The Vines of Fate (Percy Jackson fanfic)

We Need To Defend Olympus

"Maybe he's walking her out this morning." I mumbled to myself, quickly heading to the forrest.

I looked all around the areas Percy and I usually take his pet hellhound for walks. Nothing. I checked the river, lake, and the shore. I checked the stables, making a pitstop for sugar cubes. Once I entered the stables, I saw Blackjack was still there.

"Do you have any idea where Percy is?" I asked him. The pegasi shook his mane. I sighed, giving him the sugar cubes. He quickly ate it out of my hand. "Thanks. I'll check with Annabeth."

Wiping my hand on my jeans, I headed towards the Athena cabin. Annabeth rushed out of her cabin with her cellphone in hand. Dread pooled in my stomach. She saw me and ran over.

"Percy's missing, I can't find him." I rushed out. "Mrs. O'Leary is also missing. Checked all of his usual spots-"

"He's not here." Ananbeth cut me off. She raised her cell phone. "He left a voicemail. He said something about meeting him at the Empire State Building and protecting Olympus from a future attack. It made no sense, but I was going to find you and go talk to Chiron."

"Then let's go."

We quickly filled Chiron in about Percy. About how he wanted us to meet him in New York ready to fight. Then suddenly, we were rounding up forty campers ready in battle armor and weapons. We rode in the Camp's van headed towards the Empire State Building. Annabeth's phone started to ring again. She quickly picked it up.

"Percy, where have you been? Your message said almost nothing! We've been worried sick!"

There was a pause as she listened to him. I anxiously tapped my foot. Some of the nearby campers leaned against the seats to listen in on the conversation.

"We're on our way like you asked, almost to the Queens-Midtown Tunnel. But, Percy, what are you planning? We've left the camp virtually undefended, and there's no way the gods-"

Annabeth pulled the phone away from her ear with a scowl. She hung up and stuffed it into her jean pocket.

"Remind me to kill him when we see him." Annabeth told me. "He had the nerve to hang up on me."

"If he's alive after I chew him out." I grumbled.

A few minutes later, we arrived. Percy was standing there with Mrs. O'Leary. The door slid open as we started to climb out. Two other camp vans parked behind the one I was in. Demigods climbed out with Chiron being the last one in his magic wheelchair.

I walked up to him with Annabeth beside me. Percy was staring at me differently than before. It was strange. There was also something different about him. I studied him, trying to figure out what.

"What is it?" I frowned.

"What's what?" Percy asked.

"You're looking at me funny." I told him, hesitantly looking at Annabeth and silently asking her if there was anything on my face.

"It's, uh, nothing." Percy said. He turned to the rest of the group. "Thanks for coming everybody. Chiron, after you."

"I came to wish you luck, my boy." Chiron shook his head. "But I make it a point never to visit Olympus unless I am summoned."

"But you're our leader."

"I am your trainer, your teacher." Chiron smiled at Percy. "That is not the same as being your leader. I will go gather what allied I can. It may not be too late to convince my brother centaurs to help. Meanwhile, you called the campers here, Percy. You are the leader."

Percy looked like he wanted protest. All the campers looked at him expectantly. He took a deep breath.

"Okay, like I told Annabeth on the phone, something bad is going to happen by tonight." Percy stated. "Some kind of trap. We've got to get an audience with Zeus and convince him to defend the city. Remember, we can't take no for an answer."