AN: Hey guys, sorry I haven't updated in like forever! I've had so much homework lately. Anyway, I've decided that the next book will be BOTL. It seemed like most of guys wanted that one more, so that's what it will be.

I don't own PJO

I took a moment to gaze upon the city below; in it's silent state. I then tilted my head upward, and blankly stared at the helicopter that was spinning out of control, and dropping down, almost like newborn bird learning how to fly, except one who hadn't succeeded.

A piercing scream howled from the inside, echoing across the skyscrapers, and bouncing back. Yep, Rachel Elizabeth Dare was inside that helicopter, along with some mortal pilot who had fallen asleep, due to the sleep spell Morpheus had cast on the city.

Rachel. Every time I heard that name, a bitter taste come to my mouth, and my fists automatically clenched. It's not that I hated her. As in her personality. In fact, we could be great friends . . . if it weren't for the fact that she was stealing Percy.

Percy, oh gods! Why was he so oblivious! I had freaking kissed him, Rachel had practically told him in the Labyrinth last summer, while I was eavesdropping on a little conversation they had.

At least Rachel agreed with me on Percy's stupidity. Boys, she had said it echoed in my head, a faint jostle of the memory. But Rachel liked him too. I could tell. Which brings us back to her being here! Why was she here?

"Ideas?" Percy asked me. We couldn't let her die; I didn't hate her that much.

" You're going to have to take Guido, and get out!" I told him.

" What are you going to do?"

" Hyah!" I sent Guido into a nosedive, and avoided his question, knowing very well that he wouldn't let me if I told him, due to his loyalty.

We zoomed towards the helicopter, and the spinning blades nearly hit Percy, but I yelled" Duck!" and luckily, it only touched his hair.

I tried to get the Pegasus, Guido to stay along side the helicopter. It wasn't exactly the easiest thing in the world steering a Pegasus, if you know what I mean.

I finally came in reach, and had barely grabbed the door when I heard a huge SMACK, from behind me.

I looked down, only to find that Guido had disappeared from below me, and was plummeting toward the ground with Percy on his back, flapping one wing.

Uh-oh. My heart pounded as the helicopter spazzed around, me trying to hold on with one hand. Why had my other arm been wounded so recently! My palms began to sweat, making it harder for me to grip it due to the slippery surface.

I probably would have flew off, and free fell towards the ground a few hundred feet below me, but suddenly a warm hand gripped my wrist, and pulled me in.

I lifted my gaze, wiped off my hands, and then held on tight to the inside of the copter. For a moment, which seemed like so much longer though, I just stared at the red head, my face expressionless. She was in a T-shirt, beach shorts, and sandals. Oh, yeah, she had come from the vacation! I didn't want to admit that she looked pretty, prettier than I ever could, but I bit my lip. I really wasn't sure what to think. She stared back, in to my grey eyes, studying me as well.

" Thanks," I said quickly, and dove off toward the front of the ship, gravity spinning out of control, various items flying, and I found myself walking along the ceiling, then one of the walls, and . . . well, you get the point. I didn't stay back to see her expression. We were in trouble, and needed to fix this quick.

Through the window, I could see Percy, who barely avoided splatting into the ground, and went back towards the air with Guido. I couldn't count on him, too many issues at once.

I wiped some sweat off my forehead, reached over the mortal pilots bed head, and smacked around the controls glowing of different colors.

Anxiously, I searched the back of my mind, trying to remember what my Dad had taught me about flying these things. I had never actually attempted it, but he had told me a little bit about it.

There had also been some vague flying instructions I found on Daedalus's laptop. But they weren't for a helicopter. I would have to guess.

I grabbed the controls, and twisted, my heart thumping against my ribcage, my whole body shaking. A spread of warmth reached my shoulder, and I realized Rachel had put her hand there, reassuringly. I decided to let it stay, and kept fidgeting around with switches until the helicopter righted itself finally.

I sighed in relief, and felt Rachel's hand drop from my shoulder." Thank you." She said, her voice hushed and whispery, responding to my Thanks.

I still didn't know what to say, so I stayed silent. I could have made some sarcastic remark about her being dead if I hadn't saved her, but I wasn't that mean, no matter how much I hated her.

We finally landed, which broke a long awkward silence, and Rachel grabbed the pilot, and dragged him out the door and on to the street.

Percy was luckily, safe on the ground, and waiting beside us.

His deep eyes were swirly with different greens, and wide open. He stared at me with awe," I didn't know you could fly a helicopter."

" Neither did I," I said, trying to hide the slight smile from the look on his face. " My Dad's crazy in to aviation. Plus, Daudalus had some notes on flying machines. I just took my best guess on the controls."

" You saved my life," Rachel cut in.

I flexed my bad shoulder," Yeah, well . . . " I thought a moment trying to put this politely," let's not make a habit of it. What are you doing here, Dare? Don't you know better than to fly into a war zone?"

I asked her like she was some stupid animal. " I-" Rachel glanced at Percy; somehow surprised by the way I was acting. " I had to be here. I knew Percy was in trouble."

" Got that right," I grumbled," Well, if you'll excuse me, I have some injured friends I've got to tend to. Glad you could stop by Rachel."

I gave her a glare, and I stormed off, Percy calling my name behind me. I huffed, and crossed my arms, then wincing at the pain that shot up my wounded one.

" Stupid… Dare… boys… urgh," I muttered, and headed toward the tents with the wounded inside.

" Annabeth?" Asked a familiar voice," You . . . uh, you ok?"

" Go away Malcolm." I sat down outside the tent, and pulled my knees into my chest," I don't want to talk right now." But I did want to.

" Annabeth, I grew up around you, don't you think I know what that means?" He gave me a half smile, and plopped down next to me.

I just sighed," Ok, you win. I'm . . . I just don't like it that Rachel is here! Why does she always have to ruin everything? This is probably my last day with Percy- my last day to live! And she had to be here? Ugh, she makes a mess of everything! You know, maybe Percy would have talked to me about that stupid kiss anyway if she hadn't-" I stopped, realizing my mistake.

Malcolm looked at me weirdly," what kiss?"

" Um, never mind that-"

I was cut off by Thalia," Wait, what? You kissed Seaweed Brain?" I looked up, only to realize that Thalia had been listening the whole time.

" Is there anyone else here?" I looked around nervously. Luckily nobody answered, and Thalia plopped down on my left, the side Malcolm wasn't sitting on.

They just stared at me." Ok, ok, ok, fine. I kissed him! So?"

They just kept blank expressions until Thalia said," Details, please?"

I groaned. " It was supposed to be private!"

" Come on, please?" Malcolm said.

" Since when are you from the Aphrodite cabin?"

" Oh, just come on Annabeth!"

" Fine. It was in Mount. Saint Helens last year. He told me to get out of the volcano, because these monsters were after us, and so I kissed him, before I left. I didn't want him to die, ok? And then, you know it exploded, and Seaweed Brain went missing for two weeks. You know the rest."

" Wow, wow, wow," Thalia asked," What happened last year?"

" It's a long story," I felt myself blushing.

I looked up to avoid their eyes, but spotted Rachel on Chiron's back! What in the Hades? Chiron barely ever let anyone on his back. He had like just met Rachel, and already, he was favoring her.

I couldn't take this anymore; I needed to find Seaweed Brain. I completely forgot about Thalia and Malcolm, and marched off towards the front of the Empire State building.

I jumped, when an ear shattering ROOOOOAAAAR, echoed across the city. I started to sprint.

I had finally spotted Percy when Rachel, still on Chiron's back, approached him.

" Your friend has some useful insights, Percy," Chiron was saying.

Rachel turned pink," Just some things I saw in my head. Yeah, it's called imagination Chiron!

" A drakon," Chiron said, and everything momentarily froze. This couldn't be happening, how could we possibly beat a drakon? " A Lydian drakon, to be exact. The oldest and most dangerous kind."

Percy just stared at Rachel, which was starting to annoy me. A lot." How did you know that?"

" I'm not sure," Rachel admitted," But this drakon has a particular fate. It will be killed by a child of Ares."

Ok, some part of me was starting to believe this nonsense. It actually made sense. We had a spy, and Kronos knew we didn't have the Ares cabin. But, how would Rachel know that?" How can you possibly know that?" I asked her.

" I just saw it. I can't explain."

" Well, let's hope your wrong." Percy said," Because were a little short on children of Ares . . ."

Percy looked down a moment, and started cursing in ancient Greek," What?" I asked him

" The spy. Kronos said We know this Drakon they cannot beat. The spy has been keeping him updated. Kronos knows the Ares cabin isn't with us. He intentionally picked a monster we can't beat."

Thalia scowled. Wait, when had Thalia gotten over here. I silently prayed that she wouldn't say anything about the kiss to Percy." If I ever catch your spy, he's going to be very sorry. Maybe we could send another message to camp-"

" I've already done it," Chiron interrupted," Blackjack is on his way. But if Silena wasn't able to convince Clarisse, I doubt Blackjack will be able-"

Another roar shook the ground, and echoed about a dozen times before going silent.

" Rachel," Percy said, his voice sounding odd," get inside the building."

" I want to stay."

Everything got dark as a shadow covered the sun. Down the street, a drakon slid down a skyscraper, and all the windows shattered when it roared once again.

" On second thought," Rachel squeaked," I'll be inside."

I wished I could go inside.

AN: I know, not really a very good chapter, I'll try to make the next one better. And sorry for grammar mistakes, I'm not good at that.