Chapter 3

We slipped out of the room and the rainbow eyes girl took the lead. Not having much of a choice we followed her.

I had froze and ducked behind a wall as a few Lab Coats came running. She didn't  hesitate and walked right up to them.

"What is she doing?" The Latino boy hissed.

"Tell me where the record room is," the girl demanded to the Lab Coats.

One pointed down the hall the way they had come. "Take a right at the end. Go through the double doors. Take the elevator to the 1st floor. Third room on your left."

The girl nodded. "Now run down the hall and when you see more people tell them you saw the kids on the roof. Go run."

The two Lab Coats sprinted past her not once looking back.

"How did you...?" Luke asked.

"Let's go," she said and we all continued. We reached the elevator and head down and got off at the 1st floor.

"It's too quiet," the blonde girl said. I nodded in agreement. We make it to the record room with ease.

"It's locked," the rainbow eyes girl said.

Luke stepped forward and placed a hand on the doorknob and I could hear the click of the lock. He then turned it with ease.

We slipped inside and Luke locked the door behind us.

The spiky haired girl had begun to rifle through the cabinets, Luke and blonde girl follow suit.

"What are you looking for?" I asked.

"Jason Grace," the spiky haired girl said. "Just tell me if you find his name."

"Pull out all the ones with a name," Luke said.

I nodded slowly and began to look myself. I rip through files none of which are labelled with names. They show numbers and times next to them.

After a bout five minutes Luke spoke. "I think that's all of them." He held a stack of papers in his hand and we nodded and hurried out the room. The small Latino boy stayed back throwing some papers on the floor quickly lights his hands on fire. He drops it and allows the room to catch. I stopped the sprinklers as we watched the room.

"There they are!"

I felt my blood freeze as four guys with guns stood facing us.

"Grab each other," a voice whispered in my ear I glance to see the pale boy had spoken. I feel the blonde girl grabbed my hand and I grabbed the pale boy's hand and find it oddly cold.

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

"Don't you dare kid!" One guy shouted staring at us.

Things went dark and I felt dizzy before I found myself sprawled on the ground with the others. The only one who was standing his the pale boy. He sways and I stood up.

"Where are we?" The rainbow eyed girl asked seeing the trees around us. It's dark out.

"Should be outside," he slurs before he collapsed. I caught him just in time.

"Come on," Luke said standing. "I think we're parked over there."

I picked up the pale boy finding him surprisingly light. We hurried to where a van waited. The words are faded on it but I was able to make out, "Delphi Strawberry".

We piled in the back and Luke got in the front. As we drove off to who knows where.

~~~~

After a pit stop at McDonald's. We got out of the van at a campsite. A tent is already set up.

"Didn't expect all of you," Luke shrugged. The Latino boy walked over to an clump of sticks were it looked like a fire had been. He snapped once toward it and it was set a blaze.

We all sat around in silence unsure of what to do.

"Can't believe we're out of there," said the rainbow eyed girl. "I can get home..."

"What home?" The Latino boy whispered. I can't help but nod in agreement. My mom was dead. All that was left was Gabe. What home did I have?

"Is there a Bianca in the files?" The pale boy asked quietly.

Luke pulled out all the files and looked at the first one reading off the name: "Frank Zhang?"

No one responded and he put it down. "Leo Valdez?"

The Latino reached forward to grab the file.

"Annabeth this one is yours," Luke said passing it to the blonde girl.

"Piper Mc-McLean?.... Like the actor?"

"Yes," the rainbow eyed girl snapped and grabbed the folder from his hand.

Luke just looks to the next one. "Bianca di Angelo," he said handing it to the pale boy. The pale boy took it quickly looking through its pages.

"Nico di Angelo? Gonna guess this you." The pale-boy Nico nodded taking it.

"Here Thalia, Jason Grace," Luke said and tossed the spiky haired girl the file.

"Hazel Levesque?"

"Hazel too?" Nico said quietly taking it. At the questioning looks he spoke again. "My half sister."

"And finally, Perseus Jackson."

I took the file slowly and open it. Inside it lists my birthdate, my mother and Gabe's names were listed. A name was even listed under my father: Poseidon Olympian.

I was about to turn the page when my eyes landed on my birthday once again. How many had I missed inside that hell hole?

"What's the date?" I asked.

"March, 12th," Thalia answered.

"Year?" I asked quietly.

"2009."

I nearly dropped the file in my hands. "4 years," I muttered. "4 fucking years."

"What now?" Leo asked.

"I'm not sure about you all but I still have an annoying little brother to find," Thalia said holding up her folder. She turned to Luke. "We were in the Empire State Building. They were here on the Sound. That only leaves California. He has to be there."

"I'm coming. My sister- Hazel must be there," Nico said. "Hopefully Bianca too."

"You know I'm coming with," Annabeth stated.

"Okay. I wanna do something before going home anyway," Piper said.

I sighed. "I have no where to go. Might as well. But.... If possible can we make a pit stop?"

"I'll head with you part of the way," Leo said.

"Sounds good," Luke said. "Wait, Perseus, what do you mean a pit stop?" He asked turning to me.

"Percy," I corrected. "And, I just need to... talk.... With someone..."

He raised an eyebrow but didn't question.

~~~~

The others followed me- even though I told them they could wait outside, as I walked toward the building on East 104th and 1st. Luckily, someone is coming out so I take the door from them and walk in.

I headed for the stairs and walk up before finally freezing in front of my old apartment. I hesitated fidgeting with the shirt Luke had given me. I took a breath and turn to Luke and motioned to the door. He nods and came forward and placed a hand on it, I'm response it clicked open.

The place reeked of beer and cigarettes. Something's never change.

I walked in doing my best to avoid the litter across the room.

I made my way to the kitchen where the walrus of a man stood rifling through the fridge. Finally he turned to me and realization dawned on his face.

"Well, well. The little shit had finally returned huh?" Gabe said taking a sip of his beer. "Finally come back so I can end you like your whore of a moth-" he doesn't get to finish his sentence as the bottle in his hand burst.

He curses and looks back to me before looking past me. "You brought a little posse? Can't stand up to me by yourself?"

I'm not sure exactly what I did to make it happen but a tentacle of water exploded from the faucet and grabbed the bald man by the leg holding him upside down.

He screams and I punched him once in the face.

He spits a bit of blood on the floor. "What is a freak like you going to do? You don't have the balls to do anything to me."

When I didn't reply he continued.

"I raised your punk ass! I should have killed you when I killed her! At least you were too much of a pussy to call the cops."

He opens his mouth to speak again when the water releases him and lands on his head. He groans.

"I'll come back, later," I told him turning to leave.

"I'll call the cops."

"Great. I'll tell them how you killed my mom." I walked out the kitchen not making eye contact with anyone. But before I walked out of the apartment I heard Piper spoke and I freeze.

"Soon as we leave you're going to call the cops and confess to the murder of..."

"Sally Jackson," I supplied.

"The murder of Sally Jackson. You won't tell anyone about what just happened."

I continued to walk and soon they all followed me out and back to the van.

"California then?" I asked as Thalia pulled on to the road.

She nodded. "California."

We rode along in silence and as we did- for the first time in four years- I smiled. I smiled because I saw cop cars racing the other direction. The sound of the their sirens only made me happier.