Awakened - T Stoll - Percy Jackson and The Olympians.

XVIII

"Connor and I are the cabin leaders." Travis says warningly. Michael glances over at me. "And her?" He asks like I'm some vermin. 

"I represent the Hypnos cabin." 

"We don't have a Hypnos cabin." Michael scoffs. 

My lips spread into a smirk. "Precisely why I need to represent it." I climb into the van, only to be pulled onto a seat next to Annabeth, by Annabeth. Without saying a word, she grips my hand and I let her. 

Luckily, there are four seats per row, and three rows. Excluding the passenger seat which Chiron occupies. A blanket, I'm assuming magical, is over his lap. 

Travis sits down next to me, and Connor sits down next to Travis. The other cabin counselors begin to file in. Silena, Michael, Pollux and Castor, and Katie. Some brought a sibling with them. 

Two honks sound from the other vans and Argus begins to drive off. The van bustling as he drives through the woods which seem to be magically separating themselves for him. I watch in awe, and Travis watches me with an amused smirk. 

Once the surprise of the magic wore off, I rest my head on his shoulder. Mumbling an instruction to wake me up when we're there.

- 

 I was woken up, not at our destination. Annabeth holds a phone out, her eyes narrow. Travis leans over me, focused on the phone. "Percy, where have you been? Your message said almost nothing! We've been worried sick!" Annabeth yells. 

I wince, holding my ear. Percy's voice chimes up on the other side of the phone. "I'll fill you in later. Where are you guys?" 

Wondering the same question myself, I look around to see that we're in the familiar area of New York. My heart skips a beat. My mom is so close. I wonder if I could see her. I haven't talked to her in a while. 

"We're on our way like you asked, almost to the Queens—Midtown Tunnel. But, Percy, what are youplanning? We've left the camp virtually undefended, and there's no way the gods—" Annabeth is cut off as Percy interrupts. 

"Trust me. I'll see you there." And he hangs up. Annabeth stares at the phone in shock. "He hung up." She murmurs. "I'm going to kill him." 

I pat her knee. "Do it after the war." 

Argus makes a sharp turn and my shoulder pushes into Travis who takes the opportunity to slip his arm around it. I lean into him. But it doesn't feel the same. 

We drove through the city and by late afternoon, we parked. Outside the Empire State building. Despite my living here all my life, I've never actually been inside. I climb out with the other campers, and by the time every van unloaded, there were about 40 campers. Plus, Percy and Mrs. O'Leary. 

Percy was staring at Annabeth, per usual. But there's something different about him. Everyone has some type of tiredness for me to pull on. Some sort of exhaustion. Yet, it feels like he has a larger exhaustion and none all at once. It's... it's not normal. He doesn't feel normal.