ten.
( the lightning thief. )
❛ the cool ones. ❜

THE GROUP HAD SPENT two tiring days in the uncertain safety of the amtrak train, heading steadily west through hills, rivers and orchids. After leaving the forest, Colette had been quite sad to say goodbye to the poodle, only doing so when Percy had pulled her away. So far on their train ride they had yet to be ambushed, and for some reason that put them more on edge than any attack would. There was suspense in the air, rushing through their veins as they sat in the display case of the train, constantly being observed. And it didn't help that now Percy was plastered inside several east cost newspapers (colette too, though due to her slightly more blurry image behind Percy, the public had narrowed their stares onto him rather than her.)

the Trenton register-news paper held the picture taken by the tourist on the front page. Percy's eyes were wide and manic as he swung his sword which was blurred to look almost like a baseball bat or lacrosse stick. Behind him, Colette was shown to be staring off camera, her mouth slightly agape from where she sat upon the floor, 'guitar' slung over her back.

The title read: Twelve-year-old Percy Jackson, wanted for questioning in the Long Island disappearance of his mother two weeks ago, is shown here fleeing from the bus where he accosted several elderly female passengers. The bus exploded on an east New Jersey roadside shortly after Jackson fled the scene. Based on eyewitness accounts, police believe the boy may be traveling with three teenage accomplices—one of which being the girl he is seen to have been protecting in the source. Could this be the start to a teenage revolt or a sick reenactment of a teenage Bonnie and Clyde? Jackson's stepfather, Gabe Ugliano, has offered a cash reward for information leading to his capture.

Colette glared down at the source, specifically the label that she had been given within it. when Percy had leaned over her shoulder, reading the words and letting out a grunt of distaste at the words, colette had sent her elbow straight into his gut with a look of irritation. like she would every love somebody so annoying—the thought was nauseating!

"Don't worry," annabeth brushed off Percy's concerns after he took the newspaper from colette's hold (the girl having stuck her tongue out at him as he did, to which he had mimicked the action only to be called immature by annabeth) "Mortal police could never find us." she continued, though percy thought she didn't sound so sure.

The rest of the day was spent watching the hours pass by as the train unfolded through a vary of different landscapes. Unable to relax, Percy had spent the better part of his day pacing up and down the aisle anxiously whilst Colette curled up in a chair, her elbow on the arm of the seat and her chin resting on her hand on she stared out into the passing distance. There were a few noticeable sights—a group of centaurs raising their bows for lunch and once they'd noticed the four on the train, they waved enthusiastically though nobody else saw. At one point, Percy had insisted to colette that he saw a lion leap through the forest.

When the sun was closer to setting, the four curled up in their seats, allowing themselves to doze up tiredly. Grover had fallen asleep first, snoring so loud that it made it impossible for anybody else to do so too. The two boys sat beside each other, Percy closest to the window and Grover towards the aisle. The two girls mirrored their seating, having the brunette beside the window and the blonde looking out curiously onto the aisles.

"So," Annabeth's voice was low and quiet to not awaken Grover, "who wants our help?" She inquired, staring at Percy's tired face. He'd tried sleeping a couple times and had always woken with a crusted tail to the side of his lip and not wanting either of the girls to make fun of him, he'd taken to just staring down at his thumbs.

he blinked once, eyes of ripe green filling with perplexity as he glanced at her, raising his eyebrows in concern. "What do you mean?" he asked unsurely.

Turning away from the window, Colette spared the boy a glance, "you mumble too often in your sleep. Something about 'I wont help you.'" There was a heaviness in her voice, percy noticed almost immediately. she spoke with her chin still on her hand, taking slow blinking every couple of seconds. Even in her tiredness, percy could see her change in expression as he explained about the second dream of his that had centred around sinister laughter and a bone-chilling voice.

"I don't really think that was Hades you spoke to." Commented the brunette, pinching and pulling at the fabric of the train seat, "he doesn't laugh usually or ever, and he always appears on a black throne."

Percy's eyes narrowed slightly, though not out of frustration but rather confusion—a look that Colette had told him he carried often. "He offered my mother in trade. Who else could do that?"

Annabeth drew her lips together in thought, waiting a moment before speaking again, "I guess ... if he meant, 'Help me rise from the Underworld.' If he wants war with the Olympians." She commented tactfully, "But why ask you to bring him the master bolt if he already has it?"

The three grew quiet again, all turning to the sound of Grover's loud snoring. His horns poked through his dark brown curls, pulling Annabeth to reach and pull his cap so it covered them. after a moment, the brunette paused her lips, "Percy... it wouldn't be smart to try and make a deal with Hades." she paused, "Orpheus tried too when his wife Eurydice died, and although he made a deal with Hades, Eurydice never made it out. Unless you're a god, it's highly unlikely."

Annabeth frowned, "he's deceitful, heartless and Greedy if you ask me. I don't care if the kindly ones weren't as aggressive this time--"

"This time?" Interjected Percy in surprise, "You mean you've run into them before?"

Her hand crept up to her necklace and she gently rubbed her thumb over a white bead painted with the image of a pine tree, one of her clay, end-of-summer tokens. "Let's just say I've got no love for the Lord of the Dead. You can't be tempted to make a deal for your mom."

Percy glanced between them, "what would you do if it were your mom?" He looked to Colette then to Annabeth, "or your dad?"

From opposite the boy, Colette glanced away to the nearby windows in a show of discontent. Colette wasn't unsure of Annabeth's past, of the years spent huddled away and labelled a danger to herself and others. When annabeth had first opened up, when they were younger and had accidentally been locked a the weaponry shed, Colette had never been accustom to such pity. Sure, she figured her life hadn't been the easiest, but she could never imagine her mortal mother not caring for her the way she did.

The two glanced between themselves and Colette nodded as a sign for Annabeth to explain first. The blonde harboured a look of bitterness and neglect, "My dad's resented me since the day I was born, Percy," she confessed. "He never wanted a baby. When he got me, he asked Athena to take me back and raise me on Olympus because he was too busy with his work. She wasn't happy about that. She told him heroes had to be raised by their mortal parent."

"But how ... I mean, I guess you weren't born in a hospital?"

She wasn't looking at anything in particular as she spoke, "I appeared on my father's doorstep, in a golden cradle, carried down from Olympus by Zephyr the West Wind. You'd think my dad would remember that as a miracle, right? Like, maybe he'd take some digital photos or something. But he always talked about my arrival as if it were the most inconvenient thing that had ever happened to him. When I was five he got married and totally forgot about Athena. He got a 'regular' mortal wife, and had two 'regular' mortal kids, and tried to pretend I didn't exist."

There was a small table between the girls and Percy, and under said table Colette slipped her hand into Annabeth's, squeezing it reassuringly. The blonde glance at her, giving her a smile so soft that Percy sat back with raised eyebrows.

"My mom married a really awful guy," he commented, a glint of resentment pouring into his own eyes. "Grover said she did it to protect me, to hide me in the scent of a human family. Maybe that's what your dad was thinking." it was thoughtful of him to say, but anmabeth's expression never changed.

"He doesn't care about me," she frowned in dejection, fiddling with the ring on her necklace. "His wife—my stepmom—treated me like a freak. She wouldn't let me play with her children. My dad went along with her. Whenever something dangerous happened—you know, something with monsters—they would both look at me resentfully, like, 'How dare you put our family at risk.' Finally, I took the hint. I wasn't wanted. I ran away."

Percy inquired with notable sympathy. "How old were you?"

She shrugged half-heartedly, a prominent frown upon her face. "Same age as when I started camp. Seven."

He leaned forward over the table with intrigue, like a child listening to a bed time story. "But ... you couldn't have gotten all the way to Half-Blood Hill by yourself."

"Not alone, no. Athena watched over me, guided me toward help." She explained, "I made a couple of unexpected friends who took care of me, for a short time, anyway." She glanced around uncomfortably, shuffling in her seat before standing, letting go of Colette's hand. "I'm going to look for water. I'll be back soon." But something told Colette the girl was just looking for an excuse to go for a walk.

Colette drew her lips together tightly out of the awkwardness that brewed between herself and Percy. The only sound to pass between them was Grover's deep-sleep snoring. Throughout the time they'd spent together, a fuse of insults and sharp remarks were passed instead of an initial friendship and colette hadn't expected a moment where it would be just them in their silence.

"Do all demigods live terrible lives?" Colette glanced up as Percy spoke. There was an undertone of sullen amusement in his voice, as though for once he wanted a civil conversation.

She paused thoughtfully before placing her chin on her knees, both of which were pulled up to her chest. "Only the cool ones." The two fell into silence again, observing the other out of the corner of their eye.

Under the florescent light, Percy's hair looked darker and it fell over his forehead in a messy scatter of black tresses. His eyes were shaded with observance intertwined with curiosity and they glowed a watery green encapsulated in an outside of blue. There were small streaks of bruised purple under his eyes, festering slowly and tainting his tanned skin, an obvious depiction of his tiredness. He was still wearing his orange camp half-blood shirt covered with a blue sweatshirt and a pair of dark blue jeans.

"Nice ring." He commented, raising his gaze from where he'd been staring down at the silver item. Much like him, there were taints of sleep under her eyes, not as predominant as the shower of freckles upon her nose and cheeks but still there. Her camp half-blood shirt was still adorned with Lee's jacket and her knees, which were visible due to her denim shorts, were cut and covered with scattered plasters. The bangs of her hair fell down from their half-up and half-down style, and from the way her chin sat on her knees and her hands brushed over the plasters, he heard the jingle of the starry bracelet she'd worn when they first met.

She leaned her head up, pulling the ring off her finger and twirling it until it extended into a surprisingly intricate dagger. He jumped in surprise, and she smiled faintly. "Thanks." She responded, "Lee snuck it in, I'm not really surprised though."

"Lee, the Apollo counsellor, right?" Asked Percy, recalling the glimpses he'd seen of her beside the boy. When she nodded, Percy added, "you seem close with him."

Colette reached into her pocket, pulling out the small Polaroid and rubbing a thumb over it. "Of course i am." She handed him the photo and he examined it with a curious gaze. "He's always been more brotherly over the younger campers, a lot like Luke actually."

Percy handed back the photo after a moment, an expression of thought etching upon his face as he said, "you never answered my question. About wether or not you'd try to get your mom back."

Colette frowned, pocketing the photo and chewing on her lip in thought. It'd been so long since she'd seen her mother. Heard her melodic laughter, felt the warmth of her hugs and the comfort of her touch. "I don't know..." she was gazing sullenly, "but if you're looking for a sob story, I can't give you one. It's been so long since I've seen her."

"Is she still..."

"Alive? I think so." She responded, "she was—is really beautiful. Kind too, so I guess that's why Artemis favoured her."

Percy furrowed his eyebrows, "were you born like Annabeth?" He inquired.

The brunette gave a so-so shrug in response. "Well, obviously I wasn't born," she was slightly pink, "naturally. Artemis met my mom soon after she'd moved from France, though I'm not actually sure how they met but I do know that for some reason, they became quite close. They were never in love, and Artemis never broke her vow. But when my mom found out she was infertile, Artemis took pity on her and created me from the stars as a gift for my mother's kindness."

Percy's eyes were wide as he listened to her words, absorbing each shred of information with heartily curiosity. "Woah..." he breathed out, "you're half french."

Colette's expression fell and she had to do double take. "I just told you that I was literally made from the stars and you're biggest concern is that I'm french?" Percy shrugged as though they were the same thing. "You're so weird." She added, pushing back what percy recognised to be a smile.

"Whatever you say, Bambi."

"Whatever you say, Bambi." She mocked him in the same voice she had at Medusa's layer. "Anyway, if you're over the fact that, yes, I'm half french, my mom and I lived in San Francisco as just the two of us for a while but she always had a colleague at the school she worked at who came over. His names was Dean, I think. He was okay but my mom wasn't looking for a partner."

He huffed a sound that came across as a sort of half-hearted laugh. "How'd you end up at camp half-blood then?

"My neighbour, Cedar Aspen was a saytr who protected us one night when a monster attempted to break into our house. I was eight at the time and he told my mother it was best to take me to camp." She frowned, twirling the bracelet on her wrist reminiscently, "she was upset, you know, as anyone would be, but she knew it would be best. Being the only child of a goddess puts you at risk though, so he told her it was best if I stayed there at camp i was fit to leave."

Percy had been leaning forward at this point, sinking into the warmth of his sweatshirt. "Don't you miss her? I don't know what I'd do without my Mom." Colette didn't have the heart to bring up that his mother was labelled deceased.

"Obviously I do. I used to write her letters whenever I could."

Percy raised his eyebrows in thought, imagining the thought of a smaller Colette Archer curled up at the end of her bed, pen and notebook in hand as she wrote to the part of her that had been lost in San Francisco. "So... you do trust me." Colette blinked at him in response, recoiling back with a startled expression. Upon noticing her look, Percy was quick to add on, "I just mean, this is the first you've talked to me since capture the flag without getting annoyed at me."

The brunette sat still for a moment. When Percy had first arrived at camp, she'd showed him round though that was what she did to many of the new campers. Then there had of course been capture the flag where the two had dispelled their small sense of friendship for a bitter turnover of dislike. Since then she hadn't really considered the boy a friend. Trust wasn't something to give easily, but it would be almost impossible to go about the quest without some form of reliability.

"I trust you didn't take Zeus' bolt." She grumbled thought her words were careful, "you as a person though," she made an exaggerated gesture that actually managed to make Percy grin.

Before he could respond, annabeth appeared beside the seat, her arms stuffed with four bottles of cold water and the melancholy look on her face having thankfully been washed away. "Glad to see you two didn't kill each other." She mused, dropping back down into her seat.

They conversed shortly, sinking into the comfort of the passing view. Colette liked trains, she decided. She liked the relaxation that was brought upon her as she watched the sky change in colours and the distance adapt in different locations. Toward the end of the second day on the train, June thirteenth, eight days before the summer solstice, the train passed through some golden hills and over the Mississippi River into St. Louis. Annabeth craned her neck to see the Gateway Arch, which looked to the remaining two demigods like a huge shopping bag handle stuck on the city.

She lit up like a child on Christmas, her grey eyes emitting a sense of passion as she leant over the brunette to see the sight. "I want to do that," she sighed in wonder, shaking her head in awe.

"I don't doubt you will, Annie." Smiled the brunette. She couldn't find the appeal in architecture, it simply didn't reach her the same as the calling of the forest. But annabeth liked it, so it was good enough for her.

Percy glanced between them in confusion, looking out the window beside him to try and look at whatever they were. "What?"

"Build something like that." Annabeth gestured to the archway. "You ever see the Parthenon, Percy?"

The boy hummed a response, "Only in pictures." He said.

"Someday, I'm going to see it in person." The blonde stated surely, her voice was confident and lacked an ounce of doubt. "I'm going to build the greatest monument to the gods, ever. Something that'll last a thousand years." her face was barren of satire, instead filled with complete certainty and confidence of her skill.

Percy let out a bark of laughter, "you?" His chuckling continued, "an architect?"

"Percy, don't be mean." Colette leaned down in her seat, kicking him in the shin and extracting a large sound of pain from the boy though he was still laughing through his sound of pain.

Annabeth flushed, her cheeks brushed with a rosy crimson. "Yes, an architect. Athena expects her children to create things, not just tear them down, like a certain god of earthquakes I could mention." She paused, "sorry, that was mean."

"It's fine." Percy said after a moment, "what about you? What'd you wanna do in life?" He asked Colette, well aware of what she would say. Grover's opinion was helpful but it wasn't necessary correct, and Percy was quite curious as to why being a hunter could be so important to the brunette.

"A Hunter of Artemis."

Percy nodded, exactly what he'd expected to hear. she'd spoken without an ounce of hesitation, liberated from the weighting shadow of the future. "What if that doesn't work out though?" He inquired, watching as she seemed to freeze for a moment.

"What?" colette asked, "well... why wouldn't it?" She seemed to sit for a moment in thought. She hadn't actually thought about what would happen if Artemis didn't accept her into the hunters, at least not long enough to plague her thoughts. She wasn't as smart as Annabeth or as educated as a mortal like Percy—if she didn't have the hunters, she had nothing.

Percy's voice brought her from her thoughts, "Can't we work together a little?" He pleaded, leaning forward in his seat. He glanced to annabeth. "I mean, didn't Athena and Poseidon ever cooperate?" Then to Colette, "and, look, I know you've got a thing against boys in general, but I promise to be less annoying."

Annabeth had to think about it. "I guess ... the chariot," she tapped her hand against her arm tentatively. "My mom invented it, but Poseidon created horses out of the crests of waves. So they had to work together to make it complete."

"Then we can cooperate, too. Right?"

With a glance between them, the two girls had a silent conversation. It was something Percy had noticed they did often, and the crinkle of their lips and eyes expressed what they didn't say. Finally the two turned to him. "I suppose." Finally, the train pulled into the Amtrak station downtown and the static-sounding intercom said in it's monotone voice that there would be a a three-hour layover before departing for Denver.

With a loud yawn, Grover stretched his arms outwardly, mumbling about food before he'd even had the chance to open his eyes. "Wake up, Goat boy, it's sightseeing time." His nose scrunched at the sound of colette's voice as a hand tapped the side of his arm.

"Sightseeing?" He repeated tiredly, scratching at his curls before standing with another stretch.

"The Gateway Arch," Annabeth tapped her foot impatiently, her stormy eyes inflamed with ambition. "This may be my only chance to ride to the top. Are you coming or not?" she raised a challenging eyebrow, her decision already having been made.

Grover and Percy shared a glance, deciding that they couldn't let the two go alone—already knowing that if the blonde was going, the brunette would be right beside her. so with a yawn, Grover shrugged. "As long as there's a snack bar without monsters."

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THE ARCH WAS JUST OVER a mile from the train station, but due to Annabeth's determination, the group didn't complain and besides, going late in the day meant the lines to get in weren't that long. Threading their way through the underground museum, the four looked around in inquiry at covered wagons and 'other junk' (as Percy said) from the eighteen-hundreds. It wasn't all that thrilling, but Annabeth kept telling the three interesting facts about how the Arch was built, and Grover kept passing about jellybeans which made it better.

"You smell something?" Percy inspected the outspread of the public who weaved around them. He picked for another jellybean, chewing the blew candy quickly whilst glancing around.

Colette glanced over her shoulder, sparing the boy an inquisitive raise of her eyebrows. "Other than the smell of sweat?" She grimaced in disgust as a family passed her by, all in tank tops and reeking with an unhygienic scent.

"It's just underground." Grover interjected, his hand still shoved in the jellybean bag. "Underground air always smells like monsters. Probably doesn't mean anything." He dismissed the boy, but Percy still glanced about unsurely.

"Guys," Percy continued. "You know the gods' symbols of power?"

Annabeth had been in the middle of reading about the construction equipment used to build the Arch, but she looked over. "Yeah?"

"Well, Hade—"

Grover cleared his throat, glancing around as though the walls were watching their every move. "We're in a public place.... You mean, our friend downstairs?"

"Oh, right," the dark-haired boy corrected himself. "Our friend way downstairs. Doesn't he have a hat like Annabeth's?"

"You mean the Helm of Darkness," Annabeth notified. "Yeah, that's his symbol of power."

Colette, who was leaning on the heels of her star-adorned converse, was quick to add: "oh, he brought that to the winter solstice on Olympus last time annie and I were there."

"He was there?" Asked Percy, his tone expressing a sudden amount of astonishment.

Annabeth strolled closer, but her eyes were elsewhere as she scanned each thing she could and drank up the sight like it were a lifeline. "It's the only time he's allowed to visit Olympus—the darkest day of the year. But his helm is a lot more powerful than my invisibility hat, if what I've heard is true...."

"It allows him to become darkness," Grover confirmed. "He can melt into shadow or pass through walls. He can't be touched, or seen, or heard. And he can radiate fear so intense it can drive you insane or stop your heart. Why do you think all rational creatures fear the dark?"

Percy's eyes narrowed and his expression fell. "But then," he paused, crossing his arms, "--how do we know he's not here right now, watching us?" his tone shivered with nervousness as the group shared the same look of pure uncertainty.

"...we dont."

The demigod closed his eyes in exasperation, but Colette brushed him off with a smile of optimism. "I wouldn't worry. Our underground friend is a busy man, the underground gets a dozen new people a day so we should be, like, number six million on a billion-mile list." she shrugged.

Percy gave her a bland look, "Thanks, that makes me feel a lot better," he stated sarcastically before turning to Grover. "Got any blue jelly beans left?"

The four carried on through the building, stopping before a small elevator that Annabeth practically dove into the second the doors opened with a ding! It was small and awoke a small sense of dread in the brunette's stomach. Small places were confining and suffocating, the hands of at the atmosphere always managing to wrap around her throat and restrict her relaxing thoughts.

"Hey," she glanced over as Percy spoke to her, "are you good?" He asked, noticing the way she swallowed thickly. "Are you scared?" Her head snapped over to him, and his hand that was on her shoulder was immediately swatted off. She brushed him off without a response though she heard as clear as day as he said. "I am too."

Like the daughter of artemis had done, Percy gave the small room an unsure glance, swallowing down a lump in his throat. The four were paired with an older, quite overweight woman and her yapping little dog. It had taken all of five seconds, for Colette to take a glance at the beady-eyed chihuahua and narrow her eyes at it.

the elevator started rising after a moment, and from the arch shape of the building, it rose awkwardly. "No parents?" The woman's voice was squeaked with an overly friendly sense of mockery. Her eyes were mimics of her dogs, both beady and wide. her teeth were scratched with coffee stains and her face was lowly hidden with a denim hat that matched her bugling denim dress.

"They're below," Annabeth told her quickly, not wasting a second in responding. Colette respected that about her, her ability to think so quickly on her feet was something that the brunette almost envied. "Scared of heights."

The woman tutted with pity, "oh, poor things."

Colette narrowed her eyes at the dog. There was something far more dangerous and animalistic radiating from the creature, the equivalent of personified horror shoved into such a small body that couldn't be possible. The dog was staring back at her, it's jaw clenching as it growled at her, showcasing its canines as it dared her to strike.

"Now, now, sonny. Behave." The woman scolded the dog without a shimmer of malice, as though she actually wanted to laugh rather than control the mutt.

"Sonny," Colette repeated, "is that it's name?" She inquired, glancing at the woman.

The woman smiled, a splitting grin that allowed her yellowing teeth to be on display. "No." She responded simply.

At the top of the Arch, the observation deck almost reminded colette of a tin can with carpeting. Dozens of tiny windows looked out over the city on one side and the river on the other, quite a complimentary sight if you took away the fact that it was six hundred feet above ground. Annabeth kept talking about structural supports, and how she would've made the windows bigger (Colette could agree there), and designed a see-through floor. She probably could've stayed up there for hours, but luckily for the other three the park ranger announced that the observation deck would be closing in a few minutes.

Percy hadn't wasted a second before steering the three towards the exit, a beaming grin nervously biting upon his lips. He was trembling momentarily, Colette noticed. Without a second thought, Annabeth and Grover entered the cart. However, there were already two passengers inside, meaning there was no room for himself and Colette.

"Sorry kids," the park ranger looked to the two, "next cart."

Reluctant to leave the two, Annabeth moved to stand. "We'll get out and wait with you." She stated with friendly ambition.

"No, Annie it's fine." Colette brushed her off, pausing her actions. "We'll get the next one. As long as nobody's alone, we'll be okay." She smiled to the blonde, a warm and reassuring smile thought annabeth still expressed her hesitancy. But soon enough, the door closed and the cart was lowered down the ramp.

All that was left were the two demigods, a little boy and his parents, the park ranger, and the big lady and her chihuahua. The woman smiled at them, a sinister smile that showed off her forked tongue. Doing a double take, Percy's hand went to grab Colette's forearm, only for the girl to pull away with a scowl. She only glanced towards him when the yapping chihuahua suddenly started barking up at Percy as though he had gone to attack it. "Now, now, sonny," the lady cooed. "Does this look like a good time? We have all these nice people here."

"Doggie!" Cried the little boy with childish joy, grabbing his mother's hand and pointing at the creature. "Look, a doggie!" unlike the boy, his parents were reluctant to near the animal due to its rapid barking, tugging back their son from approaching.

The Chihuahua bared his teeth at the duo, foam dripping from his black lips. "Percy, that's not a dog." Colette's voice was quiet but certain. She could interact with animals, not monsters, and almost every time she'd met an animal, there was an immediate connection as they grew to trust her within moments. monsters were different, strung from a force colette couldn't master or harness.

"Well, son," the large lady let out an overdramatic sigh, her tone laced with something on the brink of mockery. "If you insist."

Percy gave her an unsure glance, his expression growing defensive as he took a stumbling step backwards. "did you just call that Chihuahua your son?"

"Chimera, dear," the fat lady corrected and Colette's expression dropped within an instant, growing almost pale. "Not a Chihuahua. It's an easy mistake to make." She rolled up her denim sleeves, revealing that the skin of her arms was scaly and sickeningly green. When she smiled, anybody could tell that her teeth were fangs and as she stared at them, Colette noticed that the pupils of her eyes were sideways slits, like a reptile's. Her Chihuahua barked louder, and with each bark, it grew larger and more lethal. First to the size of a Doberman, then to a lion. and as it's size increased, it's bark became a roar.

The little boy let out a horrified scream, his parents followed in pursuit and tugging him back toward the exit and straight into the park ranger, who stood, paralysed, gaping at the monster.

The Chimera was now towering over the occupants of the room, its back rubbing awkwardly against the roof. It had the head of a lion with a blood-soaked mane, the body and hooves of a giant goat, and a serpent for a tail, a ten-foot-long diamondback growing right out of its shaggy behind. The rhinestone dog collar still hung around its neck, and the plate-sized dog tag was now easy to read: CHIMERA—RABID, FIRE-BREATHING, POISONOUS—IF FOUND, PLEASE CALL TARTARUS—EXT. 954.

It took a second before Colette drew her bow, summoning a silver arrow that threatened to sore into the monster. The creature growled at the weapon pointed at it, and Colette knew that the second she released the arrow, the Chimera would lunge.

The snake lady made a manic sound of hissing that was merged terrifyingly with righteous laughter. "Be honored, Percy Jackson, Colette Archer. Lord Zeus rarely allows me to test a hero with one of my brood. For I am the Mother of Monsters, the terrible Echidna!"

"Isn't that a kind of anteater?"

Echidna shrieked at the question, releasing a guttural response of building humiliation. Her green features grew inflamed with rage, "I hate it when people say that! I hate Australia! Naming that ridiculous animal after me. For that, Percy Jackson, my son shall destroy you!" she pointed a crooked finger at him, sneering down at him past her nose.

The chimera lunged and Colette released the arrow, watching it slice along the beast's side and spurt of gleam of crimson. It crashed towards them and they both dodged separately—Percy towards the family and Colette towards one of the small windows. "Hey, chihuahua!" Percy taunted promoting the creature to sneer at him with bloodlust. Before he could charge, it's mouth opened to conjure flaming, dangerously hot columns of fire and aim them at the black-haired boy. The carpet burst into flames and Percy dove through the explosions. He jolted as four separate snarls spurred from behind him and in the second he was granted to look back, he was able to see as four golden-maned lions stalked towards the beast. All their eyes were the same shade of violet, reminiscent of Colette's.

After summoning the four beast for defense, Colette swayed for a moment before charging again. They had to be tactical here—the Chimera was a lethal Apex predator, it wasn't an easy kill alone without it's excess shield of unforeseen armour that rejected any weak attempts to kill it. It had opened a large, raggedy hole in the side of the arch and Percy was looking dangerously close.

One of the lions charged for the Chimera's tail, diving for the hissing snake head that snapped and showed off it's fangs at the lion. When the Snake bad defeated the lion, the golden creature dissolved into dust, soon followed by another. they were an effective distraction. Momentarily pocketing the bow, she equipped the dagger and dove under the creature, slashing along it's legs and causing it to howl in ferocity. The dark-haired boy beside her was groaning, clutching his clave that was infested with the bite of a snake. "Jackson--"

Her leg was clutched by the creature and with all the strength she could muster, she slammed her foot into the serpent's face. It hissed, releasing her and allowing her a moment to dive for riptide before the weapon slipped through the hole in the wall. Unfortunately, it gleamed as it fell through, splashing down into the Mississippi river and burying itself under the waves.

Percy's ankle was suddenly caught by the snake, catching him off balance. It took him a minute to get to his feet and as he did, he was met by the awaiting fangs of the snake that dove for him again. Luckily, the last standing lion sunk its teeth into the chimera's neck though it didn't draw blood. Within enough time to crawl out of the snake's view, Percy dived out of the way and watched as the last lion dissolved into nothingness.

There was a shriek of protest from the brunette as Echidna cackled, kicking the bow and arrow off of the ledge with a grin. "a shame."

With only a dagger left, Colette and Percy narrowed backwards towards the ledge, their chests hammering with fright. "They don't make heroes like they used to, eh, son?" Echidna grinned from beside the Chimera—it's smoking jaw dripping with foam. There was nowhere to go, the Demigods knew that as much as Echidna. they had lost.

There was an anger—an incurable rage that leaked from an open slice on Colette's cheek. Adrenaline fused her veins in a horrific rush that made her want nothing more than to reach forward and slash her knife into Echidna. But she wasn't stupid—if she were to even step foot closer both she and Percy would be incinerated. Percy was obviously nauseous, leaning slightly on her back as she stood before him protectively, a sneer taking hold of her face.

"If you are the son of Poseidon," Echidna hissed, "you would not fear water. Jump, Percy Jackson. Show me that water will not harm you. Jump and retrieve your sword. Prove your bloodline." She looked at him past Colette, "The daughter of Artemis, you're fate has already been decided. You shall die, child of nothing. your mother's burden shall be lifted after your death, for you were never meant to exist."

Wether Colette was listening or not, she didn't let it display over her expression. It was too dangerous to jump, she thought. Surely Percy wouldn't do so. Falling into water could protect one from death, but falling from six-hundred feet was a death certificate in one.

The Chimera's mouth glowed red, heating up for another blast as echidna taunted them, "You have no faith. You do not trust the gods. I cannot blame you, little coward. Better you die now. The gods are faithless. The poison is in your heart, your friend shall die by fire."

There was truly nowhere to go. Colette wasn't smart like Annabeth, she couldn't conjure a plan with the snap of her fingers. There was a possibility that creating a creature bigger than the Chimera could be enough of a distraction, but even then, Percy was dying. His blood was pierced with poison; they wouldn't even make it down the elevator.

"Die, faithless one."

"Father help me." any protests Colette could summoned were instantly taken from breath, lost in the weight of free falling as percy embraced her in one last moment of survival. she had managed to turn as they fell, leaving Percy's arms to wrap eternally around her back as their watery grave awaited them. and together, they fell down from the staple of architecture, falling to the unknown depths of the water like the mockery of two dying constellations plunging into the darkness of nyx's night.

Six-hundred feet.

Three hundred feet.

One-hundred feet.