thalia looked at him in disbelief. If the strange roar she had heard meant anything, it was that whatever was in those woods was still out there. She looked at Luke and Percy, who seemed to be thinking the same thing. Percy shook his head slightly, indicating that she shouldn't say anything, he didn't want to scare them any more than they already were.

"This thing ain't coming back anyway," Roy continued as he grabbed his gun and went into a small tent that was near a fire. "You brats better get back to your camp. Your parents must be worried."

Only Thalia and Annabeth snorted in amusement at the older man's remark; if their parents really cared about them, they wouldn't be in the middle of the forest with a monster roaming around.

"Can we talk?" Thalia asked looking at Percy and Luke.

They both nodded and moved farther away, so the teens couldn't hear them, but close enough to keep them in sight. Annabeth and Sammy sat down with the two teenagers, Sammy offering them some marshmallows she had taken from Percy's backpack to break the ice.

"Doesn't this seem a little strange to you?" Thalia asked.

"Not really," Luke said, sitting down on a log. "Mortals have always been incredulous and foolish when it comes to monsters. They could not recognize one even if it was right in front of them."

"That's what I mean. This boy could see it, isn't he a demigod or a mortal with clear vision?"

"I doubt it," Percy said, leaning against a tree with his arms crossed. "Judging by the look on his face, it was the first time the boy had ever seen a monster in his life. He also said it was the first time he had ever seen one."

Luke looked at Percy with curiosity. He knew that of the three of them, he was the one with the most experience in dealing with monsters.

"That's impossible," Luke denied. "If he could see monsters, he would have seen them before."

"That's the strange thing," Thalia mused thoughtfully. "Roy said he shot it and ran away. Monsters are not affected by mortal weapons. Besides, I've never seen a monster like the one the boy described,"

She glanced sideways at Alan, who was talking to Sammy.

"Maybe he's just lying," Luke said dismissively.

Thalia looked at her friend. She understood his contempt for mortals, she would be lying if she said she didn't do the same sometimes, but Luke had no qualms about showing it to everyone. His life, like all of theirs, had not been easy. And for the most part, that difficult life was the fault of mortals.

"He's telling the truth," Percy said confidently.

Both Thalia and Luke turned to look at him, interested.

"How do you know?" Luke asked.

"Believe me, there are monsters that the mist doesn't affect, and mortals can see them."

Thalia and Luke looked at each other, worried. They had seen monsters before, but they had never heard of a monster that could pass unnoticed by The Mist. The mist was a barrier that separated the mortal world from the divine one.

"Anyway, regardless of what that boy saw or thought he saw, I'm sure there's something in these woods." Percy said.

Luke looked at him incredulously.

"How can you be so sure?"

"Close your eyes and you'll know. Both of you will."

Luke was still skeptical, but he closed his eyes. So did Thalia.

"Now tell me, what do you hear?"

They both listened, but...

"I don't hear anything," Luke said.

"Exactly. Nothing," Percy confirmed. "We're in the middle of a forest, surrounded by wild animals and hundreds of insects. And you can't even hear the crickets."

They both raised their eyebrows. They hadn't noticed, but he was right. The forest was absolutely silent, there was no sound at all, except for the conversation that Annabeth and Sammy were having with the teenagers.

"Now concentrate. Put aside all the stupid thoughts you always have..."

"Hey!" they both said in unison.

"... And focus on that feeling in the back of your head. That tickle you feel in the back of your neck. Do you feel it?"

Luke and Thalia frowned in concentration. They put aside all useless thoughts and concentrated on their instincts. Luke felt it first because he had trusted his instincts for years.

Percy was right. He felt it. There was something that caused a tingling sensation that ran down his spine. Like someone breathing down his neck. And he knew that feeling all too well.

"Someone is watching us," Luke said and opened his eyes.

"Yes," Thalia agreed. "And it doesn't hide its malice towards us."

Percy nodded.

"Whatever it is, it's watching us. We don't know why it doesn't attack us, but we can't let our guard down. We have to protect ourselves."

"Do we tell the others?" Thalia asked.

"We'd just freak them out and make them paranoid," Luke said. "The last thing we need is the old man shooting like a maniac."

"Luke's right," Percy said. "We should keep these people as ignorant as possible."

Thalia and Luke nodded in support of his decision.

"We don't stand a chance at night," Thalia said. "Let's wait until dawn, and hopefully we can escape the forest without running into this monster."

"That would be best," Luke agreed as he got up and headed for the small camp. "The sooner we get these people behind us, the better for me."

Thalia frowned even more than usual as she watched her friend turn his back on them.

"Something seems to be bothering him," Percy said, standing next to Thalia. "Do you know what it is?"

"Luke... He doesn't trust mortals very much," Thalia revealed. "And to a certain extent I can understand that. Monsters are predictable, you know exactly what they want from you, but mortals... their intentions are not always clear. It's not for me to tell you, but I'll just say that Luke's experience with mortals hasn't been the best."

When they reached the small campfire, Thalia saw the two teenagers comforting each other. The boy gently massaged the girl's back while speaking soothing words to her, while she sobbed quietly, her face hidden in her hands.

She watched the scene unfold between them. For her, it was somehow moving to see two people supporting each other.

Percy looked at the teenagers and then at the girls with an accusing look.

"What did you do?" he asked questioningly.

"We didn't do anything!" Sammy said, offended by his accusation.

Annabeth nodded.

"We were just talking. They told us about... their brother."

"Brother?" Thalia asked curiously.

The girl stopped sobbing and looked up, her eyes red with tears.

"That's why we're here," she said quietly. "Our brother disappeared three days ago."

"When you say 'our brother' do you mean...?"

"Oh... We haven't even introduced ourselves... My name is Jessica, and this is my little brother, Alan. We came here to look for our older brother, Tommy."

"What's your brother doing in these woods?" Luke asked.

Jessica took a deep breath to calm her sobs before telling the story she had told the two kids earlier.

"A week ago, he and his friends decided to go camping so they could get in touch with nature. I told him it was a stupid idea, but he didn't listen. They came and decided to stay for a week. Every day Tommy texted us about the things he was doing. Photos and videos of the animals he found, rabbits, deer, even a bear. But one day we stopped getting messages. No photos, no videos, nothing. That was three days ago, and we haven't heard from him since."

Jessica put her hands to her face to stop herself from sobbing. Her brother, Alan, rubbed her back gently, trying to comfort her. He looked at the small group of young people who had listened in silence. His eyes looked tired and very concerned.

"When we didn't hear from Tommy, we decided to look for him," Alan continued in his sister's place. "We asked Roy for help, he's a hunter who knows these woods very well. We've been looking all day, but we can't find our brother."

"Haven't you found any clues as to his whereabouts?" Luke asked, "I mean, Roy is a hunter. He should be able to track him to some degree."

"He did. We were able to find the camp where Tommy and his friends were camping, but... we didn't find anyone. The place was a mess. The tents were torn and full of scratches. His stuff was all over the place. It looked like he had been attacked by a wild bear."

'Or maybe...' Thalia thought.

She looked at Percy and Luke and realized that they were both thinking the same thing. Percy shook his head, indicating that it would not be the best thing to say right now.

"HELP!"

Everyone jumped at the cry heard in the forest. They started to turn around and search the area where the sound came from, but it was hard to see in the darkness of the forest.

"What was...?"

"PLEASE, SOMEBODY HELP ME!"

This time the scream was even closer. Roy emerged from the tent, rifle in hand, and began to search the area. He looked at the group gathered around the fire and noticed how confused and disoriented they were.

"HELP!"

Roy quickly tightened his grip on his rifle and ran in the direction of the scream, but before leaving the clearing they were in, he turned and spoke urgently:

"Stay here! I'll be right back."

"Roy, wait! It's very dangerous!" Luke shouted, but was ignored. "Damn it! Stupid mortals." He turned to look at his group. "I'm going with him. This place is not safe. You stay here."

He ran in Roy's direction, but Thalia's scream stopped him.

"Luke! Take this!"

She threw her spray can and Luke caught it. He looked at the camouflaged spear and smiled gratefully at Thalia.

Without stopping, he moved quickly through the bushes and into the dense forest. It was difficult to move forward when one's vision was limited by the darkness, but Luke managed it by walking carefully. Perhaps it was an advantage to be the son of the god of thieves and travelers. His footsteps were almost silent, and he never stumbled as he ran over the uneven ground.

For several minutes he saw and heard nothing. The forest was uncomfortably silent, which only added to the growing sense of dread that made his hands tremble around the released spear. He felt someone watching him. He felt a gaze on his neck and, perhaps it was fear, he could swear he heard a breath just inches from his ear.

Ignoring the fervent desire to flee, Luke continued forward. A few yards ahead he could see Roy leaning against a tree on his back, his rifle clutched tightly to his body. When Luke was close enough to feel his presence, he put his hands up peacefully. He didn't want to get shot by mistake.

"What the hell are you doing here, kid?" Roy asked in a quiet whisper.

"It's dangerous to be out here alone," Luke said.

"I have a gun, kid. It gives me more security than you."

Luke wanted to tell him two things. The first was to put that gun where the sun don't shine. And second, that a gun made by mortals wouldn't help if they were up against what he believed was coming. But before he could speak, Roy leaned out of the tree and aimed his gun beyond the bushes.

"Did you see anything?" Luke asked.

"There's something there, hidden in the bushes, but it's too big. I can see its fur poking out."

"A brown bear?"

"It's very likely. If it is here, it is a danger to those who come to the camp."

Luke looked at Roy, surprised at what his words implied. Then he remembered that whoever was standing next to him was a hunter.

"Are you going to kill him?"

"It's what I do for a living, kid."

Ignoring Luke's unpleasant look, Roy inched forward. When he was a few feet from the bush where a hiding figure could be seen, he backed up the bolt on the gun and pulled the trigger. The sound of the shot filled the forest, followed by a plaintive wail from the animal in the bushes.

Roy lowered the gun and looked smug.

"Ha! That was the easiest hunt of my life."

He walked over to the bush and there, lying in its own blood, was an adult grizzly bear. The shot had passed through its chest, causing almost instantaneous death. As he watched, Roy's grin slowly faded. Something was wrong. The bear was badly injured. Its body was full of cuts, as if it had been slashed in various places with a sword, or something shorter like a knife, or... claws.

"Roy, look up!"

It all happened in the blink of an eye. Roy looked up to see a pair of thin arms moving quickly to his neck. A brutal twist and the sound of bones snapping and popping out of place. In the next instant, Roy's body fell face first to the floor, like a puppet whose strings had been cut.

Luke watched the scene unfold before him. It all happened too fast, but he was able to process it all in a single second and braced himself, wielding Thalia's spear.

In the middle of the night, he was able to watch the creature that had easily killed the experienced hunter. It was just as Alan had described it. Tall, very thin, with long arms and claws. He couldn't quite make out its face, but if he had, he would have seen the creature's eyes staring at him with savage malice.

With a speed impossible for a human, the beast lunged at Luke with an animal growl, claws ready to seize him.

Only because he was a demigod and had slightly better reflexes than a normal human, Luke was able to dodge it. He dove to the side and rolled across the grass, hitting some rocks and branches, but ignoring them, he quickly got up. In an instinctive move, he swung his spear to pierce the creature's heart, but he was completely shocked when the spear pierced it harmlessly, as if he had stabbed a mirage.

Taking advantage of his stupor, the creature struck Luke with the back of its long arm, sending him several feet into a tree. He crashed hard, and his spear slipped from his fingers. A groan of pain escaped his mouth and he fell face first to the ground.

His head felt cloudy, and his back throbbed with pain. The last thing he saw before he slipped into unconsciousness was the beast rearing menacingly in front of him.

"Luke!"

The cry startled the beast, and it turned in the direction of the sound. There, panting slightly, was Thalia. It took her only a second to notice Luke, who was being carried like luggage in the beast's arms. His eyes were closed and blood ran down his face from a cut on his forehead above his eyes.

An expression of complete rage graced Thalia's face. Sparks of electricity began to emanate from her body, clenching her fists until her knuckles turned white. She glared at the beast with obvious intent to kill and pointed her palm at it, where sparks of electricity began to gather.

"Let him go, you bastard!"

A powerful bolt shot out of her hand and struck the tree inches from the beast's face. The force of the impact visibly stunned it. With a pitiful whimper, the beast plunged into the trees and fled the scene with Luke in its arms.

"No!"

She tried to run after it, but only made it a few steps before her body gave out, and she fell to her knees. She felt her head begin to cloud over, and her breathing became erratic. Thalia closed her eyes to keep from getting even more dizzy from everything spinning around her. Even though it wasn't the first time she had summoned lightning, she still wasn't used to the feeling of the slight dizziness it caused.

Thalia clenched her fists and grabbed a piece of earth between her fingers.

"Damn it... Damn it!" She hit the ground hard. "Luke..."

---

Small drops of water hit the ground, but there were no traces of clouds in the clear night.

"What...? Was Luke...?"

The tension in the air was almost palpable. Sammy looked at Thalia in utter shock. She couldn't believe what Thalia had just told them. Luke had been kidnapped and taken to who knows where by a monster they didn't know.

"I was too late," Thalia went on. "When I saw the monster take him, there was nothing I could do."

Annabeth, who had heard the whole story, frowned, trying to understand the behavior of this strange beast.

"You said you found Roy dead?" Annabeth asked.

Thalia nodded.

"He was slumped on the ground with his neck broken. Most likely the monster broke his neck. It wouldn't be surprising, since it seems to have incredible strength, if it was able to attack Luke and run away at high speed."

"But... Why did the monster kill Roy and kidnap Luke?" Sammy asked. "It doesn't make much sense."

"Probably because Roy shot it," Annabeth replied. "And that made it angry. But this gives us a new possibility. Luke could still be alive."

Thalia looked up in surprise. She didn't want to think about her friend being dead, but she didn't want to have false hopes either.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Think about it. It makes sense. If the monster wanted to, it could have killed Luke at any time, instead it went to the trouble of picking him up and carrying him while he was still alive."

"So... he might still be alive," Sammy said, a hint of hope in her voice.

"Wait, if your friend can be alive, then so can Tommy, right?" Jessica asked.

Annabeth gave her a pitiful look.

"I don't want to give you false hope, but... there is that possibility."

They all fell silent. They knew they were walking a tightrope, but they couldn't help it. Their loved ones were in mortal danger, or dead, no one knew. Despite Annabeth's words of encouragement, Thalia couldn't help but look down. Her misfortunes seemed to haunt her throughout her life, and she seemed to do nothing but harm the people around her. The people she cared about.

"It's my fault," Thalia said with contempt for herself. "If I had gone with him..."

She kept her head down, her hands clenched tightly, her jaw clenched. She didn't notice anyone coming toward her until she could see the feet in front of her. She looked up to meet Percy's disapproving gaze.

"Percy...?"

"How long are you going to sit there wallowing in self-pity?" he asked, his voice hard.

"What...?" Thalia asked, frowning. More confused than angry.

"You heard me. There is a chance that Luke is still alive, hold on to that. It's better than sitting there wallowing in your own misery. What we have to do is clear, find the damn son of a bitch and send him to Tartarus as a pincushion. Now, are you going to get up and do something about it, or do I have to kick your ass again to get you to do something?"

Thalia looked at Percy in shock. It was the first time she had ever been scolded like that. Luke had never said anything like that to her for fear of getting his ass kicked. She had always been the one with the more dominant personality between the two of them, but that didn't seem to matter to Percy.

She looked away and smiled, amused. She scratched the back of her head, a gesture she made whenever she felt embarrassed, even if she didn't know it herself.

"Okay, okay. I understand! Gods... you are impossible sometimes. If we were in any other situation, I'd kick your skinny butt."

Percy smiled cheekily at her.

"The last time you tried it, you ended up getting your butt kicked."

"Wait a minute, Percy's butt isn't skinny," Sammy defended, frowning to show how serious she was, but it only made her look more adorable. "It's cute, and it's one of his greatest charms, isn't it, Annabeth?"

The girl was surprised, and a strong blush appeared on her cheeks.

"Huh? Well... I..." she mumbled incomprehensibly.

"See, she can't say anything because she knows it's true!"

"Oh, please," Thalia said, rolling her eyes. "You always favor him"

"That is not true! If you don't believe me, why don't you touch it yourself?"

"Eh!?" Thalia said, this time with a strong blush.

Sammy grabbed Percy and made him turn around before pushing him towards Thalia, making her see his butt covered by his jeans. Percy did nothing to stop it, finding the whole situation amusing.

"You heard me, give it a squeeze and you'll see for yourself! Or are you afraid to like it?"

If possible, Thalia's blush doubled.

"You sassy little brat!" she shouted and started to run after Sammy to hit her, who ran away from her in laughter.

As Sammy ran from an angry but flushed Thalia, the two siblings looked on with varying expressions of astonishment. It seemed unbelievable to them that just a few minutes ago they had been in such a gloomy mood, but now they were enjoying themselves like the children and teenagers they seemed to be.

A wistful smile graced Jessica's features.

"They remind me of us," she said as she watched Thalia trying to grab Sammy while she hid behind Percy. "We used to fight like this when we were kids."

"Back then, it was Tommy who used to tease you," Alan said, sharing the same smile.

Jessica looked down sadly. Alan noticed and put a comforting hand on hers.

"He'll be fine," he said. "Tommy's always been the strongest of the three. Remember the times he was late from work because he was working overtime? He always came back with a goofy smile on his face. This time will be no different."

His words seemed to have the desired effect as a smile appeared on Jessica's lips.

"Yes... you're right. I have to believe that."

---

The next morning, as the sun broke through the dark forest, and they could see clearly around them, Thalia and Percy moved slowly forward, searching for any sign or clue as to the whereabouts of the beast or their friend.

It had been difficult to convince Sammy and Annabeth to lead the two siblings to the car hidden by the side of the road. Both had been incredibly stubborn, but after being told that they had to get the mortals to safety and that it was too dangerous for two little girls to search the forest for a monster, they reluctantly agreed. They realized that they would only be a burden in the situation.

Percy apologized to them, but promised that they would be returned safely to Luke. He also told Jessica and Alan that if he found their brother, he would rescue him. They were skeptical at first, but all it took was a lightning demonstration from Thalia for their doubts to disappear.

Thalia had been laughing ever since when she saw the look of utter amazement on the mortals' faces; they looked like fish out of water.

When she and Percy reached the clearing where she had confronted the beast, all traces of humor disappeared from her face, replaced by her usual scowl.

"It happened here," Thalia said, her eyes scanning the area.

"Are you sure?"

Thalia pointed her finger to the side. Percy's eyes followed and there he found the lifeless body of Roy.

"Okay," he said, not giving the body a second glance. It wasn't the first time he had seen a dead body, and it wouldn't be the last.

"The monster went this way. Keep your eyes and ears open."

Nodding, Percy followed Thalia as they searched the forest for clues. Claw marks, footsteps, broken branches, signs of bodies dragged in the dirt, anything would do. The more they searched, the more frustrated they became. There was nothing. Whatever this thing was, it was a very good predator.

After what Thalia felt like hours, they finally got something.

"I found something!" She heard Percy shout.

She quickly went in search of him, her heart pounding in her chest with faint hope. When she got to where Percy was, she found him kneeling on the ground, looking at something. It looked like a piece of paper with a picture on it, but she couldn't quite make it out because it was rolled up.

She picked it up and unfolded it. When she saw what it was, opened her eyes in surprise.

"A... Playboy magazine?" she mumbled, feeling her cheeks heat up as she saw a completely naked woman on a bed, the sheets she was holding barely covering her most intimate part, though her prominent breasts were fully exposed. Thalia felt her gaze drawn to those pink nipples, feeling a warmth settle in the pit of her stomach.

She felt embarrassed when she stared longer than necessary and heard Percy throat clearing.

"W-what the hell is a porn magazine doing here?" she questioned, looking up. "And how can it help us find Luke?"

"Well..." Percy scratched the back of his neck, looking away uncomfortably. "That magazine is his."

Thalia arched an eyebrow.

"How do you know that?"

"I... saw him bring it in from the last store we passed."

Tentatively, Thalia glanced sideways at the magazine page again. If Luke had this with him, then she understood why he had decided to sleep inside the car the night before.

'Oh, gods...'

Thalia dropped the magazine with a heavy blush on her face.

Ignoring her embarrassment, Percy bent down to pick up the page and peruse it.

Thalia looked at him with wide eyes, how dare he look at a porn magazine in front of her, a girl? Before she could snap at him, Percy dropped the page.

"Degenerate bastard," Percy said with a flinch that turned into a smile. "I'm proud of you."

"Percy, what the hell are you talking about?" Thalia asked, obviously annoyed.

"The page is booted. Luke guides us like the breadcrumbs in Hansel and Gretel."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, trust me. Look for scraps of these magazines. They will lead us."

Thalia was still quite skeptical, but she decided to listen to Percy. For a few minutes she searched the woods for pages of a porn magazine... Gods, she felt incredibly stupid and ridiculous doing this! Imagine her surprise when she actually found one of those pages.

She turned to look at Percy, who was concentrating on looking at the pages and, somewhat hesitantly and with her heart beginning to pound in her chest, she again looked closely at the page of Playboy magazine. This time, it was that of a girl, who was also completely naked, her back to her as she looked over her shoulder in a pose that emphasized her curves.

Thalia looked closely at the model's buttocks before dropping the page.

Twenty minutes after they had followed the trail, they arrived at what they assumed was the monster's lair. It was the entrance to an abandoned mine. The woods seemed to be falling apart from how old and weathered they were. There was a sign that read 'Danger', but the letters were faded and almost illegible. The entrance was lined with wooden planks, but one had been removed, leaving enough room for an adult to enter.

Thalia and Percy approached cautiously. They saw a last page of the magazine at the foot of the entrance, but decided to ignore it. It was clear where they should go next.

"Listen, Thalia," Percy said quietly. "Our priority is to save Luke and the brother from these mortals, if he's still alive. We won't face the monster until we know Luke is safe."

"Why don't we kill the monster first and then find Luke?" Thalia asked.

"Because we don't know if there is only one. There could be more. Remember, monsters almost always travel in packs."

Thalia nodded in agreement with Percy's logic. She looked at the dark cave entrance. She felt like she was walking towards her own death. She could almost smell the putrefaction this place gave off. The tingling in the back of her neck that warned her of danger and her whole body screamed at her to run, but she didn't. Luke was in danger, and she was not going to leave him.

She glanced at Percy out of the corner of her eye, but she couldn't find a hint of fear or doubt in his eyes. She couldn't help but admire him and feel calmer inside.

"Come on," Thalia said, her voice sounding more confident than she felt, "Let's rescue this pervert and kill this son of a bitch."

The inside of the cave was dark, damp and cold. Visibility was very poor, but small rays of light filtered through holes in the ceiling. It was fortunate that they had found this place during the day, for at night it would be impossible to take a single step without tripping over the various stones that littered the place. The tunnel was wide enough for several people to pass through, but it was worn and obviously abandoned.

The two demigods walked forward in complete silence. The only sounds they made were their breathing and the light patter of their footsteps. Thalia felt her heart pounding in her chest and her hands sweating in the grip of her spear. She kept her eyes fixed straight ahead, listening for any sound she might hear.

A few minutes later, the sound of a growl put her on alert. At the end of the corridor, a shadow could be seen moving slowly forward. The figure looked human, but distorted and elongated, but they could make out the silhouette of long claws on its arms.

"Shit, it's here," Thalia whispered.

Percy looked around for a place to hide. His eyes fell on a crack in the wall, just big enough for them to hide.

"This way, quickly!" he said urgently.

He grabbed Thalia's wrist and pulled her into the crack. He pushed her first and then entered. The place was unbelievably small and they both could barely fit into the hole, and they could only do so because their bodies were pressed together more than either of them felt comfortable with.

Thalia's movements were so limited that she couldn't even turn her head to look away from what was in front of her, Percy's body. For a brief moment, she was grateful that she was smaller than him, because she couldn't look into his eyes right now. She could only stare at his collarbone, exposed by the folds of his shirt. A scar peeked around the edges. The scar from his fight with the Minotaur.

Thalia listened to the beast's footsteps and the low, constant growl it emitted. It was getting closer to where they were. Thalia closed her eyes tightly and tried to calm her rapid breathing and the frantic beating of her heart.

After what seemed like hours, the sound of the beast's footsteps began to fade. When they couldn't hear anything else, they struggled for a few minutes to get out of the hole.

Once they were free, Thalia began to take deep breaths. She only hoped that she wouldn't have to spit her heart out of her mouth, considering how hard it was beating.

Percy looked at the place where the beast had gone and narrowed his eyes.

"Shit..." he muttered under his breath in a worried tone, "This is bad."

"What's wrong?" Thalia asked in alarm, thinking the monster had noticed them.

"I know that monster. I've run into several of them before. The good thing is that Luke and maybe Tommy are alive. But the bad thing..."

"Which... which is it?"

A shiver ran down her spine at the grim look Percy gave her.

"That thing will eat them alive...slowly."

They both moved forward in silence. Thalia began to grow impatient as they found nothing but the remains of an abandoned dig. The constant pattering of water drops seeping into the walls irritated her beyond measure. Ten minutes after they found nothing, a scent seeped into her nostrils that made her wrinkle her nose in disgust. She looked at Percy out of the corner of her eye and saw that he had smelled it as well.

"We're close," Percy said.

And he was right. They walked for a few more minutes until the tunnel opened up into a small cave. Sunlight filtered through small cracks in the ceiling and the first thing they could see was many bones, a closer look, and they could see that they were human bones. But that was not the worst of it. In the dark corners of the cave, there were human remains with flesh still clinging to their bones. Flies, worms, and rats swarmed over them, making the sound of meat being chewed and swallowed. Thalia had to fight the urge to vomit, either at the sight of the decay or at the sickening smell that filled the cave.

Instead, she focused on what was at the bottom of the cave. A few human bodies hanging by their hands a few inches above the ground. The ropes tied to their wrists were supported by wooden beams on the ceiling of the cave. They could make out two complete bodies, while a third body hung limply on the ground. The lack of a right leg made it clear that it was dead.

Thalia recognized one of the bodies.

"Oh, gods... Luke!" Thalia said as she approached.

Thalia felt her heart stop for a few seconds as she thought her friend was dead, but she was glad it wasn't. Luke was unconscious and mumbling something about marshmallows.

"Luke! Luke, wake up!" she said, shaking him by the shoulders to wake him up, but he didn't. "Wake up, damn it!"

She slapped him lightly to wake him up.

"What the...?!" exclaimed Luke, still sleepy. He looked around with sleepy eyes. "Thalia... is that you?" he asked, narrowing his eyes to focus on her.

"No, I'm your fairy godmother. Now shut up. I'm going to put you down."

Thalia used her spear to count the ropes holding him down. Luke almost fell to the ground. He massaged the place where his wrists were bound and scanned the room.

"Wow, this place reminds me of the dragon lair where we met."

Thalia looked around. He was right. She couldn't help but notice the similarities to that cave.

"Yes, but instead of corpses and bones, there was gold and jewels."

"If you two are done gossiping like parrots, we need to get out of here," said Percy, who was carrying a man on his shoulders. "This guy is still alive. He may be the brother of those mortals."

"We must avoid this monster. It's not... normal," Luke said, remembering his encounter with the beast.

"Is there a normal monster?" Thalia asked, her eyebrows raised.

"I mean, we can't hurt it. I stabbed it with your spear, Thalia, but it only pierced it. Like a mirage. If we can't damage it with a monster-killing spear, then we don't stand a chance."

"This monster is not like the ones you've seen before," said Percy. "It doesn't come from Greek mythology; it comes from Native American stories."

"You said you've met a few of them before," Thalia said.

Percy nodded.

"These creatures... are called Wendigos. They're not typical monsters, like hellhounds or the Minotaur. Wendigos are people who turned into monsters."

"Were they human?" Luke asked, surprised. "I guess it makes sense that I couldn't pierce it with your spear, Thalia. It's made of Celestial Bronze. But how does a human end up turned into that thing?"

"They do... when they resort to cannibalism. In doing so, their body changes. They become stronger, faster, and longer-lived, but they lose their humanity and are always hungry. And there's only one thing that can satiate a Wendigo's insatiable hunger."

Percy turned to look at the human remains flooding the cave and the dismembered corpse hanging there.

Thalia and Luke looked visibly frightened. They had never encountered a monster like this before—a monster they couldn't kill with their weapons.

"How do we kill it?" Thalia asked.

"As far as I know, there's only one way to kill it." Percy stared at Thalia. "With fire"

"If we have to use fire, then?" Luke muttered to himself before opening his eyes and looking at Thalia. "Lightning!"

Thalia looked at him for a few seconds, a defiant smile slowly spreading across her lips.

"Leave it to me!"

---

They walked silently, or as silently as they could, through the dark tunnel, all their senses alert. Thalia clung to her spear, ready to channel all her power through it and fry anything that came near. Percy stood alert, carrying the unconscious mortal on his back. Thalia was amazed at his strength. As skinny and scrawny as he looked, she was even more amazed when Percy easily carried a man weighing over 200 pounds on his back and walked smoothly without making a sound. Luke, who was holding Percy's knife, had a conflicted look on his face, as if something was bothering him.

"Why?" he asked after a few minutes of walking in silence. "Why did you come back for me?"

Thalia looked over her shoulder with her classic frown.

"It seems that monster hit you pretty hard on the head," Thalia said. "You're more stupid than I remember."

"It's a serious question, Thalia!" Luke said, annoyed by her nonchalance.

"Nope. It's a stupid question. And stupid questions deserve stupid answers."

"And why is it a stupid question?"

"Because it's stupid to ask the obvious!"

"And what is the obvious?!"

Before they started beating each other up, Percy decided to intervene.

"I think what Thalia is trying to say, in her weird way, is that we're not abandoning you, Luke. You are our friend."

They both looked at him with wide eyes, stunned by his words. His words were simple and sincere. Thalia felt a warmth in the pit of her stomach as she saw the honesty in his eyes. She looked at Luke and could see a smile forming on his lips.

"Do you consider us your friends, Percy?" he asked hopefully.

Percy gave him an amused smile.

"I considered you both my friends when I shared my bag of chips with you. Now, fulfill your role as damsel in distress and keep quiet and calm."

Thalia snorted in amusement while Luke glared at him, though you could see the obvious amusement in his eyes, but that amusement quickly faded as they heard a roar echo from the cave.

"Great. Surely your scream attracted it," Percy said.

"But isn't this what we wanted?" Thalia asked, her challenging smile back on her face.

"We need to move to a more open place. Get out of this cave if possible," Luke recommended.

"I have a plan," Percy said.

Thalia and Luke looked at him, then at each other, then back at Percy.

"You? A plan?" Luke asked skeptically.

"Is there a problem?" Percy asked, annoyed at his lack of confidence.

"No, none," Thalia said. "It's just that I don't see you as a guy who plans."

"Well, you dress and act like a boy. And you are a girl."

"Touché. Low blow, but touché."

"Okay, the plan is this..."

---

"That's a stupid plan," Thalia said.

"And suicidal," Luke added. "So it will work."

"Hey, asshole! I know you're there! Get your skinny ass over here so I can kick it!" Percy yelled.

They both stared at the entrance to the cave in disbelief. The exit was easy to find in the light of day. Percy had told them his plan, and in Thalia's opinion, it wasn't even a plan. Percy would act as bait, waiting at the entrance to the cave to attract the monster's attention, while Thalia waited for it, ready to fry it with lightning.

Although Thalia saw one advantage. Being outside, she could summon lightning directly from the sky, making it more powerful and deadly. Since a few minutes ago, she had been concentrating on the electrically charged clouds in the sky were swirling above them, and it would only take one maneuver for them to fall. She had to stay focused to not lose the power she had accumulated.

"Come on, I know you want a nice juicy piece of meat!" Percy shouted, trying to attract the monster. "Come closer, I'm very tasty! And in more ways than one!"

He went so far as to even turn around and show his butt.

'He's an idiot,' Thalia thought. Just then, a loud roar came from the cave. 'A clever idiot.'

"Oh, shit!" Percy exclaimed. "Thalia, get ready!"

Thalia was unprepared for what happened next.

Percy was thrown at the speed of a cannonball. All Thalia and Luke could see was a blur crashing into Percy. They rolled across the grass in an unruly mass of arms and legs, each trying to dominate the other.

At one point, the beast overpowered Percy and nearly impaled him with its claws, but at the last second he dodged and punch it hard enough to knock out a couple of teeth. That seemed to annoy the beast more than hurt it, because it attacked Percy more fervently.

Thalia and Luke wanted to help him, but they couldn't do anything as they watched Percy fight a Wendigo barehanded. Percy had a wild look in his eyes. And his face took on a scowl of pure rage. He took scratches that didn't seem to bother him in the least, and delivered devastating blows that stunned the beast for a few seconds. More than once, the sound of bone hitting bone could be heard.

After nearly one minute of fighting, Percy managed to land a heavy blow to its ribs, causing the infamous snap of breaking bone that could be heard everywhere. The beast howled in pain and Percy seized the moment. With the beast on top of him, he used both legs and pushed it away. Without wasting any time, Percy stood up and retracted his fist, ready to strike out at the Wendigo. Even though Thalia and Luke knew what would happen next, they couldn't help but fall face first on the ground when Percy managed to connect his fist against the monster's chest, causing a strong tremor shook the whole place where they were.

The Wendigo was brutally sent crashing into a tree, breaking it.

"Thalia, now!" Percy yelled.

Without wasting a second, Thalia raised an arm to the sky. The clouds answered her call and swirled furiously like a vortex, and right in the middle of it, a bolt of lightning shot straight at Thalia's outstretched arm.

Thalia clenched her teeth as the lightning touched her palm to keep from biting her tongue. It was incredibly powerful. She had never summoned such a strong bolt before, and it took all her willpower not to lose control of it. Her legs trembled, and her hands bled slightly as the electricity hit her. She focused all her attention on the beast that was rising, ready to attack again.

In a single movement, the lightning that Thalia had accumulated in her hand shot out in the direction of the Wendigo. The monster didn't even have time to blink, as in a matter of milliseconds, thousands of volts of electricity struck its chest, sending it flying and destroying the trees in its path. The beast growled in utter pain as the electricity burned every part of its body. In a matter of seconds, its entire body was fried. Its limp, lightning-scarred body smoked on the ground.

Thalia fell to her knees, unable to hold herself up. Her breathing was heavy and her vision blurred. Luke quickly ran over to her and put a hand on her shoulder to calm her down.

"It's okay, Thalia. It's over," he reassured her.

Thalia smiled slightly, but she still felt quite tired.

They heard footsteps and looked up, fearing the creature had survived, but it was only Percy, staring at Thalia with wide eyes. He looked a little bruised and had some minor cuts, but nothing too serious.

"That was the coolest thing I've ever seen in my whole damn life."

Thalia blushed at the compliment. She tried to stand, but her legs still felt weak. Percy walked over and helped her up. He grabbed her good arm, since the other had been injured by the lightning, and put it around his shoulder. When Percy grabbed her around the waist to steady her, Thalia tried not to flinch at his touch.

"Remind me never to fight you hand-to-hand," she said with a weary smile. "For a moment, I didn't know who was the monster."

"Only if you promise not to shoot me like that," Percy said. "I don't think I'll survive."

They both nodded in agreement and turned to Luke, who looked tired but happy that it was all over.

"Come on," Luke said. "The girls will be worried."

---

When they got to the little camp where the group of demigods and Sammy had been camping, they were knocked to the ground by the hugs of Annabeth and Sammy, who were crying a little. They had been very worried, but thanks to Alan and Jessica's help, they didn't run through the woods to find them.

The best part was when Luke showed up carrying Tommy. Alan and Jessica jumped for their brother, crying with happiness because they were so grateful that he was alive. In a rush of happiness, Jessica showered Luke's face with kisses, causing the young demigod to turn red as a tomato. Percy and Thalia's smirks didn't help.

When they took the three siblings in the car, they didn't stop thanking them. Thalia dismissed their thanks, saying it was nothing. Luke accepted the compliment, looking at Jessica with a dreamy expression, perhaps hoping for another kiss. Meanwhile, Percy just drove, happily eating the fries he shared with Sammy.

"Seriously, you don't know how much we appreciate it," Jessica said for the tenth time today when they got out of the car.

They arrived at the cabin where the rangers were. They had to take Tommy to the hospital, so they would call an ambulance. They would also call the authorities to report that a bear was on the loose and had attacked them, unfortunately attacking Roy and killing him.

"Just stay safe, okay?" Thalia said, downplaying the matter. "And be there for your brother. He will need you, now more than ever."

Percy looked at Thalia, and her words seemed strange to him because he could see her longing in them.

"We'll do that," Jessica said, hugging Thalia quickly.

She did the same with Percy, but when she stepped in front of Luke, she shrugged and, before anyone could react, she grabbed Luke's face and kissed him deeply on the lips. When they separated, Luke's face was red and blotchy.

"It was a pleasure," Luke said, his voice a little shrill.

She turned and walked over to Alan, who was talking to one of the rangers.

They all looked at Luke, who was staring at Jessica's back, though it could also be her butt. His mouth was still open, and his face was moved closer to him and lifted his jaw, closing his mouth.

"Keep your mouth shut, so the flies don't get in, Romeo," Thalia teased. "I'll ride in the back seat. I need to take a nap."

Luke snapped out of his stupor and leaned against the car's hood, releasing a long walked over to him and leaned in next to him.

"What a day, huh?" Percy said.

"Don't even say it. There goes my first kiss."

Percy looked at Luke in shock.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Luke asked, frowning.

"It's no big deal. It's just kind of... surprising."

"Surprising? Why? How was your first kiss?"

"Well, I... haven't kissed anyone yet."

Luke looked at him for a few seconds with a poker face, then burst out laughing.

"How... How come you haven't kissed anyone yet?"

Percy's eyebrow twitched in annoyance.

"Shut up, it's not my fault," Percy said defensively. "Kissing someone is the last thing you worry about when you've lived on the streets for years."

"Yeah... you're right," Luke said, looking a bit sad. "When I passed out in front of that monster, I really thought I was going to die."

"Well, it's lucky that didn't happen, isn't it?"

"Yes, thanks to you two."

"We told you, we're friends. We won't abandon you. We only have each other, and we will do whatever it takes to keep us safe"

Luke looked at him with obvious didn't look at him; his gaze was fixed on the sky, where the sun was beginning to hide, turning everything orange.

"We'll make it," Percy said, looking at the sky. "We'll find a way out of this."

"Yeah... I know," Luke said, smiling at the sky. "But I'm driving for now."

Percy smiled. He fished in his pocket and pulled out the car keys. He tossed them to Luke, who caught them out of the air.

"Let's get out of here."

...

..

.