WINGED ₁

9

MADELEINE'S DAY STARTED NORMAL. 

Percy and Madeleine went to Goode High School together. He was just about to become a sophomore, and she was just about to become a junior. Since it was the last day of school, they had eight hours of finals, and then it was over.

Madeleine knew school was hell on Percy's dyslexia and ADHD, and she didn't manage much better. Her grades were average at best, but school wasn't a huge concern for her. She only went because Percy went, and she needed to do damage control on him.

Everything was fine until Percy's final became a game of survival rather than a test.

Madeleine was in her classroom when she heard a resounding BOOM! Immediately, she shot to her feet.

Everyone else seemed equally as confused. As one, the sophomores in her english class ran out of the building like a stampede, following the sounds of battle.

When Madeleine reached the gym, she saw the problem.

Percy and Tyson were being attacked by monsters. Giant tattooed monsters, actually. And Percy was about to die, except for the fact that Annabeth Chase had just stabbed a giant in the back.

The ball dropped out of his hand. The monster stared down at the knife that had just run him through from behind, then dissolved into a cloud of green flame.

Annabeth's face was grimy and scratched. She had a ragged backpack slung over her shoulder, her baseball cap tucked in her pocket, her bronze knife in her hand, and a wild look in her storm-gray eyes, like she'd just been chased a thousand miles by ghosts.

Percy, on the contrary, was wearing a dark blue shirt and khaki shorts, his gym clothes. He looked completely stunned, although Madeleine wasn't sure if he was more stunned that he was alive or that Annabeth was in the room when she was supposed to be in California. Percy's friend Tyson looked bemused and completely fine, but the rest of the kids in the gym were running around screaming, save for Matt Sloan, who was an asshole in Percy's grade. He stood blinking at Annabeth. "That's the girl... that's the girl―"

Annabeth punched him in the nose and knocked him flat. "And you," she told him. "Lay off my friend."

Oh, how Madeleine had missed Annabeth.

"Annabeth..." Percy stammered. "How did you... how long have you..."

"Pretty much all morning," she said casually. She sheathed her bronze knife. "I've been trying to find a good time to talk to either of you, but you were never alone."

"The shadow I saw this morning―that was―" Percy's face reddened. "Oh my gods, you were looking in my bedroom window?"

"There's no time to explain!" she snapped, though she looked a little red-faced herself. "I just didn't want to―to―"

Normally, Madeleine would tease them, but there wasn't time right now. The gym was on fire, and with Percy's luck, he would be blamed. They had to get out of there.

As if on cue, a woman screamed, "There!" Adults came pouring in.

Annabeth looked at Percy. "Meet me outside. And him." She pointed at Tyson, who was sitting dazed against the wall. Annabeth gave him a look of distaste that Madeleine didn't quite understand. "You'd better bring him." 

"What?" Percy asked.

Annabeth ignored him and turned to Madeleine instead. "Do you have your knives?"

"Of course I have my knives," Madeleine said.

"Great. Then c'mon." Annabeth jumped out of the hole in the school wall.