151A/N: I decided I'm going to take a more mature part in fanfiction. No more silly Author Notes. Sorry for the long wait and kind've lame chapter :( I'm working on how I portray Annabeth. She's my fav character and I'm kind've failing. I think I did better here.
Disclaimer: Don't own PJO or Kane Chronicles. Never have Never will. *tear*
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It seemed to me that one of my friends often went MIA, (except for Thalia, because she wasn't exactly missing per say) but Percy and then Nico was too much.
Thalia stood in front of us leading. Percy had his arm around me.
"Hippocampi?" I asked him. My voice sounded so skeptical that Thalia glanced back at me smugly. I ignored her.
Percy, not being the sharpest tool in the shed, didn't catch my slip. He nodded and chuckled lightly. "You know those sea creatures. Treat me like a king. But they are really needy."
"Mmm I see... So where exactly were they?" I asked nonchalantly.
Percy sighed in recognition. "I know what you're getting at Annabeth. I have no idea. I thought we already talked about this."
I pressed further. "Do you know how important this could be! Its related to all this! Im sure it is. You said there was a girl? Do you at least remember what she looked like?"
We were turning into a busy street. Thalia shrunk back beside us. Percy's arm slunk away from me and he gripped my arm instead. He blinked as if the movement was disorienting.
"I dont feel so great." he swayed but kept walking. I looked at him with concern when Thalia slowed down.
"This way," Thalia murmured. People brushed past us, some ignoring us, some giving drowsy Percy odd looks.
Thalia's stride faltered. She glanced around uneasily. "Did you hear that?" I listened carefully.
"NO! It goes there!" a deliveryman was yelling at his partner.
To my left a girl giggled into her phone. "It was hilarious! He totally like knew that she was staring!"
A pounding rap song poured out of a nearby car and various honks proceeded it's passing.
"I don't hear anything," Percy said.
"Me either."
Thalia frowned at us. "You're not listening hard enough," she suggested.
"I'm not a huntress Thalia," Percy reminded her.
She scowled at Percy then glanced into a nearby shop. "I think it's coming from in there."
Thalia pulled out her bow and I unsheathed my knife. Percy reached for his replacement sword, but his legs shook like a plate of Jell-o. "I'm so sleepy," Percy murmured. He swayed into me and his knees buckled. I caught him and set him down on the sidewalk. "Don't move, we'll be back."
Thalia and I stepped into the store. I didn't see anything suspicious. It was empty aside from a woman and a homeless man. The man behind the counter smiled at us. Thalia nodded at him.
"It's him," Thalia whispered nodding towards the homeless man. I listened and heard a tinkling music wafting off him. I watched as the homeless man grabbed all of the school supplies from the racks and dumped them on the counter.
"He's deranged," I thought until I heard what he was saying to the cashier.
"Yeah... My daughter is always complaining about not having enough school supplies. She goes to Creekview Academy. She has a couple disabilities, like ADHD and dyslexia, but it doesn't seem to stop her. I don't see her very much. She lives with her mother you see. I'm always just so busy I can't have her live with me! Work all the time. I'm a musician, a nurse, a poet, writer, and so much more! My main job is a driver though. I have quiet a heavy load to take every day."
The cashier nodded in understanding. He probably thought the man was crazy. "The total will be $189.44."
The homeless man dug deep in his pocket and pulled out a gold coin the size of a cracker.
"Will this suffice?" he asked tossing it to the cashier. He didn't wait for an answer before he grabbed his bags and left the store.
As he passed us we saw his face. Bright blue eyes and shiny white teeth. We followed him out.
At the bottom of the steps, he turned around to face us. We bowed respectfully. "Lord Apollo."
He shushed us. "No! It's Fred! If Lord Zeus... I mean my boss caught me— or part of me— here I'd be dead!"
He glanced around quickly. "I need you to find my daughter. I'm sure you heard my conversation with the cashier. She'll be at school. Her name is Sandra. I need you to take her to camp. She's meddling with the wrong divinities."
He suddenly raised his arms and closed his eyes as if concentrating or meditating. He looked rather looney a homeless man posed like a earth-shattering poet. "I feel a haiku!"
Daughter in danger
Old heroes must save her from
The lame older myths
"Lame?" I laughed. Apollo shushed me.
"I have to go." He flashed another cocky grin.
"Adieu," and with that Apollo scurried off and opened the door of a beat up truck and drove off.
Thalia watched his truck drive away. Her eyebrows scrunched up.
"Come on Thals we have to go," she followed after me. I returned to the spot where I'd left Percy. "Percy?" I called.
"Over here Annabeth," he called from a nearby alley. Thalia and I walked over. It was wide and dark. No sunlight filtered in. The only light was a trashcan fire at the end. The light and shadows played on the wall. I could see the alley was filled with boxes and trashcans. At the end was a barrel and I could see Percy sitting on it.
"Hey why'd you come back here? I told you not to leave," I asked.
"Less noise. Darker. Good for my headache."
Something was off. I glanced around and unsheathed my knife. I slowly walked up to Percy. I was right behind him when his head moved slightly and he said something,but all I heard was "Ihhh uhh hrap."
There was a scream and Thalia fell to the ground behind me. Her body was tossed next to Percy's figure. As quick as I could, I took my stance. It was dark I soon heard a murmuring voice in my ear.
"It's okay Annabeth. I got it. It's gone. You're safe with me hon'. Calm down." It was Percy's voice.
I slumped my shoulders as if letting my guard down. A hand grabbed my shoulder. I grabbed the offensive hand and flipped it. I turned and slashed with my knife. I looked into the single eye of my offender.
"Percy never calls me hon'," I growled and stabbed the eye of the Cyclops. From the dim firelight, I could tell he was still a young Cyclops — maybe 8 feet tall. He roared and I rolled out of the way of his stomping feet. I stabbed every part of him that was in arms reach. He was blinded and as quick as a gazelle I ran to his back and stabbed. He doubled over and I scaled up his back and stabbed his bald head. He disintergrated and I landed on the ground gasping.
I knew we had to get out of the alley. As quick as I could I ran to Percy. He was bound. I clumsily cut the ropes and he sat up.
"Spiders," he groaned. "They swarmed all over me. I I was sitting, almost half asleep. They swarmed and when I could see, the Cyclops was tying me up." I handed him a square of ambrosia and ran to Thalia..
"Thalia, wake up. We need to go." Her eyes snapped open and I gave her the ambrosia. We jumped onto our shaky legs and ran. We were almost there when something called my name... Foolish for me to stop... I know.
"Annabeth," a female voice murmured to me. "Are you alright?" It was a motherly voice that was so soft. I slowed just a tiny bit when something wrapped around my arm and I fell. Percy was out of the alley and he was yelling at me to hurry. I struggled to my feet when something sticky grabbed my leg and I screamed. I was hoisted into the air.
"Cyclops make wonderful distractions," the female voice murmured. It was a delicate voice that sounded sweet.
I looked up and felt my stomach tie in a knot when I looked into several shiny eyes all in the same face.
"You're a beautiful girl, definitely smart. Are you horribly proud too? Like your dear mother? It's her pride that made me like this, but I'm sure you know the story."
The web was wide and arched over the walls. It seemed to be quivering with the hundreds of spiders crawling in it. They came closer and seemed to reach my toes.
I took a shallow breath. "Hello A-Arachne."
A/N: I'll try to update sooner. Thanks for not losing faith. I'm really excited that my story has received over 100 reviews! And most of them are positive! (haters: no trolls) IT'S AMAZING! Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I love you guys. I'll do my best to write more. YOU DESERVE IT!
On a completely other topic(ish) I'll bet you guys have read the first chappie to the Son of Neptune (77 days as of July 19th woot-woot). I have too, but I was you know browsing the internet when I found out that another section was revealed at Mr. Riordan's interview in New York. HOW DID I HAVE NO IDEA! There's a video on youtube, but several people have transcribed it. I don't exactly remember the site, but I'm sure you guys can find it.
(((((*SPOILER*)))) Get this, Percy might lose his invulnerability :[