𝖢𝗁𝖺𝗉𝗍𝖾𝗋 9
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"Percy- Percy-"

"They will see this as impertinent." Michelle finished before looking at Percy warning her. Percy grabbed a box "I am impertinent." Annabeth rolled her eyes "yes be we're not." Grover added "really, very not."

Percy finally got the box on the table "Look. Medusa tried to derail our quest. She's got serious beef with your mom. When you look at it that way this seems kinda like tribute or something, doesn't it?"

The group look at Percy with confusion "And besides... this way a part of your moms still with us." Percy hands Annabeth her hat. Michelle felt a little bit jealous. But she brushed it off

Percy closed the box grabbing the tape. Grover said "so this isn't exactly what I meant. By choosing each other." Percy tapes up the box "There are actual dangers involved here that cannot be..." Grover stopped talking as Percy started clapping

"You're gonna sing the song, aren't you?" Grover asked as he watched Michelle roll her eyes at Percy.

Percy clapped faster before looking at Michelle tilting his head.

"Okay" Grover laughed a bit

"Oh, golly the roads gettin' bumpy"

"Whatever" Grover said

Percy kept eye contact with Michelle "consensus"

_______

Percy's awakened by the sound of shuffling he looks at Michelle who just put her shoes on and walked out the room. Percy gets up and follows her quietly. Michelle eyes turn pink as a pink aura forms in her hand. Percy felt himself fly towards Michelle and stop right in front of her. "Why are you following me?. I thought I wasn't your friend-" Percy cut Michelle off "I didn't mean it and you know I didn't.. Michelle-" Percy stopped abruptly

"Look- I really care about you. And you're my friend and I'll hurt anyone who hurts you." Percy said looking into Michelle's eyes

Michelle felt her cheeks heat up she was lucky it was kind of dark in there. "Promise?" Michelle asked

"I pinky promise." Percy said truthfully Michelle hugged him tightly before letting him go her arms still around his neck while his arms were still around her waist. They held eye contact for what felt like forever till Percy said something "um- we should probably go back to sleep now-" he said

--
PERCYS POV.

I can't fall asleep after what happened with me and Michelle it felt like heaven. I heard a shuffle from annabeths bed I looked on the side of me where Michelle was laying there peacefully asleep with hair framing her face perfectly.

"Hey, you asleep?" I asked annabeth "yes" she responded dryly

"You and Thalia were really close, right?" He asked "yeah" I wanted to know "what was she like" I asked annabeth about the her and the girls relationship

"Why?." Annabeth asked "She was the last forbidden kid before me, right. She must've dealt with the same kind of stuff" annabeth closed her eyes "she was tough. I mean, she knew she was a forbidden kid, she just didn't care."

I was quiet while Annabeth continued to speak "When Luke and Thalia found me, Luke cared for me right away. But Thalia... she made me earn it."

I could only question "is that why you give me a hard time? I gotta earn it with you too? AnnaBeth sighed "Yeah. Maybe." Sighing I said "I gotta say, that doesn't take a lot of sense to me."

The dark skinned girl questioned "what doesn't make sense to you.?" "The way you guys all talk. The way the gods want us to think. Gotta burn an offering to get a parent's attention. Gotta beat up on Clarisse just to get my father to admit he's my father. It isn't supposed to work that way. People who are close to you aren't supposed to treat you that way." I responded feeling a bit angry

"You wanna know how I ended up alone on the road in the first place?" Annabeth said "I started out as a gift to my father that's how it works with athena" I turned my head to look at Michelle who now moved slightly away I pulled her back to where she first was.

"We're born from a thought in her mind, and then given to a partner she feels connected to. And for a while, I was treated like a gift, Michelle was a burden to him.." I heard annabeths voice cracked a little "our father cared for me but not Michelle... He loved me but Michelle never blamed for anything that he put her through.." I saw annabeth feel her necklace I look at Michelle's it was gold shell necklace

"I knew it. Then he met a woman.They had their own kids.. and to her, I-i wasn't a gift. I was a problem. So I left and when I left Michelle left with me after the woman hurt her to my father he was happy, Michelle left. We were seven and Michelle still forgave our father and he still doesn't like her.." we were silent before she spoke again.

"It isn't the gods who think that way. It everybody. But at least we know the rules.. show them respect and they'll be in your corner, no matter what." Annabeth finished

Grover groans "you awake" I asked "well, I am now. Thanks." "Are you okay" I questioned Grover from his tone

AnnaBeth sighed "he's super grouchy when he doesn't get enough sleep." Grover was not having it "He's super grouchy when he doesn't get enough sleep" nah!" He mimics her

"Wow-" I say "you've never been on the road with him before. A little different than a froofy boarding school." Annabeth said

Grover said "Who's froofy? You're froofy. What's froofy I think I need to eat"

"Shut uppp please shut up" Michelle covered her ears I look over and I put my arm on her waist pulling her close. I feel her put her head on my chest listening to my heart beat to go back to sleep

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NOBODYS POV

The train rumbles as the group sits down "Two day until we reach Los Angeles. Plenty of time before our deadline to reach the underworld" Grover said

"Can I ask a dumb question?" Percy questioned "it's like you need me to make fun of you." Annabeth said while Michelle did her makeup before the trio started to look at her in confusion "why are you putting on makeup?." Grover questioned

"Cause if I die I would want to die pretty!." Michelle smiles. Percy looks at Michelle before asking his question "I've never been to los Angeles before. I'm guessing neither of you have been to Los Angeles.. So, how will we have any idea where we're going??"

Grover shrugged "no idea. But that's like step 37, and we're still on step 4. Cross that bridge when we get there"

Percy said "Follow up stupid question." "Dude" Michelle and annabeth said in sync making Michelle laugh a bit

"And you shall fail to save what matter most in the end." Back in jersey, I told you the oracle said this quest would fail. And no ones mentioned it since. Seems like something we oughta be taking a little more seriously-" Percy dragged the end after looking out the window something caught his eye

"Hey.. Look at that. Are those.." Percy said "Centaurs." Grover said as the group stared at the centaurs

Percy looked behind him "No one even knows they're there" "There used to be herds of them everywhere" Grover asked "what happened to them" Percy asked "Humans.. A few thousand years ago, the god of the old, pan, disappeared. And ever since, without pan to protect the natural world, humans have been trying really hard to chip away at it."

"The bravest satyrs volunteer to become searchers, trying to fine pan. None have ever returned." Annabeth said

Percy turned his head to Michelle then to Grover "Your uncle we found in Medusa's, Ferdinand." Michele tensed up "he was a searcher?." Percy asked Grover could only nod sadly.

"The oracle didn't say the quest would fail. "Fail to save what matters most." That could mean a lot of things. That's how prophecies work, that's how fate works. It could mean a lot of things" Michelle said playing with her thumbs

"The harder you work to understand, the harder it gets to understand. Sometimes, you've just gotta let it come to you when it's ready." Annabeth added right before a police officer came up to them " excuse me, can I see your tickets, please? You're in cabin 17 B?" The officer asked looking at the group

_____

The wind blows as the group and the officer walk to the cabin. Michelle looks in the destroyed cabin in shock "you wanna explain" the officer said "wait. wait, you think we did this?" Percy asked the male "Did you?." Michelle scoffed before the officer looked at her "I mean.. How? And why?" Percy asked in frustration

"Sir, when we left to get breakfast, everything was intact we don't know how this happened." Grover said looking at the officer

"we got a witness here says she heard the window smash, and then her children's voices." The officer looked at an old woman "oh come on." Percy complained "can you tell me what time you left the cabin?" The officer asked

"Are we under arrest.." Michelle asked with an attitude "I don't think you wanna take that tone with me, little girl" the officer said

Michelle mean mugged him and her eye turned pink taking control of him "I said are we under arrest!." She said with an attitude

_____

The male officer now had a headache and couldn't remember a lot of what happened with Michelle.

The group sits down Michelle now had a bigger attitude. "So we're just killing time 'til we find out the guys like a werewolf or something, right?" Percy asked making Michelle roll her eyes "I don't think he's a monster." Michelle said with an attitude leaning back "hard to say" Grover comments

"Well, if he's not a monster, What's going on here? Why would anyone tear out room apart?" Percy questioned "Maybe they were looking for something?" Grover added "we don't have anything." Percy said

"The people who think you stole from Zeus's master bolt might disagree." Annabeth said "right" Percy responded "well, look, they're not gonna find something we don't have." Grover said

"Either way, we aren't spending the day answering questions in the st.Louis police station. we need to get out of this before we get delayed." Annabeth whispers before a woman walked over "D-Do you mind if I sit" she said Michelle's sat up right "yes I do mind." Michelle said bluntly but the woman still sat down

"You poor dears." The woman went to sit by Michelle making Michelle Scooch closer to Percy. As the woman sat down she had a weird smile "your parents aren't here, are they?" Her animal whines "isn't that right, precious? don't children get scared when they're all alone. it's ok I'm a mom. I know how scared you must be." The woman looked at her dog then the group

"Listen lady you're freaking us out so can you stop." Michelle asked in the most polite way possible but the woman just looked at her. "excuse me would you mind giving us a little space? I think- I think you're making them nervous" The woman asked the officer before the officer soon walked away.

"I want you to know.. I don't actually think that you made that mess back there. I just wanted a moment alone with you.. there are some things I need you to understand-" Grover looked at her jacket "you have something on your jacket. It looks like.. it looks like glass." Michelle's eyes widened she was sitting next to a fucking monster.

"No one smashed out the windows from inside out cabin. Someone smashed them in from the outside." Grover stated "hm. Oh!" The woman said looking at her animal "yes sweetheart. I know, I know. You're impatient. Oh! But we're almost there." The woman got up and squatted down to the cage where her animal and whispered

She stood up "This isn't your fault. But sadly, you're going to have to bear the burden of your parents' mistakes today." Listen lady I don't know who you are but I think I know what you are we've run across a few monsters like you and we've sent them all packing."

"Monsters like me?" The woman scoffed "well of course they're like me. They were my children." Michelle shifted uncomfortably "children? what does that mean?" Percy questioned "the mother of monsters." Grover stated

"Echidna.." annabeth said while Michelle pressed her ring underneath the table making her pink sword appear.

Echidna chuckled softly as the animal growled echidna shushed it "monster.. it's an odd word, considering my grandmother is your great grandmother, if this has always been a family story. But.. to my eye, the demigod is the more dangerous creature." As echidna sighed the animal starts growling "Disruptive. Violent if I exist for anything,it is to stand in the way of monsters. Like you. My little one here she's just a pup now. Bless her heart." Echidna chuckles

"Today.. you will be her prey. Are you afraid yet?" Michelle's breathing increased "oh. It's all right. Fear is natural. It's also essential to the hunt. Your fear your doubt. Your confusion. I needed you to understand what was happening so she could track the scent. So that she could learn and grow, because.. that's what hat a good mother does for her children." The monster began to make the zipper come undone.

"Not that you would know." The zipper whooshes "you should run now." She smiles wildly the monster claw or thing comes out and Percy push's Michelle out of the way so she wouldn't get hurt. The monster stabbed Percy leaving a stringer in him annabeth hold the tail and stabs it leaving echidna to scream Michelle and the group ran away.

"You stop!" The officer yells chasing after them.

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MICHELLES POV

"Guys- oh this is so scary!." I yell as we run. Annabeth locks one of the train doors. "Percy!." I pull at stinger out of his shoulder "what is that?." Percy asked out of breath "it's a stinger. Grover, do you know what kind of monster has one of those?" annabeth said outta breath

---

"I don't know. I mean nothing good probably." Grover stammered "Do you feel okay?." Michelle asked Percy looking at him "I think so. Why do you think it was poisonous or something?" Percy breathed hard "I'm not sure.." Michelle looked at the officers banging on the door

The train shakes before the monster starts banging its head in the door "we gotta move" Grover stammered out running. The metal creaks as the group runs out of the train "why isn't it still chasing us?." Percy asked "Echidna said whatever she was hiding in the carrier, it's young. It wound venture too far from her mother she's learning to hunt... and this seems like the hunting part." Annabeth said

The group walks "We aren't gonna be able to outrun them for very long." Grover said "we don't need to. We just need a safe place to hold up." Michelle said "some place safe. Any ideas where we might find one of those?" Percy says staring at Michelle

"I do. A sanctuary, dedicated to Athena, built by one of her demigod children a long time ago." Annabeth said "There is an Athenian temple hidden somewhere in the middle of downtown St. Louis?" Grover asked with confusion "yes. Except it's not all that hidden." Annabeth said

"It's 630 feet wide, 630 feet tall, both to within an inch. It's got no internal support. Each side is balanced perfectly against each other. The arch is held up by symmetry. It's held up by math. And it's earthquake proof, so Poseidon can't ruin it." Michelle smiles as annabeth as she talks she never knew she knew this much about their mother "excuse me. This is how you show Athena your love. A monument to the power of perfection." Annabeth finishes before Grover started talking

"It's a monument to some other stuff, too." Grover said "You're talking about what some humans want this place to be about. I'm talking about what it actually is." Annabeth said to Grover "whatever. We're safe here, right?" Grover asked

"No monsters can enter. Not even Echidna. We're safe." Annabeth said "great. Well since our train exploded, I'm gonna see if there's another one we can get tickets on. We can't stay here forever. Just because we're prey doesn't mean we need to be helpless." Grover said before walking away

Michelle walks off to look at a painting "this is pretty-" Michelle got cut off by a tap on her shoulder she turns around to see a boy "hi.. do I know you?." Michelle asked in confusion "no but I wanna get to know you. I'm Daniel Fairchild" Daniel said smiling

"Hi I'm Michelle. I'm 12 turning 13 How old are you?." Michelle asked smiling softly "I'm 13 turning 14" Daniel said smiling back

"Where are you from?." Michelle asked before she saw Percy walking up to her "Michelle we have to go now." Percy said bluntly now even looking at Daniel "what- why?." Michelle asked as Percy grabbed her and pulled her away from Daniel.

Percy wouldn't admit but he knew he was jealous.

"Percy what happened-" Percy almost fell
To the ground but Michelle caught him in time "Grover- annabeth!!" Michelle yells before they soon come over

"What happened.?" Grover asked confused "I think.. I think those stinger things were poisonous." Percy said breathing heavily "I have an idea come on-" Michelle said putting Percy's arm over her shoulder

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Michelle throws water on Percy repeatedly "what water cured him back at camp it should work for poison too, right.. why isn't it work-" Michelle said panicking "You know, I think it's- I think it's working. This is a great call" Percy said trying to get up with failed miserably "or not." He said

"Maybe it needs to be naturally running water for Poseidon to be able to heal him.! Michelle now she's on our track because of your stupid idea!" Annabeth yelled at Michelle as she looked behind her "I didn't know.! I'm sorry-" Michelle started but got cut off by an angry annabeth

"Okay. We need to get back inside." Annabeth said "No we need to keep trying ." "It isn't gonna work okay just stop and help us bring him inside- I'm sorry I didn't-" Michelle snapped at Grover but quickly felt embarrassed

"We'll take Percy inside, and we'll go the temple's altar." Annabeth said Grover quickly asked "Altar? Where is the an altar" "The highest point, the best view." Annabeth replied "Okay, but what good is that even gonna do us?" Grover argued back "we're gonna get to the altar and we're going to ask my mom for help." Annabeth said

"I thought we don't ask for help?" Percy asked but got no response "come on, let's go.!" Michelle said panicking as echidna got closer.

Annabeth looks back as rest on the group keeps walking "Guys, d-did you hear that?" Annabeth said "hear what?." Grover asked confused "never mind. Come on" she said dismissing the question..

____

The group goes into a small elevator sitting down. "What was that back there? What did you hear?. She spoke to you. Alecto did that with me back in the museum in New York. What did she say?." Percy struggles to say

Michelle's head snapped as she had heard echidnas voice "why run.. you're gonna die and he's not your father.." she made eye contact with Michelle

"Guys- did you-" Michelle breath began uneasy "was that the chimera?. I think- i think that was the chimera. How did the chimera even get inside here? How did any monster get inside here?" Grover said

"Annabeth-" Percy said "we're in a sanctuary Athena would have had to let her in, but why would she do that?" Grover asked in a panic state

"Annabeth! What did echidna say to you?" Percy asked annabeth

Annabeth sighed "she said my impertinence wounded my mother's pride. And that that will be my doom."

"Impertinence? What kind of- Medusas head." Percy said "i embarrassed my mother." Percy shook his head "But I'm the one who sent the head to Olympus. I signed the note" "but I went along with it. It embarrassed her. Now, she's angry." Annabeth said

"Guys, what are we gonna do?" Grover asked "she isn't gonna help us when we get to the top to save Percy." Annabeth said "no, I meant, what are we gonna do about echidna and chimera? Theyre gonna right behind us." The elevator dings letting the group exit

Michelle quickly got up and started walking up the steps "they'll be up here any minute. And if my mother isn't going to protect us, then we'll just have to fight it out up here." Michelle looks at the all the people on the top.

"Oh no.. we gotta get everyone outta here" Grover said before Michelle looked at fire alarm and pulled it hard.

____

The alarm blares "annabeth,Grover, and Percy follow them down.." Michelle said moving them a little "what?.. no- no. W- we're not splitting up," Grover said looking at Michelle

"Grover come on.!" Michelle said trying to move them to the exit. "No. No, no, no, no, no, we're all getting out of here together." Percy shook his head looking at Michelle like she was crazy

"We won't make it. The chimera is the demigod killer. Someone has the stay back to slow her down and buy everyone some time." Michelle walked up to the exit with them

"Okay, you guys will be fine.. I'll just taking up space you have annabeth she's so smart and you have Grover wonderful. Help him down the stairs and get him to the river. And don't stop. Not till you get to hades, not till you have the bolt. Do you hear me?."Michelle voiced cracked slightly before percy shook his head again.. "okay go." Michelle went to close the door.

"Wait. Take this" percy pulled out riptide. "No percy I'm fine- I have-" Michelle looked at him "no please just take it- for me?." Percy said outta breath as Michelle went to grab riptide percy pushed her in the stairwell while he got to the door "Wait!" Michelle yelled before percy closed the door "Please!. Percy! Please! No." Michelle pleaded trying to open the door "hey! Percy!!" Michelle banged on the door she wasn't just going to let him die.

"Don't do this. They'll kill you! Please-" Michelle said hitting the door nonstop "Poseidon's never helped me before. He wasn't gonna start now. I wouldn't never made it to hades. But you can. And now you will" percy pants

"No- percy open the door!! Stop-" Michelle's pink aura come out of her hands she try's to crush the door but it only dents the door. Annabeth and Grover pull her away "no stop- he's gonna die- stop!" Michelle pleaded crying to be let go.

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