Nico then raised his hand, "how are we going there?"
Hermes snapped his finger and suddenly a sharp whistle tore through the air. Percy turned and saw a red streak racing across the land until it stopped right in front of the barrier. A gust of wind blew into them, the back rush from the wind, it pushed most off balance, but Percy was used to it, after all he broke the sound barrier on a regular basis.
Standing in front of them was a red double decker bus with a suited up snake man as its conductor. It walked out and removed it's conductor hat, "the Sceptre Express is at your command my league."
"Wow," Nico said as his eyes winded to the size of saucer pans, "that is so cool."
"Yeah," Decker agreed.
"Right then everyone, it's time to leave," Hermes quickly hurried all the demigods into the red bus. Nico popped his head out of the bus window and waved at Percy.
The son of Poseidon smiled, "take care Nico! Don't get into trouble!"
Nico grinned, "I won't!"
Percy turned to see Bianca staring at him. The moment their eyes meet she blushed and turned away. Percy chuckled, "stay safe you guys! Call if you get into trouble!"
The rest of camp said their goodbyes as well, siblings wished each other luck, Chiron looked like he was going to cry while Dionysus just looked bored.
"Ready for take off!" the snake conductor yelled and suddenly the wheels on the bus exploded into flames. And then in an instant it took off into the night blazing a trail of flaming red hot track behind it.
Percy whistled, "okay, I have got to get me one of those."
The Next Day;
Percy and Thalia walked around Yancy academy courtyard arm in arm. It was early morning on a Monday and class was yet to begin. Percy wore his camp t-shirt along with the leather jacket Thalia had give him. Thalia also wore a leather jacket with a Green Day t-shirt and a pair of ripped jeans.
They looked at the sky, the sun had just risen, the birds had begun to sing and they were completely alone as not many students liked to walk in the courtyard so early in the day. The trees were slowly turning brown, autumn was almost upon them, and yet the lively flora filled courtyard was still teeming with life and beauty.
"You see that fountain over there?" Percy pointed at the stone fountain in the center of the courtyard, "that's where I first learnt how to control my water powers."
Thalia chuckled, "really? I would have figured you would have done that some place bigger, like the swimming pool you have in campus, or you know, the ocean right outside your gates?"
Percy smiled, "yeah, now that I think about it that would have probably been a better place to start practising. But hey, in my defence I only had like a hand full of points in my wisdom stat, so I wasn't really the smartest kid in class."
"But now you are," Thalia said as she hugged him tighter. She shivered, "it's pretty cold, can you warm me up?"
Percy grinned, "sure thing sweety," he pulled her in front of him and wrapped his arms around her. He pulled her close and kissed her gently.
Thalia broke the kiss wrapping her arms around his neck, "hm, you're getting better that that. Did you level up recently?"
Percy shook his head, "no, I just know what you like." Percy leaned down and kissed her again. He licked her lower lip and gently bite it. Thalia shuddered in his arms as she tightened her hold on him. She then pushed his head forward and pushed her tongue into his mouth kissing him for all he was worth.
Percy could feel Thalia shudder in his arms as his tongue fought back. His hands went lower as he cupped her ass squeezing them. He pulled her closer and was about to move down her neck when suddenly the sound of sticks breaking broke their trance.
Krack!
Percy and Thalia moved as one. They let go of each other, Percy's hands flew to his pocket feeling Waverider and Riptide while Thalia reached for her bracelet and her can of mace. They looked to where the sound came from and spotted a girl walking out of the bushes looking behind her.
The girl had new pink dyed hair with a punk rock themed shirt on and a pair of pink and black striped leggings. She wore a leather jacket with torn off sleeves and several trinkets lining her arms.
She turned to them and Percy could tell she hadn't gotten much sleep from the huge bags under her chestnut brown eyes. She turned around and looked at Percy and Thalia gasping in shock, "what the fuck?!"
Percy and Thalia shared a look, "ah, are you okay?" Thalia asked.
"Yeah," she looked back searching for...something in the bushes, "I-I'm fine."
"You sure?" Percy asked looking behind her, he focused his eyes and activated his 8.0 Eyesight. He took a quick look around but found nothing, "you seem...troubled."
"I'm fine fucker," the girl snapped. Percy looked at her name;
Monica Williams, Believer of magic
Lv— 8
Percy looked at her, "Monica you look really tensed, are you sure you're okay?"
"How did you know my name?" Monica snapped at Percy, "are you one of them? Are you after me?!" She tried to charge Percy but Thalia stepped in.
"Wow there sister calm down, we aren't with anyone, we just want to talk."
"How did he know my name?!" Monica snapped at Percy as she tried to push past Thalia but the demigoddess was far too strong.
"You're kind of hard to miss," Percy said pointing at her hair, "I remembered hearing about from a couple of people."
"Really?" Monica huffed in disbelief, "yeah sure. You heard about me."
"What does that mean?" Thalia asked a little offended at the tone Monica used.
"He's Percy Jackson, the guy who everyone loves," Monica glared at Percy, "he's the smartest one here, the genius. No one can touch him, not even the teachers. Why would the prince of Yancy academy even know what I sound like?"
"Well that's a little harsh," Percy frowned, "I mean sure I might be a little popular but that doesn't make me an asshole like Tyler."
"Whatever," Monica looked at Thalia, "have fun shoving your tongue down the wannabe's throat."
"What did you say you little bitch?" Thalia glared as she clenched her fists.
"You heard me," Monica glared, "what? You think your punk if you dye you hair and wear a shitty bracelet?"
"You want to talk about being a wannabe?" Thalia looked her over, "you look like you drowned yourself in hot glue and then rolled around in a Hot Topic discount rack."
Monica growled, "whatever, fuckign losers," she threw her head up in disdane, walking out of the courtyard leaving a confused Percy and a very very pissed off Thalia.
"Okay who exactly is that bitch and why does she hate you so much?" Thalia asked once Monica was out of sight.
"I-I think she might be in our homeroom class," Percy admitted as he used his improved memory to recall her face, "she usually sits in the back, very quite. If I recall correctly she also takes Mrs. J's class with us."
Thalia grumbled, "did we do something to piss her off?"
Percy shrugged, "I don't know. A lot of people hate my guts, but usually they do so after we have spoken once or twice. I don't think I ever spoke to her."
Thalia turned to the bush through which Monica popped out, "what do you think she was running from?"
"Let's go find out," Percy and Thalia walked through the bush and into a densely flora covered portion of the courtyard. They were surrounded by trees 20 feet tall, nothing they couldn't walk around.
Soon the path cleared up revealing an oak tree that looked like it was as old as the academy. While Percy was bust staring at the old tree with it's large trunk Thalia spotted something on the ground.
"Think she did that?" Thalia pointed at a small hole in the ground. It was shallow around 2 feet deep, the soil around it looked freshly dug up.
"She must have used her hands," Percy said as he observed the area around the dug up dirt.
"Why do you say that?"
"There are no tool markings in the ground," Percy pointed to small grooves in the mud, "these are way to small to come from a rack, and obviously no one would use a rack to dig up dirt. And if she had used a shovel she would have left single long cuts. If I was to guess she used her hands to dig this up."
Thalia whistled, "those hours that the police department are really paying off huh?"
Percy nodded, "totally," he looked down into the hole and found the bottom flat, like something had been placed there for a long time. "I think there was something in here."
Thalia nodded, "yeah, from the look of things, I would....maybe a book of some kind?"
Percy nodded, "yeah, it looks small, maybe the size of my hand."
"Big enough to hide something in the pocket of one's jacket?" Thalia asked.
"You think she carried whatever she dug up with her?" Percy asked in wonder.
"I think, why else would she look like she didn't want to be followed? Probably trying to sneak something in that she didn't want anyone else to see."
"But why would she try to hide a book?"
"Who says it's a book? For all we know it could be a flask of whiskey. After all unlike you we normal people don't have an inventory to carry our stuff."
Percy rolled his eyes, "Thalia you are not normal. You are literally the daughter of a God."
Thalia shrugged, "and yet I still do not have my own personal storage system."
"Right, anyway might as well get back to the dorms, we need to ready for class," Thalia grumbled but nodded as she and Percy walked away.
"So why do you think she was so pissed at us?" Percy asked.
"Not us sweety, you."
"She called you a wannabe," Percy smirked.
"She was probably drunk," Thalia shrugged, "after all the puffball is so over the top punk she's obviously compensating for her lack of true punkness by covering herself with stereotypes."
Percy shrugged, "maybe. Anyway any plans tonight?"
Thalia shook her head, "no, why?"
Percy smirked as he wrapped his hand around Thalia's hips, "well I was thinking maybe you and I can go into town and catch a movie."
"What's playing?"
"Some movie," Percy shrugged, "does it really matter?"
Thalia shook her head, "no." She leaned forward and kissed him.
Warning! Bloodlust coming from all around you!
Percy broke the kiss and looked around frantically. He couldn't find whatever was giving him this bloodlust.
"What's wrong?" Thalia reached for her can of mace, "is someone watching us?"
"I-I don't know," Percy looked around, he even activated his 8.0 Eyesight, but he couldn't seen anyone, "I don't think so."
"They why did you act like I just blasted you with a lighting bolt?"
"Because I just a message from my Area sense that someone was sending a wave of bloodlust at me."
"Well maybe-," Thalia stopped midway as she spotted Tyler walking in the distance. He glared at Percy and Thalia and huffed walking away quickly, "maybe it was the douchebag over there."
"You think so?" Percy asked.
"Why? Was it serious evil levels of bloodlust?"
"No, it...it didn't feel strong, in fact it remember that time when Leo was still a puppy and I took a piece of his bacon? He had been pissed for hours. It feels similar to that, but more...sinister."
Thalia shrugged, "maybe he really hates you."
"Yeah...maybe," Percy nodded. He pushed the problems to the back of his head as he and Thalia walked back to the dorms. Though as he was getting ready to begin the day Percy couldn't help shake the feeling that something was wrong, very very wrong. He couldn't put his finger on it, but he decided that should be alert just in case.
Later in class;
"And that is why Scotland and Britain don't get along," Mrs. J walked around class with a book in hand explaining the complicated past of Europe.
"So wait they hated each other because they were from different tribes?" Michael asked.
"Well yes and no Michael," Mrs. J explained, "you see....the British were like the jocks and the Scottish were like the....no actually switch that, the Scots were the jocks and the British were the Nerds. The British had advanced war weapons, for their time, but the Scots had numbers. Hence they didn't exactly get along."
The class murdered at her answer. Percy leaned towards Thalia, "she's the best history teacher I have ever had."
"You're just saying that because she has huge tits," Thalia glared.
"Oh admit it, you like her as well."
"Well....she does make interesting examples," Thalia admitted, "but she should really learn to shop for her size."
"She's a size 5 at best."
"She's a size 9."
"Sweetie-"
"She's a size 9 and that's what she should wear."
Percy chuckled but didn't want to argue. As Mrs. J continued her lesson Percy looked to the corner and noticed Monica having her down on her desk. She looked liked she was reading something between her hands but it was too well covered for Percy to tell what it was.
Just then Monica snapped up and caught Percy' line of sight. She glared as she slowly slipped whatever it was she was reading into her desk. Percy narrowed his eyes and tried to get a better look with his advanced eyesight, but the only thing he got was that the book she was reading had a black cover and was about the size of her palm.
Monica glared at him and looked at Mrs. J, pretending, and failing, to be listening to what she was saying.
Percy figured he was the only one who noticed Monica's strange behaviour, but he was wrong. Mrs. J held her book in front of her face as her eyes flashed sulphuric yellow. She looked at Monica and groaned, 'Percy's going to have to deal with that one soon.'
That night;
Percy and Thalia walked out of a movie theater located in the small town outside of Yancy academy's gates. They weren't technically allowed to be here after curfew, but they didn't really care much about that.
"So wait he's a werewolf, and that somehow made him better at basketball?" Percy asked confused about the movie they just watched.
"Well, I guess it's because he's better at coordinating his movement now so that would make him a better basketball player," Thalia shrugged.
"Yeah okay, I get that, but why the hell does no one realise he's a walking fur covered fuzz ball? I mean half the people seem okay with it, one chick even wanted to sleep with him!"
"Percy you know it doesn't matter what a person looks like on the outside," Thalia chuckled, "it's what's on the inside that counts."
Percy rolled his eyes, "yeah, sure. Still doesn't answer my question though."
"Percy it was a movie made in the 80's about a teenager that transforms into a werewolf, just go with it."
Percy shrugged, "yeah yeah." Percy looked at his watch, "holy shit, it's 1 in the night, that movie was long."
