Zero to Hero (Percy Jackson Fanfic)

Chapter Fourteen-Dueling

Annabeth POV

An earsplitting roar woke me early the next morning. I sat up, looking around. Everyone else in the cabin was stirring, muttering in confusion, or already strapping on armor. 

"What's going on?" I asked aloud, thinking I might have missed some memo about surprise monster attacks at three o'clock in the morning. 

A couple people looked at me and shrugged. One girl said, "I have no idea." She looked very frustrated by that statement. 

I looked around for Malcolm, hoping since he was the counselor, he might have some answers, but I couldn't find him. I remembered Thalia and Jason coming up to us on the night I'd arrived at camp. Jason had said something about pranking someone, and Malcolm had volunteered to help. I rolled my eyes. 

Yet, it would be interesting to see what kind of prank involved mechanical roars. Quickly, I rolled out of bed and threw on a bra and T-shirt. I darted out of the cabin with the rest of the Athena kids. 

Outside, kids from other cabins were crawling out into the open, looking around for the cause of disturbance. We all crowded together near the firepit. 

Another thunderous roar shook the air around us, this one followed by a couple of shrieks. The campers around me muttered in confusion and anxiety. I wanted to tell them all it was just a prank and to go back to bed, but I didn't want to be that person. I knew that this trick was not just for Travis and Connor Stoll, but for anyone gullible enough to fall for it, so I didn't say anything. 

"Annabeth!" Piper and Rachel appeared on either side of me, "What's going on?"

I shrugged innocently, and crossed my arms. "It's cold out here, don't you think?"

"A bit," Piper narrowed her eyes. "Fine, don't tell me, smartypants, I'm sure we're all going to find out what this is about anyway."

I grinned, but didn't say anything. I didn't have to, for a minute later two gangly teenagers came charging out of the woods, yelling their heads off. A couple people laughed, but most just muttured in annoyance.

"It's just another prank gone wrong," someone near me complained, "I'm going back to bed."

"STOLLS!" Someone else yelled angrily. 

They brothers didn't even stop running. They charged straight past the gathered campers and into the Hermes cabin, slamming the door behind them. 

Another roar slammed into my eardrums. The ground shook with monstrous footsteps. I'll admit, I got a little nervous. Maybe this prank had gotten a little out of hand?

The next moment, the trees parted where the Stolls had run out of. A giant, metallic dragon emerged, bucking its head like a Chinese festival costume. A couple people gasped or screamed. But then, the dragon opened its mouth and...laughed. Or rather, it sounded like a teenage boy's laughter.

The dragon lifted off the ground about five feet, and Percy, Malcolm, Leo, and Thalia were unveiled. They set the costume on the ground and grinned around at everyone glaring at them.

Leo raised his hands. "Sorry everyone. You can go back to sleep now. Connor and Travis have been properly punished for their crimes."

A couple people laughed despite themselves, and just like that, the four of them were forgiven for waking everyone up at three o'clock in the morning. 

I grinned at Piper--Rachel had disappeared in the crowd somewhere--who stared at the pranksters a bit like a fish. I chuckled, "Alright, so it isn't like pranks at Goode, but I think this was better."