Annabeth's P.O.V.

"Ms. Matthews?"

Jeanine turns to me, donning a tight blue dress. 

"Yes?" There is a sweet lilt to her voice, like poisoned honey. I need to watch my steps.

"I...I've considered your offer, and I'd like to accept."

She smiles. "I knew you would. Your intelligence matches my own, and I know we could change this city for the better."

I nod, queasy. Jeanine's eyes harden.

"But first I need to say something."

I blink. 

"A male initiate, Caleb Prior, has brought something to my attention. You're a child of Athena, are you not?"

My lungs compress. I struggle to breathe. She knows. She's known for who knows how long.

"Now, now, dear, I could tell. I know these things. Who ever said I was human?"

I freeze. Jeanine Matthews isn't human.

Then what is she?

"I'm not sure if I can trust you. But your intelligence is vital to my plans...So I'm afraid I'll have to do this."

My instincts scream at me to bolt. "What?"

She snatches a container of bright green liquid from the table. "I've perfected a serum that works on...people at variance with us. Divergents."

My battle reflexes kick in. I swing my fist, but Jeanine deflects my attack. She pins me to the wall and smiles, and I see her eyes up close. Eyes with a thirst in them. She's gone mad.

"You cannot fool me, daughter of Athena. We are sisters, after all."

I take a moment to process that. "You're...a demigod child of Athena?" I manage.

"Of course, dear. The gods are horrible parents. Something tells me you're on their side. Join me. Join our cause. We will overthrow the gods and begin a new age. An era where we rule."

No. It's Luke all over again. Except this time she's much smarter. "No," I say forcefully.

"Say goodbye to your willpower, daughter of Athena."

She injects the serum in my arm, and the world turns black.

Thalia's P.O.V.

We dart in and out of cave walls, laughing and yelling and having a good time.

I yank on Percy's hair and he punches my shoulder.

"I caught you," I say between breaths.

Nico jogs up to us. "Morons," he mutters.

Percy grins and pokes Nico's shoulder. "You're it."

"Are you drunk or something? What the Hades?"

"Um...I don't know," he admits. "I think they put peace serum in our drinks."

Nico scowls. "And you idiots drank it?"

"The McShizzle is not an idiot. You are the idiot, idiot." Leo says.

"Aw, don't rain on our parade, Neeks! Join the fun. We're getting our hair dyed."

Nico's eye twitches. "Dying...your hair."

"Yep. I want pink streaks," I say.

He shakes his head. "Now I know you're drugged. You hate pink, Thals."

I frown. "Oh. I forgot. Light blue, then!"

He rolls his eyes. "You know what? Count me in. I've got to stay, in case you accidentally kill yourselves."

"That won't happen," Percy reassures him. "I am the Boy Who Just Won't Die."

"No, you're the Kelp Head Who Needs To Die," I say.

"Shut up."

We resume our chase, and Nico reluctantly follows, muttering about 'stupid drunk demigods' and 'I'm the only sane person here'.

We stumble into a shop, and the woman working there spares us a cursory glance, as if drunk Dauntless come here constantly. 

My eyes scan each dye they have, and my eyes rest on an electric blue hue. "That one," I say, pointing to it. 

The woman nods and opens a cabinet. She produces a light blue bottle of dye. "Do you want your hair fully dyed, streaked with dye, or dyed tips?"

"Dyed tips," I say.

"My name is Kimberly. I'll be doing your hair."

Kimberly coats my hairline, ears, and neck with vaseline. She washes my hair and brushes out the tangles. She uses the bright blue bottle and dyes the tips of my hair. She rinses off the dye that collects on my skin. I wait a little for it to dry.

She offers me a hand mirror, and I examine my hair. It's still in a pixie cut, and my hair is still black, but it has a new addition. The tips of each strand at the bottom are colored electric blue. I smile and thank her, and exit the shop, where Percy, Leo, and Nico are waiting.

Percy, being the idiot he is, decided to have one streak of sea green in his hair. I suppose it matches his eyes, and that surprises me. He has fashion sense?

Nico hadn't done anything to his hair. Smart boy.

Leo...I pity whoever lays eyes on him. His hair is dyed blonde. You do not want to ever see a curly haired blonde with a tool belt and an impish grin. It will damage your mind.

"We're getting new clothes next," I order.

The boys groan. "Shopping?" Percy says, wrinkling his nose. "I remember hours and hours of my mom picking out clothes in several sizes and forcing me to try them on. I still have nightmares about it."

I raise an eyebrow. "Seriously? You've been to Tartarus and back, and that scares you? Honestly."

"I kind of have to be more cheerful," Percy admits. "It scarred me. It's best to act optimistic on the outside when you're really dying on the inside."

My heart swells with pity.

"You're still going shopping."

__________.__________

I twirl in a circle, admiring my new black dress. I'd even gotten black eyeliner to show off my blue eyes. I wore black flats and bright blue earrings. I earned a few looks from male Dauntless.

I leave the shop, and Percy whistles. "My gods. You've stolen the heart of every guy here."

I smirk. "What would Annabeth think of this?"

Percy stiffens. "Uh...Don't tell her I said that."

"I tell her all of your Seaweed Brain moments. When she's down, I just tell her a story about a stupid thing you've done. It makes her feel better about herself."

"Hey!"

Leo twirls a screwdriver from his tool belt. "You can't resist this sexy beast, Thalia Grace."

"Ew, no. Just...no."

He jumps up and down like a happy four year old. "I wanna tattoo!"

"What kind of tattoo?"

"Uh...Flames up and down my arms."

"Can't you already do that?"

"Yeah, but I mean, permanently." Leo lights his arms on fire and grins.

"Put that out!" I hiss. "Someone could see you!"

The flames die down, and Leo apologizes. "I just want to do everything. I mean, it's my last day. My last day of not smelling like old people and dead rodents."

I roll my eyes. "Fine. Let's go get tattoos."

"Yay! I love you, Thals!"

"Do not call me Thals, or I will rip out your throat. Only Percy, Annabeth, Nico, and Grover can call me that. You're not on the list."

"You've hurt me with your words."

"Get used to it. Annabeth can teach you some verbal thrashings. Word fights are almost as good as actual fights."

"I'll take your word for it," Leo says.

__________.__________

We entered the shop, and a woman with black hair streaked with gray greets us. She shows us several rows of tattoos. "Choose one."

I pick a lightning bolt on my arm, and the woman, who introduces herself as Tori, needles it into my skin. I ignore the pain.

I examine my arm and smile. A black lightning bolt for a daughter of Zeus. How fitting.

Even though Percy has his S.P.Q.R. tattoo, he gets another one. His upper arm is covered in fake green and blue scales. I arch an eyebrow.

"That's a little overkill," I say. Percy shrugs.

Nico gets-surprise, surprise-a skull tattoo on his forearm. It has ruby eyes and crossed bones.

Leo is true to his word, though he cranks it down a little. He has fake fire on both palms.

"Really? You had to stick to your element?"

"It was necessary," Leo says. "I can shove my hands in people's faces and scare them to death. Without burning them."

I roll my eyes. "Touche."

So how's that for a cliffhanger? Annabeth's been brainwashed, and Leo's joining the factionless. I have big, big plans for Annabeth. She may betray her friends without meaning to...or she may fight the serum. Please Read, Comment, and Vote!