𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐗𝐕𝐈.
i love you, it's ruining my life

ᯓᡣ𐭩

𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐂𝐘 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐌𝐀𝐈𝐒𝐈𝐄 𝐖𝐄𝐍𝐓 to breakfast the next day with the intention of requesting a quest to save Annabeth. But, it seemed like the Oracle had beat them to it.

The Oracle, who is known to never leave the attic, showed itself to Zoë Nightshade, the hunters' lieutenant, and talked about a quest of five, to save the goddess Artemis, who appeared to also have been missing. Zoë picked Phoebe, another hunter, to join her, Bianca di Angelo, one of the demigods Percy and his friends had saved, who also became a hunter, and Thalia.

Yes, Thalia Grace, Annabeth and Luke's friend who died before she made it to Camp Half-Blood and her father, Zeus, turned into a tree that's been protecting the camp since. That Thalia.

After Clarisse brought the Golden Fleece back, it was placed on Thalia's tree to heal it, after Luke had poisoned it. Turns out the Fleece worked a little too well and brought Thalia back to life.

Nevertheless, she'd join the hunters on their quest. Before Maisie or Percy had the chance to volunteer to go, Grover chimed in and Zoë accepted him.

Maisie and Percy argued, in vain. There was no more space in the quest for them, especially Percy, since the hunters hated boys.

Maisie stormed off, vowing that she would still save her sister, despite what a stupid Oracle said.

After the quest group left, Maisie waited until nightime, as to go unnoticed. Once she made sure all her siblings were sound asleep and the coast was clear, she opened the door to her cabin, only to find Percy with his hand raised, ready to open the door himself.

"Percy," she said, slightly startled.

"Maisie, listen. I had another dream. Artemis is with Annabeth. She's holding the sky for her and Luke said he'll keep her alive. We need to go."

Maisie listened, glad for the fact that Luke was baiting them with Annabeth, because that meant they'd find her alive. They'd escaped worse, so they'd escape this too. She nodded.

"Yes, we do," she agreed and the both of them took off towards Thalia's pine tree.

ˏˋ°•*⁀➷

"So, don't freak out, but I met a cool pegasus who can take us," Percy said as they made their way to the hill.

Just as he said that, a beautiful, black pegasus landed in front of them, making Maisie take a step back.

"Oh, wow," was all she said, her eyes slightly wide.

"This is Blackjack. Blackjack, this is Maisie," Percy introduced them. Blackjack neighed and Percy looked at him like he understood him. "He says it's nice to meet you."

"You speak pegasus?" Maisie asked in amazement.

"Gift from my dad."

"Well, it's nice to meet you too, Blackjack," she said to the pegasus, who looked pleased.

"We better get going," Percy said, getting ready to mount Blackjack.

"What are you guys doing?" a voice sounded, causing Percy to stumble and almost fall face first to the ground.

Maisie turned, in alarm, but her worry diminished once she recognized Ronan making his way to them.

"Ronan, what are you doing out?" she asked, trying to appear innocent.

"I asked first," he said, waiting for an explanation.

Maisie sighed. "Okay, we're going to save Annabeth."

"Isn't there already a quest for that?" he asked, brows furrowed.

"The hunters only care for Artemis. They'll let Annabeth die if it means saving their goddess. We can't risk that."

Percy was next to her now, looking at Ronan with a frown, as if challenging him to prevent them from going.

Ronan seemed to turn what Maisie had said over in his mind. "Okay," he decided, with a nod. "Mind if I come with?"

"Oh," Maisie said, looking at Percy. "I don't know. Could Blackjack take three people?"

Blackjack huffed. "It could slow him down, but he can do it," Percy said.

Maisie nodded, still looking at him for confirmation. This was Annabeth they were talking about. Maisie wouldn't hold it against him if he didn't want anyone else to come with.

Percy gave her the slightest nod.

"Okay. Guess we're all going."

ˏˋ°•*⁀➷

Riding on a pegasus was probably one of the best things Maisie had experienced.

She hadn't been on a plane, but she imagined it couldn't be better than this. As they soared through the sky, they could see the entirety of New York below them. Maisie wondered how the Mist veiled a pegasus flying.

They flew above the van that the quest group drove, out of sight, following them until they reached the Smithsonian, where the hunters, Thalia, and Grover got off.

"Go back to camp, Blackjack. Thanks for everything," Percy told his pegasus. They talked some more, Maisie and Ronan not understanding what was being said, but waiting patiently.

"Alright, let's go," Percy said once Blackjack took off.

The three of them entered the museum, doing their best not to be seen.

Inside, they saw a man dressed in black, glasses and everything, going into a room that held a private event.

"That's Dr Thorn. The monster that took Annabeth," Percy said, recognizing him.

"Where's he going?" Ronan asked, his gaze switching from the private event room to the museum where their friends were heading.

"I'm gonna follow him. I have Annabeth's cap. You guys stay low," Percy suggested.

"Yeah," Maisie said, though she had a bad feeling about this.

Once Percy became invisible and left, Maisie glanced towards her friends.

"Should we follow them?" Ronan asked.

"Yeah. Yeah, you do that. I'll make sure Percy gets out of there alive, alright?"

Ronan nodded, then reached out his hand to give her own a reassuring squeeze.

Once they parted ways, Maisie sneaked behind the private room. There was a window, and Maisie ducked to get to the side of it, peaking inside without being seen. She couldn't spot Percy, seeing as he was invisible. Instead, she saw Thorn, another man who looked far more authoritative than Thorn and some security guards. But it was the person who sat next to that man that made her gut churn.

Because next to the man, sat Luke.

Maisie did her best to shield herself from view while watching them talk, but apparently, she failed.

Luke's eye caught her for a second, before she ducked next to the window. There was nowhere to run to. Nowhere to hide.

Maisie closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. She heard the door open.

When she opened her eyes, she saw Luke walking towards her, his eyes scanning her face, her body and her weapons.

He kept a safe distance, since he never knew if she was going to attack him, or throw herself at him.

"Maise."

───────

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not my best work but we roll