Storm Rising

Chapter 11

Percy's POV (Same Morning, just different POV)

"Annabeth?" I whisper, stunned.

Her grey eyes widen at me before being replaced by a smug look. Annabeth turns back around and continues to make out heavily with Brandon. I feel sick to my stomach. They break apart for a breath and Brandon whispers to her, "I love you so much, Babe."

"There is no one on I love more than you, hottie," Annabeth says back. I can't bear this anymore. I step forward.

"I thought you loved me! After all I have done for you!" I yell, my anger rising.

"You were a fool to think I ever loved you. Brandon is so much better in every department," Annabeth yells.

"That's right, babe. Tell him how wrong he was," Brandon encourages.

"No one wants you Percy. The campers, your dad, the romans, or me. You are a misfit. So just leave. No one will ever love you!" Annabeth screams into my face.

I spin and around, heartbroken, and run out of the cabin. I run into the forest, not caring where I am going. Crashing through branches, every animal and monster with 5 miles could probably hear me. I didn't care. I was so angry I could take down anything that came at me. Why? Why does Annabeth of all people do this to me? Fueled by the angry thoughts about Annabeth, I put on a new burst of speed. I'm blinded by tears and rage, I don't even notice when I slam into someone.

A groan alerts me to the person's presence. Without thinking, I light my left hand on fire for light and crouch down to see who it is. At first with all the blood, the face is unrecognizable. Slowly, I begin to recognize features, barely visible olive skin, dark brown eye, black hair.

It's Bianca.

"Bianca, are you okay?" No, Percy, stupid question. She is covered in blood, of course she is not okay. I rip off part of my shirt, but I don't know where to begin to stem the flow of blood. Wait, I'm Hestia's champion and I can summon food. Does that mean I can summon ambrosia and nectar? I concentrate and sure enough a bottle of nectar and a bag of ambrosia appears. I pour the nectar over the darkest patches of blood on Bianca's arms, legs, and face. The deep cuts seem to be closing, but I can't risk giving her anymore nectar. The blood is drying on Bianca's skin, turning it blackish red. I look around to see we aren't more than 100 yards from the creek. I motion for a blob of water to come and clean Bianca's wounds. A blob the size of a basketball gently washes off the cuts. Bianca's eyes flutter and she moans. I help her sit up.

"Ambrosia," She whispers.

I hand her a small piece and she chews on it gratefully.

"Can you walk?" I ask her. She shrugs weakly. I help her to her feet, but her legs buckle and she cries out in pain. Only then do I realize that there are two silver arrows sticking out of the backs of her legs.

"Hunters," I growl. I help Bianca up again and adjust her so most of her weight is on me. "Bianca, what happened?"

Bianca begins to tell me about what happened with the hunters as we walk back towards camp. In this darkened woods, she tells me about the lieutenant for the time being and their treatment of her. When she gets to the part about them carving the words on her skin, Bianca breaks down in tears. I try my best to comfort her while still walking, patting her back a bit awkwardly. Bianca manages to finish her tale by the time we reach the edge of the forest.

"What were yo- " But Bianca's voice is cut off by a sudden bolt of lightning with violent thunder following. Rain begins to pour down.

"What the heck Zeus!" I say, before realization dawns on me. "Bianca, Sydney didn't happen to be Sydney Rae, daughter of Zeus, did she?"

Bianca's eyes widened. "Shoot. We have to get to the Hades Cabin now."

We begin to run through the rain and wet sloppy mud. About half way to the Hades cabin, Bianca slips on the mud, falling face first. I pull to her feet and sprint to the rest of the way to the cabin. Inside, I use my water powers to dry us both off. I'm surprised they still work.

"What's going on?" Nico asks, looking up at us. I guess we make a strange sight. Bianca with her bloody clothes and scars and me holding Bianca in my arms, flying in here with lightning crackling outside and thunder booming.

Hazel, Frank, Reyna, and Ivory stop playing cards on the floor of the Hades cabin to look up at us. I lay Bianca, face down, on the leather couch.

"We need medical supplies," I say, gesturing to the arrows. Nico's eyes widen and he runs over to rummage through a cabinet.

"What happened?" Hazel asks, worry heavy in her vice.

"No time for details. Hunters were being cruel to Bianca. She duels them. One sneaks up on her and Bianca accidently stabs her in the gut. Now Artemis and Zeus are mad about their dead hunter and daughter.

Hazel gasps. "You were there?"

"No," I say sadly. "I came back from visiting my mom all day to find Annabeth cheating on me with my half brother."

I'm overwhelmed by the sudden sadness. Reyna crawls over next to me and puts her arms around me. "It's okay, Percy."

"I hate to say this guys, but we have to leave now. At least half of Olympus will be after us now," Nico says.

"For sure Artemis and Zeus. Apollo always follows his sister so him too," Ivory says, counting off on her fingers.

"All of Jupiter or Zeus's children will be after us," Frank says.

"Poseidon hates me now and Athena will think I cheated on Annabeth," I say depressed.

"Hades, Hestia, Demeter, and maybe Hera will be on our side because she has always hated children of Zeus and other woman," Bianca says.

"That's only three Olympians we can count on. We have to leave," Nico says.

"You guys are coming too?" I ask, astonished.

"I'm leaving," Bianca says as Nico bandages her legs. "The camp has never accepted me."

"I follow my brother and sister," Nico says, looking at Bianca at me.

"You're our leader, Percy," Hazel says. "Frank and I will follow you anywhere." Frank nods.

"I'm coming. You guys are my only friends," Ivory adds in. We all turn to look at Reyna.

"The romans don't need me anymore. They have substitute praetors," She says with a hint of sadness in her voice.

Nico nods and runs to a closet, finished bandaging Bianca' legs. He grabs several black backpacks and tosses one to each of us.

"Dad gave them to us. They are magical, they will provide most common camping supplies, plus a bit of demigod stuff," Nico explains.

Bianca gets up and hobbles over to a different closet. She pulls out a trash bag of black cloth.

"These clothes will change themselves to fit you perfectly," She says. I nod and duck into one of the side rooms to change into them. I grab my backpack and we all slip outside, Nico helping Bianca walk.

"Into the forest," Reyna whispers. "We'll get better protection there and then continue out of camp unnoticed."

We have just passed into the forest when a bright light fills the dark camp and the Olympians stand there, most looking pissed.