𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐘 𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒, p. jackson¹

two.

chapter two !

SANJU AND percy ran down a corridor, trying to find nico and bianca di angelo, and desperately hoping they hadn't been killed. percy had uncapped his pen, to reveal his sword. he looked back at her with an adorable proud grin. "where's yours?"

sanju simply scoffed, and tapped her bangle twice. her chakrams appeared in her hands. percy whistled, impressed. "nice."

they jogged down the corridor, but no one was there. percy opened a door and they were back in the entry hall. on the opposite side of the room were the di angelo kids, frozen in horror.

percy approached them slowly, lowering his sword. "it's okay. we're not going to hurt you. i'm percy jackson, and that's sanju verma. we're going to take you out of here, and get you somewhere safe, 'kay?"

"yes, perseus jackson," a cold voice said. something when whish!, and a whip wrapped around percy's shoulder. sanju went into a defensive stance, raising her chakrams. "i know who you are." sanju's blood ran cold as she realized who it was. dr. thorn.

"who is it?" sanju shouted, moving in front of the kids. "show yourself, if you aren't a coward!" whoa. where did that come from? sanju was usually pretty soft-spoken around people she didn't know, yet. . .

she had an inkling. perhaps it was the di angelos who looked terrified. or maybe percy, her cheerful, brave percy, who was sliding down on the wall, clutching his shoulder in pain. the thought made her blood boil, and she turned back to face the shadows.

sanju used her newfound courage to continue to taunt him, until he stepped into the dim light. he still looked human, but his face was ghoulish. he had perfect white teeth and his eyes reflected the light of percy's sword.

"thank you for coming out of the gym," he said. "i hate middle school dances." sanju scowled.

dr. thorn, noticed her and tilted his head, as if considering her. sanju clenched her chakrams tighter. she didn't like the cold feeling she was getting, as if his multicolored eyes could see right through her. "child," he finally said, "i'd suggest you put those down if you don't want your friends ─" he sneered at the word. "─ to get hurt."

sanju's breath hitched, and she looked back at percy, whose face was pale, and nico and bianca, who were shaking in fear. she sighed, and willed her chakrams to disappear, which they did.

a second thorn shot from somewhere behind dr. thorn, as if someone invisible were standing behind him, throwing the thorns. bianca yelped. the second thorn impaled itself in the stone wall, half an inch from her face.

"all four of you will come with me," dr. thorn said in a sinister voice. "quietly. obediently. if you make a single noise, if you call out for help or try to fight, i will show you just how accurately i can throw."






dr. thorn was fast, sanju thought bitterly, walking quickly. percy was groaning and leaning on her, and nico and bianca hid behind her.

she was their last line of defense. she tried not to gulp at the thought, because honestly? she didn't like fighting, and someone who didn't know her might say that it was because she was an "aphrodite brat who only cared about her looks". that was not true. ( yes, she cared about her looks, but that wasn't the point! )

sanju verma was skilled, extremely so, but simply not a fighter. in fact, she could almost call herself a pacifist. but sanju verma also never hesitated to protect the people she loved, and percy jackson was in the top two of those people.