The Jacksons (completed): Book 2 - Percy Jackson Fanfiction

~ Chapter Five: ESME

"Oh, come on!" Nero shouted angrily. Thalia and I fell into silence. "She's predicted that I'm gonna lead some kids called Bornes into battle against a Titan. So excuse me for wanting to talk to her."

"Is that all you're going to do though?" I asked, a little worried. In the past couple of hours, I'd seen Nero at his worst. He had this whole complicated, furious side to him as a result of the long bullying from Ethan Parker and his mates. I didn't like the way that Nero seemed to snap every time something went wrong. The vision, that dream we had of the past... I think it rattled him more than he let on. And Nero's not an open book. I'd always thought I knew he was - nerdy, brainy, boring. But he had a bonus chapter, you could say, filled with pain and misery.

Nero looked at me wearily. "I'm tired of this all, Es," he said, his voice soft. "I want this to end."

I gulped. "So do I."

"We're nearly there," Will called from up front.

I looked his way and gasped. Sitting in the driver's seat was a tall, athletic-looking blonde surfer guy, with blue eyes. But lots of blue eyes. Hundreds over his entire body. You could see the little lumps under the fabric of his red vest, under the material of his beige khakis. Even his pinky toe in his sandal had a gigantic azure-coloured eyeball gazing upwards. Where his standard human eyes should be, he covered them with a pair of black sunglasses.

"That's Argus," Thalia said, following my gaze. "He's the camp's security guard. Escorts certain demigods over the country, makes a special exception to Bornes."

"Special exception?"

"Abandons all duties. We've set up a special facility for Borne examination."

My blood froze. "Examination?"

Nero looked equally as stunned. "We're going to be examined? Prodded? Tested? Like animals?"

Thalia held up a hand. "It's not like that. You two, in addition to the four we have, make up six Bornes. We're missing the seventh. If we lock you all in the examination facility, we can run tests and determine your powers for your own safety."

"You're going to lock us in?" Nero snapped. His monitor's beeping was speeding up. "Keep us caged up, like zoo animals! Are you inhuman?"

Thalia scowled. "Nero, you might be a kid. But my father is Zeus. Like the king of the gods. I possess lightning powers. If you're anything like your dad, you've probably got a knack at easily winding me up. Don't push it."

"Thalia," Will warned. He came and sat by her side. "We're ten minutes off. It'd be nice if we could escort Nero into the facility as calmly as possible. I have a feeling that I've determined his power. Neither of them have medical ability, I'm sure now. But this... this you'll wanna hear."

Will and Thalia got up. I could seem them having a heated discussion up front, Thalia's face becoming completely shocked. Nero was fuming, red in the face, but I could see the fear in his eyes. He was scared of his power. Will had sounded concerned and worried, and Nero wasn't feeling too indifferent.

"Es," he said to me quietly, "I'm... I'm terrified."

"Me too," I said, squeezing his hand. His monitor was still beating quickly. "Just calm yourself down. We won't let them lock us up. I don't care who Thalia is. Dad's the son of the sea god. He'll sort her out."

And yet, we both knew I was trying to convince Nero... just as much as I was trying to convince myself.

"Welcome to Camp Half-Blood," Will said as we got off the minibus. Thalia led the way, followed by Will, then me and Nero, and finally Argus. "We'll give you a tour around the place, let you see your dad, get your mum in, then take you to the facility."