Danny Phantom and The Lightning Thief

A Stone Hitch

"Will that bus ride could've gone smother" said Danny, but no one was in the mood for having a conversation right now, they were walking through the woods along the New Jersey riverbank, the glow of New York City making the night sky yellow behind them, and the smell of the Hudson reeking in their noses 

"can it Danny" Annabeth snapped 

Grover was shivering and braying, his big goat eyes turned slit-pupiled and full of terror "three kindly ones, all three of them"

Percy looked like he was in shock, Danny was feeling a little exhausted himself, the explosion in the bus windows was still ringing in his ears, but Annabeth kept pushing them along saying "come on!, the farther away we get, the better"

"all our money was back there" Percy reminded her "our food and clothes, everything"

"well maybe if you hadn't decided to jump into the fight-" started Annabeth 

"what do you want me to do?, let you get killed" argued Percy 

"you didn't need to protect me Percy" said Annabeth "i would've been fine"

"sliced liked sandwich bread" said Grover "but fine"

"shut up goat boy" said Annabeth 

Grover brayed mournfully "tin cans....a perfectly good bag of tin cans"

They sloshed across mushy ground, through nasty twisted trees that smelled like sour laundry, but it didn't seem to bother Danny that much, he felt right at home in the woods, it almost felt like a second neighborhood to him, he could somehow tell where every twist and turn lead to, he could hear the animals moving about around them, he could even see so clearly into the night, its as if his natural night vision had been enhanced somehow, and all Danny could do was stare in awe, it amazed him at what his godly half could do at times

After a few minutes, Annabeth fell in line next to Percy "look, i...." her voice faltered "i appreciate your coming back for us, okay?, that was really brave"

"we're a team right?" 

"its just that if you died........aside from the fact that it would really suck for you, it would mean the quest was over, this may be my only chance to see the real world" said Annabeth 

The thunderstorm had finally let up, the city glow faded behind them, leaving them in almost total darkness, but for Danny who could still see clearly in the dark, could see Annabeth clear as day

"you haven't left Camp Half-Blood since you were seven?" Percy asked her

"no" she answered "only short field trips, my dad-"

"the history professor?"

"yeah, it didn't work out for me living at home, i mean Camp Half-Bloods my home" she was rushing her words out now, as if she were afraid somebody might try and stop her "at camp you train and train, and thats cool and everything, but the real world is where the monsters are, thats where you learn whether your any good or not"

If he didn't know any better, he could've sworn he hard doubt in her voice

"your pretty good with that knife" said Percy

"you think so?"

"anyone who can piggyback ride a fury is okay by me"

Danny looked and saw Annabeth smile at the compliment

"you know" she said "maybe i should tell you.......something funny back on the bus-"

Whatever she wanted to say was interrupted by a shrill toot-toot-toot, like the sound of a owl being tortured