Spies-in-Training: A Royal Problem | Percabeth AU

Chapter 9: Action

Annabeth's POV:
As soon as the lights went out, I knew something was up. I glanced at the rest of the gang next to me. We could all see fine in the dark—perks of training to be a spy since you were 3 years old—and I could see that the others had the same idea as me. This isn't natural. So we inched towards the door, ready to make a quick escape so we could ditch our annoying clothes and get into the action.

We were all wearing our spy suits under our clothes—standard procedure, of course—so all we had to do was take off the clothes we were wearing on top and quickly slip on our masks, which were in a hidden pocket in our dresses (for the girls) or suits (for the boys). I was fingering my mask in my pocket, every molecule in my body ready for anything that could happen next. I could tell the others were tensing up too.

Then, it happened.

A gunshot rang out. Due to our quick reflexes, we were out the door before we even heard the first scream. We threw our clothes off and shoved them into a nearby empty closet, leaving us in our spy suits. Then, we slipped our masks on and we were ready to roll. All of this took precisely two seconds, since we were highly trained for this. Spy School tried to train to be ready for anything. Hence, they had been training us to do this since day one, so we could be ready in our spy suits in two seconds.

We were all ready at the same time, so we sprinted back through the doors into the ballroom. Throughout this, I couldn't help but think that the Royal guards must be truly incompetent to not even be able to prevent a rebel attack at a ball. At least, I assumed it was a rebel attack. It seemed like the plausible theory.

When we re-entered the ballroom, I saw the guards huddled around the Royals, protecting them. Well, at least they have that much sense. But still, aren't they going to protect everyone else?

"Idiots," I muttered aloud, softly enough that only the gang could hear me. As a rule, when we openly went into the field like this, we never spoke in front of others, lest they figure out our identity. If we had to speak, we had to change our voices a little. Make them seem a bit more gravelly, deep, high-pitched, whatever.

Jason chuckled a little, knowing exactly who I was calling idiots. Then we all leaped into the fray, separating, heading off into different directions.

The rebels had surrounded everyone in the ballroom. The guards were trying to hold them off, but let me tell you, it was not going well for them. In one corner, I saw two rebels going after a small boy who was shivering against the wall. He must be a nobleman's son.

"Please don't hurt me!" He cried. The rebels simply snickered and kept coming.

Rage filled me. How could they hurt such a small, innocent child? I leaped in front of the boy, holding my dagger out in front of me.

"And what are you going to do, boy?" One of the rebels sniggered. Apparently he thought I was a boy. How sexist is that?

"Well, if you're so eager to know, why don't I show you?" I quipped, making my voice deep and masculine. Hey, they already thought I was a boy, and it would help hide my true identity, so I let them stay blissfully ignorant of the fact that I was a girl.

Before any of them could make a retort, I judo flipped the first rebel, knocking his gun out of his grip. The second one aimed his gun at me, but I knocked that out his grasp, too. Growling, he unsheathed a sword and came at me. Bring it on, I thought.

He slashed at me, but I blocked. I swept his feet out from under him and cut him on his knee before knocking him out, all in one motion. I heard Rebel Number One stirring behind me, and knew he was trying to sneak up on me. So I turned around fluidly and knocked his sword out of his grip, grabbing his other arm and twisting it behind his back. With a good thwack on the head, he was out cold.