•as the world caves in•

•i hate red-heads•

"That's not funny," I hissed. "This isn't a joke."

"Hold it," Percy said. "Calm down. Sorry about the band room."

"It's okay, they asked my questions, I played dumb." Rachel shrugged.

"Was it hard?" I asked.

I wished Percy would understand what exactly he was doing to me, but he didn't. "Stop! Rachel, we've got a problem and we need your help."

Rachel narrowed her eyes with a sly smile at me. "You need my help?"

I stared right back. "I don't think so. Percy does."

"Cor-" Percy started.

"It's Coriane."

I prayed that would get him to finally understand.

He stared at me for a moment, looking like I kicked him in the chest. "Sorry."

Rachel eyed between us and it took everything in me to not flip the table onto her. Percy explained everything to Rachel.

"Oh, I know an entrance. There's one in the Marriott."

•.•.•.•

After opening the door when Rachel claimed it wouldn't, I made her go first. When Percy walked by me, he tried to say something but I shoved by.

After Rachel told us everything she could see, Percy, again, frowned at me. "Do you not believe her?"

I wanted to argue, to say everything I had wanted to say to him. But I wouldn't in front of her. It was like she was feasting off our tension knowing she caused it.

We didn't make if far before two dracaenae cornered us. Percy seemed to recognize them, along with Rachel, so I assumed this had to do with when Percy blew up the band room. I hated that she had some sort of bond with him. With them was a Laistrygonian giant.

One of the snake woman hissed, "oh, yesssss, you'll be very popular with our hossssst."

I'd only ever read about them, but seeing them in person was so much worse than described. They took our weapons, and one of them started almost choking me.

Percy looked to Rachel, in the same situation, but turned to me. He looked at me, really looked at me and I wondered if my prayers had been answered. "I'll get you out of here."

If it wasn't for the claws around my neck and how I was supposed to be mad at him, my heart would've melted.

I watched a centaur get murdered by a giant, and Luke grinned through it.

Luke.

He didn't look like the fall harmed him at all. He looked like how I remembered him from camp, apart from some stubble and he was definitely more muscular. But he looked colder, meaner, and he glared at Percy.

"Luke!" Annabeth shouted. "Stop this. Let us go!"

Luke seemed to notice us for the first time. "Coriane? Annabeth?"

"Enough time for the females to fight afterward, first, Percy Jackson, what weapons will you choose?" Said Antaeus, a large giant.

Percy's somewhat brother.

I needed someway to help him, and I new it. "Percy! His mother is Gaea!"

The Laistrygonian giant clamped his other hand over my mouth, his other still holding onto Annabeth, and the claws around my neck tightened.

Percy looked at me, frowning. I pleaded he knew what I was trying to say, but I could no nothing more than watch as he said he would choose his own sword and Antaeus announced the first round.

Another dracaena slithered out. Percy quickly sidestepped and killed her, and Antaeus slammed his hands. "No! Too fast! You must wait for the kill order! Round two, and slower this time, or else!"

The gate opened and a warrior came out. He looked like he was a year older than us, black hair and an eye patch. He was so thin his armor hung off him loosely.

I knew Percy was going to have a hard time fighting him, both in skill (likely), and in Percy not wanting to harm another half-blood. The crowd grew restless of their back and forth, and eventually Percy knocked the sword from his hand and held him down, but Percy sheathed his sword.

Percy looked to his sort of brother. "Why don't you fight me yourself? If you've got Dad's favor, come down here and prove it!"

Percy glanced over and I quickly shook my head, hand still clamped over my mouth. He was an idiot.

I watched the fight, Percy stabbing the giant but his wounds would heal from the earth. I needed Percy to understand, to somehow know what he needed to do to win. I took a glance at Annabeth, who looked like she was trying to tell Percy what to do with her mind, and to Rachel, who just looked scared.

I watched as Percy jumped off the giant and into a chain, drawing his sword. "Come up and get me! Or are you too slow and fat?"

Antaeus took the bait, climbing up slowly to meet Percy who cut his cloth and tied the giant to the chain. He slashed at the giant and somehow formed a huge knot in the chain, the scene was as crazy as it sounds.

"Free him!" Luke shouted. "He is our host!"

"I'll free him." Percy shrugged. With one final cut, Percy killed Antaeus.

"Jackson!" Luke snarled. "I should've killed you long ago."

"You tried. Let us go, Luke. We had a sworn agreement."

"That oath died with him. I'll have you killed quickly." He looked to us. "Spare those two girls."

Helplessly, I watched as the crowd drew weapons. Percy grabbed something from his pocket and suddenly Mrs. O'Leary was there, chewing at the guards and Rachel was telling us where to run.