𝘀𝘁𝗈𝗋𝗆𝘀 𝗼𝖿 𝗍𝖺𝗍𝗈𝗈𝗶𝗻𝗲 ───── ˢᵗᵃʳʷᵃʳˢ ˣ ᵖʲᵒ

3 ~ a n n a b e t h

Chapter Three Annabeth

The sound of loud droning and buzzing wakes up Annabeth.

Her grey eyes pop open to see *ships* flying in the sky.

She chuckled to herself, turning over and closing her eyes back, "Thanks for the hallucination mum," she thinks Athena sent a vision to tease her.

She reaches out to grope around for the soft cotton Cabin 6 quilt. Instead, her hand meets a tar like solid ground.

She suddenly realises that she's lying on her back- and the ground is hard.

*Did I fall on the floor?* she thinks.

She peeks her eyes open again. This time, she sees a road. A narrow road lit with cyberpunk style neon lights.

Eyes widening, she sits up and takes in her surroundings:

Percy passed out against a back alley door, Frank and Hazel slumped in concerning positions against a dumpster bin, an *alien* making out with a skimpily dressed woman- who has huge feelers jutting out of her head- in the corner, oblivious to them, neon lights lighting up everywhere, towering buildings with lit up advertisments in a language she didn't undertand, and the ships flying in the air... were real?

Confused, she rubbed her eyes hard.

She opened them.

It was still there.

"What the..." she takes a deep breath to steady herself.

She bolts up, then lets out a small groan, her back was thrombin so hard; she peeked round to see a breath-wrenchingly infected wound stretching over her spine.

It hurt *so* bad. And worst of all- she was scared.

She blinks back tears and crawls over to Percy.

She shakes his shoulders, tears falling down onto his shredded Camp Half-blood shirt.

"Percy!" She hisses, shaking him wildly.

He rouses slightly and opened his eyes.

"Huh...? Wuzzizgoinon...?" His voice sounding like his morning voice.

Annabeth tackles him, sinking into his neck, "I don't know whats going on..."

Percy strokes her hair drowsedly and said, "Wanna swim in the lake later?

*Shit* Annabeth thinks *He thinks we're at Camp Half Blood"

She slaps his face sharply, making him stir to life. He glared at her.

"What was that f-" he stops still, then laughed manically, "Wise Girl...? I'm *seeing things*."

"You're not seeing things. This is *real*. And i don't know where we are and what we can do. Percy get up. " She whispers urgently.

He sits up, taking in everything for a few moments.

He gulps, lacing his fingers through hers reassuringly, "First things first, lets wake Frank and Hazel."

They start to creep towards the dumpster opposite them. But this time, Annabeth wasn't so lucky.

The alien unsuctions himself from the woman, who was practically merged to him. He pulls out a laser gun, his abnormal eyes boring into Percy's. The gun was like no normal one in the states, but had an iridescent sheen to it, and weird etchings in the side.

He approaches them, his green skin glinting in the light. "Yousa buboosa para jedi mastah forca?" He leers, spitting at their feet.

They stand up, Percy shoving Annabeth behind him, and hand going to his pocket.

"What did you say?" Percy asks cooly, purposely putting on a posh accent to spite the alien.

The alien raises his gun, muscles twitching agitated, "Yousa jedi!" His fingers going to the trigger.

Percy yanks out Riptide and unmercifully slashes the sword across the neck of the alien, who fell dead, decapitated.

The woman who was with him, hisses at them and hurried into the back door that Percy had been leaning against previously.

Annabeth exchanges a frightened look with Percy.

They hurry over to Frank and Hazel. Hazel's wild hair fell all over her face and shoulders, but she thankfully seemed uninjured.

Frank, on the other hand, had a few fingers shoved in his mouth and was murmuring sleepily *ha ha ha I'm a goldfish... and now I'm an Eagle... you can't beat me*.

Annabeth goes up to him, gingerly extracting his fingers from his mouth, and shakes him awake lightly. Percy went to Hazel, sweeping aside her hair and shaking her by the shoulders.

They sit up immediately, and confused, they start to think they're in a dream. Percy and Annabeth explain what happened so far.

"Anyways we're in a city, there's bound to be someone who can point us back to Long Island," Percy concludes.

"Seaweed brain," Annabeth scoffs, "That alien is *proof* we're not on Earth,"

The reality of it sinks in to them.

"Well... we you said you saw a lady going through that door, and... well... its the only way out from this dingy alley," Hazel says, hands on her hips, "Besides, this ground feels so unnatural I don't even think Hades can help me tunnel through,"

Frank grabbed her hand, "Well, let's go then..."

The four of them push open the door.