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

~ Chapter Twenty-Three: NERO

"He's a dragon!" she argued. "As if he gives a crap!"

"He has feelings!" I countered. I bent down. "You were electrocuting him to the point of death."

"Do you wanna get out of here or not?" she asked harshly. She zapped Peleus again with a long purple arc. I looked about.

"Adam?" I called. Panic began to balloon inside of me. "Hey, Adam?"

Zarah stood up, our argument momentarily forgotten. "What's wrong?"

"It's Adam, I can't see him."

"He's probably gone ahead to the woods," Zarah said with a roll of her eyes. "We're heading through there. It's the safest way to escape from here."

"Why would he go without us?" I asked. "Everyone knows about the monsters Chiron sets up."

"Don't worry about it, Nero!" Zarah said in frustration. "Gods, are you always this pathetic?"

"Are you always this rude? No, wait - you're not. One minute you're flirty and kissy, the next you're a total -"

"If your next word is a curse for female dog, then shut up now," Zarah growled.

"I'm just saying -"

"What?" Zarah laughed coldly. "Aw. Were you hoping for a relationship, Nero? A kiss is a kiss."

"You said you liked me. I intrigue you."

"Exactly. I didn't say I loved you. You're too full-on. I'm just in for a bit of fun."

"Well I'm not."

Zarah chuckled again. "Then that's your choice, babe."

A twig snapped to our left. Zarah turned round, hands alive with electricity. I tightened my grip on my katana.

Two kids slid down the hill beside us, both decked in full bronze Greek armour. One large kid's long dark hair could be seen tumbling out from beneath her helmet. The other was taller, leaner, and charging full-speed at us.

"Stop!" the plumper one yelled. A girl, eleven or twelve, young. The other reached us first.

"Names," she demanded. She held a spear and aimed it at us. "Names!"

"Nerovian Jackson," I said, dropping my sword to the floor. "Most call me Nero."

"A Jackson," the girl mused.

I looked over at Zarah. She now stood with her arms crossed, but I could see her hands twitching. She wanted to electrocute these girls. Hard.

"And her?" The older girl stabbed her spear in Zarah's direction.

"Zarah Venjovi," I said.

"They're... Bornes!" panted the other girl is she arrived at last.

"Bornes?" The older girl sniffed disdainfully. "Rani, run along and fetch Valdez."

"Run along, Fatty," Zarah said, smirking.

The girl in question, Rani, wavered. Underneath her helmet I could tell she was going red.

"It's okay, Rani," I said. "Hi. I'm Nero. We're actually looking for our friend, Adam. He disappeared about ten minutes ago."

"Then why the backpacks?" the bigger girl asked.

"Roz -" began Rani.

"Quiet!" Roz snapped. She took off her helmet and glared at me. She had pale freckled skin with a flame of red hair, not auburn like Rachel's but not ginger, either. She saw me staring.