Keeper of the Lost Cities: Hurricane (PJO/HOO and KOTLC crossover)

Chapter 5

DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING BUT THE PLOT 

Is your country still in quarantine? Mine is, kind of.

SOPHIE

           "FINISHED IT!"

           I smile as Dex screams across Everglen. Team Valiant decided that Everglen would be our HQ. Dex comes running towards the lake, Linh in tow. Team Valiant plus Fitz, Marella, Biana and Tam all come from different parts of Everglen to the lake.

           "What did you finish, Dex?"

           Dex smiles proudly. "Well, Biana, remember a couple months back when we heard that scream?" Everyone shudders collectively. "Well, Linh and I figured out where it came from."

           I roll my eyes. "Enough with the drama, guys. Where was it?"

           Linh steps forward. "I tracked the source by finding the feeling of the hurricane. Dex figured out where it was with his Technopathy. It's in the Forbidden Cities. New York. Long Island Sound. Delphi's Strawberry Service, to be exact"

           I nod. "Good. Now all I need is a picture, and then I'll just teleport us over there."

           Sandor growls. "I think not, Miss Foster. It is not safe for you to just teleport over to a random city to investigate a random scream without any preparation. And before you expound upon the wonders of spontaneity, let me remind you that you knew how long you would be away in the other cases, and that this time would be completely random."

           I scowl. "What if I promised that you can come?" At Sandor's look, I say, "Sandor, I know you want to protect me, but please, let me go. You can come. Otherwise, I'm just going to go on my own."

           Sandor narrows his eyes, muttering about disobedient charges and rebellious teenagers.

           I smile. "Great! Now, I need a picture of Delphi's Strawberry Service, and I'll leap us there."

           Dex smirks. "I brought a picture, because I had faith that our Lady Foss-Boss could convince Sandor. So let's get going."

           I stare at the picture, then hold out my arms. My friends latch on as we all rise telekinetically into the air. We drop into the void, and when we come out, we've landed on a hill. There seems to be nothing in the valley, but when I look at my friends, I can tell that we can all sense something there. We walk down the hill, passing through what seems like a barrier. I shiver, feeling it touch my skin.

           In the valley is something that looks like a summer camp, but it's completely destroyed. The cabins are crumbling, the rock climbing wall is covered in lava, and there's a fine layer of ash covering everything. There is a post in the middle of camp. We walk over to it. It reads:

THIS IS THE MEMORIAL OF THOSE WHO HAVE DIED TO PROTECT CAMP HALF-BLOOD. 

WE SALUTE YOU. YOU WILL RECEIVE ELYSIUM.

           We look at each other, confused. Camp Half-Blood? Elysium? What is this post talking about?

           Suddenly, Linh and Marella double over. We rush over to them. They wave us away. "We're fine, guys. Just a moment."

           When they straighten, we bombard them with questions. Marella speaks first. "Recently, there was a large blaze of fire here." Linh takes over. "It was then doused by a large amount of water controlled by someone that seems to be a Hydrokinetic."

           I blink. How can there be a Hydrokinetic in the Forbidden Cities? That doesn't make any sense. Sandor interrupts my thoughts. "Okay. We did what we came to do. Now we are going home."

           I roll my eyes, but agree. I teleport us back to Everglen. "See you guys! I'm going home."

          "Bye Sophie!" my friends all chime.

           I reach for my leaping crystal. It's not in my pocket. I groan. I must have dropped it at the weird camp place. Whatever. I'll just teleport home.

PERCY

3 Months Later

            I visit camp every day. I pay my respects to the dead. I put a memorial on a post that I planted in the middle of camp. And I train.

           This is my life now. Training, every moment of the day. Stopping only to sleep, eat, and go to the bathroom. You see, when I burned the shrouds, I found a piece of fabric in the ashes. It had a strange white eye on a black background. And that's how I knew someone had planned my friends' deaths. I train for revenge. I will destroy whoever killed my friends.

          I am stronger now. I can run 50 miles with a 50 pound weight on my back without breaking a sweat. I can jump about six feet, and I can kill a grown man with a single punch.

           I am more powerful, too. I can make a hurricane last for about six hours. I can control anything that has water in it, be it a lake, a Coke, or a human body. I can create water from nothing, but that takes a lot of energy. I prefer to use the water droplets already in the air. I can also control water in any of it's forms. Mist (not the magical kind), normal water (obviously), and ice. My charmspeak... Well, that needs work. I can, and have, stolen things when needed, and the lie detector is helpful, too. And I make it a point to heal any kid I find with bruises. No matter what they're from. No kid will ever have bruises on my watch. (I love OPness, don't you?)

           I am going to Camp Half-Blood for my daily crying session. I vapor travel to the border and walk in. Immediately, my eyes start to fill with tears. I could feel their ashes beneath my feet. I sit in front of the post. This is all my fault. If I hadn't been so selfish and decided that I had to propose that day. If I had waited just a few more minutes. If I had been there, I could have saved them. I rock back and forth, trying not to scream. I put my hands on the ground to steady myself.

           "Ow!" Something poked me. I look around to see what it was, and I find something shining in the dirt. I pull it out. It's a clear crystal. What the Hades is that doing at camp?

           I lift the crystal up to the sunlight. The beam shines down at me. Before I know it, I'm swept away on the beam of light. I'm panicking. I can feel by body being dragged apart by different feathery paths. I take a breath. This is like mist travel. I just have to keep myself together.

           I appear in the middle of a field. There is a large purple palace in front of me. There are lots of animal enclosures holding animals that I don't think exist. Then I pass out.

Thanks,

ATOTALMUSICALNERD