Chapter Text
"Did you see the newspaper today Annie? OLYMPIANS STRIKE AGAIN. One would think after 10 years they'll be caught by now."
'Annie' turned to her friend who had her face buried in the newspaper.
"What did I tell you about calling me 'Annie' Piper?"
"Okay okay. I won't do it again! But seriously Annabeth, aren't you even a little interested in this?"
"What's there to be interested about?" The girl Annabeth answered. "It's always the same thing. Titans attack Olympians. Olympians attack Titans. They steal stuff and destroy each other."
"Okay. You have a point there. But I'm mostly interested about this writer. 'The anonymous writer'..."
Annabeth shook her head at her friends' antics. Piper normally wasn't this excited about anything. But she did know that the topic of the anonymous writer was a source of entertainment and mystery for most of the city. It seemed that the writer always knew where a crime regarding the two gangs was going to happen. Or was always at the right place at the right time.
"Can't believe this person just started to write only 3 years ago, but still knows even more than the police!" Piper wondered out loud, curling a small strand of hair around her finger.
Annabeth always thought Piper was one weird person. She always tried to play down her beauty. But she always drew eyes on the street with her choppy brown hair with small braids going down the sides, with a feather woven through, her kaleidoscopic eyes and smooth caramel skin. And it didn't help that her father was the famous Tristan Mc Lean who lived on the other side of the country. And Piper had definitely inherited the family genes.
"I heard you got a new job at the Aphrodite's."
"I know right! I sent my designs only last week and I already got the job as their newest fashion designer!"
Aphrodite's boutique was owned my former super model Aphrodite and they received orders from celebrities to politicians from all around the world. And according to Piper working there was her dream from a small age.
"I'm happy for you Piper." Annabeth said hugging her best friend.
"Me too. But you should think about yourself Annabeth! Why do you even work at that museum when you can get a better job?” Piper sighed, exasperated. "And how much do they pay you anyway?!"
Annabeth sighed. She never did it for the money. She loved working at the museum because she loved history and was fascinated by the architecture. And she liked her job because then people would know when she explained different artifacts that she was a very knowledgeable person and would get recognized for it. And she loved to see the faces of some people when they realized she did not belong to the 'dumb blonde' stereotype. It would then only that people realized that the fire behind her intense grey eyes were no joke.
Sure, I didn't pay much, but she came from an old wealthy family that had enough money to feed generations to come.
-^-***
She and Piper parted ways at the museum where Annabeth stopped and Piper went down another street to the boutique.
As usual Annabeth was the first one there except for Hestia the manager who lived in the house next to it.
"Early as always Annabeth! Good morning!"
Hestia was a slender woman in her 40s with soft brown eyes and a kind smile. Her long brown hair was pinned up in an elegant bun. She wore her usual outfit of a knee length skirt and a white blouse.
"Good morning to you too Hestia!" She greeted as she took off her jacket in the employees room.
The museum didn't open for another half an hour and Annabeth spent that time roaming around the empty museum with Hestia, making sure everything was in order.
Then the other employees would arrive and she'd wait at the entrance to one of the different sections of the museum (her favourite being mythology) until the doors opened and the crowds would greet her for her to lead through the precious artifacts.
-^-***
The day ended as usual and she was the last to leave along with Hestia.
Her house was only a few blocks away and was conveniently situated near to the middle of the city; giving her access to all the main streets and important places.
New Athens, named after the ancient city was only about 30 years old. So most of the families who were there in the beginning still live now. And it was rare to find new residents unless they were tourists.
To the people outside of the city, they saw no specialty. But, unknown to them two mafia gangs Titans and Olympians have been in a deadly fight for over two decades neither gaining the upper hand.
They not only affected the city. Unknown to the rest of the country they affected and worked with the bigger underground mafia that interlaced with gangs from all over the country. Their battle for domination was at first subtle, but it had grown to open thefts and gunfights in the last five years. Annabeth has been onto them for the last three.
Earlier that day she didn't answer Piper's question about the article on the newspaper.
After all in a city like New Athens, everyone has a secret.