FLOWER POWER ─ percy jackson

ix. fugitives

"Weird," Aster commented.

"I'm not really sure what happened after that, and there's a good chance it was all a fever dream, okay? What I'm most confused about right now, though," Percy continued, "is how you're alive right now."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Seaweed Brain," Aster replied.

"That's not what I meant–"

"No, I know. I'm not really sure either. The poison should have killed me. Water doesn't heal me like it does you, Percy."

Percy shrugged. "Maybe it did this time because you went in with me."

"Maybe."

Annabeth went pale. "Poison?"

Aster ignored her and looked down at her legs, which were wrapped in grass and roots, almost in a comforting gesture. "Have these been there the whole time?"

"Since Percy set you down, yeah," Annabeth said, her voice hoarse and cheeks wet. Aster reached out and squeezed her friend's hand. "They just curled over you, like they were protecting you."

"The plants really do like you, Flower Power," Percy said with a grin.

Aster rolled her eyes, but she was distracted by a news reporter speaking.

"Probably not a terrorist attack, we're told, but it's still very early in the investigation. The damage, as you can see, is very serious. We're trying to get to some of the survivors, to question them about eyewitness reports of someone falling from the Arch."

"We should probably get moving," Aster said.

The group of four moved closer to the crowd to figure out what was going on.

"... an adolescent boy and girl," another reporter was saying. "Channel Five has learned that surveillance cameras show two adolescents, a boy and a girl, going wild on the observation deck, somehow setting off this freak explosion. Hard to believe, John, but that's what we're hearing. Again, no confirmed fatalities..."

"Gangway!" someone shouted behind them. The crowd parted, and a couple of paramedics hustled out, rolling a woman on a stretcher. The woman muttered nonsense.

"And then this huge dog, this huge fire-breathing Chihuahua–"

"Okay, ma'am," the paramedic said. "Just calm down. Your family is fine. The medication is starting to kick in."

"I'm not crazy! The boy and girl jumped out of the hole and the monster disappeared." The woman looked over to the group of four and a flicker of recognition flickered in her eyes. "There they are! That's them!"

Aster and Percy shared a look, and grabbed Annabeth and Grover, pulling them away from the scene.

"What's going on?" Annabeth demanded. "Was she talking about the Chihuahua on the elevator?"

Percy and Aster explained the full story of what happened on the Arch. Grover had bleated nervously, mumbling that his nose was unreliable and mustered apologies, though Percy waved him off. Percy told them about the underwater lady he'd spoken to after they'd landed in the water and Aster had passed out. The woman told him to go to Santa Monica, that they had to as it was his father's will. She also mentioned something about not trusting "the gifts."

"Whoa," Grover said when Percy was finished. "We've got to get you to Santa Monica! You can't ignore a summons from your dad."

On their way out of the crowd, they passed another reporter doing a news break. "Percy Jackson. That's right, Dan. Channel Twelve has learned that the boy who may have caused this explosion fits the description of a young man wanted by authorities for a serious New Jersey bus accident three days ago. The boy is believed to be traveling west. For our viewers at home, here is a photo of Percy Jackson."