WINGED ₁

7

ACCORDING TO THE LA NEWS, THE EXPLOSION AT THE SANTA MONICA BEACH HAD BEEN CAUSED WHEN A CRAZY KIDNAPPER FIRED A SHOTGUN AT A POLICE CAR. He accidentally hit a gas main that had ruptured during the earthquake.

This crazy kidnapper, also known as the god Ares to some, was the same man who had abducted Percy, Annabeth, Grover, and Madeleine (she had, apparently, been with them the whole time) in New York and brought them across country on a ten-day odyssey of terror.

Poor little Percy Jackson wasn't an international criminal after all. He'd caused a commotion on that Greyhound bus in New Jersey trying to get away from his captor. The crazy man had caused the explosion in the St. Louis Arch. After all, no kid could've done that. A concerned waitress in Denver had seen the man threatening his abductees outside her diner, gotten a friend to take a photo, and notified the police. Finally, brave Percy Jackson (Madeleine was beginning to like this kid) had stolen a gun from his captor in Los Angeles and battled him shotgun-to-rifle on the beach. Police had arrived just in time. But in the spectacular explosion, five police cars had been destroyed and the captor had fled. No fatalities had occurred. Percy Jackson and his three friends were safely in police custody.

The reporters fed them this whole story. They just nodded and acted tearful and exhausted, which wasn't hard, and played victimized kids for the cameras. After everything Madeleine had been through, she was only slightly bewildered.

"All I want," Percy said, choking back tears, "is to see my loving stepfather again. Every time I saw him on TV, calling me a delinquent punk, I knew... somehow... we would be okay. And I know he'll want to reward each and every person in this beautiful city of Los Angeles with a free major appliance from his store. Here's the phone number." The police and reporters were so moved that they passed around the hat and raised money for four tickets on the next plane to New York.

The paramedics bandaged up Madeleine and Percy, and soon, their group of four was ready to fly. Madeleine didn't think she'd ever been on a plane, but she didn't mind it. Percy, however, looked like he was going to throw up. His hands were white on the armrests for the whole ride. The local press was waiting for them outside security in La Guardia, but they managed to escape thanks to Annabeth, who lured them away with her invisible Yankees cap, shouting, "They're over by the frozen yogurt! Come on!", then rejoined her friends at the baggage claim.

They split up at the taxi stand. Percy told them to get back to Half-Blood Hill and get Madeleine settled and tell Chiron the centaur what had happened. They all argued, but Percy was solid in his belief, and Madeleine could tell it was hard for him to let them go, so she hugged him tightly for a few seconds, then watched as he got into the approaching taxi and sped away.

Madeleine took a shaky breath. 

"He'll be okay," Annabeth told her firmly. "For now, it's time for us to show you camp."

They got into the next taxi for Half-Blood Hill.

⎯⎯ ୨ winged ୧ ⎯⎯

The camp was beautiful, and Madeleine felt a pull to it as soon as her eyes found the crest.

Annabeth and Grover escorted her straight to the Big House, where they explained everything to Chiron. He offered Madeleine some ambrosia and nectar, food of the gods, but she waved him off. She could live with skinned knees.

The camp director, Dionysus, was sat in the room as they spoke. He seemed to watch her, but whenever she looked at him, he was looking away.

When they were done, Annabeth pulled Madeleine to her feet. "Come on," she told her. "I'll show you where you're staying, since you're undetermined."