Luminesence (Slow Updates)

008

Phaedra was panicking.

"Oh my gods! That was Percy!" Phaedra told the satyr and blonde frantically.

Grover bleated and said "maybe he's ok...he's Poseidon's son. I doubt that he would let him die. Especially because this war depends on him." Putting a hand on the girl's shoulder.

A little girl said, "Mama! That boy walked out of the river."

"That's nice, dear," her mother said, craning her neck to watch the ambulances.

"But he's dry!"

"That's nice, dear."

That was funny.

Phaedra whipped her head around so fast that she almost got whiplash. She saw, through the huge amount of people in the crowd, a boy walking, looking around. It was Percy. She pulled the group along and pushed through the people to get to him.

A news lady was talking for the camera: "Probably not a terrorist attack, we're told, but it's still very early in the investigation. The damage, as you can see, is very serious. We're trying to get to some of the survivors, to question them about eyewitness reports of someone falling from the Arch."

Well, at least those people are ok, but we need to get to Percy.

"...an adolescent boy," another reporter was saying. "Channel Five has learned that surveillance cameras show an adolescent boy going wild on the observation deck, somehow setting off this freak explosion. Hard to believe, John, but that's what we're hearing. Again, no confirmed fatalities..."

Phaedra had finally got her and the group through the swarm of people and Grover's voice bleated, "Perrr-cy!"

He turned and got tackled by Grover's bear hug-or goat hug. He said, "We thought you'd gone to Hades the hard way!"

Once Grover backed away, Phaedra threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. Percy stumbled at the sudden hug, not expecting one from her. Percy looked at Annabeth and Grover, not knowing what to do. Grover had a ghost of a smile on his face, looking at them. Annabeth mouthed 'hug her back, idiot.' Phaedra had pulled away, with both of them blushing.

She muttered a small "sorry..." before going back to her place in between Annabeth and Grover, the former smirking at her.

Annabeth then looked at Percy, trying to look angry, but even she seemed relieved to see him. "We can't leave you alone for five minutes! What happened?"

"I sort of fell."

"Percy! Six hundred and thirty feet?" Phaedra exclaimed.

Behind them, a cop shouted, "Gangway!" The crowd parted, and a couple of paramedics hustled out, rolling a woman on a stretcher.

Then the woman began talking to the paramedics. "Chihuahua-"

"Okay, ma'am," the paramedic said. "Just calm down. Your family is fine. The medication is starting to kick in."

"I'm not crazy! This boy jumped out of the hole and the monster disappeared." Then she looked at Percy. "There he is! That's the boy!"

He turned quickly and pulled Annabeth, Grover and Phaedra after him. They disappeared into the crowd.

"What's going on?" Annabeth demanded. "Was she talking about the Chihuahua on the elevator?"

Percy told them the whole story of the Chimera, Echidna, the high-dive act, and the underwater lady's message.

"Whoa," said Grover. "We've got to get you to Santa Monica! You can't ignore a summons from your dad."

Before Annabeth could respond, they passed another reporter doing a news break, and Percy froze in my tracks when he said, "Percy Jackson. That's right, Dan. Channel Twelve has learned that the boy who may have caused this explosion fits the description of a young man wanted by authorities for a serious New Jersey bus accident three days ago. And the boy is believed to be traveling west. For our viewers at home, here is a photo of Percy Jackson."