ੈ｡ﾟ ･ׂׂ ✩ RED ⌇˚ɞ act ii . . .
if clarity's in death . .

· 。ﾟ *.  𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 FOURTEEN,
───── ❛ 186 days later ❜

" 𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐂𝐘 𝐉𝐀𝐂𝐊𝐒𝐎𝐍 𝐀𝐍𝐃
𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐓𝐈𝐓𝐀𝐍'𝐒 𝐂𝐔𝐑𝐒𝐄 "

186 days later . . .

         IN THE GRAND scheme of things, six months really wasn't a long time. It was just a small speck on a mile-long timeline, something so minuscule that nobody ever spared it even a second glance.

But to Laurie Hawthorne, six months was almost the difference between life and death.

In the short spance of time, she'd discovered two things. One: foolery is the best weapon you could ever have ( especially if the ones you're using it on aren't the brightest ). Two? Being a child of the Underworld actually does have its perks.

Foolery was how she'd gotten herself in the current situation, which was freezing her fingers and toes off in the snowy mountains, waiting for a manticore disguised as a military school teacher, Dr. Thorn, to return and unchain her.

Oh yeah, she was chained to a stone pillar with some second-hand handcuffs because she was apparently a "security risk."

As it turned out, not all monsters were as stupid as the leader of Kronos' army, who fell for it hook-line and sinker when she told him she'd finally decided to give in and join their side about three months ago. She was lying, of course, but it was the key to survival, and Luke believed her after only a few simple tests.

Laurie had three words for Kronos' so-called army: what fucking idiots.

Now, months later, she'd been sent on her first ever "field mission", as they called it, though not without supervision.

Laurie was growing impatient, fumbling around with the hair clip that she removed from her hair long ago, ( which she had dearly missed when it was taken from her ) ready to extract her weapon and cut through the stupid cuffs. She had to stay patient though, just until the other demigod arrived, only then could she break free and get rid of the stupid manticore.

The cowardly part of her said to just break free now, take the easy way out and run. But she couldn't leave this kid behind to join the wrong side; nobody deserved to go through what she did.

After what felt like a billion years of leaning up against the stupid pillar and her back beginning to ache, Laurie heard approaching footsteps. Then, came the sound of voices.

Each voice sounded young, and from what she could tell, there was a girl and a boy.

Great, now she was going to have to get herself and two other unsuspecting demigods out of the place alive and then somehow, to safety.

Then came Thorn's voice. "Halt!"

Stumbling into the clearing, came an all too familiar boy, accompanied by two younger kids. The girl with him helped him catch his balance, receiving a thanks from the still oblivious demigod.

As Laurie registered the faces of all three of the kids before her, she wasn't sure if her heart was going to explode or if she was going to burst into tears of relief. Instead of doing either, she just felt her breathe catch in her throat and her eyes widen.

It was Percy. She felt so relieved that she had to restrain herself from screaming his name the moment she saw him. Unfortunately for the both of them, the boy was clutching onto his shoulder where there was undoubtedly a wound given to him by Thorn.

Beside him were two faces that Laurie tried to tell herself were new, but she knew weren't. They were the kids she'd encountered over a year ago back at Lotus Casino— the kid that'd run straight threw her the first time her . . . abilities had surfaced.

"Stop talking!" Thorn shouted at the three kids that were exchanging quick and panicked whispers among themselves. "Face me!"

They looked up, their backs facing Laurie. She found herself slightly relieved with the extra time she'd been given to figure out a plan, but it probably wouldn't be long before Thorn's big mouth pointed out her presence.

Thorn grabbed a phone from underneath his coat and raised it to his mouth. "The package— it is ready to deliver." He said.

Percy glanced over his shoulder, and Laurie suddenly became very aware of the huge drop-off from where they stood to the sea below.

Dear gods, bubble brain, please don't be thinking what I think you are, she thought.

Then, Thorn's eyes fell on Laurie, and his hungry gaze intensified.

"Oh, how could I forget! My little helper, of course." He exclaimed, shoving the three demigods forward as he approached the daughter of Persephone. With his weaponized tail pointed at Percy, he retrieved a small set of keys from his pocket.

The three other half-bloods looked towards Laurie. Two faces contorted in confusion, but one's expression dropped.

For the first time in over a year, Percy's eyes met hers.

She looked so different. 

The first thing his eyes were drawn to were hers. Then, to the new addition to her face.

There was a huge scar that ran from above her eyebrow to the center of her eyelid, ( Percy tried to ignore how similar it made her look to Luke ) and her hair was longer and darker so that it was almost black. Her arms were more toned, like she'd spent every day since they'd last seen each other training nonstop.

Her hair was also insanely frizzed out, which he couldn't help but think about how much it must've been bothering her.

He was snapped out of it when the girl's hand obstructed the view of her own face. Thorn had unlocked the handcuffs that'd chained her to the stony pillar behind her and she'd immediately snatched her hands away.

"Took your sweet time, did you?" She remarked with a scowl at the manticore, rubbing at the red rings pressed into her wrists.

He just sneered in her direction and ignored her words. Laurie tried her best to ignore the look Percy was giving her, one of hurt and perplexment. Clearly, he believed her act just as well as Thorn did. She wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not.

"Unfortunately,"  Thorn sighed dramatically. "the three of you are wanted alive. Otherwise, you would already be dead."

He stood right at Laurie's side now, the metallic reflections flashing between her fingertips going unnoticed by him.

"Who wants us?" The girl demanded. "Because if you think you'll get a ransom, you're wrong. We don't have any family. Nico and I . . ." Her voice cracked as she slid an arm around the younger boy's shoulder, pulling him closer to her. "We've got no one but each other."

"Aw," Thorn mocked. "Do not worry, little brats. You will be meeting my employer soon enough. Then you will have a brand-new family."

"A fun one too." Laurie added, shrugging her shoulders up in an exaggerated gesture. "Where you can learn to do things like this."

In a flash of silver, a sword appeared in Laurie's hand and she drove it straight through Thorn. Unfortunately for the daughter of Persephone, it was the first time she'd been allowed her own sword in months and she'd gotten used to using one without a broken hilt.

Her hilt was broken. Her aim was off.

The blade should've plunged straight through the monster's abdomen and reduced him to ashes, but instead struck him through the shoulder and therefore did not kill him. Just made him very, very angry.

"Ack!" The manticore yelped, swiveling around and lashing out at Laurie with his tail. The pointed tip sliced right through the sleeve of her jacket and shirt, ripping it in half and replacing it with a crimson streak across her shoulder.

"I knew it! You good for nothing demigod—"

Thorn didn't get to finish his sentence before Laurie was pushed out of the way by an invisible force, sending her scrambling to her feet at the edge of the clearing.

In hindsight, Annabeth's move was pretty genius. She'd plowed down Percy and the pair of demigods with him whilst sporting her invisibility cap and then, tackled Laurie to the ground before she could even register what was happening.

Behind the manticore, Grover and Thalia charged. Laurie thought she was hallucinating when she saw a girl that embodied the descriptions she'd always been given of the daughter of Zeus.

Thalia looked positively terrifying as she attacked, wielding a magic shield— Aegis— as she moved forward. "For Zeus!" She cried out and jabbed at Thorn's head.

Laurie wanted to help, but the numbing pull on her shoulder made it unthinkable. Beside her, Annabeth materialized.

"Holy shit, Laurie, where'd you come from?! Are you okay? Oh gods, your shoulder!" The daughter of Athena rambled out, the consideration of giving her friend a hug extinguished by the sight of her bloody arm.

"I'm fine, it's — it's fine." She grunted, the pain surfacing. The girl then ripped a strip of material off the bottom of her shirt, wrapping it around the wound on her arm.

"Let me." Annabeth insisted, hastily dressing the wound as the new sounds of helicopter blades buzzed in the air and Grover's reed pipe music filled into the background.

Thorn's tail whipped around in a deadly 360, almost taking out the two half-bloods.

"Duck!" Someone— Percy— exclaimed, and Laurie yanked the blonde down as she dove to the ground. Annabeth's eyes looked about twice as wide as before, her ears unmistakable red as she looked at Laurie in fear.

"Is that a manticore?" She shouted over the noise. Laurie nodded.

"Who are you people?" The brunette girl beside Percy and across from Annabeth demanded. "And what is that?"

"A manticore?" Nico gasped. "He's got three thousand attack power and plus five to saving throws!"

Laurie's brows scrunched together in confusion. What the—

"Get down!" Annabeth hollered, diving over and pushing the di Angelo children flat into the snow.

At the last minute, Percy slapped a hand over the watch on his wrist and yanked Laurie into his side by her injured arm, gaining a scream of anguish. She probably would've drop-kicked him if he hadn't saved her life.

A bronze shield formed from his watch, saving the both of them from thorns thrown their way by the manticore.

There was a whack and another yelp, this one not from Laurie, and Grover landed in a heap beside the two demigods.

"Yield!" the monster bellowed.

"Never!" Thalia cried from where she'd been thrown across the landscape. She got back up and charged the manticore.

Then, the thunderous beats of the helicopters were given an appearance as they surfaced from the mist, hovering over the cliff, ready to pickup their cargo. The lights blinded Thalia and the monster swatted her away with his tail like she were a pesky fly.

Feeling responsible for forgetting about the whole helicopter pickup, Laurie jumped to her feet and attacked Thorn as Percy ran towards Thalia, who now lay with her shield and spear both sprawled out in the snow and out of arm's reach.

Percy parried a thorn just as it was about to strike Thalia's chest and covered them with his shield.

Thorn cackled loudly, "Now don't you see how hopeless it is, little heroes?"

After the words left his mouth, his ankles were wrapped in the thorny vines of roses.

"Gah!" He exclaimed in disturbance, ripping the vines up by the roots with his tail. From behind, Laurie charged him.

"Not a fan when you're on the receiving end of them, huh?" She taunted, slashing at the monster's arm with her sword. Her body flickered in and out like a phantom after she swung, throwing her off balance for only a moment.

She managed to get a swipe in, but only one before his horrific tail caught up with her. It wrapped around the demigod's neck, snatching her closer so that his razor-sharp teeth were within reach of her ears.

"You traitor, demigod scum!" He snarled in her ear. Despite the life-threatening circumstance, Laurie scoffed.

"Thought a traitor was what you all wanted." She taunted, her voice strained by the ever-growing tightness around her throat.

In the given situation, she had no business mouthing off to a monster that held her life in his hands, but they were already forced into a corner anyways, what could it hurt?

Just as it seemed that they'd finally found themselves without any escape, the distinct sound of a hunting horn blew through the woods.

The manticore froze, and for a moment, nobody moved an inch.

"No," Thorn gasped, eyes wide. "It cannot be—"

His words were interrupted by the whir of an arrow cutting through the air like a beam of moonlight, sprouting out of Thorn's shoulder and just hardly missing Laurie's neck.

His grip on the demigod released as he staggered backwards, wailing in agony. Laurie put a generous amount of space between herself and him, now closer to Nico and his sister, Bianca, holding her sword nimbly at her side as her other hand rubbed against her throat.

"Curse you!" The monster bellowed, sending a volley of spikes into the woods that the arrow had attacked from, only to receive a dozen more in return, each slicing through the thorns with inhuman accuracy.

The monster tore the arrow out of his flesh with a wail of pain, his breathing heavy and uneven. Percy tried to take a stab at him, but he wasn't in as bad of shape as he appeared and quickly whipped the boy back by his shield.

Then, the archers emerged from the woods. They were all girls, about a dozen of them ranging from the ages of ten to maybe fourteen. They wore silvery winter coats and jeans, all armed with bows and quivers of arrows. They advanced on the manticore fearlessly.

Laurie knew who they were before they even appeared.

"The Hunters!" Annabeth cried out, flashing a brief smile of excitement to the daughter of Persephone.

"Oh great." Thalia muttered next to Percy. Nobody even had time to ask what she meant by that.

One of the girls that appeared to be older than the rest took a step forward, her bow drawn. She was graceful and ethereal with copper colored skin, holding herself with poise and dignity. Distinguishing her from the other girls glimmered a silver circlet braided into her dark hair.

"Permission to kill, my lady?"

Right as the words left her mouth, the manticore howled in disagreement. "This is not fair! Direct interference! It is against the Ancient Laws!"

"Not so." Said an auburn-haired girl. She looked younger than the girl she had given orders to, perhaps by a year or two. "The hunting of all wild beasts is within my sphere. And you, foul creature, are a wild beast. Zoe," She looked at the girl with the circlet in her hair. "Permission granted."

Zoe prepared to strike, and the manticore growled, "If I cannot have these alive, I shall have them dead!"

He lunged towards the group of demigods, knowing they were dazed, weak, and unsuspecting.

"No!" Annabeth yelled, and she charged at the monster.

"Get back, half-blood!" Zoe shouted. "Get out of the line of fire!"

But Annabeth wasn't listening. In a blur of blonde and bronze, she leapt onto the monster's back and drove her dagger right into his mane. The manticore screeched and howled, turning around in circles with his tail going every which way in an attempt to rid himself of the demigod plus-one.

Annabeth was holding on for dear life.

"Fire!" Zoe ordered in a shout.

"No!" Percy screamed.

But the Hunters had already let the arrows fly. One sunk into the manticore's neck, another into his chest. He staggered back howling, "This is not the end, Huntress! You shall pay!"

Before a singular muscle could be moved, before anybody could do anything to prevent it, the monster dove off of the cliff and plummeted into darkness, Annabeth Chase still on his back.

"Annabeth!"

Percy, Thalia and Laurie yelled all at the same time, though Laurie's voice came out as a gravelly croak.

Percy lurched forward to take off after her, but the fight was not yet finished. Following the manticore's plummet into nothingness came the snap snap snap of gunfire.

The Hunters scattered in every direction as bullets pierced the snow at their feet, all except for the auburn-haired girl.

She looked up at the chopper and proclaimed, "Mortals are not allowed to witness the hunt."

She thrust out a hand and the helicopter exploded into a plume of dust that then took the form of ravens. The birds scattered into the night, and the Hunters advanced on the demigods, who'd long-since regrouped in a closer huddle.

The one with the circlet— Zoe— stopped short when she spotted Thalia. "You." She sneered.

"Zoe Nightshade." The daughter of Zeus reciprocated with equal distaste, her voice full of anger. "Perfectly timed, as usual."

Zoe didn't bat another eye in her direction, but proceeded to scan over the rest of the demigods. Then, she turned to the girl with auburn hair and said, "Five half-bloods and a satyr, my lady."

"I see," the girl spoke. "Some of Chiron's campers."

"Annabeth!" Percy yelled, jumping on his feet and pointing towards the cliff. "You have to let us save her!"

The girl turned towards him, solemnly shaking her head. "I'm sorry, Percy Jackson," she spoke. "but your friend is beyond help."

The boy tried to struggled up to his feet, but a couple of hunters held him down.

"N-no. We can't," Laurie croaked, pointing towards the cliff. She tried her very best to show respect, for she— unlike Percy— knew who it was she was talking to. "We can't let her go with him. Please."

"There is nothing we can do for her. And you are in no shape to be hurling yourselves off cliffs." Zoe shook her head.

"Let me go!" Percy demanded. "Who do you think you are?"

Zoe stepped towards the boy, only to be stopped right before she looked like she was about to smack him into the next millennia.

"No," the other girl had ordered. "I sense no disrespect, Zoe. He is simply distraught. He does not understand."

Did Percy ever really understand?

The young girl stepped towards the boy, holding her head up in a regal style, her power rippling around the cold night air.

"I am Artemis," she introduced herself. "Goddess of the Hunt."

Following her words, there was a thud as something softly hit the snow. Laurie had passed out.

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