RED ¹ / Percy Jackson !

73

BEFORE VIVIENE COULT THINK MUCH ABOUT THE WOMAN IN THE ELEVATOR, A DING CAME FROM AROUND THE CORNER. The second elevator was opening, and Viviene heard an unmistakable sound-the clattering of skeleton teeth.

Percy and Viviene ran after the tour group, through a tunnel carved out of solid rock. It seemed to run forever. The walls were moist, and the air hummed with electricity and the roar of water. The two came out on a U-shaped balcony that overlooked this huge warehouse area. Fifty feet below, enormous turbines were running. It was a big room, but they didn't see any other exit, unless they wanted to jump into the turbines and get churned up to make electricity.

They didn't.

Another tour guide was talking over the microphone, telling the tourists about water supplies in Nevada. Viviene prayed that Thalia, Zoe, and Grover were okay. They might already be captured, or eating at the snack bar, completely unaware that they were being surrounded. And stupid Viviene and Percy: they had trapped themselves in a hole hundreds of feet below the surface.

They worked their way around the crowd, trying not to be too obvious about it. There was a hallway at the other side of the balcony-maybe some place they could hide. Percy kept his hand on Riptide, ready to strike, his other hand holding Viviene's. Viviene had her sword in her other none taken hand, looking around in caution.

By the time they got to the opposite side of the balcony,Viviene's nerves were shot. She backed into the little hallway , pulling Percy along and watched the tunnel they'd come from.

Then right behind her she heard a sharp Chhh! like the voice of a skeleton.

Without thinking, Viviene spun and slashed Alcippe's sword.

The girl Viviene had just tried to slice in half yelped and dropped her Kleenex.

"Oh my god.'" she shouted. "Do you always kill people when they blow their nose?"

The first thing that went through Viviene's head was that the sword hadn't hurt her. It had passed clean through her body, harmlessly.

"You're mortal!" Percy said.

She looked at me in disbelief. "What's that supposed to mean? Of course I'm mortal! How did you get that sword past security?"

"I didn't-Wait, you can see it's a sword?" Viviene asked, furrowing her brows. A mortal who can see through the mist? Viviene couldn't believe their luck.

The girl rolled her eyes, which were green like mine. She had frizzy reddish-brown hair. Her nose was also red, like she had a cold. She wore a big maroon Harvard sweatshirt and jeans that were covered with marker stains and little holes, like she spent her free time poking them with a fork.

"Well, it's either a sword or the biggest toothpick in the world," she said. "And why didn't it hurt me? I mean, not that I'm complaining. Who are you two? And whoa, what is that you're wearing? Is that made of lion fur?"

She asked so many questions so fast, it was like she was throwing rocks at them. Viviene couldn't think of what to say. She looked at her sleeves to see if the Nemean Lion pelt had somehow changed back to fur, but it still looked like a brown winter coat to her.

They knew the skeleton warriors were still chasing them. They had no time to waste. But Percy just stared at the redheaded girl. Viviene frowned, not liking that Percy was looking at a beautiful mortal girl similary to how he looked at her.

Percy concentrated hard and snapped his fingers. "You don't see a sword," he told the girl. "It's just a ring."

She blinked. "Um... no. It's a sword, weirdo."

"Who are you?" Percy demanded.

She huffed indignantly. "Rachel Elizabeth Dare. Now, are you going to answer my questions or should I scream for security?"

"No!" he said. "I mean, We're kind of in a hurry. I'm in trouble."

"And I'm here to protect him because he has stupid genes-" Viviene's joke was cut off by Rachel.

"In a hurry or in trouble?"

"Um, sort of both."

She looked over Percy's and Viviene's shoulders and her eyes widened. "Bathroom!"

"What?"

"Bathroom! Behind me! Now!"

Vivene don't know why, but Percy listened to her. Percy slipped inside the boys' bathroom and left Rachel Elizabeth Dare standing outside, alone with Viviene.

Later, that seemed cowardly to Percy. He's also pretty sure it saved his life.

Rachel pushed Viviene into a girls bathroom and Viviene let out a loud yelp.

"Oh my god! Did you see those kids? It's about time you got here. He tried to kill me! He had a sword, for god's sake. You security guys let a sword-swinging lunatic inside a national landmark? I mean, jeez! He ran that way toward those turbine thingies. I think he went over the side or something. Maybe he fell." Viviene heard Rachel say through the door.

The skeletons clattered excitedly. Viviene heard them moving off.

Rachel opened the door to both bathrooms with each of her hands. "All clear. But you'd better hurry."

She looked shaken. Her face was gray and sweaty.

Viviene peeked around the corner. Three skeleton warriors were running toward the other end of the balcony. The way to the elevator was clear for a few seconds.

"I owe you one, Rachel Elizabeth Dare." Percy said, giving her a thankful nod. Viviene's jealous frown deepened and she scoffed, crossing her arms with her sword in her hand.

"What are those things?" she asked. "They looked like-"

"Skeletons?" She nodded uneasily.

"Do yourself a favor," Viviene said, glaring at the girl. "Forget it. Forget you ever saw me."

"Forget you tried to kill me?"

"Yeah. That, too."

"But who are you?"

"Percy and Vivi-" Percy started to say. Then the skeletons turned around. "Gotta go!"

"What kind of name is Percy and Vivi Gotta-go?"

They bolted for the exit.

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I came back from school today because I was on the verge of passing out! Hi guys:)

(I kind wrote this whole act in advance so)

I wanted to give my best readers a bonus:)
H

ope you're enjoying!