Hi, everyone!!

So today I got a new follower! Its only been, like, a week and I only published my stories today and I still managed to get two followers!!! I would like to thank them, CrazyLaughter, as said before, and my newest one, Janlia. They have great stories! Thanks, guys!

Also check out my other stories, which I started and published today: My Expectations for 'Blood of Olympus', and Caleo One-Shots - How will they reunite?

Anyways, I'm not really sure where this story is going so far, and to tell you the truth I really just want it to end. Ideas are welcome!

Please comment!! Thanks for reading!

~Alex

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Percy stood with Annabeth outside a peaceful little house. It had lime green paint and sun yellow shades that went along nicely together. It smelled like oatmeal cookies and strawberry shortcake. Percy was almost excited to go in, but Annabeth insisted they waited outside.

They had left Hazel and Nico at the library. Percy had been really nervous about that, but Nico had acted responsible enough, and Hazel was the last person Percy would expect to make trouble. He and Annabeth had left them on their own, though, and after everything that had happened to Hazel, he felt guilty doing so. But he knew this trip might help them find their way back to the ship. Besides, would a twelve-year-old really convict murder like that? And blackmail? And Kidnapping?

Percy shuddered. Yes, yes they could.

Percy saw a boy running up to them. "Hi Annabeth!" He called. Annabeth put her face in her hands but looked up smiling. Percy could tell she was just being polite. "Hello, Charlie."

"Hey." The boy stopped in front of Annabeth. Then he looked at Percy. "Is this Mapercy?"

Annabeth sighed. "His name isn't really-"

The boy smiled and shook Percy's hand before Annabeth could finish. "Great! I'm Charlie, we talked on the phone this morning."

"That's right." Percy nodded, blushing from stupidity. "We did."

Charlie smirked. "Come inside. You want a drink or something?"

"Sure." Nodded Annabeth. They followed Charlie inside.

"So." Percy started as Charlie pulled out sodas from the freezer. "Where's your sister? Lesley?"

Charlie shrugged. "She got home before I did. She's probably upstairs reading or doing homework."

Percy stood. "Mind if I go talk to her?" He looked at Annabeth. She nodded in approval.

"Sure." Charlie shrugged. "Upstairs, first room to the right."

"Thanks." Percy left Annabeth and Charlie awkwardly standing. The last thing he heard Charlie say to her was, "So, you new in town?" Before he sprinted up the stairs.

Percy found the room easily. It was a simple white door with a fancy yellow sign labled 'Lesley'. Hard to miss. He knocked on the door.

"Yeah?" Asked a voice.

"Um, it's Percy." He didn't bother using his fake name. It was stupid and embarassing.

"Percy what?" She answered.

Percy hesitated. He shook his head. Just go for it, he thought.

"Percy Jackson."

"How old are you?"

Percy's eyebrows knit. Strange question. "Uh, sixteen?"

"Come in."

Percy opened the door. Lesley was chilling out on her bed hold a blue-colored book in her hands. Percy had seen that book in the library - The Son of Neptune. He was in that one. Percy shivered at the thought of this demon-girl reading his life.

But she acted like a normal tween. She wore jeans and a red tshirt. Her hair was tied back in a braid. Papers and clothes were scattered over her bedroom floor.

"What do you need?" She asked casually.

"Uh..." Percy had not planned this part out. "Uh, you have been kidnapping my friends. Why?"

Lesley frowned. "Why do you think that?"

"Uh, one of my friends, Hazel, told me that you had her boyfriend."

Lesley looked confused. Then, all of her muscles relaxed into the Lesley Percy knew. A sour tone spread across her face.

"I do not have Frank." She said calmly. "I suggest you leave now. You're wasting your time."

"You don't have him?" Percy said. "Where is he, then?"

"If I knew, I would have him with me." Lesley stated. "But I don't. Frank is not here."

"You said you'd kill him." Percy reminded her.

Lesley shrugged. "That is correct."

"Did you?"

Lesley thought for a moment. "I was planning to, but my good side one over." She smiled sweetly at Percy. "I'm an angel at heart."

"Right." Percy said. "You're probably the nicest person in the world."

Lesley shrugged again. "If you say so." She looked back at her book."

"What happened to Frank?"

She slapped down her book. "I told you, I don't know! Sheesh!"

"Fine, I'm sorry, just tell me what you do know."

Lesley sighed and closed her book. "I tied him up. I left him in that corner over there." She pointed to the far end of her room. "The next day he was gone. His ropes were on the floor, by the door. He shouldn't have been able to get them off."

Percy pondered that. "Maybe he shape-shifted! He did that with Chinese handcuffs once. He got away!" Percy felt all his guilt and worry and sadness melt away into relief and glee. Lesley looked quite the opposite.

"Well, if he's still alive, your chances of finding him are slim. Good luck." Lesley opened her book and started flipping pages to find where she left off.

Percy tilted his head. "You're not going to try to stop me?"

"Well, I've already seen many times how unstoppable you are. Haha, that was funny." She pointed at one of the pages of her book, reading one of the lines. "You demigods always have a great sense of humor."

"Forget the book." Percy said. Lesley looked at him like that was the last thing she'd do, but she set in down on her lap.

"Look," Percy started. "You have threatened my friends and possibly the world's future. What do you hope to accomplish?" Percy pulled out Riptide in its pen form. "You seem to know a lot about us."

"More then said in the books." Lesley said, proud of herself. "Thanks to Gaea."

"So- wait, what?"

"Gaea, my mistress."

"You're working for Gaea?" Percy blinked. Wow. She'd addmitted it and everything.

"Look, if you know how to get us back, tell me." Percy demanded.

"Hmm." Lesley thought outloud. "No."

Percy drew Riptide. "Tell me. I need to find my friends. The world is at stake."

"Why should I care?" Lesley smiled. "I'm already getting eternal punishment, worse than death."

"What do you mean?"

"I've made so many swears on the River Styx I can't count them all." Lesley sighed. "But it'll be worth it. Finally the gods will get what they deserve. Gaea will rule all."

"Gaea will destroy all." Percy corrected. "Look, if we don't get back to our ship in time, me you, my friends, your brother, everyone will die. You have to help us."

Lesley frowned, and this time, it looked real. "M-my brother? A-and my parents?"

"Everyone." Percy reapeated.

Lesley looked up. "But - Gaea said she'd spare them... Gaea said - she said they'd have a new life-"

"Lies." Percy said. He gestured to her book. "You've read the books. How often does the bad guy keep his promise? They will do many horrible things for power." Percy took a deep breath, remembering all of the deaths he'd watched. "Murder. Kidnapping. Blackmail."

"No!" Lesley covered her ears, and Percy was afraid she'd broken the girl. "Get out of me! Get out of me!"

Percy stepped foreward but changed his mind halfway and took a further step back. "Lesley..."

"I read the books! The books don't lie! The books don't lie!" Lesley pulled her knees up to her chest. "Get out of me... get out, get out, get out.... GET OUT!"

A gush of wind erupted around the room, nearly blowing Percy backward.

Lesley looked shocked.

"I- I- I didn't know... I didn't know she'd do that...." Lesley stammered. She looked at Percy. Her eyes looked less startling now. Her skin was deeper. Her hair looked healther.

She had been possessed. It wasn't a trick. Lesley had been innocent all along.

"Are you okay?" Percy offered her his hand. She took it, surprised.

"What now?" She asked. Her voiced sounded softer and quieter, more real.

Percy responded. "My friends."

Lesley looked up, startled, like she'd just remembered something important. "The message!" She gasped, and ran out the room downstairs.

"Wait!" Percy called, but she was already downstairs. He followed her downstairs and into the kitchen. he heard Annabeth exclaim, "Lesley?!" Before Percy crashed into her. "Gah!" She screamed. "Percy?"

"No time to explain." Percy gasped. "She's getting away."

"Lesley!" Charlie called. He turned to Annabeth and Percy. "Come on!"

Two demigods and a clueless mortal ran out the house after Lesley. She was a super fast runner, and He and Annabeth couldn't catch up, but Charlie could.

"We're right behind you!" Annabeth called. Percy looked a her, then at a little path through the woods. Percy recongized that path - it was the one he took when he found Annabeth - he could see where he and Annabeth were at the school they were just passing by. He knew that path would lead further up the road, skipping the turn Lesley was about to take. A shortcut.

"Shortcut!" Percy yelled, and dashed into the woods. He could hear Annabeth following behind him.

Percy was worried. Wherever Lesley was going, Percy hoped they made it in time. The last thing he needed was one of his demigod friends bumping into her and slicing her head off. She was innocent. He was sure of it.

Percy trekked on.

***

"Nico, are you sure about this?" Hazel asked. They were standing in the same graveyard as Hazel had woken up in.

"Of course I'm sure! Why would I not be sure?"

"Because we've been here half and hour and nothing's happened."

"Give her a chance to get out of school! I'm sure she'll be here." Nico leaned up against a tree. Both she and Nico were sick of sitting in the library looking up fan art. They wanted to do something productive, like Percy and Annabeth, but Hazel was seriously rethinking it. Nico had come up with the idea of waiting at the graveyard for Lesley. "Maybe she'll be back there again," He'd said. It sounded reasonable at the time. But even in daylight, the graveyard was creepy. Hazel didn't like it here at all. She'd only really come here to keep Nico company, and help in case Lesley actually showed up. She was doubting it now. 

Hazel leaned against the tree with Nico. Her first thought was Frank. Her best friend, perfect crush, and sweet boyfriend gone. She couldn't stand it. tears clouded her eyes, but she ordered them not to fall.

She missed Frank more than anything. She could almost see him now. He was calling her name. Yes, a little far back over there. Fuzzy, but coming closer. Much closer. Hazel gasped.

Frank was alive! She ran to him and attacked him with a bear hug. He hugged her back. She dug her face into his shirt and cried out all her tears of worry and regret untilall she had left was tears of joy.

She had never been so happy in her life! She remembered kissing Frank for the first time. Scratch that, it was a close second. A super close second. A tie. She squeezed him one more time and let go to look at him.

Frank frowned. "Are you okay?"

Hazel wiped away her tears. "Lesley told me you were dead!" She was laughing now.

Frank raised his eyebrows. "What? She told you that?"

"She was working for Gaea." Hazel gasped. She took another look at him. "You're alive!" She cried in relief.

"Hey, I'm alive too." Leo stepped into view.

"Leo!" Hazel gave him a peck on the cheek, and to be fair, gave Frank one too. She had missed them so badly!

Nico stepped foreward. "Hazel." He said, looking behind Frank.

Hazel turned to face him, still grinning wildly. "Yeah?"

"Look."

Hazel saw Piper and Jason running down the street.

"Oh, yeah, they came with us." Said Leo. "Lucky we walked together."

Piper and Hazel hugged each other so tightly Hazel almost felt like her eyes were going to pop out. But she didn't mind. Jason shook her hand, then Nico's.

"Where have you guys been?" Everyone was asking. hazel just stood and smiled, never happier to see everyone together, and holding Frank's hand. She wasn't letting him go again.

Then Jason asked, "What about Percy and Annabeth?" Piper nodded, relising there were two missing members in their group. "They were suppost to be with you guys...."

Hazel was wondering how they knew, but Nico stepped up. "They went to Lesley's house. They managed to get their phone number and address. They went to deal with her."

"When will they be back?" Frank asked.

Nico shook his head. "I don't know."

"Hey, uh, Frank?" Leo asked nervously. "Uh, remember that time, like, ten minutes ago, when you actually brought me to the graveyard for a reason?"

Frank turned white. "Oh yeah." He let go of Hazel's hand and led Leo through the gravestones. Hazel followed curiously.

They stopped at what Hazel remembered to be Sammy Valdez's grave. She put her hands over her mouth to stiffle a gasp.

On the gravestone, written in a mess of blood, was a message.

GAEA WILL RISE TONIGHT

Hazel noticed strange dots and marks on the bottem.

Leo knelt down in front of the grave stone. "That's morse code." He said.

"What does it say?" Frank asked.

Leo hesitated. Then, slowly, he read what it said.

" 'This is the blood'," Leo started. " 'Of the first sacrifice'." He looked up to Frank for answers.

"Gaea." Nico said. "The sacrifice is for Gaea's rising."

"But who's blood is it?" Piper asked. Leo shook his head wistfully. Nico shoved his hands in his pockets. Frank bit his lip.

Hazel grinded her teeth. A happy moment ruined. Gaea would rise tonight. There was no stopping it.

"But how can Gaea rise if there was only one sacrifice?" Jason asked. Piper looked at him.

"I. Don't. Know." She said, a smile spreading across her face. "Its impossible! Gaea can't rise!"

"Then why does it say she will?" Hazel asked.

"I'm not sure, maybe to scare us?" Piper shrugged. "It could be written by Lesley. You know how tricky she is. Lying and backstabing-"

"Lots of backstabing." Leo agreed. Piper ignored him.

"This could be another trick!" She finished.

"But that still doesn't tell us who's blood it is." Hazel reminded her.

Piper shrugged slyly. "Fake blood, maybe?" 

Nico studied the message. "No, definietly real."

Frank re-read the message. "Nico, can you tell who's blood that is?"

Nico stared at Frank. "Would you like me to take a sample home?"

"No, I mean, can you estimate." Frank said. Nico looked back at the blood.

"Demigod blood." He started. Hazel tensed. Nico looked at Frank. "Thats all I got."

Leo stood up. "Well, we know its demigod blood. But of what gender?"

Nico shrugged. "I don't have the power to read blood, you know."

Leo slumped. "So it could be anybody."

Frank nodded sadly. "Anybody," He repeated. Hazel reached over and squeezed his hand.

Jason gasped. "What about Percy and Annabeth? You said they wern't back yet. What if..." He shut his mouth, probably regreting he'd said anything.

Hazel gaped. "Are you saying...." She looked at the blood, then her brother. "Nico?"

He shook his head. "I think Percy's would be more powerful, like a stronger aura. I'm not sure about Annabeth, but I don't think she'd let anyone get her or Percy so easily."

Everyone seemed more relaxed. Hazel let out a breath she hadn't realised she'd been holding.

Piper pointed and exclaimed, "Look!" Everyone turned to see the two demigods running towards them as if to prove Nico's point. Everyone was cheering and smiling out of relief, but Hazel and Nico shared a secret eye message: They do not look okay.

It was true. Percy and Annabeth both looked worried and frightened, they way they looked when they knew someone was in danger. Percy had his sword out and ready. Annabeth had her weapon in her own hand. Annabeth's hair was undone, and Percy's was swept backwards.

They crashed into Frank and Jason, who caught them in bro hugs and shaking hands. Piper and Annabeth huged, Percy tackled Jason, and Leo patted them on the backs and shoved Mark's Repair Shop hats on their heads.

But one thing was for sure: They were more worried then happy.

And Hazel knew why. Lesley was catching up ahead. 

Frank noticed her too. Then Nico, and Piper, Jason and Leo. Annabeth and Percy looked like they knew this was coming.

Lesley ran towards Sammy Valdez's gravestone, but she, along with a surprised Hazel and her friends, were blasted back.

I figure that didn't look quite human stood upon them.

Hazel gasped. It was Gaea.