Alternatively

It's Possible

"Ah, Annabeth Chase!"

She tossed her hair from her eyes. "Professor Blackheart, good to see you've recovered."

"So clever," he laughed, bringing a metal claw down on the swing set. "I thought it fair to pay you a visit at your place of work, since you were so keen on destroying mine."

"Yours was an evil lair and mine is a school, I'm sure you'll be able to spot the difference."

"I've heard the youth would beg to differ, but that's besides the point."

The robot sprung off the ground, chunks of grass and dirt falling as it soared overhead to land on the roof of the school. People were going absolutely wild, phones aimed at the monstrosity and screams adding to the whirring sound of machinery. She shoved her way through the crowd, watching all the while as the robot started to reassemble into what looked like a wanna be death ray in the center of the roof.

"This probably won't be good," she muttered, pushing until she reached the steps.

She burst through the front doors, running to get to her classroom and snatch her bag. The good thing about all those kids being front and center for potential destruction was that no one was in the halls to slow her down. Students and staff alike were watching in amazement outside, personal safety be damned.

"Shit-!"

Annabeth collided with someone, knocking them both to the ground. Her bag slid across the floor, gadgets and notebooks strewn in it's wake.

"What are you doing?" she scrambled to her knees, collecting her belongings.

"What are you doing?"

She glanced at the boy strangely. "Trying to stop a super villain from destroying the school?"

A little bit of the confusion drifted from his face as he ambled to his feet. "You're...oh, is that what's going on?"

The building shook, dust drifting from the ceiling tiles and lockers shuddering loudly. She gave him a pointed look, stuffing the rest of her things into her bag. "Where have you been for the past ten minutes?"

He looked sheepish, offering a hand up. "In the bathroom, skipping English Lit."

"Well," she righted herself without his help. "You might want to find somewhere safe."

He probably would have said something else, but more tiles started to rattle out of the ceiling as the building shook more violently. She needed to get to the roof, but she never seemed to remember which janitor's closet had access.

"It's probably the one by the trophy case," she thought aloud, darting to the stair well.

"He is in your third and fifth period as well as your lunch."

"Great to know," she burst onto the upper level of the school. "Is it the one by the trophy case or not?"

"It is, but you could afford to be more polite to your classmates."

"I'm already on the cheer squad and student council," she grunted, jiggling the door knob. "What more do you want?"

"Involvement doesn't make people think you're less of a bitch, Bethie."

Annabeth kicked the door in. "Bite me."

He simply laughed, the sound of typing taking precedence over the conversation.

The ladder up to the roof hatch was rickety, obviously not often used, and the metal cage around it was threaded with spider webs. She bit her lip and braced her back against the cage, rummaging through her bag for the Any Key. Even though her shirt covered her skin, she could have sworn she felt spiders crawl all down her spine.