ONE, lone wolf / apollo

nineteen / back at camp

THE MEDIA FEED THEM A GOOD COVER STORY. that meant they didn't have to try to come up with a horrendous lie like they had before ( the circus cover story at medusas was a good example ).

according to the news, the explosion at the beach had been caused when a crazy kidnapper ( ares ) fired at a police car. he hit a gas main. this was the same man who abducted four teenagers in new York and brought them across the country on a ten-day odyssey of terror. the commotion at the Greyhound bus in New Jersey? that was the teenagers trying to escape their kidnapper. the explosion at the St Louis Arch? the kidnapper had caused that aswell. a concerned waitress had gotten her friend to take a photo outside a diner in denver because she saw the evil man threatening the poor abductees.

The bravest of the poor kidnapped teenagers, percy jackson, stole a gun from the captor in Los Angeles and battled him 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.

the three demigods and one satyr just nodded tearfully and let out some tears for the cameras.

"all I want." percy said, " "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."

bowie had to put her face in her hands to hide the fact she was close to bursting out in laughter. she ended up being offered tissues because the reporters thought she was all distraught.

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.

Percy was pretty freaked out during takeoff and he let out a yelp or squeal everytime they hit turbulence. he didn't let go of his armrests until they reached La Guardia. The press was waiting outside security but annabeth shoved on her invisible cap and lead them all to the yoghurt section. she then rejoined them at the baggage claim. they split up at the taxi stand.

"go back to half blood hill and tell Chiron what happened." he told the three of them firmly.

they all protested, not wanting to let percy be alone after everything that had happened.

"I'll be fine. I have to do this alone."

". . . stay safe, percy." bowie patted at percy's head, "I'm not sure I'd really want to come anyway. not to olympus. not now anyway. you can give me my necklace back when you came back to camp, okay? good luck for. . ." she waved her hand around vaguely.

"yeah, thanks."

they waved percy off

HEADING OUT OF THE THRONE ROOM OF OLYMPUS, PERCY BUMPED INTO A GOD. he began an apology, not really feeling like offending anymore gods right now.

"it's fine. people bump into me all the time ----- always needing an excuse to talk to me. I don't blame them. I am pretty good-looking, after all." the god said cockily.

what's with these gods and their egos? percy thought to himself.

he looked up at the god and wow. he wasn't lying ----- he was good-looking. he was tanned with a large amount of freckles visible on his body. he had blonde hair that was all messy ( but in an attractive sort of way ) and these very beautiful blue eyes.

"aphrodite?" percy blurted out, without thinking.

the god laughed, a happy sound that was like music. "people get us confused alot. we are the best looking gods in my opinion. nah, I'm apollo. God of the sun, music and all that other stuff. I lose track, there's alot of things to remember."