Ordinary (A Percy Jackson Story)

Chapter Twelve

LOOK AT THAT PICTURE! Isn't it great? Here's to celebrating my birthday so thanks guys!!

"You have to stop pacing." Zoë told Luke in her brisk way. She shifted the ice pack on her head and waved off the medic who was trying to assess her injuries. "She is a Hunter. Bianca will be fine."

Luke wanted to pull out his gun and shoot himself. He promised he'd take care of them. Both of them, his little family. He'd done an excellent job so far! Ethan was gods know where, possibly back in the underworld, and bittersweet Bianca was inside an apartment building, been held hostage by a psychopath.

Luke paced because it was the only thing he could do.

Zoë gave him another irritated look. With a quick flick of her wirst she flung her ice pack at him. Luke let out a yelp as it narrowly missed his head and splattered against the hood of the police car behind them.

"What the hades!" Luke exclaimed, but the ex-hunter was suddenly right beside him, with a knife at his throat. Luke sucked in a short breath, resisting the demigodly urge to fight her. She wasn't going to kill him. She was not going to kill him.

"Do I have your attention now, Castellan?" She asked in her posh voice. Luke glanced around them, but everyone in the police force seemed to have suddenly found something more to do. The news cast was pointing the other way as they reported live on the top story of the evening news.

"Do not degraded my hunter with your worry. She is smart-- smarter than you." Zoë said, "We do not need to panic. She will out here in a matter of moments."

"I hate you." Luke said, for a lack of better response.

"I do not care."

She flicked her wrist agaisn the knife disappeared. Luke was guessing she had a sheath in her sleeve or something.  Oh dear gods if that wasn't concerning Luke didn't know what was. Here he was with multiplying disaters piling up, and his only ally of the moment was a girl who hated his guts-- with good reason-- and had a mindset from 47 AD.

"Ms. Nightshade,"A voice yelled, "Ma'am there's a call incoming!"

"Put it through." Zoë commanded. She gave Luke another dark look and motioned him over. They walked towards the policeman and he handed her a phone. It was an old fashioned type, a flip phone with a silver casing. Luke decided he liked his head enough to not comment on her choice.

"Hel--"

"Zoë Nightshade. I can assume that Luke is listening in? Hello you bastard."

Zoë glanced at him, her stiff upper lip protruding. "I assume you are the one causing this fiasco? If you weren't holding my hunter hostage I might actually like you."

"Fair enough." The voice sighed, as if dealing with them was a hefty task he'd rather not be doing. Luke tapped his fingers impatiently on his gun handle.

"What do you want?" He asked.

Zoë shot him an irritated look again, but she didn't comment further. The voice on the other line laughed bitterly.

"A million dollars!"

"Excuse me?" Luke replied, "Oh sure just let me whip out my checkbook. I'm sure I have that just lying around."

"You would, wouldn't you, you son of Hermes."

Luke stiftened. Next to him Zoë flinched. A sheering pain in his shoulder worked it's way through his body. He hissed at the phantom pain.

"You are a demigod." Zoë whispered.

"Not anymore." The voice laughed bitterly again, "Your fault for that one Luke. Anyway, I'd love to go into details, but unfortunately we all are running low on time. First off, I'm not the enemy."