Project Percy (Kotlc Meets Percy Jackson)

Chapter 25

"Hey," Annabeth said as she opened the gates of Viric Ridge to allow Percy in. "You're here."

"I noticed."

"Nice to see your sass hasn't diminished."

Percy spun around to see Thalia and Jason.

"What are you doing here?" Annabeth demanded.

"Um, you invited us," Jason reminded her.

"I know. But I told you to wait while I went to go get Percy."

"Well, waiting got boring," Thalia said. "So we came over to see if you wanted to play base quest."

"What's base quest?" Percy asked.

"Only the most awesome game ever," Thalia said.

"I call Percy for my team," Annabeth said immediately.

"No fair," Thalia complained.

"How about we play boys versus girls?" Jason offered.

"And now I notice that you end up with Jackson."

Annabeth explained the rules. One team guarded its base while the other team launched a raid. If the questers made it to the base without getting tagged, they won.

"Light leaping isn't allowed, but special abilities can be used," Annabeth added, looking at Percy like she was saying it for his benefit.

"That's not fair," Jason protested. "Percy and I don't have abilities."

"We'll quest first," Annabeth offered.

"Ok. Fine."

Percy chose to be sentry at the vivid red tree they'd picked as their base. He didn't like being the last defense, especially considering how fast the girls could run, but he didn't know the grounds, so it made more sense to let Jason try to hunt them down. Plus, if abilities were allowed, he knew how to keep tabs on the girls.

Kym had taught him how to detect the water in people's bodies. Most Hydrokinetics could only isolate a general area, but Percy could nail down the exact spot. He'd never tried it on moving targets, but it was worth a shot. So as soon as Jason ran off, he concentrated on the sound of the water.

The water in Annabeth's body was soft and whispery, like a brush against his thoughts. Thalia's was loud and clear, filled with the sound of crackling electricity. She seemed to be in the general area of the river. Right near a body of water. Perfect.

He focused on the river, allowing it to expand his senses. He felt their presence on its shores. He couldn't think of a better way to explain it. Even Kym didn't understand. The water just...told him exactly where they were.

He needed a tremendous amount of concentration to stay connected as they snuck through the meadow, but he didn't lose them, even when they dashed into the forest to slip by Jason. His head ached, but he held on, following them through the trees. When they neared the base, his heart thundered. They were closing in.

He took off, not sure if he was seeing with his eyes or theirs as he plowed through the trees. He didn't know where he was, or how long he ran, or if he felt anything, until his hands connected with skin and his vision cleared.

Annabeth and Thalia stared at him with wide eyes. He gripped their arms.

"How did you do that?" Thalia demanded. "You ran straight to us, like you knew where we were."

"I heard you," Percy said. It wasn't technically a lie.

"Heard us how?" Thalia glanced from his hand on her arm back to him. "Hiding something, Jackson?"