Chapter Text
Hello. My name is Rapunzel.
Not really, but I do live full-time in a castle which I am trapped in. It’s also known as Westover Hall boarding school, but that name was especially boring. And it really looks like a castle. We live in Maine, not Medieval Europe!
So, my real name is Leo Valdez. Unfortunately. Though I do wish to have magical hair that glows when I sing. That would be amazing, actually.
Westover Hall, my prison, was a military school to beat all military schools. It was all-black, huge, and every wall was lined with every type of weapon imaginable. And tonight was the stupid school dance.
Everyone besides me was ecstatic. Meanwhile, I was wandering the halls nearby. The teachers all had a soft spot for me because they knew about my mom, so if I got caught they wouldn’t be too harsh. The sound of music vibrated through the walls. I was walking down a particularly dark corridor (wow, corridor makes it sound like Hogwarts. Trust me, it was not like Hogwarts.) when I heard my least favorite teacher’s voice.
Ms. Gottschalk sounded confused, “Annabeth. Thalia. Percy. What are you doing away from the gymnasium?”
I hid behind the nearest wall, and held my breath. Annabeth, Thalia, Percy… I’d never heard of them. I thought I knew everyone’s name. Maybe they were new.
Footsteps came from farther away. “You made it! You—” he paused, but I couldn’t see why. “Oh, Mrs. Gottschalk. Dr. Thorn! I, uh—”
I knew that voice. Grover Underwood, newer than most. He was kind of weird.
“What is it, Mr. Underwood?” Mr. Thorn (another one of my least favorite teachers) asked. “What do you mean, they made it? These students live here.”
“Yes, sir. Of course, Dr. Thorn. I just meant, I’m so glad they made… the punch for the dance! The punch is great. And they made it!” If I had lived a day in my life, that kid was lying. You could practically feel it. Curiosity got the better of me, and when they left, I followed behind them. These kids seemed off.
I could hear them whispering ahead, but I couldn’t make out their voices. They entered the gym, and their voices got carried away with all the others. I ran towards the door, waited a few moments, and followed.
They were a little away from the door. The Grover guy was talking. “I found three.”
The girl with black hair responded, but I could only make out the word here?
I hurried closer, but still slightly far away. I pretended to be taking some food from a counter. “Ten, eleven, and twelve. They’re all strong. Two are siblings. But we’re running out of time.”
Who? I wanted to ask. But then Grover looked up, saw me, and yelped. He whispered something to the others, and they all looked at me weird.
“Uhmm, what?” I asked nervously.
The taller boy—Percy? Pineapple?—stumbled towards me and touched my shoulder. “Hey, I know this is weird. But you have to come with us.”
I scrambled away. “Look, I’m all for following strangers, but why?”
He looked at the girl. She smiled, kinder than he had been. “Look, we’ll explain later. But it’s important you come with us. Something bad’s about to happen, and you aren’t safe here.”
I’m not safe anywhere, it seems. But hey, it’s not like I had any reason to stay in this stupid place. I nodded.
They all looked relieved. Then Grover said, “Look! There’s the others. We just have to get them, and then get out of here before—” he looked at us, alarmed. “Dr. Thorn, uhm, he took them! That’s the monster I was about to, uhm, tell you about.”
“Monster?” I asked. "Please tell me you’re joking.”
“We’re afraid not,” Percy (possibly Pineapple) told me.
Ugh, life sucks. I slightly doubted them and thought they were crazy, but considering what I’d seen before… maybe not.
They rushed away, and I rushed after them, alarmed. At some point, Percy Pineapple was holding a sword, and I knew I was crazy. We left out the back exit, scrambled through the halls, until we heard a hissing noise. Percy led the way into the room, and inside were… was that Bianca and Nico? I think their last names were, like, Angel? Something like that. They were kind of new. They never talked, either.
Percy stepped towards them. “It’s okay. I’m not going to hurt you.” He pointed his sword down.
Bianca looked at him, her eyes scared. Nico looked petrified.
“My name’s Percy,” he added. Not Pineapple. Got it. “I’m going to take you out of here, get you somewhere safe.”
Bianca’s eyes widened, her fists clenching. Suddenly, Percy tensed, whirled around, and I watched a huge hand come out of nowhere, grab him, and shove him into a wall.
“Yes, Perseus Jackson,” Dr. Thorn’s accented voice rang around the room. I looked behind me, and realized it was only me, Percy, and the siblings together. We must have lost everyone else on the way here. “I know who you are.”
He turned around, eyes catching on me. “And you, Valdez. Oh, I definitely know you.” I stumbled back against the wall. He laughed, and turned back to Percy, who was recovering from a daze. He held his shoulder in pain.
“Thank you for coming out of the gym. I hate middle school dances,” Dr. Thorn smiled, and Percy tried to swing his sword, but Dr. Thorn summoned something, and it landed right in between Percy and Bianca’s face.
“All four of you will come with me. Quietly. Obediently. If you make a single noise, if you call out for help or try to fight, I’ll show you just how accurately I can throw.”