Lights And Sound

Lights And Sound

A/N: My first GenRex FF! And it’s a cross with Percy J too! It’s also got various songs from musicals and albums. Thanks to you all for R/R-ing after reading this story. (Oo! I got you with an imperative! You have to R/R now!...Please?) I own only my OCs.

Vamos el capitulo numero uno!

Chapter 1


'Sup? The names Taisie Hemlock. I'm just an ordinary girl... except my Dad's Thanatos, Greek god of death and the night. I know the names ironic. Yes, hemlock is a poison. Shall I tell you more? Nah, I don't feel like it. Okay! Okay! Quit begging! I can see into your future. That's right. I can see how your gonna die. For instance... see that guy over there? He's gonna die in a car crash. Yep. And that girl? Gonna get murdered by her own boyfriend. Yeah, she has a boyfriend. Or at least will have. I can also talk to the dead and travel through darkness. Quit looking at me like that! I'm not a freak! All the Olympian kids are! My closest relatives are children of Erebus, Nyx or Hypnus. Stop laughing! I said stop laughing! I. SAID. STOP. LAUGHING!

I'm sorry about the face... it just changes when I'm angry or if I really want something. Why the skull? Weren't you listening? My dad is death personified! I know my eyes were glowing blue. Yes, my eyes are dark grey. So? Okay, okay! Don't shout! People are staring! Gods know you'd make a terrible spy or agent! Anyway, I'm kinda without a mother right now. She died giving birth to me. Dad said it was to end the pain; I suspect she hated me or something along those lines.

Where do I live? New York City, baby! Well, now anyway. I used to live at this camp. Camp Half-blood. It's sorta like a training place for demigods. I go there every summer now. I inherited my apartment from Mom but I wasn't allowed to even go there until last year. It was covered by the Mist. Mist? It's a thing that gods and monsters can do to cover things like our weapons and their appearance. Sometimes our own. No, I can't show you. Why? You can see through it. You’re special. You've got the Sight. Most demigods don't have the Sight. Sure we can see the weapons and certain other things but we can't see through disguises. I heard that the current Oracle of Delphi saw the pathway out of the labyrinth to find Deadalus, the great inventor. I don't know; I'm not the Oracle.

No. Demigods, for some reason don't have nanites in their bodies. I think its because we're half god. I was ten when it happened. The Event, of coarse. Don't play dumb. You know what I mean. When the nanites infected everything or so you thought. We don't know. Do you?

Yes, I have something to tell. It's a secret. I'm not telling! Fine, but I want a McChicken burger with fries. Okay, it's a story. About myself and someone else. Let me take you back a few weeks...


"Little shop! Lil shoppa horror! Lil shop! Lil shoppa terror!," I sang as I walked into the my cousins flower shop. She's sorta my cousin, anyway; she's a daughter of Demeter. "Call the cops! Lil shoppa horror! No oh oh no!"

She grinned and joined in. We sang as we pranced around her shop, "Lil shop! Lil shoppa horror! Bop she bop! Lil shoppa terror! Watch 'em drop! Lil shoppa horror! No oh oh no!"

I broke off, "Shing a ling, what a creepy thing to be happening!"

"Look out! Look out! Look out!" my cousin, Rose is her name, sang dancing about with her namesake.

"Shang a lang, feel the sturm and drang in the air!"

"Yea-yea-yeah!" Rose sang.

"Sha la la, stop right where you are! Don't move a thing!" I sang. Rose joined back in with peonies in a bunch. "You better, telling you better, tell you mama something’s gonna get her! She better- everyone better beware! Comma comma comma! Lil shop! Lil shop of horror! Bop she bop! You'll never stop the terror! Little shop! Little shop of horror! No oh oh no oh oh no oh oh oo ooooh!" We collapsed laughing on a small couch customers were supposed to sit on whilst waiting to be served. The place was over grown with flowers and Rose had grown every last bud. She's a twenty one year old florist and she's already tops! She's like my guardian, I suppose.

"How are you, Tais?" she asked me when she got control of her giggles.

"Fine, just checking in," I smiled. "How's Audrey II?"

"It's already eaten a lot of flies, Taisie," she laughs at my little joke. She has the city's largest Venus fly trap in the back room. "How was summer at camp?"

"Good. Dad sent me a pair of stygian twin blades for a late birthday present," I confess. "I'm already really good with them. They feel better than a sword. I think its the metal."

"You sound like a Hephaestus child now, Tais," she rolled her eyes. She checked the clock. "I'm off to do a delivery soon, Taisie. I-" The a loud set of screams launched themselves at us. I had to cover my ears briefly before running outside.

"Woah," I spotted the giant plant thing. "An EVO." I tapped my choker necklace. Two dark shapes appeared in the air in front of me. No one but me could see them. I snatched them from the air and to all that had the sight or were demigods they were visible. I ran at the thing, determined to see what I could do against it. It was a big, huge, massive fly trap man!

I jumped and felt my body turn sideways as I leapt from a near-by wall. As my body was pulled down by gravity (Yeah, it sucks.) I leaned my head forward and reached my blades out at the eye of the plant man.

"Hey, Audrey II!" I shouted as I stabbed its eye. "πηγαίνετε στην κόλαση*!" I couldn't believe I made an actual injury. Green ooze ran down its...er, face?... Anyway, I stabbed down and took off my gloves. I placed my finger tips on the plant man and felt the dark going through them and into the life force of the thing. I heard helicopters but closed my eyes so I coudn't be distracted. I pushed the darkness harder. I must do this! I thought desperatly...

What? Yes, I can kill by just a touch. It's a thing to do with being Thanatos' daughter. Now let me carry on. When's my burger getting here? Whatever, anyway...

I must do this! I thought desperatly. I felt the life go away from the plant man and let go. I opened my eyes and landed like a cat on my feet. "Don't feed the plants."

Damn! Providence is here! I gulped and found Rose glaring and tapping her feet at me. My black jacket was covered in a gross green goo. My navy skinny jeans were soaked and my sky blue converse style shoes were another colour entirely. I tapped my necklace again and my blades disapeared.

Some guy in a dark green suit walked up to me with a group of six men dressed in black and white armour and carrying white guns behind him. "Who are you?"

"Wow, you don't play any games, do you?" I laughed nervously, looking in desperation at Rose. "Um...I'm Taisie Hemlock. Who are you?"

"I am Agent Sixx," he smiled. It was creepy.

"So Sixx," a new voice came from behind me. "Who's your friend?"

I swung around and saw a boy walking to me. He didn't look too pleased. A monkey by his side wearing an all-in-one suit and a strange red hat. I sniggered at his appearance. The boy, however....I saw him on the news. He's Rex! The EVO that can control his nanites. He was really handsome up close.

"I'm Taisie. Taisie Hemlock," I manage without losing the tone I took with Sixx. "Your Rex, right? I saw you on the news. Who's the monkey?"

"Yes, I'm Rex," he blinked. I guess he wasn't aware of the small fan groups he had. "And the monkey's Bobo."

I laughed, "Bobo? Haha." I laughed so much I was in tears. I sniffed and shook my black hair down from its loose ponytail. I made sure I had my gloves on and offered my hand. "Sorry. Pleased to meet you."

He shook my hand, "You too." He smirked at me and his hand turned into a big sword. I blinked and stepped closer to him.

"And you're trying to do?" I asked him seriously.

"Uh....show you my powers?" he tried. I laughed slightly and patted his shoulder.

"Mine are better, techy boy," I grinned and ran up a wall, jumped off it and landed behind the guards. "See you, Rose! See you, losers! Κερδίζω*!"

I ran and ran and when I reached the end of the alley I had ran into a wall and fell. I felt a pair of arms lifting me from the ground. "Stay awake, my daughter. The world needs you. I need you. Your time is coming. Go to Providence."

Then nothing. Dad had saved me...but from what? Life on the run? Life on the streets? He knew I wasn't afraid of death. I had to find out. I heard footsteps. A yell and another set of arms around me.

"Hello, Taisie. I think I win." Rex! Oo, I hate him! I really do! Well...except for the cute button nose, the cool hair and the chocolate brown eyes you could just melt into....*sigh*...NO! NO! WILL NOT LIKE THIS GUY! HE'S ARROGANT AND RUDE AND...AND...and wow. ARRRGH!

A few hours later, I was taken to some place. I could feel it and hear it but I couldn't see it. My eyes were still closed. Rex still had hold of me but I really really wanted him to let go and- Ah! He'd put me down. The surface of the thing that I was lying on was hard but comfortable.

"So, this is Taisie?" a woman's voice this time. "She's cuter than you described, Rex."

"Uh...Dr Holiday? I think she can still hear you," I heard Rex stutter.

"A comatose like state? How do you know?" Dr Holiday asked him. "You're right, Rex. But how did you know?"

"When I said 'I win' she groaned," Rex answered. I can't recall groaning when Rex said that! I hate him! I hate him!...Oh, I love him! I love him! NO YOU DON'T, STUPID! αριθ*! You don't even like him!

I felt like the world was going on with out me. I had strange visions of Rex and myself. It wasn't the future. I don't have that power (except being able to see your death). We were behind a waterfall and he kissed me; another had us looking at the stars; another on a feris wheel. Strange imagination, I have... but it had entertained me for a few hours. I felt a tug and I felt myself drifting towards conciousness. I blinked. The room was empty. It was a huge lab. There were devices everywhere. I got up and stretched my legs. There was a clock in the corner of the room. The time read six pm. I was freezing.

"Brr. Have they heard of central heating? Its freezing in here!" I complained out loud.

"Sorry, its all timed and stuff," a voice informed me. Rex. I ground my teeth together and spun to see him. He grinned. "Hi."

"Rex," I answered stiffly. Ever the intrepid. "Where am I?"

"Uh, Providence. Where else?" he scoffed. "What are you, Taisie?"

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Your face got seriously scary as I picked you up. It turned into a skull," he stepped towards me. I blinked and stepped back.

"I don't know what your talking about, EVO boy," I glared.

"You have no nanites, either," he struck a chord. My face fell. I'm in a lab and I didn't take into account the simple matter of tests on nanites? Gods, I'm so stupid sometimes.

"H-how do you know th-that?" I stuttered.

"Dr Holiday showed me. What are you?" he asked me stiffly, walking forwards all the while. I back away with each step.

"I'm a....." I bumped into the wall and Rex was in my face. "Mumblemumble."

"What? I didn't hear that," he grinned cheekily.

"I'm a demigod," I whispered.

"I'm sorry, what?" he said icly.

"I'm a demigod!" I shouted. Rex's grin faded and stepped back.

"Your one of them?" he asked me. I nodded, uncertain of what was about to happen.

"You know about half-bloods?" I asked, shakily.

"Unfortunatly. One tried to kill me," he said stiffly.

"I'm sorry to hear that," my heart raced. What if these were my last moments in this world? Would I die a hero and go to the Isle of the Blessed?

"What're you doing here? Are you like him?" He asked. "Are you with him?"

"Who are you talking about?" I asked, shaking like a leaf. He noticed my shaking and turned his hand into a giant blade again. I blinked and ducked. "Seriously, who?"

"His name was Tyler Nash. Said he was a son of Ares," Rex ground his teeth as he swung for me. I tapped my necklace and grabbed my twin blades.

"I ain't ever gonna work for an Olympian's kid!" I shouted. "My Dad's Thanatos! God of death and the night. A minor god!"

"What's the difference?" Rex snarled. I thought fast and opened my mouth.

"Is there a man out there? Someone to hear my prayer!" I sang the first song that popped into my head. And it was ABBA! My mind sometimes... "Gimme, gimme, gimme a man after midnight! Won't somebody help me chase the shadows away!"

"What are you doing?" Rex asked, his hand returning to normal. I looked around and I slipped into the shadows behind him.

"Uh... I'm in love with a fairy tale, even though it hurts and I don't care if I lose my mind," I sang a Norwiegan Eurovision song. "I'm already cursed! Wicked violin solo!"

Rex sat down and watched as I swirled around singing strange songs. I came from the shadows.

"I am the one and only!" I pointed up and nodded my head to the beat in my mind. "Ain't nobody I'd rather be! I am the one and only!"

"You done?" he asked but I was on a roll.

"Working nine to five, that's the way to make a living!" I sang Dolly Parton and tripped over my own foot. "Woah!"

A pair of hands gripped my waist and steadied me. Rex! I turned around and found myself nose to nose with the hero EVO. He blinked and his mouth parted a little. I don't know what happened but I found myself kissing him... and liking it! Involuntarily, I gripped his shoulders.

"Excuse me."

I broke away and ran to the other side of the lab. Agent Sixx and some woman were standing in the doorway.

"Uh...hi?" I tried. I felt a flush of colour fill my pale cheeks.

"Uh... This isn't what it looks like!" Rex said quickly. I gave him my worst evils to date. Jerk!

"Sure it isn't," Sixx said in emotionless monotone. He seemed to be staring at me. "She's a half-blood?"

Rex hesitated, "Yes."

"Then contain it," Sixx said coldly.

"Uh, excuse me! I have a name and I'm not an it!" I said with an edge in my voice. "I am a GIRL! NOT a peice of meat."

"Just contain... her." Sixx drew out the word 'her' on purpose. My eyes flashed and I had a spark of inspiration. I shot over at Rex and grabbed his wrist. He was too shocked to react in time. I clicked my fingers and we rushed into the shadows. The strain of carrying the both of us was already taking effect. I knew where I was going, however. Back to Camp. My mind inwardly groaned at the mention. Soon, I could see the cabins and the forest. It was night and the bonfire was burning like a homing beacon. Then, Rex jerked his arm and I fell. I came down running and stumbled. Rex didn't bother to help me; the shadows helped me instead. I landed at the hooves of the centaur known as Chiron.

"Miss Hemlock," Chiron's voice cut into the thought playing on loop in my mind. All of those words swears, by the way. "To what do we owe the pleasure?"

I lifted my had and smiled crookedly, "Hello, Chiron! What's happataining?" Rex tried t skewer me right there.

"I knew I couldn't trust you!" he said clearly. his hand, a giant blade again, coming down fast at me. I grinned and let the shadows take me. I landed silently behind him and jumped on his back.

"Actually, this is for your own benefit. I thought you might want to see what all half-bloods are like, you two-faced jerk," I whispered into his ear. "Talk about judging a book by its cover."

"Get off me!" he jerked and I sprang over his head like a ninja. (Still not sure how I did that.) I reached to my necklace and remembered what I was trying to prove. I stood and just faced him. "Chiron will know what to do with you. He probably knows how predjusticed Providence towards us."

"Well, maybe if you didn't-" Rex started before noticing the glare I gave him. I looked to the forest.

"Well, that's all the time I feel required with you, EVO," I looked back at the teenage boy in front of me. Chiron put a hand on my shoulder. I looked up. "I'm off laughing on a fast camel."

I sped away as fast as possible into the darkness of the woods. It was my favourite place to sit and think or slice some monsters when I get bored. The forest seemed more like home than the Minor Gods cabins did. Ever since I was nine I loved being away from the heroes and other kids. I preferred to be alone to talk to the dead.

I stopped, "Here will do fine." I told myself, "I can climb a tree and watch the Wild Lady's moon set and Apollo's sun be dragged from the rear of his cool sports car." ...

Yes, Apollo has a sports car not a chariot. Well, it is the chariot but a cool god has to keep up appearances. Yum! My burger! Thank you!...

I climbed the nearest tree and set my gaze to the stars. I smiled as I drifted into that sleepy feeling. I decided not to wait and go to the cabin. I drifted of into the shadows and dropped on the roof of the fourteenth cabin with no noise whatsoever. I fell through the floor and I looked for an empty bed I could sleep on. None were there. I sighed inwardly and walked out the door and into Chiron.

"Are you okay, Taisie?" he asked, his eyes swimming with concern. I blink my eyes slowly out of unknown exhaustion.

"I've never used the shadows so much in one day, Chiron. I'm just tired and restless, I suppose," I shrugged, my form slipping slightly. No one else would be in thier cabins for sleep in a long time. I gazed longingly at the fifteenth cabin, the second minor gods cabin. Chiron saw me looking and grunted.

"I suggest you go get some sleep before you fall over something, Taisie," he nodded kindly at me. I bowed my head in thanks and respect and ran/stumbled to the cabin that usually housed half-bloods in the summer and not the period after. The cabin was warm and smelled faintly of fresh spring flowers. One of the summer campers was a daughter of one of the Muses. Lucky idiot.

I fell into a dream of black and white and grey. It was like an old Carry On... movie. (A/N: I love those films!) I laughed at myself afterwards. I was that pretty blonde woman and Rex was the posh bloke. Rex was always comically chasing after me. I woke up when the first dawn light appeared through the window. I got out of bed and stretched, using the bathroom to change and wash. Gods, it'd been a long time since... well, since I'd used the bathroom in the cabin. Usually, I used the girls toilets block. It was a huge building made from cinderblocks. I hated it in there but it did the job.

I ran out, in my black running gear. I stopped at the Dining Pavilion to grab a bottle of water. I caught Rex's eye and I waved at him, forcing a smile.

"Where are you going?" Rex asked.

"Oh, just for a run through the monster infested forest... maybe along the beach later. The waves are really refreshing after a run," I answered. I took my black hoodie off and adjusted the legs of my jogging three-quarter-length bottoms. I looked up to find Rex watching me interestedly. "Uh... want to come with me?"

"Sure. Why not?" Rex sighed. I stood up properly and stretched my arms and legs. Without warning, I propelled myself forward like a shot. Rex managed to catch up about three minutes later. I laughed and jumped onto Zeus' Fist as we appraoched it, jumping from it via backflip. Rex caught me and let me down gently.

"I could have stuck the landng, Rex," I laughed.

"Sing for me," Rex whispered into my ear.

I laughed again but stopped, the perfect song coming to mind. I looked about, noticing a shrine to the Muses. I nodded to them.

"If theres a prize for rotten judgement,
I guess I've already won that,
No man is worth the aggravation,
Thats ancient history,
Been there done that!"

The Muses, to our surprise, came to life. They joined in.

"Who'd you think you're kiddin',
He's the Earth and heaven to you,
Try to keep it hidden,
Honey, we can see right through you!"

"Oh, no!" I sang, carrying the word on for a few bars.

The Muses continued, "Girl, you can't conceal it,
We know how you feel and who you're thinking of!"

I broke into the chorus, "Oh, no chance, no way,
I won't say it, no, no!"


The Muses sang, "You swoon, you sigh,
Why deny it, uh-oh!"

"It's too cliche
I won't say I'm in love!"

I brushed Rex away, backing from him. I noticed the music was playing behind me.

"I thought my heart had learned its lesson,
It feels so good when you start out,
My head is screaming "get a grip, girl"
unless you're dying to cry your heart out!"

The Muses broke in.

"You keep on denying
who you are and how you're feeling,
Baby, we're not buying,
Hon, we saw you hit the ceiling
Face it like a grown up,
When you gonna own up,
That you got-got-got it bad!"

I sang the chorus again.
"Oh, no chance, no way, I won't say it, no, no!"

The Muses sang, "Give up, give in!"

One, the one named Thalia, broke from the rest and sang, "Check the grin,
you're in love!"

Rex darted foorward, laughing as he tried to catch me as I dodged him. I shadow travelled up to a tree branch.

"This scene wont play,
I won't say I'm in love,
You're way off base,
I wont say it,
Get off my case,
I wont say it!"

The Muses actually looked like they were scolding me as they sang their last verse.

"Girl dont be proud,
Its ok you're in love!"

Rex caught me in his arms again. I turned to him, quite giving up, on both the chase and the determined tone of the song.

"Oh," I sang, carrying on a few notes. "At least out loud,
I won't say I'm in love!"

The Muses sighed and turned back into statues as Rex grinned and kissed me again...

What do you mean 'gross!' I haven't told the whole story yet! Well, maybe you'll find out if you keep listening. Now you need to buy me a McFlurry. Don't try to get out of it! You were the one that begged me for a story.

...Rex grinned and kissed me again. I broke it off and backed away. I glared at him.

"What are you doing, Tech Boy?"

"Just... Shut up, Death Girl," Rex countered. I stared at him, numb.

"What... did... you... just call me?" I asked, not quite remembering his words.

"You heard, Death Girl," Rex yelled.

I blinked and sat down, silent as Charon's boat across the river Styx. I looked at the ground and drew my knees to my chest. I closed my eyes as I put my head into my knees gently. I sniffed and fell quiet once again. Rex's breath was the only sound I could hear. I heard him sit down opposite me. He lifted my head from my knees and removed my hands from my face. I opened my eyes and looked at him.

"I don't know why I did it. And Chiron told me about your dad. I just overheard someone saying something about you and I... well, you heard," Rex explained. He looked me in the eyes and leaned a little closer. "I was mad at myself. And by the looks of it, your angry at both of us."

I nodded. Rex sighed and looked up at the sky.

"You know, I don't know my way back. To either Camp or Providence," Rex added, sighing. "It's nice. Being lost."

"I love my own company. I can think and talk myself through things properly. If I did that in New York, someone would look at me strange and I'd get all embaressed," I told him softly. He nodded, smiling.

I'm getting to something like that. I don't know about androids... And I don't know who Brad and Janet are, either... Oh! The Rocky Horror Picture Show! I love that one! Oh, just a few: Science Fiction/Double Feature, Dammit Janet, Over At The Frankenstein Place, The Time Warp, Sweet Transvestite, The Sword of Damocles, I Can Make You A Man, Hot Patootie, I Can Make You A Man (Reprise), Touch-a Touch-a Touch Me, Eddie, You'd Better Wise Up, Rose Tint My World, Fanfare/Don't Dream It, Wild Thing And Untamed, I'm Going Home and Superheroes. So basicaly all the songs in the thing. So anyway...

A few days later, Rex had fit in so well that he wore one of the Camp t-shirts. He joined in the sparring, the joking and the general scheme of things. Chiron even gave him tips on fighting. Aphrodite girls giggled whenever he was around. He had a habit, I noiced of walking around topless. No, I don't personally like protein-shake-enhanced bodies... And Rex definately didn't have one. He had a nice body. He had defined muscles but they weren't... well, put it this way, he was attractively flat. His arms were nicely curved and when he wore shorts, you could see that he spent a long time running or just plain using them. He had a powerful stride, bouncing when he ran like his legs were springs.

He joined me for my morning run every morning, most of the time, making me laugh. We would be red in the face from laughing when we reached the beach. And I have to admit I enjoyed it all. Because he never gave the other girls much attention. He stuck to me like glue. And I loved it.

No chance. No way. I won't say it. It's too cliché. I won't say I'm in love!

"Tais?" Rex asked at dinner. Chiron had allowed him to sit with me at dinner times. Mr D wasn't very happy about it.

"Yeah?" I answered, picking up my goblet and muttering, "Coca cola."

"When can I go back. I've learnt my lesson," he asked. I was about to take a sip of my drink when I inhaled the fizzy gas. I coughed.

"Excuse me?" I asked when I managed to contain myself.

"Well, the world needs me. I'm the only one that can absorb nanites and I'm stuck here," Rex explained.

I stared at him. "You've had the time of your life! You told me it was nice to be lost! And you still want to go?" I asked him incredulously.

"Uh... yeah, just about."

"Tell me, are you chained down?"

"No."

"Do you have means of telecommunication?"

"Yes."

"Have I actuall you stopped you from leaving?"

"No."

"Did you know that you can use a cell phone here?" I asked him finally.

"No. No, I did not."

"Then go do it, Cheese Brain! I'll take you back myself. I'm late for the start of school term, anyway," I said, covering my hurt. I was hurt all right. Hurt where it counted.

"OK then," Rex said, looking at his food.

"I need to go and... make a call myself. I'll see you later," I said and ran off. I heard Chiron call after me but I kept going. I ran into the Big House. I found the phone in Chiron's office and tapped in a number. I heard the numbers being sent, then the Bring! Bring! of the other phone ringing. Someone picked it up.

"Hello?"

"Yes, Providence?" I asked. "I kidnaped your Rex fella. I'm bringing him back to New York tomorrow. Don't worry, he is not harmed. But he may be hungry. He won't have eaten for at least an hour," I said. "I'll take him to First Avenue at say... eleven o'clock in the morning? See you later."

I put the phone down, my heart racing.

What do you mean 'why did I call Providence myself?' Well, I wanted rid of him. He hurt me. In here. Not all of us canhave the emotional range of a teaspoon, you know. Some of us can get vrey angry. Oo! My McFlurry! And it's the Oreo version! I love you!

I was in my cabin, listening to music and checking out some 'safe' sites on the interweb. You can't check out anything Greek related if you're a demigod. It's risky. A picture of a monster could leap out and eat you. That is why Hephaestus created Eta-Find. It's a site that he and Hermes collaberated on it so demigods could search the web with hardly any dangers.

I found Rex on there, smiling for a tourist with a camera. I slammed the top down and cast it from my bed unceremoniously. It was six am. Time to wake him up, anyway. I hadn't slept the entire night. Not a wink. I felt powerful, though. All the shadows had stored their power in me and I felt energised. I did this sometimes. It wasn't fun, it wasn't boring. It just was.

I ran from the cabin and to the Big House where I knocked on Chiron's door. He opened it, a night cap on his head with a bobble dangling past his ear. He had little booties on his hooves and moisterizing gloves on his hands.

"Taisie? What are you doing up at six am?" Chiron asked me.

"I need to take Rex home by eleven am. To First Avenue. So I need to wake him up and feed him before we start on our way," I explained. "Which of the Hermes cabins is he in?"

"The second one," Chiron yawned. "And if he isn't there, he's in the Big house somewhere."

"Thanks, Chiron. And thank you for giving me permission to leave," I yelled over my shoulder as I ran off. I could almost hear Chiron's sleepy eyes pop open in surprise.

I ran out of the house, breathing regularly. I hopped up the steps of the second Hermes cabin. I creaked the door open and crept in, the occupants snoring away. I found rex easily. He was awake and watching me. I motioned him forward and we slipped out of the cabin. A song ran through my head.

I've seen you on the screen,
It's you that I adore. Since I was a boy, I wanted to be like Roger Moore,
A girl in every port and gadget's up my sleeve,
The world is not enough for the both of us it seems,
but I wish I was James Bond! Just for the day!
Kissing all the girls, blowing the bad guys away!
And I wish I was James Bond! Just for the day!
Kissing all the girls, blowing the bad guys away!
Hello Mr Bond, I've been expecting you,
Martini in your hand and that eyebrow that you move,
Don't take this the wrong way, I know it might sound odd, the next 00, I'm the right man for the job!

My mind is just hilarious, right? Wrong! We jogged around, running through the forest as normal, with an abnormal silence. We reached the beach, he stopped. I carried on. He caught up again and stopped me by the rocks. We were covered from sight but I knew the harpies would hear about it if we tried to leave just yet.

"What's up? You haven't spoken to me since yesterday," Rex said, pinning me down by the shoulders.

"I called Providence and Chiron gave me the go-ahead just now to take you back to NY," I told him. Rex looked at me incredulously.

"You did that?" Rex asked.

"I did. I said I'd drop you of at First Avenue at eleven. In other words, you're going in there alone, Rex," I told him. "They might arrest me for kidnap."

"Not if I don't let them. Come with me, Taisie. Please," he begged.

"Why? What d'you care?" I asked him accusingly.

"You've shown me the good side of half-bloods, Taisie. I care about you a lot," Rex said, pushing me against the wall harder.

"You're hurting," I groaned.

Rex relented his grip slightly. But only because he was kissing me. My hands rose and cradled his head to me. I opened my mouth slightly and he took the opportunity. It was my first proper kiss with Rex. And I could tell he enjoyed it as much as I did. I opened my eyes a crack and... we parted, smiling stupidly.

"Well... that was... erm... that was a nice conversation," I sighed, my sentance choppy.

"Uh, yeah... it-it was," Rex said in a dream like state.

"Maybe we should go eat in the Big House kitchen... we need to go soon," I said, walking away from him.

Well, it is a Romeo and Juliet like romance, huh? Keen sense of mind you got there. Thing is it wasn't ever going to be that happy. Listen and you'll see...