When Sun Meets the Sea ~ PJO 1

~09~

        ~Annabeth POV

        Annabeth decided to abandon their snacks and she slipped her Yankees cap over her head, becoming invisible. She waited for Alecto to leave the gas station and get back onto the bus before Annabeth followed and soon, she was sitting next to Alecto without her even knowing.

        "If you guys were better at your job, I might not have noticed you here so easily." Annabeth said to Alecto who sighed distastefully. 

        "If Thalia was better at hers, there might not be a family of squirrels making her their home." Alecto replied and Annabeth clenched her fists at the jab, but she kept her composure. 

        "Is that why Hades sent you here? To gloat over a job, you almost did right once?" Annabeth shot back. 

         "How things have changed." Alecto scoffed. "You're not the frightened little girl I came for all those years ago and your little friend too. She's quite the spitfire. But as they say, the flame that burns twice as bright burns half as long."

        Annabeth wanted to take her dagger out and kill Alecto right then and there, she wanted to wreak havoc on her for even speaking about Andie and Thalia. 

        "Don't kid yourself," Annabeth said instead.

        "Either way, now it would seem that you're exactly what they saw you are. The pride of Athena's offspring. Perhaps the most formidable demigod child alive." Alecto said. 

        "Why are you here?" Annabeth demanded. 

        "I'm here to collect your friend." 

        "Collect him? For what?"

        "Oh, I don't question orders. 'Bring him in, quick and quiet.' That is what I was told." Alecto said and Annabeth could tell she was getting annoyed, so she gripped her dagger, just in case. "Lure him off this bus where I can take him quietly away from so many eyes, and your quest goes on unchecked and unburdened. We both know he isn't going be of any help to you and maybe even a hindrance."

        Annabeth wasn't going to be doing anything for her. She quickly and silently ran to the back of the bus where her friends were all conversing about the consensus song.

        "Percy, take my hat," Annabeth stated as she ripped it off her head, looking behind her worriedly.

        "What?" He asked. 

        "Annabeth what's going on?" Andie asked as she looked behind Annabeth and her eyes widened, and Annabeth knew that she saw Alecto too. "Alecto? It can't be."

         "It is. Percy, you're the one they want. Turn invisible and go up the aisle. Let her pass you. Maybe you can get to the front and get away." Annabeth explained but Percy still looked confused until he too saw Alecto. 

        "But-

        "There's an outside chance they might not notice us," Annabeth said. "You're a son of one of the Big Three. Your smell might be overpowering." 

        "I can't just leave you," Percy argued. 

        "Don't worry about us," Grover said. "Go!"

        Annabeth noticed that Percy's hands were trembling as he grabbed her Yankee cap from her hands, but he put it on. Soon Annabeth was just looking at Grover.

        She sighed, but the sigh didn't last for long as Annabeth noticed that now three old ladies were getting up and going towards the back-right where she and her friends were. Alecto and her sisters soon transformed into their fury form and soon they were surrounding Annabeth, Grover, and Andie lashing their whips.