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Chapter Text

Apollo was curled into a tight ball, tears falling down his face. His anguished cries could be heard all over the world. All of the gods and mortals would know that Apollo was in pain. They would know that he was losing someone important. They would also know that the god was angry. Angry at the fates, for taking his love away from him, but most importantly, he was mad at himself, for not saving him sooner. For not pushing him out of the way of that stupid disk.
"Hyacinthus!" Apollo's broken voice said, placing a hand on the boy's cheek. The wound on the side of his head made Apollo sick, and he couldn't bare to look at it. Instead, Apollo's gaze was on his face. His eyes were half closed, and his hand was holding Apollo's, but his grip was lose. Apollo knew he wouldn't last much longer.
"Hey." Came the quiet voice of Hyacinthus. "It's okay Apollo. Don't cry. I'll be fine." They both knew that was a lie. He was just trying to make the god calm down.
"Let me try to heal you." Apollo begged through a fresh wave of tears. Hyacinthus shook his head, his eyes sad.
"You know it won't work. Even for someone as good at healing as you. You know that too. Don't you?" Apollo's grip tightened on his loves hand. "What am I going to do without you?" He asked. "I... I love you Hyacinthus. I can't..." Hyacinthus held up a hand, and Apollo went quiet. Normally, people would get blasted for trying to silence him, but not Hyacinthus. Apollo would never hurt him.
"Apollo, we both know you'll get over me. You knew I would die eventually. I'm just glad... I'm glad I could have had this time with you. Please, don't kill him. He was jealous. That's all. Don't be so angry." Apollo placed a light kiss on his lips, his heart breaking all over again. "I would have asked you to stay with me." He whispered. "I would have asked you if you wanted to become a god. I truly do love you. Please, let me try." The Spartan prince just smiled sadly.
"It's to late for me Apollo. Just remember, I love you. You'll find someone that will stay with you. Trust me." With that, Apollo's lover closed his eyes, and was gone.
Apollo burst into a fresh wave of sobs. He held Hyacinthus tightly, not wanting to let him go. However, his body was fading. Apollo couldn't let this beautiful boy's memory be forgotten like this. He held out his hand, a golden glow surrounded him and Hyacinthus. It was a gentle glow, unlike the bright flashy light Apollo would normally show off with. Apollo said a few words in ancient greek, then placed one last kiss on his now dead lover's forehead, before laying him gently in the grass. The gold light wrapped around the body, and Apollo looked away from it. He was trying to fight back more tears, but it was no use. He'd just lost one of the most important people in his life. It would be a while before he went back to his normal self, if he even could.
"Goodbye my love." He said quietly. "Maybe one day, I'll see you again.” When Apollo looked back, all that was left were flowers in pink, white, and blue. At first, it was only one plant, but slowly, more began to grow, untill the whole field was full of the new flower. "HYACINTHS." Apollo whispered. "I'll never forget you my prince. I promise."
Then, he teleported into his palace. He was in no mood to see anyone at the moment. Maybe not for a few years. He just couldn't believe that his darling Hyacinthus was gone. How could Zephyr kill him? Just because Apollo had won his love? Why would someone be so angry? So cruel? Apollo fell into one of the many beds he had, even though he didn't need sleep. He usually only used one when he was upset. He knew that he'd need one right now to grieve.

A few hours later, Apollo felt the bed dip as someone sat beside him.
"What's wrong Apollo. The whole world can hear you crying." Apollo turned his head slightly, and he frowned at his sister.
”He's gone Artemis." He whispered. She frowned.
"Who's gone?" Apollo turned his head away as more tears came.
”Hyacinthus." He said.
"You mean that mortal prince you hung out with? Why are you crying this much about him?" Apollo clenched his jaw in anger. Of course she wouldn't understand. She thought he couldn't love or something. She probably thought he was just a short fling. His anger grew at the thought. Hyacinthus was so much more then a fling.
"I love him!" He said, putting his face in a pillow. Artemis sighed.
"Did you really?" She asked. Apollo growled.
"Of course I did!" He spat, sending her a glare. "He wasn't a fling! I... I would have offered him immortality if it meant I could still be with him. That's how serious I was about him! But now... he's gone, and I won't ever see him again!" His sister just sighed.
“I'm sure it was just a phase. You would have moved on soon."
Apollo sat up, his blue eyes turning a dark gold with rage. "What do you know?" He demanded, glaring viciously at his sister. "You've never loved anyone! You have no right telling me how I feel! I loved him! I still do! Now, he's gone, just because of a jealous wind god! You can't tell me that I was just going through a phase! I had to turn him into a flower for fuck's sake!" Apollo shook his head, falling back on to the bed. All of his anger was gone now. He felt drained and tired. "Just leave sister. I'm in no mood for talking any more. Especially to you!"
Turning his back on her, Apollo was immediately lost in his thoughts. The death of Hyacinthus replaying itself over and over in his head. He felt like he was going insane, stuck in his own head. He screamed, trying to get the seen to stop, but it just got worse.
Eventually,Apollo's screams died down, leaving the sun god quietly crying, the scene still playing. He had no more energy to scream. He just laid there, watching as his love died over and over again.

Most of the gods thought like Artemis. They all thought it was a phase. Something that Apollo would forget in a few months, maybe a year, but his closest friend and brother Hermes knew the truth. It wasn't just a phase. The old Apollo was gone. Replaced with a mere shell of himself. Broken, empty, nearly unrecognizable. Hermes's heart broke when he saw his favorite brother. He was very pale. His face was blank and emotionless, and his light blue eyes had a haunted look. In one hand, he held tightly to a painting of him and a young, beautiful man. They were both smiling, and Apollo had his arm around his waist. Hermes knew the gods were wrong. Based on the picture, Apollo really had loved him.
Hermes sat beside his brother on the bed, and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Apollo, look at me.”
Finally, Apollo met his gaze. "Do you think I'm going through a phase too?" His voice was quiet and emotionless, completely unlike the bright and happy sun god.
“No." Hermes said. "I know you loved him. I'm so sorry brother."
Apollo moved closer to Hermes, and he wrapped his arms around him. "I feel so empty brother." Apollo said, his head on Hermes's shoulder. “It's like I can't feel anything. No emotions except for sadness and anger. What do I do? Will I ever get over his death?" Hermes sighed, running a hand through Apollo's hair.
"I'm not sure Apollo. I've never really been in love before. I'm not sure how heartbreak feels."
Apollo looked up at him, his eyes weren't bright and happy like normal. The teasing glint in them had been replaced with deep sadness with a hint of anger.
"Think of the most important person to you right now." He said, voice getting quieter. Picture all the best moments you had with them. Then, imagine them dying right in front of you. Imagine you having to watch the life leave their eyes. Watch their life literally bleed from their body. Then, picture that memory replaying itself over and over again, not stopping at all. You scream and beg for it to stop, but you just keep seeing it. That's what it feels like. At least for me."
Hermes took a slow, deep breath, trying to calm himself. It sounded awful, especially if it was Apollo that he had to watch die. "I'm sorry Apollo. How can I help?" Apollo sighed.
"I doubt you can do anything Hermes. It will take a while, but I'll be fine." It sounded as though he was trying to convince himself that instead of Hermes. Hermes hugged his brother tighter.
“You will find love again brother. I promise you. Someone will help you. I don't know when, but it will happen. Don't give up hope." A small smile crossed Apollo's face. "If you say so. Now, can I sleep?" Hermes knew Apollo just wanted to be alone, so he smiled and left the room. What he had said to Apollo was mostly said to try to calm him, but deep down, Hermes knew it was true. One day, Apollo would smile again.

Chapter Text

I stood on a large balcony that looked out on to a beautiful city. I could see palaces, gardens, and lots of buildings that looked like temples. A large crowd of people stood in the streets. Some were holding instruments, while others were singing, and they were all dancing. Clearly, they appeared to be having a party. I was tempted to join them, even though I'm not a party person.
I turned my head slightly, and I saw someone beside me. He looked about seventeen or eighteen, and he was very good looking. He was tall and muscular, with sandy blond hair, perfectly tanned skin, and clear blue eyes. As I looked at him, I saw his blue eyes turn gold, then back to blue. He was wearing a dark blue chiton, which I think is what people wore in ancient greece. I was curious as to why this guy wasn't at the party. He seemed like someone who would fit perfectly in the crowds of people. He was leaning against the rail, looking down at the people, with a sad expression on his face. Something told me that this guy never looked sad. So, what had happened to him?
Before I could try to ask him, a door behind me slid open, and I turned to see a young girl with a silver dress on. Her hair was braided into a crown. She was pretty, especially her eyes, which were silver like moonlight. I've never seen eyes like hers before. Beside her was a large silver deer, and a black-brown wolf.
"Apollo, what are you doing out here? People are waiting for you down there." The guy, who must be Apollo, didn't look at the girl. His eyes remained fixed on the crowd of people. "Apollo!" She slapped him hard across the face. I thought he would turn and snap at her, but he barely moved.

"Go away Artemis." He said. His voice was quiet and melodic.
The girl sighed. "You can't possibly still be mourning his death Apollo! It's been ten years! He was just a mortal!" I could tell she'd hit a nerve. He turned to face her, his blue eyes gold now, and they were filled with anger. The air seemed to get hotter, and a golden light surrounded him. He looked terrifying.
"Don't speak of him! You know I loved him! You know it wasn't just a phase like you said it was. You wouldn't understand. You refuse to love anyone! That doesn't give you an excuse to not support your own brother when he's grieving for someone he cared about!"
Artemis rolled her eyes. "Really Apollo? You're so dramatic! Fine then, miss your own birthday party. See if I care!"
"It's yours as well sister. You'll be fine with all the extra attention!" Apollo spat, turning back around.
I moved a little closer to Apollo, even though the heat got worse. I wanted to comfort him somehow, but even I wasn't stupid enough to touch him. I didn't really want to burn alive.
"Yes, well, unlike you brother, I'm not an attention seeking brat."
"Whatever. Can you go now, I'd like to be alone. It's the anniversary of his death today. I'm in no party mood." With one last sigh, the girl turned and walked back inside.
Eventually, the heat died down, and Apollo's eyes went back to their normal blue color. He let out a quiet sigh, and walked over to a door I  hadn’t seen before. It was glass like the other one, but I couldn't see through it.
Apollo looked around, then slid open the door, and walked through. I quickly followed before he could close it. I was surprised to see I was in a small garden full of flowers. Their colors ranged in shades of white, pink, and blue, and their scent filled the air. I was surprised that Apollo had this garden. I didn't really see him as a flower person. Oh well, I'm not judging.
As I watched, Apollo knelt beside one of the flower beds, and gently placed a hand on the flowers. "I'm so sorry Hyacinthus." He said quietly, his eyes full of tears. "I hope you're resting in peace my love. I still have the original Hyacinths I made when you died. I'll never let anything happen to them. I'll take care of them for you. You know, they fit your personality. I don't know how, but they just do. You're both beautiful and sweet. Gods, I miss you!"
I watched Apollo wipe a few of the tears away, and he smiled sadly. "I listened to you. He's still alive. I still hate him though. That will never change. I miss you. I know I keep saying it, but it's true."
I felt uncomfortable now. It was like I was watching something private. I knew whoever this guy was, he'd kill me for watching this. I was wondering why he didn't see me. Maybe he was to upset to notice me here.
A while later, Apollo tilted his head slightly, as though he were listening to something. Then, he jumped up, his eyes wide and full of rage. He held his hand out, and a golden bow appeared along with a quiver of arrows. He moved closer to the door, and raised the bow. I held my breath, waiting to see what happens next.
The door slowly opened, and before I could blink, Apollo had released the arrow. It shot through the air, a streak of fire and light, and I immediately felt bad for whoever was unlucky enough to get hit with it. Then, I felt a blast of air, and Apollo let out a stream of creative curse words. "Hermes!" He said.
The air shimmered, and a man appeared in front of Apollo, the arrow in his hand. He was small and athletic looking, with dark brown hair, light green eyes, and elven features. He wore a a simple outfit that consisted of black pants, a dark blue shirt, and a black traveling cloak. He also wore black sandals, which looked as though they had wings.
"What are you doing here?" Apollo demanded, his bow loaded again. The guy held up his hands, eyes wide. "I'm so sorry Apollo! I was trying to find you. I could sense you in here, and I didn't know this place was private! I'm sorry."
Apollo sighed, and sat down on a stone bench, patting the spot beside him. As soon as Hermes sat, Apollo immediately wrapped his arms around him, and buried his face in his shoulder.
"Oh Apollo." Hermes said, wrapping an arm around him, and pulled him closer. "I hate seeing you like this brother." Apollo didn't answer. His body was shaking, and I could hear quiet sobs that were muffled by Hermes's shirt.
I couldn't take seeing this guy so sad. For some reason, I had started to like him, and I felt bad for him. Why did people keep bothering him when all he wanted to do was mourn his lover's death? It appeared that Hermes was the only one that was really worried about him. I walked over to Apollo, and placed a hand on his shoulder. I wasn't the best at giving comfort, but I decided to try my best.
Before I could speak, Apollo raised his head from Hermes's shoulder, and stared right at me. The first thing that came to my head was, "His eyes have gold in them." Which was stupid, because I already knew that, but it was still interesting to look at. At first glance, Apollo's eyes were a clear blue, which reminded me of an open sky. But when I look closer, I could see soft shades of gold in them as well. They were even more beautiful than Artemis’.
The next thought that came into my head was, "I'm so dead!" Apollo had stopped crying when he saw me, and his expression was replaced by anger. He stood, and the light around him got brighter, until I was almost blinded.
"Percy Jackson!" He said, his voice was quiet, which was worse then him yelling at me. "Why are you here?"
My mouth opened and closed, but no words came out. I mean, what was I supposed to say? I didn't even know the answer to that.
"Well?" The light around him got brighter, and I closed my eyes.

"I... I don't know." I said. A few seconds later, I couldn't feel the heat anymore.

"Open your eyes." He said, and I did. Apollo was sitting on the bench again, his arms crossed. His bow was resting in his lap.
"You're in a dream." He said. "However, this event did in fact happen. I'm not sure how, but you're seeing one of my memories. When you wake up, don't mention this to anyone or else I'll..."
"Apollo." I silently thanked Hermes for turning Apollo's attention away from me. "What?" He snapped, glaring at him. Hermes leaned in and whispered something to Apollo, who immediately nodded and turned back to me.
"I'm sorry Percy. I didn't know." He said.

"Umm, know what?" I asked. Apollo smiled slightly.

"You'll find out soon. Don't worry. Oh yeah, and be careful tomorrow."

"Wait, what? What do you mean be careful?" Instead of answering, Apollo waved his hand, and every thing began to fade.

"We'll meet again Percy Jackson. And I was serious about not telling anyone about this!"

"Percy? Percy, wake up!" I sat up, my eyes wide as I looked around. I was in my dorm room back at Yancy Academy. I let out a sigh before turning toward my best friend, Grover Underwood.
"Hey man. What's up?" I asked. Grover was sitting on his bed, his backpack in his lap.

"Well, if you don't hurry, we're going to be late." He said. I frowned.

"Late to what?" I asked. Grover sighed before tossing me some clothes.

"Really Percy? You forgot about the field trip?" My eyes widened and I immediately stood up and ran toward the bathroom.

"Of course I didn't forget." I said. Grover sighed and shook his head.

"Whatever you say Perce." I playfully shoved his shoulder before closing the bathroom door. How could I forget the stupid trip? I thought, quickly jumping into the shower. It's probably because of the dream. Oh god, that was a strange dream.
As I got ready, I thought about the dream. Who was that guy? Why was he so sad? Why did it look as though he knew I was there? How did he know my name?
It's just a dream Percy. I told myself. I probably had that dream because of yesterday's lesson on greek mythology. I mean, the people in my dream had the greek god's names. "Snap out of it Percy!" I said out loud.

"What?" Grover called out.

"Nothing!" I said.
An hour later, Grover and I were sitting in the front of the bus, being pelted by pieces of sandwich thanks to Nancy Bobofit. Well, Grover was getting hit. I was thinking about the best way to get away with punching her.
"It's okay Percy." Grover said in an attempt to calm me down. "I like peanut butter."

"Yeah, but I bet you don't when it's stuck in your hair." I said, throwing back one of the pieces. Nancy let out a scream, and my math teacher, Mrs. Dodds sent me a glare.

"Percy!" Grover hissed. "You're already on probation! You can't get in trouble!"

"Oops, I forgot." I said, which made grover sigh.
I turned my attention out the window, my mind once again on that guy's face in my dream. It's not normal for someone to look like that! Maybe that's just what I thought the greek gods looked like. But, why was I even dreaming about them in the first place? Curse Mr. Brunner's lesson.
"Percy? Are you okay?" I looked over at Grover.

"Yeah, why?" Grover shrugged.

"You look like you're lost in thought. What's up?" I thought about what to say to him. I mean, this dream was very confusing, and I needed to tell someone. Telling him won't hurt. Then I remembered what dream Apollo had said to me. But, he can't do anything to me right? I mean, gods aren't real. There just myths. Still, I had a feeling that I shouldn't say anything, and for some reason, I listened.
"It's nothing. I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" He asked with a frown.

"Yeah, I guess I'm just thinking about how boring this trip will be." I said, not looking at him. Grover frowned.

"If you're sure." He said, but I could tell he didn't believe me. I really wanted to tell him, but I also didn't want to risk getting killed by an angry dream Apollo.
From what I remember, Apollo is like the most dangerous of the gods. Even more so then Zeus. Sure Zeus has the lightning and stuff, but Apollo is the literal god of the sun. He could destroy the world just by simply not driving his chariot. Not to mention the many diseases he could create. So you see, Apollo is very scary. So, even if it was just a dream, I didn't want him to destroy my mind. I swear, I was thinking to much about this stupid dream. I decided to just focus on the stupid field trip, and try not to get expelled from like my sixth school in a row. That was going to be easier said then done.
Mr. Brunner led the way into the museum a few minutes later, and I quickly forgot about Nancy. I stared at all of the different types of artifacts, and I was surprised that they lasted for thousands of years. My favorite part however, was the Greek and Roman section. There were weapons like swords, bows, daggers, and shields in cases, and I wondered what it would be like to hold one. I turned my attention from the weapons and tried to listen to what Mr. Brunner was saying. He was talking about some sort of monument for this girl. It sounded kind of interesting, but people kept talking. Finally, Nancy made this comment about a naked guy, and I couldn't help it.
"Will you shut up?" I hissed. Many of the students laughed, and Mrs. Dodds glared at me. Grover shook his head from beside me, but I didn't care that I was on probation. I was actually paying attention for once, and stupid Nancy was ruining it!
"Mr. Jackson, do you have something to add?" Mr. Brunner asked.

"No sir." I said, looking down.

"I see, and Mr. Jackson, can you tell me who these statues depict?"
I looked at the statues, and was relieved that I knew what it was.

"Those are the greek gods sir." I said.

"That is correct Percy. Those are the twelve olympians. They are the major gods."

"But sir, why isn't Hades there? I mean, he's important too. He runs the underworld, so he should be a part of the major gods." I said. A loud crack of thunder shook the building, and Mr. Brunner looked worried.

"Yes well, Hades doesn't go to Olympus that often. He's very busy with running the underworld. He only goes two times a year. The winter and summer solstice." I nodded.

"I guess that makes sense." I said.
"Mr. Brunner, which god is that?" Nancy asked, pointing to a very familiar god. In this picture, he looked happier. His blue and gold eyes had a playful glint in them, and he had a blinding smile.
"Percy? Do you know?" I forced myself to look away from the statue, and nodded to Mr. Brunner.

"That's Apollo." I said. Mr. Brunner looked surprised.

"Good job Percy. I'm glad you studied." I didn't bother telling him that I saw him in my dreams.
Mr. Brunner began talking about how Kronos ate his children, and how the gods killed him and sent him to Tartarus.
"And on that happy note, let's have lunch. Mrs. Dodds, can you take them out side?" Everyone began to make their way back outside, the girls holding their stomachs, and the guys pushing each other around and acting like idiots. I was about to follow when Mr. Brunner called out to me. "Percy, can you stay behind for a moment?" I turned back, Grover right behind me. "Mr. underwood, you can go ahead. Percy will follow shortly."

"Yes sir." Grover said, then walked outside.
My eyes were immediately drawn back to the statue of Apollo. Who had died? According to the myths, Apollo had a lot of lovers. Which one was the one that really made him look all sad? Based off the flowers in the garden, it was probably Hyacinthus. They must have been close if the once happy sun god was so different.
"Mr. Jackson, did you hear me?" I quickly looked away from Apollo, and focused once again on my teacher.

"I... I heard part of what you said." I said sheepishly. Mr. Brunner sighed and gave me a stern look.
"Percy, what you learn from me might come in use to you in the future. I expect you to remember what I teach you." I frowned.

"What do you mean I'd need this information in the future? I mean, it's not like I'm going to teach or anything." Mr. Brunner sighed and turned his chair.

"It will be clearer soon." He said. "Now, let's go eat. You must be hungry." I followed him out, but I was still confused. Why would I need to know this stuff?

I asked Grover this question too, and he just watched me for a minute. "He's right Percy. It's important to know these things. You know, in case something happens."

"What do you mean, in case something happens?" I demanded, sending him a glare. Grover sighed.

"I don't know, but you should still try harder in that class." I began to get angry.

"I do try in his class! But he expects so much from me. He expects me to be better then everyone, and I can't do it!"
Grover watched me for a few minutes, and just as I thought he was going to give me some great advice, he said, "Can I have your apple?" I wasn't all that hungry, so I let him have it.
I leaned back against the fountain, just watching everyone. Some kids were pelting the pigeons with crackers, while Nancy and her friends tried to pickpocket some poor tourists, and of course Mrs. Dodds saw nothing. Mr. Brunner sat in his wheelchair, reading a book. He had an umbrella on the back of the chair, so it looked like one of those cafes from the city in my dream.
While grover and I talked about random things, Nancy appeared in front of us, her ugly friends behind her. She must have gotten tired of stealing from the tourists. That, or she got caught. She wasn't exactly that good at it.
"Oops." She said, as she dumped her half eaten lunch in Grover's lap. I blame Mr. Brunner for what happened next. I was angry. No, not just angry. I was furious. For this whole year, Nancy has been bothering me and Grover, and we didn't even do anything to cause it. Well, Grover didn't. I couldn't help the fights I got in with her and her friends. This, paired with my stress of doing better in Mr. Brunner's class, made my ears ring. It sounded like a wave. I wasn't thinking. I don't even remember touching her, but the next thing I knew, Nancy was sitting in the fountain screaming, "Percy pushed me!"
Then, to make things even worse, Mrs. Dodds was the one that came over. After promising Nancy that she'd buy her another shirt, she turned her glare towards me.
"Now, honey." She said, pointing towards the building. "Come with me." I looked over at Grover, who was biting his lip. He looked scared.

"Calm down man. I'll be back. The worst she can do is give me detention right?" He didn't answer. His eyes went from me to Mr. Brunner, as if he were trying to get his attention, but he was to busy reading.
"Now, honey!" Came the exasperated voice of Mrs. Dodds from the top of the steps. How did she get up there so fast? I wondered as I followed her up. I took one last look at Grover who mouthed "Please don't die.. Then, I followed her into the building.
We finally stopped back in the Greek and Roman section, and she glared at all of the statues while making a strange noise in her throat, it sounded like growling. Even without the sound, I was scared. I mean, this was Mrs. Dodds, the lady who's hated me since she came to the school.
"Did you really think you could hide it from us?" She demanded, turning to face me. I stared back at her, a bit confused.

"Umm, what are you talking about?" I asked. Her glare got even worse, and I tried not to flinch.

"Don't lie to me Perseus Jackson:" She hissed, then she changed.
I stared in horror at the demon lady in front of me. She looked like she was going to kill me. That thought was confirmed when she hissed, "Die, honey" before flying right at me. I was able to duck out of the way of her talons, which slashed at the air where my face was. I looked around the room, trying to come up with a plan. My eyes landed on one of the display cases that held a gold sword. Well, Im already going to get expelled. Why not speed up the process. I thought. Besides, it wasn't like I was getting any help. So, taking a deep breath, I ran towards the case, the demon grandmother right behind me.
I took a deep breath, preparing myself to smash the case, but I didn't have to. The little door opened, and I grabbed the sword. From behind me, I heard Mrs. Dodds give out an angry shriek. I was running out of time.
Well, here goes nothing. I thought before swinging the sword. She tried to move out of the way, but the blade cut through her like she was made out of water. She let out one last echoing shriek before exploding into dust.
I collapsed to the floor, gasping for breath. It wasn't that I was tired. More like I was freaking out because of what just happened. What the heck was that? Also, how was I able to use the sword? Speaking of the sword, where was it? I sat up and looked around, but I couldn't see it. I slowly turned towards the case, and saw the sword resting inside like nothing had happened.
I stood when I heard the sound of someone coming. Mr. Brunner made his way into the room, his eyes wide. "Percy? What are you doing here?" He asked. I shook my head, not sure what to tell him. Surely he'd think I was crazy. Who knows. Maybe I am. Perhaps this was all in my imagination.

Then I decided to ask, "Mr. Brunner, where's Mrs. Dodds?" He looked blankly at me, then he said,

"I'm not sure what you're talking about Mr. Jackson. There hasn't been a Mrs. Dodds at our school, at least, not while I've taught there. Now, come on. We have to go. Next time, don't sneak away from the group." I just nodded and followed him, but I knew that I wasn't making up a Mrs. Dodds. I decided to ask Grover about it when we get on the bus. Something really weird was going on.

Chapter Text

For the next few weeks, I was really questioning my sanity. The main reason being the whole school seemed to be playing some sort of joke on me. Every time I would mention Mrs. Dodds to anyone, they would just stare at me blankly. No one seemed to know who she was. They were all convinced that Mrs. Kerr, a blond woman who I'd never seen in my life, until she got on the bus back to Yancy, had been our math teacher since Christmas.
This happened for so long, that I almost started to believe them. I almost started to believe that Mrs. Dodds had just been part of my imagination. That, or my lunch really had been drugged that day. However, the only person that wasn't able to convince me was Grover. Whenever I would mention Mrs. Dodds, he'd hesitate, then claim she didn’t exist. So, you see why I'm stressed out?
Oh yeah, and just to add to my stress, Mr. Brunner had begun teaching harder stuff. I already can't keep up with what he had been teaching before, and now he just made it worse with the latin verb conjugations. No matter how much I tried to study, I couldn't pay attention for more than a few minutes before my ADHD and dyslexia act up.
As a result of my stress and insanity, I began to slip. My grades went from Ds to Fs, I got into more fights with Nancy and her friends, and I got sent out of class almost all the time. Finally, when my english teacher had asked me once again why I was to lazy to study for spelling tests, I snapped, and called him an old sot. I have no idea what it means, but it sounded insulting enough. By the end of the week, a letter had been sent to my mom. I was not returning to Yancy next year. That was fine by me. I'd rather be home and going to a public school then be stuck here. Even if I had to deal with Gabe and his stupid poker parties.
Exam week was coming up, and Latin was the only one I bothered studying for. For some reason, I started to listen when Mr. Brunner said that I'd need this information in the future. I still was unsure as to how I'd need it, but better safe then sorry. That's what I was doing when another storm hit. For some reason, the weather has been acting up for the past few months. Lightning storms and hurricanes happened regularly. In social studies, we actually talked about the number of planes that fell into the ocean this year.
Anyway, this leads me to my second reason as to why I'm losing my mind.
Basically, when the storms get really bad, I swear I see two people fighting. I can't tell what they look like, but I can see their figures, and they're huge. From what I can tell, one of them has what looks like a trident in his hand, while the other is empty handed, but he's still fighting. I didn't bother telling people about this, because then they'd really think I'm crazy, and I'm not in the mood to get put in a mental hospital.
So anyway, I was trying to study while a storm was going on, when I got so frustrated, that I threw my book across the room. I felt better when I heard it hit the floor. It was getting impossible to read it. The words kept turning in my head, and I couldn't take it any more. Part of me actually felt bad that I was about to fail my Latin exam. I mean, Mr. Brunner had believed a lot in me, and now I was about to fail. Well, I tried to tell him.
Making my mind up, I stood and picked up the book. I might as well try asking him for help. I've never asked for help before, but I suppose there's a first time for every thing.
I made my way down the dark and quiet halls. All of the offices were dark, except for Mr. Brunner's. I could see a light on, and the door was open a little. As I walked over to it, I could hear voices inside. Mr. Brunner seemed to ask something, then a voice that was clearly Grover's said, "Just worried about Percy sir." I stopped beside the door, trying to listen to what they were talking about. And before you say that listening in to conversations is rude, you try to not listen when a teacher and your best friend are talking about you behind your back. It's hard.
"I mean, there was a kindly one in the school. Now that we know for sure, and they know too..."
"We would only make matters worse by rushing him." Mr. Brunner said. "We need the boy to mature more." I frowned. Well that was offensive. I thought. I mean, I know I'm not the most grown up person, but I'm only twelve!

"You know, twelve year olds were pretty much adults many years ago." I jumped, nearly dropping the book.
"Umm, what?" I whispered, totally not freaked out by the random voice in my head.

"Oh calm down Percy. I didn't scare you that much. At least, not as much as your math teacher did."

"So she is real." I thought. The voice laughed.

"Of course she was. Percy, you couldn't have thought her up that well."

"So then why is everyone acting like she's not real?" I wondered. The voice sighed.

"That, I can not tell you. At least, not yet. You'll find that out soon."
"But I need to know! I don't like thinking I'm crazy!"
"Relax Percy. You're not crazy. At least, not more then normal."
"Umm, thanks." I thought sarcastically.

"Hush, you're going to miss what they're saying!" I took another step forward, and pressed my ear against the door.

"But he may not have time! The summer solstice deadline..."

"Will have to be resolved with out him, Grover. Let him enjoy his ignorance while he still can."
I heard a sharp intake of breath from the voice. "So that's what they're fighting about. And they think you had something to do with it? They really are stupid."
"Yeah, umm, can you tell me what you're talking about?" I whispered.
"If I tell you, you won't believe me. It's kind of complicated."
"Dude, really? I have to know if it involves me!"
"Yes, and I promise I'll tell you, but when the time is right. Percy, you need to trust me."
"Yeah, no. I don't even know who you are. How do you expect me to trust you?"
Another sigh.

"Look, I don't even know how I can talk to you right now. I just fell asleep, and now I'm here in your head."
"So, you're somehow reading my thoughts too?"
"Not really. Look, I don't know how this works. I'll try to figure it out. I don't like being here just as much as you don't like me being here. Either way, I'm gonna help you get through this."
"Is it that bad?" I asked. "Well, it could start a war if it's not fixed soon..."
"Got it, it's bad."
"Pretty much. Now, keep listening!"
"Sir, he saw her!"
"His imagination." Mr. Brunner insisted. "The mist over the students and staff will be enough to convince him of that."

"As if that ever works." The voice said.

"What are they talking about? What's the mist?"
"Go to your room Percy. I'll tell you as much as I can."
"But my exam..."
"I'll help you with that too. Just hurry before they see you!"

Closing the dorm room door, I fell on to my bed. "So, what can you tell me?" I asked. The voice sighed. "Well, let's start with the mist. I guess you could say it's like a veil. It hides things from people."
"What kinds of things?" I asked.

"Well, think about it Percy. Clearly you can tell that there are some strange things going on. I mean, think about your math teacher."
"Right, not to mention the voice in my head." I said. "Oh I'm not that bad."
"Whatever you say. Anyway, what exactly was she? What kinds of things is the mist hiding?"
"Use your brain Percy. Think about your conversation with your latin teacher."
I thought about it for a few minutes. Which conversation was the voice referring to? I had a few talks with Mr. Brunner about my grades and stuff, but I'm sure that's not what he means. Then, it came to me.

"Greek myths?" I asked. The voice was quiet for a few seconds.

"Yes Percy. The Greek myths. They're real. All of them."
I didn't know what to say. I mean, I just found out that Greek myths were real, and that I more than likely already faced one in the form of my demon math teacher.

"Percy? Are you okay?"
"I... I don't know what to say." I said.

"Yes, I understand. I didn't want to tell you myself. It might have been better for you to have found out later."
"No, I'm fine. I just don't know how to take it. Why exactly were Mr. Brunner and Grover talking about me? What do I have to do with the Greek myths?"
"See, that, I don't know how to explain."
"Can't you at least try?" I asked, now curious. "Don't tell me I'm like, the younger version of one of the old greek heros. Because I sure don't feel like one." The voice laughed. "Well, you're not one of the heros. But who knows. Maybe you'll become one in the future."
"I really doubt it. Like I said, I don't have hero material."
"No one does at first. You will eventually. Don't worry about it."
"That's great I guess. So, what was this about the summer solstice deadline?"

"Honestly Percy, I don't know a lot of details. All I know is that my father and another one of the Olympians are fighting over something. I think someone stole something, but like I said, I don't know a lot of the details. Father refuses to talk about it."
"Well, that's bad, but what do I have to do with it?"
Instead of answering, the voice began to talk really fast. "Percy? Percy, I am so sorry. I really wasn't supposed to tell you. You weren't supposed to find out yet. Not at the school at least!"
The voice sounded panicked, and I wasn't sure why. "What are you talking about?" I asked, confused. Why wasn't I supposed to find out here? Most importantly, why did he sound so scared?
"Listen to me very carefully Percy." The voice sounded very serious, and I knew I had to listen to him. "You have to go to Mr. Brunner's office immediately! Tell him that you know every thing. I'll take care of the rest."
"Wait, what do you mean you'll take care of the rest?" I asked. "I'll see you soon Percy. I have to help you out of the mess I accidentally put you in."
"Wait, what the heck are you talking about?" I demanded, starting to get frustrated. However, I didn't receive an answer. So with a sigh, I walked out of the room, and made my way back to Mr. Brunner's office.
On the way there, I thought about what the voice had said. The Greek myths were really real? I decided not to question it. I already had some proof. Mrs Dodds must have been one of those myths. Maybe the voice was too. I'd just have to ask Mr. Brunner.
When I reached the office, I didn't bother knocking. I pushed the door open and walked in, interrupting the conversation between him and Grover. They both looked up at me in surprise.
"Percy? What's going on?" Mr. Brunner asked in concern. Before I answered, I closed the door. I was sure no one else was supposed to hear this conversation. Then, I turned back to face them.
"I know every thing." I said. If it wasn't for how serious the topic was, I would have laughed at their faces. Grover's mouth was hanging open, and Mr. Brunner's eyes were wide in surprise.

"Umm, what do you know Percy?" Grover asked. Mr. Brunner shot him a sharp look.

"You mean for the latin exam right?" He asked. I shook my head.

"When were you going to tell me that the Greek myths were real?" I once again tried not to laugh at their expressions.
"How did you..." Grover wasn't even able to finish his sentence.

"How did you find out?" Mr. Brunner asked, his brown eyes staring intensely at me.

"Well, that's a long story.." I started to say. Then I felt a wave of heat from beside me, followed by a very bright light.
I slowly turned, and my mouth fell open. The dream hadn't captured him very well. His hair was longer and softer looking. His eyes were brighter, and the gold was clearer in them. His mouth was set in a small, playful smile. His Chiton was replaced with designer jeans and a dark blue shirt. He looked.. nice?
"Hello Percy! It's good to finally meet you in person." He said, his eyes lighting up when he saw me.
"Lord Apollo." Grover said, going into a bow.

"Apollo? What are you doing here? Did you tell Percy?" Mr. Brunner asked with a frown. Apollo's smile vanished and he sighed.

"I really didn't intend on telling him. At least, not every thing. He was going to ask you for help on his latin exam, and he heard you two talking about seeing the Furies in the school."

"And the summer solstice deadline." I said.

"Yes, that too. So then, I somehow got into his head? I really don't know how that happened. Anyway, he started asking me what you were talking about. I told him to go back to his room, and that I would tell him about what the mist was. Somehow, that turned into talking about the Greek Myths, and how they were real. I'm really sorry Chi.. I mean, Mr. Brunner."

Mr. Brunner let out an exasperated sigh. "He doesn't know anything else right?" He asked.

"Wait, there's more?" I asked.

"Not right now Percy. I'll tell you another time." He said.

I turned to Apollo. "You'll tell me right?" Apollo opened his mouth, but immediately closed it at a glare from Mr. Brunner.

"Apollo, I'll tell him. Just not right now. Let him finnish the rest of the year first." Apollo sighed.

"But what about them?" He asked. "They'll be able to find him a little easier now, but not as much as if he were to know what he is." I glared at both of them.

"What do you mean, what I am? Tell me!" Apollo sighed.

"Once again, I'm really sorry." He said. Mr. Brunner nodded.

"It's alright Apollo. You didn't mean to. Now Percy, you should get some rest. You have testing tomorrow." I groaned.

"Thanks for reminding me." I said.

"I'll take you." Apollo said. "Just in case."

“Sure." I said, and walked out of the office.
I kept shooting glances at Apollo as we walked. I mean, this is the first Greek god I've met. I couldn't help it. He didn't seem to notice. He was to busy asking me about myself. I wasn't sure why someone like Apollo would want to know about me, but I wasn't complaining. Finally, we reached the door to my room.
"Percy, before I go, I want to give you something." Apollo said, reaching into his pocket.

"Umm, why?" I asked. Apollo placed something in my hand.

"In case you need any type of help. I'll try to help when, and if I can. I owe you that much for putting you into this early."
I looked down at the object, and saw a small golden coin. On one side was an image of a bow, and on the other was a sun.

"How do I use this?" I asked. Apollo smiled.

"Press on the sun if you want to just talk. If you need immediate help, press on the bow. And remember, I might not always be able to answer." I couldn't help but smile.

"Thank you lord Apollo." I said.

"Don't mention it Percy. We'll see each other soon. Also, good luck on your Latin exam." With one last smile, he vanished in a flash of light.

The next day, I felt awful. I hadn't been able to get any sleep last night. I was busy thinking about every thing that I learned. First, Greek myths were real, and two of them might start a war. Second, I hadn't been making up Mrs. Dodds. Finally, I had actually met one of the Greek gods, and he had given me a gift to communicate with him. I didn't know what to think any more.
During my three hour Latin exam, I couldn't focus. The words were swimming on the page, and nothing was making sense. I'm not sure how I forced myself to finish, but I somehow did. Now, I was back in my dorm with Grover, and we were packing to go home for the summer.

"So, now that I know every thing about the Greek myths and stuff, what do we do?" I asked. Grover sighed.

"I'm not really sure Percy. I'll have to talk to Mr. Brunner about it. I'm going to be taking you home, in case something happens."

"You mean like another Mrs. Dodds?" He nodded.

"Yeah, or something worse."

"What's worse than that demon lady?"

"A lot of things are worse than her."

"Okay, I believe you." I said.

Okay, so our bus broke down in the middle of nowhere. Now, Grover and I are stuck outside with a bunch of other people while the driver tries to fix it.
I stared across the street to where I saw a fruit stand with boxes of fresh fruit. I saw three old ladies sitting on a bench. they appeared to be knitting the biggest pair of socks in the world. At least, they looked like socks from here.
I turned to mention this to Grover, but his face was drained of color. "Grover, what's wrong?" I asked.

"Percy, we have to go, now!"

"Grover, what do you mean?" I asked. "Are these old ladies worse then Mrs. Dodds?" He nodded.

"Let's just get back on the bus."
"But it's like a thousand degrees in there." I complained, but Grover was already climbing back on to the bus. As I followed him, I turned back to look at the old ladies, and saw the one in the middle take out a giant pair of scissors, and cut the yarn. I swear I could hear the snip from here.
I quickly got on the bus, and sat down. Grover turned to face me, his face even paler.

"Tell me exactly what you saw Percy." He said. I frowned.

"Well, I saw two of them knitting. Then before I got on the bus, I saw the third one cutting the yarn. Why? What's going on?"

He didn't answer. Instead, he was staring out the window muttering, "Why does it always happen in sixth grade? They never make it past sixth." I know that I knew that he was talking about Greek myths, but it didn't scare me less. He was acting like I was going to die or something.
"Percy, promise that you’ll let me walk you home." He said, turning back to face me.
"Why?" I asked.

"Percy, just promise me." He said, sounding a little desperate. I nodded.

"Okay, I promise." I said.

"But can you tell me who those ladies were? Does the yarn getting cut mean someone's going to die?" Instead of answering, Grover just looked at me like he was already picking what flowers would look best on my coffin.

Chapter Text

Confession time. I ditched Grover as soon as we got to the bus terminal. I know, I know. It was rude, but he was freaking me out okay? After the bus got fixed, Grover spent the rest of the ride staring at me like I was already dead while saying, "Not again. This can't happen again. Why does this always happen in sixth grade?" So you see, I basically had to leave him.
Grover has this problem where when he's stressed, his bladder acts up. So it was no surprise when as soon as the bus pulled into the station, Grover had made me promise to wait for him, before running to the bathrooms. Instead of waiting, I had grabbed my bags, and cought the first cab into the city. After giving the driver my address, I leaned back against the seat.
I'm going home. I thought with a smile.
A word before you meet my mom. Her name is Sally Jackson, and she is literally the best person in the world, just proving my theory that the best people always have the worst luck. You see, her parents were killed in a plane crash when she was only five, and she was raised by an uncle who didn't care much about her. She wanted to be a novelist, so she spent high school working to save enough money for a college with a good creative writing program. Then her uncle got cancer, and she had to quit school her senior year to take care of him. After he died, she was left with no money, no family, and no diploma. The only good break she got was meeting my dad. I don't have any memories of him, just this sort of warm glow, almost like a small trace of his smile. Mom doesn't really like to talk about him, it still makes her sad. They weren't married. According to her, he was rich and important, and their relationship was a secret. Then one day, he went on an important trip, and never came back.
"Lost at sea." My mom told me. "Not dead. Just lost at sea."
She never complained or got mad, and I know I'm not an easy kid, especially with all the schools I get kicked out of.
Finally, she married Gabe Ugliano, who was nice for like, the first thirty seconds of us knowing him, before he showed his true colors as a world class jerk. In my opinion, Gabe fits the roll of evil step parent very well. He spends all the money he makes on beer and cigars, and he has these stupid poker parties, where he loses even more money. When I was young, I nicknamed him Smelly Gabe. I'm sorry, but it's the truth. The guy reeked like moldy garlic pizza wrapped in gym shorts. I always felt bad for my mom when she had to sleep in the same room as him. I've even offered a few times to have her sleep in my room while I took the couch. She'd just laugh and tell me to be nicer to him. So basically, between me and him, we made my mom's life pretty hard. The way Smelly Gabe treated her, the way me and him got along..
Speaking of my dear old step dad, when I walked into our apartment, I saw him, and three of his friends sitting at the coffee table, engaged in another poker game. Beer bottles and empty chip bags littered the floor, and the air smelled of smoke. The TV was blasting ESPN.
Without looking up, Gabe said, "So, you're home."
"Where's my mom?"
"Working. You got any cash?"
Yup, no, Welcome back. Good to see you. How has your life been the last six months? I was used to it though.
"I don't have any cash." I told him. For some reason, whenever I'm home, I'm supposed to provide for his gambling funds. He called it our guy secret. Meaning, if I told mom, he'd punch my lights out.
Gabe raised an eyebrow. I forgot Gabe could smell out money like a bloodhound, which was honestly surprising to me. His own smell should have covered every thing else.
"Let's see brat." He said. "You took a cab from the station right? Probably payed with a twenty. Got like, six or seven bucks in change. Give it over."
I reached into my pocket and pulled out the money. "I hope you lose." I said, slapping it on the table, and walked quickly towards my room.
"You're report card came brain boy!" He shouted after me. "I wouldn't act so snooty."
I slammed the door to my room, which wasn't really my room. During school months, it was Gabe's study. Although, I don't know what he would study. The only thing he ever reads are car magazines, which were now scattered on the floor. A pair of muddy boots were sitting on the windowsill. I made a face at the faint smell of smoke in the air. Clearly, he was also trying to make the room smell like him too. I was suddenly glad I didn't stay here all year. If summer was bad.. I shuddered just thinking about it.
I dropped my bags on the bed.
"Home sweet home." I said sarcastically, opening the window. Gabe's smell was almost worse then the nightmares about Mrs. Dodds, or the sound of that old fruit lady's shears snipping the yarn.
As soon as I thought that, my legs felt weak. I remembered Grover's look of panic, how he'd made me promise not to go home with out him. A sudden chill ran through me. I felt as though someone, something was looking for me right now. My hand closed around the coin in my pocket. Just holding it filled me with some relief, but I was still freaking out a little. Then, I heard my mom's voice.
"Percy?" She opened the bedroom door, and my fears melted away. She could make me feel better by just walking into the room. Her eyes sparkle and change color in the light. Her smile is as warm as a quilt. She's got a few gray streaks mixed in with her long brown hair, but I never think of her as old. When she looks at me, it's like she's seeing all the good things about me, and none of the bad. I've never heard her raise her voice, or say an unkind word to anyone, not even me or Gabe.
"Oh Percy!" She hugged me tight. "I can't believe it! You've grown since Christmas!" Her red, white, and blue Sweet On America uniform smelled like the best things in the world. Chocolate, licorice, and all of the other stuff she sold at the candy shop. She'd brought me a large bag of free samples, the way she always did when I came home.
We sat down together on the edge of the bed. While I attacked the sour strings, she ran a hand through my hair and demanded to know every thing that I didn't put in my letters. She didn't mention me getting expelled. She didn't seem to care about that.
From the other room, the annoying voice of my step father yelled, "Hey Sally, how about some bean dip, huh?" I gritted my teeth. Mom's the nicest lady in the world. She should have been married to a millionaire, not to some smelly jerk like Gabe.
For her sake, I tried to sound happy while talking about Yancy. I told her that I wasn't to upset about being expelled. I'd almost lasted the whole year this time. I told her I'd made some friends, done pretty well in Latin, and honestly, the fights weren't as bad as the headmaster had said. I told her that I really had liked Yancy. I honestly almost believed it myself.
"Until that trip to the museum.."
"What?" My mom asked. She stared at me, trying to make me tell her. "Did something scare you?"
"No, mom." I hated lying to her, but I didn't know how to tell her about Mrs. Dodds. I mean, does she even know about the Greek Myths? If she didn't, then I'd just sound stupid. Maybe I'll tell her later. She pursed her lips. She could tell I was lying, which made me feel worse.
"I have a surprise for you." she said. "We're going to the beach!"
My eyes widened. "Montauk?"
"Three nights, same cabin."
"When?"
She smiled. "As soon as I get changed."
I couldn't believe it! My mom and I hadn't gone to Montauk for the last two summers, because Gabe said there wasn't enough money.
Speaking of Gabe, he appeared in the doorway and growled, "Bean dip Sally? Didn't you hear me?"
I wanted to punch him, but I met my mom's eyes and I knew she was offering me a deal: be nice to Gabe for a little while. Just untill she was ready to go to Montauk. Then we would get out of here.
"I was on my way, honey." She said. "We were just talking about the trip."
Gabe glared. "The trip? You mean you were serious about that?"
"I knew it." I muttered. "He won't let us go."
"Of course he will." My mom said evenly. "You're stepfather's just worried about money. That's all. Besides, Gabriel won't have to settle for bean dip. I'll make him enough seven layer dip for the whole weekend."
Gabe softened a bit. "So this money for your trip.. It comes out of your clothes budget right?"

"Yes honey." My mom said.

"And you won't take my car anywhere but there and back?"
"We'll be very careful."
Gabe scratched his double chin. "Maybe if you hurry with that seven layer dip.. And maybe if the kid apologizes for interrupting my poker game."
Maybe if I kick you where the sun doesn't shine. I thought. And make you sing soprano for a week. But my mom's eyes warned me not to make him mad. Why did she even put up with this guy? I wanted to scream. Why did she care what he thought? Taking a deep breath, I turned to face him.
"I'm sorry." I muttered. I'm really sorry I interrupted your incredibly important poker game. Please go back to it right now."
Gabe glared at me for a few seconds. His tiny brain was probably trying to detect sarcasm in my apology.
"Yeah, whatever." He decided before returning to his game.
"Thank you, Percy." Mom said. "Once we get to Montauk, we'll talk more about.. whatever you've forgotten to tell me, okay?"
For a moment, I thought I saw a hint of anxiety in her eyes. It was the same fear I'd seen in Grover during the bus ride. It was as though she too felt an odd chill in the air. But then her smile returned, and I figured I was just seeing things. She ruffled my hair, then went to make Gabe his seven layer dip.
An hour later we were ready to leave. Gabe took a break from his poker game long enough to watch me take my mom's bags to the car. He kept complaining about losing her cooking, and most importantly, his '78 Camaro for the whole weekend.
"Not a scratch on this car, brain boy." He warned me as I loaded the last bag. "Not one little scratch!"
As if I'd be the one driving. I was twelve! But that didn't matter to Gabe. If a seagull so much as pooped on his paint job, he'd somehow find a way to blame me.
Watching him walk back into the apartment, I got so mad I did something I can't explain. As Gabe reached the doorway, I made the hand gesture I'd seen Grover make on the bus. A sort of warding off evil thing. It was a clawed hand over my heart, followed by shoving movement towards Gabe. The screen door slammed shut so hard, it whacked him in the butt and sent him flying up the staircase as if he'd been shot from a canon. Maybe it was just a thing with the wind. Either way, I didn't stick around to find out. I got in the car and told mom to step on it. As she drove, I thought I saw a small smile on her face.

Our rental cabin was on the south shore, way out at the tip of Long Island. It was small, with faded curtains. There was always sand in the sheets, and spiders in the cabinets, and most of the time the sea was to cold to swim in. I loved the place. We've been going there since I was a baby, but my mom's been there even longer. She never exactly said so, but I knew why the beach was so special to her. It was the place where she met my dad.
As we got closer to Montauk, she seemed to grow younger. Years of worry leaving her face. Her eyes turned the color of the sea.
We got there at sunset, opened all the cabin's windows, and we went through our usual cleaning routine. Then we walked on the beach, fed blue corn chips to the seagulls, and munched on blue jelly beans, blue saltwater taffy, and all of the other free samples my mom had brought from work. I guess I should explain all the blue food.
You see, Gabe had once told mom that there was no such thing as blue food. They had a fight, which seemed like a small thing at the time, but she goes out of her way to make blue every thing. Blue cookies, blue birthday cake, and blue pancakes. I can tell it annoys the crap out of Gabe. That might be one of the reason why she continues to do it.
When it got dark, we made a fire. We roasted hot dogs and marshmallows. Mom told me stories about when she was a kid, back before her parents died in the plane crash. She told me about the books she wanted to write when she had enough money to quit the candy shop. Eventually, I got the nerve to ask about the thing that's always on my mind when we come here. My father.
Mom's eyes went all misty. I figured she'd tell me the same thing she always did, but I never got tired of hearing them.
"He was kind Percy." She said. "Tall, handsome, and powerful. But gentle, too. You have his black hair, you know, and his green eyes." She fished a blue jelly bean from the candy bag. "I wish he could see you Percy. He would be so proud."
I wondered how she could say that. What was so great about me? Some kid with a D report card, and who got kicked out of school for the sixth year in a row?
"How old was I?" I asked. "I mean.. when he left."
She watched the flames. "He was only with me for one summer, Percy. Right hear at this beach. This cabin."
"But.. he knew me as a baby."
"No, honey. He knew I was expecting a baby, but he never saw you. He had to leave before you were born." I frowned. I could swear I could remember something about my father. A warm glow. A smile. I had always assumed he knew me as a baby. My mom had never said that, but I just thought it was true. Now, to be told that he'd never even seen me.. I felt angry. Maybe it was stupid, but I resented him for leaving. For not marrying my mom. Now it was because of him that we're being forced to live with Smelly Gabe.
"Are you going to send me away again?" I asked her. She pulled a marshmallow from the fire. "I don't know, honey." Her voice was heavy, and she looked tired again. "I think.. I think we'll have to do something."
"Is it because you don't want me around?" I regretted the words immediately. My mom's eyes filled with tears. She took my hand and squeezed it tight. "Oh, Percy, no! I-I have to, honey. It's for your own good. I have to send you away."
Well then. I thought. I guess she did know about the Greek myths. But why didn't she tell me sooner? Why was she keeping it from me? What exactly is my role in this whole thing?
"I wanted to keep you close to me." Mom continued. "They said that was a bad idea. I thought Yancy was far enough away. But there's one other place Percy. The place your father wanted to send you. But I.. I just can't do it!"
"My father wanted me to go to a special school?"
"Not a school." She said softly. "A summer camp."
My head was spinning. Why would my dad, who hadn't even stayed long enough to see me born, talk to my mom about a summer camp? Also, why didn't she mention it? It sounded pretty important.
"I'm sorry, Percy. But I can't talk about it. I couldn't send you to that place. It might mean saying goodbye to you for good."
"For good? But if it's only a summer camp.." She turned towards the fire, and I knew she'd cry if I asked her any more questions, so I dropped it.

That night, I had a vivid dream. I was walking in a forest, following a large white swan. It looked like it was the middle of the night, and I wondered what the heck I was doing following a random bird in the forest. I decided to turn back. I made it a few steps before I heard the bird dive at me. I ducked to avoid it's sharp beak. "Okay, I'll follow you, you crazy bird." I said. The bird let out an angry cry, before it began to fly faster, forcing me to run after it.
Now, I was on a beach. It was storming, with lightning flashing in the sky. The ocean waves were huge and unforgiving as they crashed onto the beach. The swan I had been following looked like it was having trouble flying, so it landed in my arms. I wasn't ready to catch it, but I was able to not drop the bird.
"Why did you bring me here?" I asked. The air shimmered a moment later, and I saw two animals, a golden eagle, and a white horse. They appeared to be fighting. The eagle flew around, occasionally diving and slashing at the horse with it's talons. The horse reared up, kicking at the eagle's wings. As they fought, the ground rumbled, and a deep voice was laughing somewhere beneath the earth, encouraging the animals to fight harder.
"Hey, stop it!" I yelled, trying to run towards them, but it was as though I was running in slow motion. I knew I would be to late. I watched in horror as the eagle swooped down, it's beak aimed at the horse's wide eyes, and I screamed. I closed my eyes, not wanting to see what happened. However, that didn't block the sound of the horse's cry. The swan made a quiet sound, and I hugged it tighter, careful not to mess up it's feathers. Somehow, the bird's presence was calming.
I finally opened my eyes when I could no longer hear anything. The horse was gone, but the eagle was still flying around, looking for a new target. Then, it turned towards me, and let out a shrill cry. The next thing I knew, the demon bird was flying strait towards me.
Well Percy, you're so dead. I thought as the eagle flew towards my face. To my surprise, the swan screeched and flew out of my arms, right towards the eagle. I couldn't see what happened next. Both birds were slashing at each other, and feathers were going every where. The swan seemed to be winning, with the eagle looking like it was getting tired. Then, the swan looked at me for a second, but it was enough. The eagle dove, its talons slashing the swan's throat. I cried out as blood began pouring from the wound. The swan looked surprised for a second, then it fell to the sand in a cloud of now golden feathers.
I woke with a start. Outside, it really was storming. The kind of storm that cracks trees and brings down houses. There was no horse or eagle on the beach, just lightning that made false daylight, and twenty foot waves pounding the shore.
With the next thunderclap, my mom woke up. She sat up, eyes wide, and said, "Hurricane." I knew that was crazy. Long Island never saw hurricanes this early in the summer. But the ocean seemed to have forgotten that.
Over the roar of the wind, I heard distant bellow, an angry, tortured sound that made my hair stand on end. Then, a much closer sound, like mallets in the sand. A desperate voice, someone yelling, and pounding on our cabin door. My mother sprang out of bed and threw open the lock.
Grover stood in the doorway against a backdrop of pouring rain. But he wasn't.. he wasn't exactly Grover.
"Searching all night." He gasped. "What were you thinking?"
My mother looked at me in terror, not scared of Grover, but at why he had come.
"Percy!" She said, shouting to be heard over the rain. "What happened at school? What didn't you tell me?"
I was frozen, looking at Grover. I couldn't understand what I was seeing.
"O Zeu kai allot thoi!" Grover yelled. "It's right behind me! Did you not tell her?" I was to shocked to notice that Grover had just cursed in ancient greek, and I'd understood him perfectly. I was to shocked to wonder how Grover had made it here in the middle of the night. And he didn't have any pans on, and where his legs would be.. where his legs should be..
My mom looked at me sternly, and talked in a tone she'd never used before. "Percy, tell me now!"
I stammered something about Mrs. Dodds and the old ladies at the fruit stand, and my mom stared at me, her face pale in the flashes of lightning. She grabbed her purse, tossed me my rain jacket and said, "Get to the car, both of you! Go!"
Grover ran for the Camaro, but he wasn't running, exactly. He was trotting, and I understood what he had meant by a muscular disorder. I understood how he could run so fast and still limped while he walked. Because where his feet should be, they weren't feet. There were cloven hooves.
What the heck is happening to me? I thought.

Chapter Text

We tore through the night along dark country roads. Wind slammed against the Camaro. Rain lashed the windshield. I didn't know how my mom could see anything, but she kept her foot on the gas.
Every time there was a flash of lightning, I looked at Grover sitting beside me in the backseat, and I wondered if I'd gone insane or if he was wearing some kind of shag carpet pans. But, no, the smell was one I remembered from kindergarten field trips to the petting zoo:: lanolin, like from wool. The smell of a wet barnyard animal.
All I could think to say was, "So, you and my mom.." no each other?" Grover's eyes went to the rearview mirror, though there were no cars behind us. "Not exactly." He said. "I mean, we've never met in person. But she knew I was watching you."
"Okay then." I thought. "That totally didn't sound creepy."
"Umm, watching me?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Keeping tabs on you. You know, making sure you were okay. But I wasn't faking being your friend." He added. "I am your friend."
"Umm.. what are you exactly?"
I cringed. "Sorry, I know that sounded rude but.."
"That doesn't matter right now." I frowned. "It doesn't matter? From the waist down, my best friend's a donkey.." Grover let out a sharp, indignant sound. I'd heard him make that sound before, but I'd always thought it was a nervous laugh. Now I realized that it was more of an irritated bleat.
"Goat!" He snapped. I raised an eyebrow. "What?" I asked. "I'm a goat from the waist down!"
"You just said it didn't matter!"
"There are satyrs who would trample you underhoof for such an insult!"
At this point, I wasn't really surprised. I mean, I was told Greek myths were real, but I guess a part of me was still hoping that wasn't true. But here was another sign of proof.
"Yeah, that's great and every thing, but why didn't you tell me about the Myths earlier? Why did I have to have a literal Greek god tell me instead?"
Mom gasped from the front seat. "Percy, what did you just say?" "I met a Greek god at school." I replied. Her hands tightened on the wheel. "Do you know which one?"
"Yeah, it was Apollo, why?" She sighed. "Nothing Percy. Don't worry about it. You'll find out." I frowned. "Great. Another person not telling me things." I muttered. "The less you knew, the fewer monsters you'd attract." Grover said, as though it were perfectly obvious. "We put mist over the humans' eyes. We hoped you'd think the kindly one was a hallucination, but it was no good. Lord Apollo helped you start to realize what you are. He hasn't stopped apologizing to whoever your..” He stopped talking.
"To who?" I asked. "Also, what do you mean what I am?"
Before Grover could answer, I heard the weird bellowing noise again, sounding closer this time. Whatever was chasing us was still on our trail.
"Percy." My mom said. "There's to much to explain but not enough time. We have to get you to safety." "Safety from what? Who's after me?" "Oh, no one much." Grover said, obviously still miffed about the donkey comment. "Just the lord of the dead and a few of his blood thirstiest minions."
"Grover!"
"Sorry Mrs. Jackson. Could you drive faster, please?"
We swerved onto a narrower road, racing past darkened farmhouses, wooded hills, and pick your own strawberry signs.
"Where are we going?" I asked. "The summer camp I told you about." My mother's voice was tight. She was trying not to be scared for my sake. "The place your father wanted to send you."
"The place you didn't want me to go?"
"Please, dear." She begged. "This is hard enough. Try to understand. You're in danger!"
I sighed. I didn't want to make this any harder for my mom. Sure I understood some parts, but others were still confusing. For example, what's the summer camp I'm going to, and why is it so important that I got there immediately? Also, why do I attract so many of these Greek monsters? I guess I'd just have to wait untill I was at this camp to ask questions.
Mom pulled the wheel to the right, and I cought a brief glimpse of the figure she was trying to avoid. A dark fluttering shape now lost behind us in the storm.
"What was that?" I asked. "We're almost there." Mom said, ignoring my question. "Just another mile. Please?"
I didn't exactly know where there was, but I found myself leaning forward in the car, wanting us to arrive.
I thought about Mrs. Dodds and the moment when she'd changed into that demon creature with pointed teeth and leathery wings. She'd meant to kill me, but why? What exactly had I done? It better not have been nothing. I couldn't deal with a monster that just liked killing people for no good reason. Although something tells me that's how all monsters act. But Mrs. Dodds had been different. Apparently, I'd really done something to anger her, but I wished I knew what it was.
Suddenly, the hair rose on the back of my neck. There was a blinding flash, a jaw rattling boom!, and our car exploded.
I felt as though I was being crushed, fried, and hosed down all at the same time. I peeled my forehead off the back of the driver's seat and said, "Ow."
"Percy!" My mom shouted. "I'm okay..."
I tried to shake off the daze. I wasn't dead. The car hadn't really exploded. The car had gone into a ditch. I could see a golden glow around the car. It was completely covering it. I felt a heat coming from my pocket. It must have been the coin. I let out a quiet sigh. If it wasn't for Apollo.. I didn't even want to think about what could have happened.
"Thank you, lord Apollo." I thought.
I looked to my right, and my heart stopped. Next to me was a big motionless lump. "Grover!"
He was slumped over, blood trickling from the side of his mouth. I shook his furry hip thinking, "No, even if you are part barnyard animal, you're still my best friend and I don't want you to die!" Then he groaned, "food", and I knew their was hope.
"Percy." My mom said. "We have to.. her voice faltered. I looked back. In a flash of lightning, through the mud spattered rear windshield, I saw a figure lumbering toward us on the shoulder of the road. The side of it made my skin crawl.
It was a silhouette of a huge guy like a football player. He seemed to be holding a blanket over his head for some strange reason. His top half looked bulky and fuzzy. His upraised hands made and look like he had horns. I swallowed hard. "Who is.."
"Percy." Mom said, deadly serious. "You need to get out of the car. He can't see us right now, but Apollo's shield is fading." Sure enough, I could see the golden glow start to fade.
"I'm sorry Percy." Came the quiet voice in my head. "I'm not strong enough to keep it up. Father's to angry. Get to camp as fast as you can. I'll do my best to let them know you're at the pine tree. Also, please try not to insult the guy in the Leppard print. He's not someone you want to anger."
Then, the light was gone. I heard the creature let out a triumphant sound before it began to move faster.
My mother threw herself against the drivers side door, but it was stuck. I tried mine, but it was no use. "Climb out the passengers side!" She said. "Percy, you have to run! Do you see that big tree?"
I looked around, trying to find the tree she was talking about. Another flash of lightning, and I could see it. It was a huge pine at the crest of the nearest hill. "Yeah, I see it." I replied. "That's the property line. Get over that hill and you'll see a big farmhouse down in the valley. Run and don't look back. Yell for help! Don't stop untill you reach the door."
"Mom, you're coming too." I said. Her face was pale, her eyes sad like when she looked at the ocean. "No!" I yelled. "You have to come! Help me carry Grover!"
"He doesn't want us." Mom said. "He wants you. Besides, I can't cross the property line."
"But.." "We don't have time, Percy! Go! Please!"
I was mad. Mad at my mom, mad at Grover, mad at the bull like creature who I just realized really did have horns. I climbed across Grover and pushed the door open into the rain.
"We're going together!" I said firmly. "Come on, mom."
"Percy, I told you.." "I'm not leaving you! Help me with Grover!" I didn't wait for her answer. I climbed out of the car, dragging Grover with me. He was surprisingly light, but I would have still had trouble carrying him if my mom hadn't come and helped. Together, we put Grover's arms over our shoulders and began walking uphill through waist length grass.
Glancing back, I got my first clear look of the monster. He was about seven feet tall, and he wore no clothes besides underwear, which made me want to laugh. coarse brown hair started at about his belly button and got thicker as it reached his shoulders. His neck was a mass of muscle and fur leading up his enormous head. He had cruel looking black eyes, and long black and white horns with points you just couldn't get from an electric sharpener.
I knew exactly who this was.
"He's the.."
"Don't say his name!" She warned. "Names have power."
The pine tree was still to far. About a hundred yards up hill at least. I looked behind me again. The bull man was looking in the car, well not really looking. I think he was smelling for us. From what I remembered about the myths, the minotaur's sight and hearing were very bad, and he relied on smell. Meaning, we didn't have much time before he realized we weren't in the car.
As if on queue, the creature bellowed in rage. He picked up Gabe's Camaro by the torn roof, raising it above his head and throwing it down the road. It slammed into the wet asphalt and skidded in a shower of sparks for about half a mile before coming to stop. The gas tank exploded. "Sorry Gabe." I thought.
"Percy." My mom said. "When he sees us, he'll charge. Wait untill the last second then jump out of the way, directly sideways. He can't change directions very well when he's charging. Do you understand?"
"Umm, how do you know all this?" I asked. She sighed. "I've been worrying about an attack for a long time. I should have expected this. I was selfish, keeping you near me.“
BefI could answer, I heard another angry bellow. He'd smelled us. The tree was still a a little far, and Grover wasn't getting any lighter. The bull man closed in. Another few seconds and he'd be on top of us. Despite probably being exhausted, she took Grover from me. "Go, Percy! Remember what I said."
I didn't want to separate, but I knew she was right. It was our only chance.
I sprinted to the left, then turned, seeing the creature bearing down on me. His black eyes seemed to glow with hate. I wrinkled my nose in disgust. He smelled like rotten meat. I decided that I needed to start carrying some air freshener with me if I'm going to be facing more of these things.
The minotaur lowered his head and charged, his long horns aimed at my chest. The fear I felt made me want to run, but I knew that wouldn't work. I could never outrun this thing. So I held my ground, and at the last moment, I jumped out of the way. The bull man stormed past like a freight train, then bellowed in frustration, then turned, but not towards me this time, but towards my mom, who was setting Grover down in the grass. We'd reached the crest of the hill. I had been to focused on not getting killed to notice.
Down on the other side, I could see a valley, just like mom had said, and the lights of the farmhouse glowing yellow through the rain. But that was half a mile away. We'd never make it! The bull man grunted, pawing at the ground. He kept eyeing my mother, who was now retreating slowly down the hill, back towards the road, trying to lead him away from Grover.
"Run, Percy!" She told me. "I can't go any farther! Run!"
But I couldn't seem to move. I just stood there, watching as he charged towards her. She tried to sidestep, like she taught me, but clearly he wasn't falling for that again. His hand shot out and grabbed her by the neck as she tried to get away. He lifted her as she struggled, kicking and pummeling the air. "Mom?" She cought my eyes, and managed to choke out one last word. "Go!" Then, with an angry roar, the monster closed his fists around her neck, and she dissolved before my eyes, melting into light, a shimmering golden form, as if she were a holographic projection. A blinding flash, and she was simply.. gone.
"No!"
Anger replaced my fear. New found strength burned in my limbs, the same rush of energy I'd felt when Mrs. Dodds grew talons. That thing had just killed my mother, and I swore that he was going to pay.
The bull man bore down on Grover, who was laying helplessly in the grass. It leaned over him, sniffing at him, as though he were about to pick him up and make him dissolve as well. I couldn't allow that. I wouldn't allow that.
I stripped off my red rain jacket.
"Hey!" I screamed, waving the jacket and running to one side of the monster. "Hey, stupid! ground beef!"
The monster turned toward me, shaking his fists. I had an idea. A stupid idea, yes, but it's better then no idea at all. I put my back to the big pine tree and waved my jacket in front of the bull man, thinking I'd jump out of the way at the last moment. I know it didn't work for my mom, but I did say it was a stupid idea. Either way, it didn't work.
The bull man charged to fast, his arm out to grab me whichever way I tried to dodge. time slowed down. My legs tensed. I couldn't jump sideways, so I leaped straight up, kicking off from the creatures head, using it as a springboard, turning in midair and landing on his neck.
How exactly did I do that? But I didn't have time to think to much about it. About a second later, the monster's head slammed into the tree, and the impact nearly knocked my teeth out. He staggered around, trying to shake me off of him. I wrapped my arms around his horns to keep from being thrown.
While I was trying not to fall off of him, Grover was starting to wake. He let out a quiet groan, and I wanted to yell at him to shut up, but the way I was getting tossed around, if I opened my mouth, I'd probably bite my own tongue off.
The bull man turned towards him again, and pawed the ground. I could tell he was getting ready to charge. I thought about how he'd squeezed my mother to death, and made her disappear in a flash of light, and rage filled me like high octane fuel. I got both hands around one of the horns, and pulled back as hard as I could. The monster tensed, gave a surprised grunt. Then, snap! The creature screamed and flung me through the air. I landed flat on my back in the grass. My head smacked against a rock.
When I sat up, my vision was blurry, but I had a horn in my hands, a rigid bone weapon the size of a knife. The monster charged. With out thinking, I rolled to one side and came up kneeling. As the monster ran past, I drove the broken horn straight into his side, right up under his furry rib cage.
The bull man roared in pain. He flailed, clawing at his chest, then began to disintegrate. The monster was gone, the yellow pouter that remained being blown away in the wind.
The rain stopped, the storm still rumbled, but only in the distance. My whole body was shaking. My head felt like it was splitting open from being thrown against a rock. I was weak, scared, and trembling from grief. I'd just seen my mother vanish, killed by that.. that monster. Now that the danger was gone, I allowed myself to feel the pain, to let the tears fall. She was gone. I had no one else now. I was stuck in a place I didn't know, with my best friend passed out in the grass. The only thing I could think to do is fall beside Grover, and closed my eyes. I was so tired. I knew I wouldn't be able to make it to the farmhouse. At this point, I didn't even care that another monster could come and kill me. I just wanted to sleep, which is what I did.
The last thing I heard before I passed out was the sound of footsteps running toward us, and the cry of a familiar sounding bird.

Chapter Text

I wasn't sure how long I was asleep. All I knew is that I had a lot of dreams. Some were strange, consisting of me being chased by barnyard animals. Some wanted to kill me. Others just wanted food. Most of my dreams however, were of that night. The beach, Grover showing up at our cabin, the fight with the minotaur.. Finally, I saw my mom vanish in a flash of gold light. I hated those dreams. Every time I had them, I just wanted to wake up.
I must have woken up, at least a few times, but what I saw and heard made no sense, so I just passed out again.
I remember lying in a soft bed, being spoon fed something that tasted like buttered popcorn. Only it was like pudding. A girl with curly blond hair hovered over me, smirking as she scraped drips off my chin with the spoon. "Creep." I thought with a frown.
When she saw my eyes open, she asked, "What will happen at the summer solstice?"
"Umm, what?" I asked, my voice raspy. She looked around, as if fearing that someone might overhear. "What's going on? What was stollen? We've only got a few weeks."
I thought back on the conversation I had with Apollo. I decided to tell her. I mean, she was taking care of me, and she looked kind of worried. Maybe she could make more use of this information.
"From what I know, which isn't much, mind you, is that Zeus' master bolt has been stolen or something." I said quietly. Her eyes widened. "You're kidding right?" She asked.
I shrugged. "It's what I heard. I told you I don't know all of the details. Something about a possible war as well."
Someone knocked at the door, and she shoved another spoonful of pudding in my mouth. "We'll talk when you wake up." She said, before I passed out once again.
The next time I woke up, the girl was gone. In her place a blond dude, like a surfer stood in the corner of the room, keeping watch over me. He had blue eyes, at least a dozen of them on his cheeks, forehead, the backs of his hands, and who knew where else. I raised my hand in a slight wave, which he returned with a brief flicker of a smile on his face.

When I finally woke up for good, there was nothing weird about my surroundings, except that they were nicer then I was used to. I was sitting in a deck chair on a huge porch, gazing across a meadow at green hills in the distance. The air smelled like strawberries. There was a blanket on my legs, and a pillow under my neck. All that was great, but my mouth felt like a scorpion had been using it for a nest. My tongue was dry and nasty, and every one of my teeth hurt. On the table next to me was a tall drink. It looked like iced apple juice, with a green straw in it. My hand was weak. I almost dropped the glass once I got my fingers around it.
"Careful." A familiar voice said. Grover was leaning against the porch railing, looking like he hadn't slept in a week. "Under one arm, he cradled a shoe box. He was wearing blue jeans, Converse high tops, and an orange T shirt that said CAMP HALF BLOOD.
"You saved my life." Grover said. "I.. well.. it's the least I could do. You're my best friend." I said, looking down. What little hope I had of mom still being alive was now gone. It hadn't been just a really bad nightmare.
"I.. I went back to the hill." Grover said. "I thought you might want this." He placed the shoe box in my lap.
Inside, I saw a black and white bull's horn, the base jagid from where I had broken it off, the tip covered in dried blood. I didn't know what to say. I just stared down at it. I felt a little numb.
"You've been out for two days." Grover said. "What do you remember?"
"Every thing." I said quietly. "My mom.. Is she really.." He looked down. I stared across the meadow. I could see groves of trees, a winding stream, acres of strawberries spread out under the blue sky. The valley was surrounded by rolling hills, and the tallest one, directly in front of us was the one with the huge pine tree at the top. Even that looked beautiful in the sunlight.
I sighed. My mother was gone. It shouldn't be like this. Nothing should be this bright and beautiful. It should be black and cold.
"I'm sorry." Grover said, and I saw a few tears in his eyes. "I'm a failiar!I.. I'm the worst satyr in the world!"
He stomped his foot so hard it came off. I mean, the shoe came off. The inside was filled with Styrofoam, except for a hoof shaped hole. "Oh, sticks." He mumbled. Thunder rolled across the clear sky. "Sorry, lord Zeus." Grover said as he put his shoe back on.
I sighed again. Grover looked as though he expected to be hit. "It wasn't your fault." I said. "Yes it is. I was supposed to protect you, Percy, and I failed to do that."
"Did mom ask you to protect me?"
"No, but that's my job. I'm a keeper. At least.. I was."
"But why.." I began to feel dizzy. "Don't strain yourself." Grover said. "Here." He helped me hold the glass and put the straw to my lips.
At first, I recoiled at the taste. I was expecting apple juice. Instead, it tasted like chocolate chip cookies. But not just any cookies. They were my mom's homemade blue chocolate chip cookies, still warm, with the chips melting. My whole body felt warm and good. I felt full of energy. My grief didn't go away, but I felt as though my mom had brushed her hand against my cheek, giving me a cookie like she used to do when I was little, and tell me that every thing would be okay.
Before I knew it, I'd drained the glass. I stared into it, sure I just had a warm drink, but the ice cubes hadn't even melted.
"Was it good?" Grover asked. I nodded. "What did it taste like for you?" "Chocolate chip cookies." I said. "My mom's homemade ones." He sighed. "And how do you feel?"
"Like I could throw Nancy Bobofit a hundred yards." I said with a small smile. Grover smiled too. "That's good." He said. "I don't think you can risk drinking any more of that stuff." "What do you mean?" He took the glass back from me, placing it back on the table.
"It's nectar, the drink of the gods. It can heal you, but to much can literally burn you up." "Fun." I said sarcastically. Grover stood, offering me a hand. "Come on. Chiron and Mr. D are waiting."
"Who?"
"You'll see." He said, starting to walk.
The porch wrapped all around the farmhouse. My legs felt wobbly, trying to walk that far. Grover offered to carry the minotaur horn, but I held on to it. I'd payed for that souvenir the hard way. I wasn't going to let it go.
As we came around the opposite end of the house, I cought my breath. We must have been on the north shore of Long Island, because on this side of the house, the valley marched all the way up to the water, which glittered about a mile in the distance. Between here and there, I couldn't process what I was seeing. The landscape was dotted with buildings that reminded me of ancient Greek buildings, but these appeared to be new. I saw an open air pavilion, an amphitheater, and a circular arena. In a near by sand pit, about a dozen high school aged kids played volleyball with a group of a satyrs. Canoes glided across a small lake. Kids in bright orange shirts like Grover were chasing each other around a cluster of cabins in the woods. Others shot targets at an archery range. Some rode horses, and I think some even had wings.
My mouth was open as I tried to take every thing in at once. This place was amazing.
Down at the end of the porch, two men sat across from each other at a card table. The blond haired girl from earlier was leaning against the rail next to them.
The man facing me was small, but porky. He had a red nose, big watery eyes, and curly hair so black that it was almost purple. He reminded me of those pictures of baby angels, cherubs, I think is what they're called. He looked like a cherub that turned middle aged in a trailer park. We wore a tiger pattern Hawaiian shirt, and he would've fit right in at one of Gabe's poker parties.
"That's Mr. D." Grover said quietly. "He's the camp director. Be nice! The girl, that's Annabeth Chase. She's just a camper, but she's been here longer then just about anybody. And you already know Chiron.."
"I do?" I asked, then my eyes landed on the other man.
The first thing I saw was the wheelchair. Then, I saw the jacket, the brown hair, and the beard.
"Mr. Brunner." I cried. The latin teacher turned and smiled at me. His eyes had that mischievous glint they would get when he'd give us a pop quiz and made all of the answers B.
"Percy!" He said. "So glad you're finally awake. Now we have four for pinochle." He offered me a chair to the right of Mr. D, who looked at me with bloodshot eyes and sighed. "Oh, I suppose I must say it. Welcome to camp Half Blood. There! Now, don't expect me to be glad to see you."
"Uh, thanks." I moved away from him, because if there was one thing I had learned from living with Gabe, it was to know when someone's been hitting the happy juice. If Mr. D was a stranger to alcohol, I was a satyr.
"Annabeth!" Mr. Brunner called to the blond girl. She came forward, and Mr. Brunner introduced us. "This young lady helped take care of you, Percy. Annabeth, why don't you check on Percy's bunk? We'll put him in cabin eleven for now."
"Sure, Chiron."
She stared at me for a few seconds, her eyes a startling gray. She looked as though she were trying to figure out the best way to take me down in a fight. Then she said, "You drool when you sleep." Her eyes said something like, "We'll talk later." Then, she sprinted off, her hair flying behind her.
"So.." I said, not really knowing what to say. "You uh.. work hear Mr. Brunner?"
"Not Mr. Brunner." the ex Mr. Brunner said. "I'm afraid that was a pseudonym. You may call me Chiron." "Okay?" A little confused, I looked at the director. "Does Mr. D stand for something?" I asked.
He stopped shuffling the cards. He looked at me with a small hint of irritation. "Young man, names are powerful things. You don't just go around using them for no reason." "Oh, right. Sorry." Then, I took a closer look at him. He looked like someone who would normally be found drunk, either at home, or out in a bar. I was kind of surprised that he didn't have some form of the drink with him. Then, it hit me.
"You're the wine god." I said. He just nodded. "It took you a little less time to figure it out then others. According to Chiron though, it's quite easy to tell."
"Well, he wasn't wrong." I thought. I nearly said it out loud to, when I remembered what Apollo had said last night. I didn't want to anger Mr. D.
At first, I wasn't sure why I should be afraid of him, then I remembered. Mr. D was also the god of madness. Who knew what he could do with my brain if I said anything wrong? Plus, it would probably be useful to have as many good relationships with the gods. It would mean I wouldn't immediately die. So, instead of just glaring at him, I pointed to one of the cards. I was able to hide it from Mr. Brunner, or.. Chiron. "Use that one." I said quietly to the wine god. He gave me a look of surprise before it melted back into it's bored expression.
"Thank you.. umm.."
"Percy Jackson." I said. "Yes yes! Thank you.. Peter Johnson."
I decided not to bother correcting him. I'd probably be stuck with that name now whenever he talked to me.
"I must say, Percy." Chiron said. "i'm glad to see you alive. It's been a long time since I made a house call to a potential camper. I'd hate to think I waisted my time."
"Um.." I said. I had no idea how to take that. So instead of saying anything, I pushed another card towards Mr. D who smirked.
"I don't think he took that well." He said lazily. Chiron sighed. "Don't think it's an insult, Percy. I meant it's been a while since I've actually gone to see the child myself. Normally, the satyr that's there would just bring them."
"So, then why did you come to Yancy then?" I asked, taking the card Mr. D was about to put down. He sent me an irritated look. I just shrugged and pointed to a different one. "You're not that good at this game." I said. "I'm currently on a major wine withdraw, Peter." He said. "Why? Can't you just.. I don't know.. make it appear?" He let out a dramatic sigh. "If it was that easy, I would have already been in my room, in bed, and not moving for like, the whole day! But nooo, father is determined to punish me. You think I want to be at this camp? I'm being forced to be here for a century, with no wine! All because I chased some nymph!" Chiron sighed. "You had already been warned that she was off limits." He said. "All because father wanted her." He said with what appeared to be a pout. He waved his hand, and a glass appeared in front of him, filling with wine. Thunder rumbled in the sky. Mr. D looked up at the sky and sighed. "Sorry, sorry, old habits!" Another wave of his hand, and the glass turned into a can of coke.
"You see, Peter, this is what I have to drink instead."

"Now, to answer your previous question, Percy, I went to Yancy after Grover had told me about you. He sensed something special about you, and thought it would be best if I was there. At first, I was unsure. We contacted your mother, telling her we were keeping an eye on you to see if you were ready for camp. You still had so much to learn. However, you made it to camp alive, which is the first test."
"Grover! Are you playing or not?" Mr. D snapped, taking a sip of his coke. He snapped his fingers, and a bowl of grapes appeared. He glanced over at me, then pushed the bowl towards me. "Take some." He said. I could tell by Chiron and Grover's surprised faces that he never shared his things with anyone, so I smiled and took a few. "Thank you, sir." I said.
"For helping me win." He said, putting down a card with a small smirk.
"Percy!" Chiron said. I shrugged. "He needed help." I said. "Don't be to upset Chiron. You can't win every time." Mr. D said with a laugh before he dealt the cards again. "you know if I'm playing now, I can't help you right?" I asked. He frowned, then took the cards from me. "We can't have that." He said. I tried not to laugh. Then I turned back towards Chiron. "So, why would you go to Yancy just to teach me?" I asked. Mr. D threw his hand up. "See, that's what I want to know to! He left me alone with all these brats!" Chiron sighed. "Some of those brats are your own children." He said. "Yes well, they're not as annoying as say, those Hermes brats. Or the Apollo kids. I hate being cought by a rhyming curse."
I tried not to laugh as a beam of sunlight hit Mr. D right in the face. Then, a bunch of things began throwing themselves at him.
"I'm guessing they heard that?" I said, still trying not to laugh. "It's not funny Peter." He said, ducking to avoid a rock that nearly hit him on the head. "Alright, alright, I'm sorry. Quit you two!" Finally, the attack stopped.
"Wait!" I said, holding up my hand. "What exactly is this place?" Mr. D let out another dramatic sigh, and pushed the now empty soda can to Grover who began eating it.
"This place, Peter Percy Jackson, is where we train the half blood children of the gods. Basically, half human, half god. I myself have two children here. They don't do much. They mostly help with our strawberries. They do well, but they would do better if we would have been aloud to grow grapes instead. Since, you know, it's what I specialize in!"
He yelled that part to the sky, resulting in another thunderclap. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. And they call me dramatic. That title clearly goes to father and Apollo."
A few minutes later, Mr. D stood, placing the cards on the table.
"I believe I win." He said. Now, I'm going to bed before the sing-along. But first, Grover, a word with you inside." Grover flinched. "Yes sir." He said. Then, he turned his eyes to me. "You'll be put in the Hermes cabin for now, untill you get claimed. Who knows, you might permanently join their cabin. Perhaps you can stop them from stealing my stuff all the time." He waved his hand, and another coke appeared in front of me. "For not being a total brat." He said, then walked inside, Grover right behind him. I stared after them, feeling worried about Grover.
"He'll be alright." Chiron said, sensing my worry. Mr. D's not really mad. He's just resentful of being stuck here." "What will happen to Grover?" I asked. "Mr. D will probably let him off with a warning. He always says he's going to do something, but he never does. Trust me, Percy, he'll be okay." I just nodded. It's not like I can do anything now.
"Now, how about I give you a tour of the camp, and introduce you to your cabin mates."
"Sure." I said. Then, Chiron got out of his chair.
"I'm not sure why I'm surprised that chair was a fake." I said. Chiron laughed. "You've been taking every thing so well, I'm surprised that you can even be surprised by anything. Now, let's go. We'll have to hurry so we can be done before my archery class."

Chapter Text

I couldn't stop looking around as Chiron gave me a tour. We passed the volleyball pit, and some of the kids were pointing to the minotaur horn in my hands. One of them said, "That's him." I wanted to hide behind Chiron, but I knew that I would just appear weak in front of these kids. I wasn't normally a shy person, but the way some of the campers were looking at me made me feel uncomfortable. It was as though they expected me to do a flip or something, which was completely out of my abilities.
Most of the kids looked older then me, and their satyr friends all looked older then Grover, in their bright orange camp Half Blood T shirts.
I looked back at the farmhouse, which looked bigger then I'd expected. It was four stories, sky blue with white trim. I was looking at the brass eagle at the top of the house when I saw something from the corner of my eye. It came from the attic. It looked like someone had moved the curtain a little, and I felt like I was being watched.
"Chiron, what's up there?" I asked. He looked to where I was pointing, and his smile faded. "It's just the attic, Percy." He said. "Does someone live up there?"
"No, not a single living thing is up there." I had a feeling he was being completely truthful, but still... I felt like something was there.
"Come along, Percy." Chiron said, his relaxed tone sounding forced. "So much to see."
We walked through the strawberry fields, where campers were picking the berries while a satyr played a song on a reed pipe. According to Chiron, the camp grew the strawberries, and sold them to New York restaurants and Mount Olympus. "Growing them is no trouble." He said. "With the children of demeter and Mr. D, they grow faster then normal plants. It also helps that Mr. D has an affect on fruit plants. They go crazy when he's around."
"I'm guessing it works better with grapes?" I asked. Chiron nodded. "Because of the restrictions, he can't grow grapes. He can still eat them though, which I think every one's grateful for. I think that if he wasn't aloud to even have those..." I understood. Camp Half Blood wouldn't look nearly as fun.
I watched as a line of bugs left the plants immediately, as though they were trying to escape the satyr's music. I was curious to see if Grover could also play the reed pipes like that. Speaking of Grover, I wondered if he was okay. Was he still talking with Mr. D?
"Grover will be fine." Chiron said, somehow knowing what I was thinking. "He won't get in to much trouble."
"Why would he get in trouble?He didn't do anything wrong."
"Mr. D and the council of the satyrs won't agree with you, Percy." He said. "Grover was supposed to be keeping an eye on you, bring you to camp safely. He lost you in New York, then there was that umm.. incident involving your mother.."
"They'll give him a second chance, right?" I asked, even more worried about him now. Chiron sighed. "Percy, I'm afraid that was Grover's second chance. Besides, the council wasn't so pleased with giving him another chance. Not after what happened five years ago. However, Grover has big dreams, though I advised him to wait a little longer to continue going after them."
I began feeling really guilty. If I hadn't given Grover the slip at the bus station, he might have not been in trouble.
"What happened five years ago?" I asked. "Was it that bad?" Chiron sighed. "People don't like talking about it much." He said. "BUT, I suppose I should tell you. That pine tree on the top of a hill, holds the spirit of a half blood. She was a daughter of Zeus, and let's just say, lord Hades wasn't pleased."
"Why wouldn't he be happy that Zeus had a child?" I asked. Chiron sighed, and he looked really tired. "There was a packed of the big three. Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades swore not to have any more half blood children. There kids tended to be a lot more powerful then the others. WWII was basically a war between Zeus and Poseidon child against the sons of Hades. After that disaster, they decided that having more half bloods would be to dangerous."
"So this girl.. he had her after the oath?" Chiron nodded.
"That's why Hades was angry. He sent all the worst monsters from the underworld after her, while she was on her way to camp. A satyr was supposed to only bring her to camp, but she had two other half bloods with her, and she wouldn't leave them behind."
He stared at the tree, a sad look on his face. "They made it to the top of the hill. They were so close. They had a whole gang of monsters after them. Hell hounds, all three of the Furies, and many more. The girl, Thalia, stayed back to fight them. She told the satyr to take the other two to camp, and that she'd join them after she fought them off. Mind you Percy, she was twelve at the time. She had been running for weeks, and fought for just as long. She was hurt and tired, and she knew she couldn't beat all of them. That didn't stop her from trying though. When she was close to death, Zeus took pity on her and turned her into that tree. Now, her spirit guards the camp, keeping monsters out."
I looked at the tree with more respect now. A girl my age sacrificed herself so that her friends could get to safety. That makes what I did sound like nothing special.
"I'm guessing the satyr was Grover?" I asked. Chiron nodded. "Mr. D wasn't at all pleased. That was his half sister, after all. He was stuck at this camp for the past five years. He was in a good mood when he let him go to Yancy."
"But I'm alive. He can't be that upset." Chiron sighed. "A mortal got hurt, Percy. He counts that as a part failure."
It hit me then, that Chiron didn't say that my mother was dead. I felt a small flicker of hope in my chest as an idea began to form.
"Chiron?" I asked. "Yes, child?"
"If all the Greek myths are real.. does that mean that the underworld is real too?"
Chiron frowned, but answered anyway. "yes, child. There is a place where spirits go after death."
The flicker of hope turned into a small flame. "Chiron, do you think.."
"I'm not sure, Percy. I'd advice you to drop that idea, at least untill we have more information."
Just like that, my hope was gone. Even if she wasn't dead, how would I even get down to the underworld? I mean, in the myth I was thinking about, the guy didn't even get his wife back in the end. I sighed, trying to hide how upset I felt. "Yes, sir." I said.
"Come, Percy, I'll show you the woods." Chiron said, in an attempt to change the subject. I just followed him, even though I just wanted to go back to sleep.
As we walked through the woods, Chiron pulled out a crossbow, and was aiming it into the trees. "The woods are stocked, if you want to try your luck. Make sure you come armed though. Capture the flag is tomorrow. Do you have your own sword and shield?"
I frowned. "No offence sir, but how exactly am I supposed to have weapons? I only found out about all this two days ago. The only weapon I've ever used was that golden sword in the museum."
Chiron looked at me. "What golden sword?" He asked. "Oh, I forgot you didn't know. I used a Roman sword to kill Mrs. Dodds. It was back in it's case when you showed up."
"I see. Well, I'll have to get you some armer. Perhaps a size five will do. I'll visit the armory later."

A few minutes later, we reached the cabins. There were twelve of them, in the woods beside a lake. They were arranged in a U, with two at the base and five on either side. They were the strangest collection of buildings I ever saw. Except for the fact that they each had a large brass number at the top of the door, with odds being on the left, and evens on the right, they looked nothing alike. I expect they represented the god they were for in some way.
Number nine had smokestacks, like a tiny factory. Number four had tomato vines on the wall, and the roof was made out of real grass. Seven looked as though it was made of solid gold, which gleamed so much in the sunlight, that it was almost imposable to look at. "That must be Apollo's." I thought. I honestly didn't expect anything less from his cabin.
They all faced an area the sized of a soccer field, dotted with greek statues, fountains, flower beds, and a couple basketball hoops, which were more my speed. In the center of the field was a huge stone lined fire pit. Even though it was a hot afternoon, the flames smoldered. A girl about nine years old was tending to it, poking the coles with a stick. I sent her a small wave, which she returned with a smile. I didn't know who she was, but I could tell she was more then just a camper.
Anyway, my eyes were fixed to cabins one and two, which were the ones at the base of the U. They looked like mausoleums. They were big, white marble buildings with heavy columns in front. Cabin one was the biggest of the twelve. It's polished doors shimmered like a hologram so from different angles, lightning bolts seemed to streak across them.
Cabin two looked more graceful somehow. It had slimmer columns decorated with flowers. The walls were carved with images of peacocks.
"Zeus and Hera?" I asked. "Correct." Chiron said. "Why are their cabins empty? Actually, a couple of them look empty."
"That's true. No one ever stays in one or two."
I stopped in front of the first cabin on the left, cabin three. It was long, low and solid. The walls were of gray stone studded with pieces of seashell and coral. It looked as though the slabs had been taken from the ocean floor itself. I looked inside the open door and Chiron said, "Oh, I wouldn't do that."
Before he could pull me back, I cought the smell of the inside, like the wind on the shore at Montauk. The walls on the inside glowed. There were six bunk beds with silk sheets turned down, but there was no sign anyone slept there. The place felt so sad and lonely, I was glad when Chiron put his hand on my shoulder and said, "Come along, Percy."
As we walked, I saw that most of the other cabins were filled with campers. Number five was bright red. The paint looked like it had been applied with buckets and fists. The roof was lined with barbed wire. A stuffed boar's head hung over the doorway, and it's eyes seemed to follow me. Inside, I could see a bunch of mean looking kids, both boys and girls arm wrestling and arguing while rock music blared. The loudest was a girl about thirteen or fourteen. She wore a XXL camp T shirt under a camouflage jacket. She cought my eye and gave me an evil look. She reminded me of Nancy Bobofitt, but she was a lot bigger tougher looking, and her hair was brown instead of red. I kept walking, and tried to stay clear of Chiron's hooves.
"Are you the only centaur here?" I asked. "Yes." Chiron said sadly. "I'm afraid my kinsmen are a wild and barbaric folk. You might find some in the wild, or at major sporting events. But you won't see any here. Oh look, Annabeth's waiting for us."
The blond girl was reading a book in front of the last cabin on the left, cabin eleven. When we reached her, she looked at me, a frown on her face. Either she was still thinking about how much I drooled, or about the information I told her before. I tried to see what she was reading, but I couldn't make out the title. At first, I thought it was because of my dyslexia was acting up, but then I realized that it title wasn't even in english. The letters looked Greek to me. I could see pictures of temples, statues and columns, things that would be found in an architecture book.
"Annabeth, I have an archery class at noon. Would you take Percy from here?" Chiron asked. "Yes, sir." Cabin eleven." He said, pointing towards the cabin. "Make yourself at home."
This cabin looked more like a regular summer camp cabin. The paint was peeling, the threshold was worn down, and over the door I could see a winged pole with two snakes wrapped around it. It was a caduceus, the symbol of Hermes. Inside, it was packed with people, way more then the number of bunks. Sleeping Bags were set up on the floor. When they all saw Chiron, they all stood and bowed respectfully.
"Well then, Percy. Good luck. I'll see you at dinner." With that, he turned and walked toward the archery range. I was left standing in the doorway, looking at all the kids. They were all staring at me, sizing me up. I knew this routine to well. I'd gone through it at enough schools.
"Well?" Annabeth said. "Go on." I walked in, and just barely stopped myself from tripping and making a fool out of myself.
"Percy Jackson, meet cabin eleven." Annabeth said. "Regular or undetermined?" Someone asked. "Undetermined." Annabeth replied, making everyone groan. A guy who looked a little older then the others came forward.
"Now, now, campers. That's what we're here for. Welcome, Percy. You can have that spot on the floor, over there.
The guy was about nineteen, and he looked pretty cool. He was tall and muscular, with short sandy blond hair and a friendly smile. The only thing unsettling about him was a thick white scar that ran from just beneath his right eye to his jaw. It looked like an old knife slash.
"This is Luke." Annabeth said, and her voice sounded different. I looked over at her, and I thought I saw her blushing. She saw me looking, and her expression hardened again. "He's your councilor for now."
"You're undetermined." Luke said. "They're not sure what cabin to put you in, so you're here. We take all newcomers, all visitors. Naturally, we would. Hermes, our patron, is the god of travelers."
I sighed. "Really? I thought he was your parent?"
There eyes all widened, even Annabeth's. "How do you know?" Luke asked, a small frown on his face. "Mr. D told me." I said. "After making me play the card game with him."
"I see, well, yes, you're right, Hermes is our father. At least, most of us. Some campers are here because they haven't been claimed yet. Some of them have been here for years. No one knows when they'll get claimed. It all depends on the gods." Luke sounded slightly bitter as he spoke about the gods, and I wondered why. But before I could ask, Annabeth grabbed my wrist.
"Let's go, Percy. I'll show you the rest of camp."
"I thought I already saw every thing." I said. "Percy, come on!"
She pulled me out of the cabin, and I could hear people laughing inside.

"What's your problem?" I asked. "Nothing." She replied. "There's just some places you have left to see."
"That, and I'm sure you're wanting to ask me more about what I told you."
"Yes, that too." She admitted. "I'm curious as to how you knew every thing about the Greek myths before you came here."
"Well, besides the demon math teacher I killed, I accidently met a god." She frowned. "How did you do that? And who was it?"
So I told her about my field trip and my meeting with Apollo. I didn't tell her about the coin though. Something told me he didn't give out many gifts, except to maybe his children.
"Some campers don't even meet there godly parent." She said when I was done. "Really? Why not?"
"Apparently, there's an ancient law that forbids the gods from interacting to much with their kids. They do give us gifts sometimes, but other then that, we don't really hear from them. The only exception is lord Apollo."
"What do you mean?" I asked. Annabeth sighed. "Lord Apollo hates that rule." She said. "He sometimes sneaks down from Olympus to visit his children, or bring nes from the other gods. I honestly believe that Hyasinthus really changed him. He became.. I wouldn't say human, but he's the nicest of the gods. Him and Hermes."
"I'm guessing the other cabins are jealous?" I asked.
"Oh yes, very much so. Cabin seven is one of the most envied cabins here. Almost all of the campers there had spent some time with him at some point. They're pretty happy about it."
Before I could ask her about her godly parent, I heard a voice say, "Oh look, a newbie!"
I glanced over, and saw the big girl from the ugly red cabin walking toward us. She had three other girls with her, all just as big and ugly as her. They were also wearing camo jackets.
"Clarisse," Annabeth sighed. "Why don't you go polish your spear or something?"
"Sure, Ms. Princess." The girl said. "So I can run you through with it Friday night."
"Erre es korakas!" Annabeth said, which I understood was greek for 'Go to the crows!' though I had a feeling it was a worse curse then it sounded. "You don't stand a chance!"
"We'll pulverize you!" Clarisse said, but her eye twitched. Perhaps she wasn't sure she could follow through on the threat. She turned toward me.
"Who's this little runt?"
"Percy Jackson," Annabeth said. "Meet Clarisse, daughter of Aries."
I nodded. "That explains the bad smell:" I said. Clarisse growled. "We got an initiation ceremony for newbis, Prissy."
"Percy." I said. "Are you really that stupid? I guess the only thing you're good for is fighting, huh?"
The next thing I knew, Clarisse had grabbed me by the neck, and was dragging me towards a building I immediately knew was the bathroom.
I was trying to escape, but this girl had hands like iron. I suddenly had a strong dislike of the god of war and all of his children.
Clarisse dragged me into the bathroom, and I could see a line of toilets on one side, and a line of shower stalls down the other. It smelled just like any public bathroom, and I was thinking, as much as I could think with Clarisse ripping my hair out, that the gods should have been able to afford beerer bathrooms.
The other girls were laughing, and I was trying to find the strength I used to fight the Menotaur, but it just wasn't there.
"As if he's big three material," Clarisse said as she pushed me toward one of the toilets. "Yeah, right. Menotaur probably fell over laughing, he was so stupid looking."
Annabeth stood in the corner, watching through her fingers. Clarisse forced me on my knees pushing my head toward the toilet bowl. I struggled to keep my head up. I was looking at the disgusting water and thinking, "I'm not going in that! I won't!" Then something happened.
I felt a tug in the pit of my stomach. I heard the plumbing rumble, the pipes shutter. Clarisses' grip on my hair loosened. Water shot out of the toilet, making an arch over my head, and the next thing I knew, I was on the ground with Clarisse screaming behind me. I turned just as water blasted out of the toilet again, hitting her in the face so hard that she fell on her butt. The water stayed on her like a hose, pushing her into a shower stall. She started to struggle, gasping, and her friends started to come after her. But then the other toilets exploded, and six streams of water blasted them back. The showers began to act up too, and together they blasted the girls right out of the bathroom, spinning them around like pieces of trash being washed away.
As soon as they were out the door, the tugging stopped, and so did the water. The entire bathroom was now flooded. Annabeth hadn't been spared. She was dripping wet, but she hadn't been pushed out the door. She was standing in the same place, staring at me in shock. I looked down and saw that I was sitting in the only dry spot in the room. I didn't have one drop of water on my clothes.
I stood, my legs shaky. "Annabeth said, "How did you.."
"I don't know."
We walked to the door. Outside, the four Aries campers were in the mud, and a bunch of others had shown up to stare at them. Clarisse gave me a look of pure hatred. "You are dead, new boy." She said. "You are totally dead!"
I probably should have let it go, but I said, "You want to get hit with more toilet water, Clarisse? Shut your mouth!"
Her siblings had to hold her back. They dragged her back to cabin five, and she was screaming insults the whole time.
Annabeth was staring at me again. I wasn't sure if she was just grossed out, or angry at me for doucing her.
"What?" I demanded. "What are you thinking?" "I'm thinking," She said. "That I want you on my team for capture the flag."

Chapter Text

News of the bathroom incident spread quickly throughout camp. As we walked, people kept pointing at me, and saying something about toilet water. They were probably staring at Annabeth, who was dripping wet. I saw a group of high school girls with way to much makeup on, whispering to each other as we passed. I thought I could hear one of them say, "That poor guy. That's a terrible way to start a relationship." I decided to ignore that.
Annabeth showed me a few more places. We saw the forges, where a group of kids were making weapons, and the arts and crafts room, where a bunch of satyrs were working on a sculpture. Finally, we returned to the lake with the trail that led back to the cabins.
"I have training." Annabeth said in a flat voice. "Dinner's at seven thirty. Just follow your cabin. Luke will show you what to do."
"Annabeth," I said. "I'm sorry for getting you wet. It wasn't my fault." I said. She stared at me, and I realized that it had, in fact, been my fault.
"Okay, so maybe I did it. But I swear I don't know how I did it. I just thought how I didn't want my head to be shoved into a toilet, and they just exploded."
Annabeth sighed. "You need to talk to the Oracle." She said. "Who?" I asked. "Not who. The oracle is a what. I'll talk to Chiron about it."
I was confused, but I decided not to ask. She probably wouldn't tell me. So, instead I asked, "I forgot to ask you. Who's your godly parent?"
Annabeth straightened. "Cabin six. Athena, goddess of wisdom and battle strategy." She said. "That's fitting." I thought. "How long have you been here?"
She pulled out a leather necklace with five clay beads like Lukes'. "I've been here since I was seven. I've been hear longer then most of the counselors, and there in college. I'm a year rounder. I stay here during the year as well."
"How many people stay here during the year?"
"It depends on who your parent is, and how strong you are.“ Annabeth said. "If you're a child of Demeter or Aphrodite, you can just get some training during the summer and go home for the rest of the year. Monsters will leave you alone, mostly. It's the others that are more powerful that usually stay. Monsters will attack us more often."
I just nodded. "So, does that mean I'll be forced to stay here if my parent is very powerful?"
"No, you can choose. It's just recommended. It will be easier to survive at camp."
I stared into the lake, lost in thought. I was still wondering about my mom. Even though Chiron told me to drop it, I couldn't stop the excitement at the thought of being able to save her. I'd have to do more research before I did anything, but I would do anything to get her back, even read.
The smell of barbecue floated over toward us, and my stomach growled. "Annabeth must have heard it because she said, "Go back to your cabin. I'll see you later."
I left her standing back at the pier, tracing the rail like she was drawing up a battle plan.
Before I could walk in to cabin eleven, I heard someone calling out to me.
Turning, I saw a young boy about eight or nine running toward me.
"Umm, can I help you?" I asked. The boy grabbed my hand and began pulling me along. "I've been wanting to talk to you." He said, sounding a little breathless.
"Why? Who are you?" I asked, confused. The boy smiled brightly. "Oh, of course! Sorry! I'm Will Solace, son of Apollo."
"Umm, why did you want to talk to me?" I asked. Will pulled me into a building I haven't seen yet, and I found myself in a sort of hospital.
"This is the infirmary." He said at my questioning look. Me and my siblings spend most of our time here. Especially me. I'm not to good at singing or archery. My skills are strictly healing."
Will pushed me on to a bed. "I'm not hurt." I protested. "I know, but I still want to talk."
"Sure, what's going on?"
"Tell me, what's dad like?" He asked, sitting down beside me. "Umm, what? I.. I don't really know him." I said. "No, but you've met him. Can you tell me what he's like? At least, your first impression of him? My siblings have met him before, but they won't tell me about him. They said I have to wait untill he comes, but no one knows when or if he'll come see us."
"Well, I've heard he comes quite often." I said. Will nodded. "Yes, but I'm just worried he won't come. My mom's a famous country singer. She's gone a lot, and I mostly stay with family. She says that dad's a good singer and stuff, but she never said anything else about him. She has no pictures either. I guess I just want too know about him, in case he decides not to come any more."
I smiled. "Well, I guess I can tell you about him. At least, what I know about him. But only if you tell me how you know I met him."
Will shrugged. "He gave you a gift." He said, as if it were obvious. "Umm, what?" I asked. I can sense it. He gave you something. Can I see?"
I reached into my pocket and pulled out the coin. Will studied it for a minute. "Have you used it before?"
I shook my head. "No, I haven't. I decided to use it mostly for emergencies. The gods are busy after all."
Will gave me back the coin. "So, tell me about him." He said, crossing his arms.
"Well, let's see.. You kind of look like him." I started. "You have the same blond hair, except for his is a little longer and lighter. His skin is darker then yours, and his eyes are a lighter blue. If you look close enough, you can see a light gold in them as well. I guess you can say he's a very relaxed guy. At least, when he's happy. When he's mad.. his eyes turn fully gold, and the air around him heats up. My first impression of him was that he's a very nice guy."
Will nodded. "That's good. I don't want him to be like Aries."
I scowled. "I've had enough with Aries for a lifetime." I said, making Will laugh. "Oh yeah, the initiation ceremony. Some of Clarisses' brothers tried doing it to me when I first showed up a few weeks ago. Dad decided to claim me at that moment with a bright beam of sunlight over my head. The guy looked up and was blinded for a few days. That made me want to meet him even more. Do you think he'll come?"
I smiled. "I'm sure he will. Apparently, he comes quite often."
Will smiled. "Thanks for the talk, Percy. I appreciate it." I playfully ruffled Will's hair, and he swatted my hand away with a laugh. "You should probably go back to your cabin. Dinner's almost ready. Oh, and don't forget to stop by if you're hurt or just want to talk." "I will." I said, with a wave. "Bye Solace."
"Bye Jackson!" Will called after me as I walked out.

Back at the Hermes cabin, every one was talking and joking around. No one was staring at me any more, which I was grateful for. I walked over to my spot on the floor, and sat down. I then noticed that most of the kids in this cabin shared similar features. Elfish facial features, and mischievous smiles. They were the type of kids that teachers would call trouble makers.
Luke walked over to me, and sat beside me.
"I got you a sleeping bag." He said. "Oh yeah, and I stole you some toiletries from the camp store."
"Thanks." I said, not sure if he was serious about the steeling part. He probably was, sense Hermes is the god of thieves.
"How was your first day?" He asked. I shrugged. "I want to say I don't belong but.. I guess it all makes sense."
He nodded. "It's like that for most of us. Even when you do get used to it, it doesn't really get easier." I was surprised at the bitter tone in his voice. Luke seemed pretty chill. I didn't think much bothered him.
"So.. Hermes is your father?" I asked. Luke pulled out a knife, and I thought he was going to gut me. Instead he started cleaning his nails. "Yup, that's my dad. The winged messenger guy. God of travelers and merchants. basically, every one that uses the roads. That's why you're here now, enjoying cabin elevens' hospitality. Father isn't picky on who he sponsors."
"Hey, can I ask you something?" I asked. "Sure, why not. What's up?"
"Earlier, Clarisse said something about not being big three material? Then Annabeth said something about seeing the Oracle.. do you know what any of that means?"
Luke sighed and put his knife away. "I really hate prophecies." He said darkly. "What?" I asked. "What about a prophecy?"
Luke sighed. "Don't worry about it, Percy. I'm sure it's nothing. Annabeth's always wanted to lead a quest. She begged Chiron to give her one, but ever since my quest to the garden of the Hesperides went wrong, Chiron won't let anyone go out of camp."
"Is that where you got your scar?" I asked. He nodded. "That dragon, Ladon gave it to me. I'm not very fond of him."
Just then, a horn sounded, and Luke yelled, "Cabin eleven, line up!"
The whole cabin, about twenty of us, lined up by seniority, so naturally, I was last. We began walking toward the pavilion, and we were joined by the other cabins, except for the three empty cabins, and cabin eight. Satyrs began walking over from the fields, and Naiads came out of the lake. In the forest, girls melted out of trees, and joined us. All together, there were about a hundred campers, and a few dozen nymphs and satyrs.
We all sat with our cabins, which meant that the hermes table was way to crowded. I had to sit with half of my butt hanging off the bench.
At the head table, I saw Chiron sitting with Mr. D, a few satyrs, and two plump blond boys that looked like him. Annabeth was sitting with a bunch of serious, athletic looking kids, all with her gray eyes and blond hair. Will waved at me from a table filled with smiling and laughing campers.
Clarisses was clearly over the toilet incident, because she was laughing and talking loudly with her siblings at the table behind me.

Chiron stomped the ground to get our attention. He raised a glass.
"To the gods." He said. "To the gods!" We all yelled back. I cought Mr. D's eyes, and I saw him mouthed, "To me," witch made me laugh.
I looked into my glass, it was empty. "Speak to it." Luke said. "Tell it what you want to drink. As long as it's not alcoholic of course."
"Blue cherry coke." I said, and the glass filled itself. I took a small sip. "Perfect." I thought.
Nymphs walked around, handing out platters of food. Grapes, strawberries, cheese, bread, and yes, barbecue. All of the food looked really good, and I couldn't wait to eat it.
"Here you go, Percy." Luke said, handing me a platter of brisket. I filled my plate. Just when I was about to take a huge bite, I saw everyone carrying their plates towards the fire.
"Come on, Percy." Luke said, and I followed him. Once we got closer, I saw everyone drop some food into the fire. The ripest fruit, the juiciest piece of meat, the warmest, most buttery role. Luke said, "Burned offerings for the gods. They like the smell."
I was confused. Why would the gods like the smell of burning food? I watched as Luke said, "Hermes," before tossing in a cluster of fat, red grapes.
When it was my turn, I didn't know which god to say, so I made a silent plea.
"Whoever you are, can you please let me know?" Then I scraped a big piece of barbecue into the fire. When I smelled the smoke, I didn't get sick. It smelled like a bunch of good things put together. I could believe the gods lived off of that smell.
I was about to go back to my table, when I had a thought. I turned back to the fire, and said, "Lord Apollo, thank you for trying to help us a few days ago." Then a tossed in some strawberries and a role.

After dinner, Chiron called for our attention again. Mr. D stood, looking annoyed.
"Yes, yes, I guess I must say it. Welcome back to camp Half Blood. I'm not happy to see you all again. Chiron says that capture the flag is this friday. Apparently, cabin five has the laurels."
"Yes, yes, congratulations and all that." He said as ugly cheering came from the Aries table. "I honestly couldn't care less. Oh yeah, and we have a new camper. Peter Johnson." Chiron whispered something. "Fine, Percy Jackson. Welcome, and all that."
He sent me a small, almost unnoticeable smile.
"Now, run along to your silly camp fire."
With a cheer, we all made our way toward the amphitheater, where the Apollo cabin lead us in a sing-along. We sang songs about the gods, roasted marshmallows, and joked around. And for the first time, I felt at home here. Finally, the horn sounded again, and we all made our way back to our cabins.
As I lay in my sleeping bag, my hand curled over the minotaur horn, I thought about my mom. Surprisingly, it wasn't anything bad. I thought about her smile, her laugh, and all of the good memories I had of her. As I drifted off to sleep, I promised myself that I'd get her back, no matter what it took.

I found myself in the passengers seat of a bright red sports car, that was driving across the sky. The inside and outside of the car looked very bright and shiny, like looking at the sun. Quiet music played from a couple of speakers. I rested my head on the back of the seat, and closed my eyes. This was very relaxing.
"Why am I not surprised to find you here?" A familiar voice asked. I slowly looked over and saw Apollo looking at me in the drivers seat, a small smile on his face.
"How does this keep happening?" I asked. Apollo shrugged. "Not sure. I don't mind though. You're not bothering me. It's actually kind of nice to have someone other then Hermes and the muses to talk to. Oh, and thank you for the offering."
"Your welcome. Thank you again for trying to help us. Also, what about lady Artemis? Don't you talk to her?" I asked. Apollo sighed. "My little sister spends most of her time with her hunters. We're not as close as we used to be. I must admit, I miss her."
"I thought you guys were twins." I said. "Oh, we are. But I've always considered her as my little sister. She hates it though. A sad look crossed his face. "I just wish.."
"What's wrong?" "Oh, don't worry about it, Percy. I'm just regretting some things I did. Perhaps we still would have been close."
Apollo stared out of the car's window for a minute, and I stayed quiet, not wanting to bother him. Then, he turned back to face me, a bright smile on his face. However, I could see a hint of sadness that was hidden in his face. I was now curious as to why he suddenly looked like that, and why he was trying to hide it. I decided not to ask. I mean, I don't know anything about him. Why would he trust me about his godly problems?
"So, how about you tell me how your first day at camp went? Aries wasn't very happy. What did you do?"
I smiled at the memory. "I blasted her and three of her sisters with toilet water." I said. Apollo's eyes widened before he burst out laughing. He had a quiet, musical laugh, and I was happy that his sadness from earlier was gone now.
"Finally! Those girls deserved it." He said. "How did you do it?"
"I really don't know." I said with a sigh. "She was about to put my head in a toilet, and the pipes just.. burst. I can't really explain it."
I watched as Apollo's smile faded. "This isn't good, Percy." He said quietly. "If father knew.." He didn't continue. "What is it?" I asked. "What's not good? That I blew up a toilet? Please tell me. You're literally the only one that really tells me things."
Apollo pushed a button on the car that said, autopilot, then turned to face me. "I really don't think I can tell you this, Percy. It might put you in more danger then you already are. You should probably wait untill you find out yourself."
I wanted to grab Apollo and shake him. I probably would have, if he didn't have the power to blast me into dust, or throw me out of the car.
"Can you at least tell me what it's about?" I asked. Apollo leaned back in his seat and stared out the window. "You're father." He said.
Before I could say anything, I saw a bolt of lightning fly towards the car. Apollo cursed loudly.
"He suspects! Percy, you have to go! Tell Will I'll be at camp on Friday night. I'll see you later." With that, I was thrown out of the car, and I was falling.

Chapter Text

Over the next few days, I settled into a routine that could almost be considered normal, except for the fact that I'm being taught by Satyrs, Nymphs, and a centaur.
Every morning, I'd take ancient Greek lessons with Annabeth. We'd talk about the gods in a present tense, which even now sounded a little weird. I never expected any of them to be real. Sometimes, I still think I'm dreaming. Then I see the minotaur horn by my sleeping bag, or the gold coin I always carried in my pocket, or even Mr. D's displays of godly power, which he was only to happy to show me whenever he thought I was in denial.
Anyway, Annabeth had been right about my dyslexia. Ancient Greek wasn't very hard for me to read. At least, not harder then English was. After a few days, I was able to stumble through a few lines of Homer with only a slight headache, which I saw as a big accomplishment, especially after my first try. Let's just say, Will had been very concerned when I showed up first thing in the morning.
"Percy! When I said you should stop by, I didn't mean get yourself hurt almost immediately!" He had said as he made me drink some more nectar.
After ancient Greek lessons, I went around the camp, trying out the different activities, trying to see what I was good at. Apparently, this was also a good way to get an idea of who my father was. That really wasn't going to well. I couldn't find anything that I was really good at.
Chiron tried teaching me archery, but we very quickly realized that I was no good at it. Chiron, for his part, never complained. Even when he had to get a stray arrow out of his tail. By the way, Chiron had been standing behind me. Yeah, that was even more embarrassing. I had sent a silent apology to Apollo, just in case my archery skills had offended him.
Next, I tried foot racing. That didn't go well either. The wood nymph instructors had left me in the dust. They told me not to worry about it. They said they've had years of practice, running from lovesick gods. Still, it didn't feel to good to be outran by a tree. As for wrestling.. forget about it! Every time I'd get on the matt, Clarisse would punch my lights out. "There's more where that came from, punk!" She'd say in my ear.
I was starting to get frustrated. I wasn't good with metalwork like the Hephaestus kids, or at archery like the Apollo kids. Oh yeah, and Apollo found my failing to shoot very funny. He had sent one of his golden arrows to follow me around for the whole day. I was terrified at first. I thought he was going to kill me with it. I had gone to Mr. D, who had just rolled his eyes.
"Relax, Peter." He'd said, turning the arrow into a bowl of grapes. "Apollo's not trying to kill you. He's just being an idiot." Another beam of light had hit him in the face after that.
The only thing I was really good at was canoeing, which wasn't exactly a very heroic activity for the guy who killed the Minotaur.
I could tell that most of the senior counselors and campers were watching me from a distance, probably trying to find out who my parent was. I don't think they were having any luck. Luke said that I was probably a son of Hermes, god of trade, master of none,But I could tell he was having trouble figuring me out too.
On Thursday, I had my first sword fighting lesson. This was honestly what I was looking forward to the most. All of cabin eleven gathered in the big circular arena, where Luke would be our instructor. We started with basic stabbing and slashing, using some straw dummies in Greek armer. I guess I did okay. At least, I understood what I was supposed to do, and my reflexes weren't bad. The problem was, I couldn't find a blade that felt right in my hands. They were either to heavy, to light, or to long. Luke tried his best to fix me up, but he too agreed that none of the practice blades worked for me.
"This isn't completely a bad thing, Percy." He said. "You might have a blade that's meant only for you. We just have to find it."
I really hoped he was right. I didn't want to fail at this too.
After a while, we moved on to dueling in pairs. Luke announced that he'd be my partner, since this was my first time.
"Good luck." One of the campers told me. "Luke's the best swordsman in the last three hundred years."
"Maybe he'll go easy on me." I said, trying to hide the hopefulness from my voice. The camper laughed. "Whatever you say."
Luke showed me thrusts, parries, and shield blocks the hard way. With every swipe, I got a little more battered and bruised. I felt like a total idiot.
"Keep your guard up, Percy." He'd say, then whap me in the ribs with the flat of his sword.
"No, not that far up!"
Whap!
"Lunge!"
Whap!
"Now, back!"
Whap!
By the time he finally called a break, I was soaked in sweat. Everyone swarmed the drink's cooler. Luke poured ice water on his head, which looked like a good idea, so I did it too. Instantly, I felt better. Strength serged back into my arms. The sword didn't feel so strange. It still didn't feel right, but it was something.
"Okay, everybody, circle up!" Luke ordered. "If Percy doesn't mind, I want to give you all a little demo."
"Great!" I thought. "Let's watch Percy get pounded."
The Hermes guys gathered around. Some of them looked way to interested in this for my liking. They were hiding smiles. I figured they've all been in my shoes, and they couldn't wait to see how Luke used me as a punching bag.
He said that he wanted to demonstrate a disarming technique: how to twist the person's blade with the flat of your own sword, so that they had no choice but to drop it.
"This is difficult." He said. "I've had it used against me. No laughing at Percy, now. Most swordsman have to work years to master it."
He demonstrated the move on me in slow motion. Sure enough, the sword fell out of my hand. "Now in real time." He said, after I got my weapon. "We keep sparring untill someone pulls it off. Ready, Percy?" I nodded, and Luke came after me.
Somehow, I kept him from getting a shot at the hilt of my sword. My senses opened up. I saw his attacks coming. I countered them. I stepped forward and tried a thrust of my own. Luke deflected it, but I could see a change in his face. His eyes narrowed, and he started to press me with force. The sword grew heavy in my hand again. I figured it was only a matter of time before Luke took me down, so I thought, "What the heck?" I tried the disarming maneuver.
My blade hit the base of Luke's, and I twisted, putting my whole weight into a downward thrust. Clang. Luke's sword rattled against the stones. The tip of my blade was an inch away from his undefended chest. The other campers were silent. I lowered the sword quickly.
"Umm, sorry." For a moment, Luke was to stunned to speak. "Sorry?" His face broke into a grin. "By the gods, Percy, why are you sorry? Show me that again."
I really didn't want to. The short burst of energy had completely left me. I now felt drained and tired. But Luke insisted. This time, there was no contest. The moment our swords connected, my weapon was sent to the floor.
After a long pause, someone said, "Beginner's luck?" Luke shook his head. He looked at me, a spark of interest in his eyes. "Maybe.” He said. "But I wonder what Percy could do with a balanced sword..."
Friday afternoon, I had nothing to do. For a while, Grover and I sat by the lake, talking about my week. I told him it wasn't bad, but I mostly just missed my mom still. Grover had looked sad.
"I'm really sorry, Percy." He said. I shook my head. "Oh no! You are not blaming yourself for what happened. It's not your fault the car got hit by lightning. You did your best. Plus, I'll find a way to get her back."
Grover had looked nervous. "Percy, you know that could be dangerous right?" He asked, biting his lip. I nodded. "Of course I know. But I'm not just gonna leave her there."
He had nodded. "Okay, tell me if you need help with that."
"Thanks man." I said. "So, how was your talk with Mr. D?"
Grover sighed. "I mean, it wasn't as bad as I thought. He said he wasn't to happy, but I don't blame him. He's not as angry as the night with Thalia."
"Well, that's good at least. What's the dream that Chiron mentioned?"
Grover began playing with the grass. "I'm trying to get my searchers' license." He said. "Umm, for what?" I asked. "I'm trying to find Pan." He said. "Who's Pan?" I wondered. "He's basically the lord of the wiled. He's pretty much the god of nature, and he's been missing for years. We've all been trying to find him, but most of them get lost and don't come back. It's dangerous but..."
I nodded. "Yeah, I get it man. You let me know if there's anyway I can help you."
"Thanks, Percy." He said.

A while later, I was just walking around. I was once again thinking about my father, and why he hasn't claimed me yet. I began to understand why Luke resented the gods so much. I mean, I know they're busy doing.. whatever it is that gods do, but they could at least call once in a while! Or even just send a simple sign so we at least know who they are. If Mr. D can make a glass of wine appear out of nowhere, and Zeus can make thunder and lightning appear, then can't my father, whoever he is, make a simple phone appear or something? Maybe I'll just be stuck in the Hermes cabin for the rest of the summer, along with those other unclaimed kids, sitting in the corner of the room, probably resenting the gods for ever.
It appeared as though Apollo was really the most decent one of them. His children at least feel noticed and loved. He even talks to me, which he clearly doesn't have to. That made me happy. At least he wasn't being forced to talk to me. Still.. Apollo seemed to know who my father was. Why wouldn't he tell me? Unless he was evil or something. But.. no! My mom wouldn't be with someone bad. Someone who could possibly destroy the world. Yet again, she was with Gabe..
Finally I couldn't take it any more. I went to the infirmary and asked Will if he or any of his siblings could see parts of the future like their dad. Will frowned. "Why do you ask?“
"I need to know about my dad. Who is he? Will he claim me? Also, is he like.. evil or something?“
Will had looked at me for a few seconds then noddded. "one of my sisters can see some stuff. It's not normally something that dad passes down to us. She's the only one right now. Come, I'll take you to her."

Stepping into the Apollo cabin, I immediately smiled. This was a pretty relaxing place. The inside wasn't as bright, but the walls still looked like they were made of gold. There were about eight bunks, all with silk sheets in a light blue or gold color. They looked really soft too. Nightlights rested on every side table beside the beds. In one corner, I could see a bookshelf with books on medicines, music, popular novels, and on Apollo himself.
In another corner, I saw an area that held some instruments. I saw some guitars, violins, and even a few lyres. A gentle melody came from a grand piano at the other end of the cabin. Will walked up to the piano, and I followed.
"Be nice, Percy. She's not as weak as she looks.
That's when I saw the girl sitting on the piano bench. She looked small, like very small, and delicate, with waist-length black hair, and tanned skin. I couldn't really see her face, since she was turned away from me.
"Aurora, this is Percy Jackson. Percy, this is Aurora Fletcher. She's our head counselor's little sister. She's the only one who's been here longer then Annabeth. Father raised her for about three years before bringing her here. She's the closest with him."
"Why did he do that?" I asked. Will frowned. "I think that's Aurora's story to tell." He said. "Anyway, Percy would like to ask you some questions."
The girl stopped playing, and turned to face us. I immediately felt a strong urge to protect this girl, and I wasn't sure why. Her facial feature were small and delicate like the rest of her. Her eyes were exactly like Apollos. In fact, I think she's the only one of his children that got the full color right, even the light gold in them. Despite her small appearance, I could tell she was older then she looked. Her eyes held a sadness in them, as though she had seen so much of the cruel world, which I guess she did with every thing she saw.
"I've been expecting you, Percy Jackson. She said. Her voice was quiet and musical, with a lilting scottish accent.
"You were?" I asked nervously.
"You want to know about your father." She said. "You also have questions about your mother. Am I right?"
I nodded. "I.. I can't believe she's dead. Can you tell me anything about her? Or dad?"
Aurora sighed. "You're father." She said.
"That doesn't sound to good." I said. "Is my dad, evil or something?"
Aurora smiles slightly. "Evil." She mused. "We all have some evil in us, Percy. Some just show it more then others. There are some people that think the gods are evil. They weren't always the best. Especially back in ancient times. So, I'm not sure how to answer that question. You're father has done many things that would be considered evil before, but so has my father. I can say that he's getting better though.
"So, you do know who he is?" I asked, kind of excited. She nodded. "At first, I'd only got small pieces. I had to put them together, but it's kind of obvious now. I'm surprised they haven't figured it out themselves. Although, I do believe Chiron knows. Or at least has an idea. He just hopes he's wrong.. because of the prophecy..."
"What?" I asked, sounding curious. "I'm in a prophacy?"
Aurora sighed, patting the spot beside her. "Sit, Percy. Will, you can join us if you want."
I sat down beside her, Will sitting on the bed closest to us. Aurora ran her hands over the piano keys, a soft and beautiful melody coming out.
"Father used to play this for me when I was little." She said quietly. "He made it. I play it when I need to forget about the things I see. Or to make Will here go to sleep."
"What exactly happened to you?" I asked. She sighed, and stopped playing. "My mother!" She spat, her voice growing cold. "She hated me. She said I reminded her to much about dad. She said she hated him for getting her pregnant. Apparently, she didn't want to have another god's baby or whatever. She'd spent nights screaming insults at him from our kitchen.. I was surprised that they didn't blast her into dust for that."
"Did he not tell her who he was?" I asked. "He tells all of our parents." Will said. "So then.." I was kind of confused. Why was Aurora's mom throwing a fit? She could have stopped him from getting her pregnant. It's not like he forced her, right?
Aurora must have noticed what I was thinking, because she shook her head. "No, she wasn't forced. When dad got me out of there, I asked him about it. As the god of truth, he can't rly lie, so he told me. Mom had been fine with having a baby. She hates me because I can see stuff. She'd call me a freak. She said things like, "why can't you get his normal gifts like healing or music? Why must you be stuck with.. that?"
Will's hand clenched, and I too felt angry. What was this woman's problem? Aurora couldn't help what she got.
"Mom began.. taking her anger out on me. I won't tell you details. I hate thinking about it. Dad got me out when I was four. Lady Artemis cursed her with being unable to have any more children, which mom always wanted another baby. Someone more, normal. Father says that punishment was to light, but as far as I know, nothing else has been done about her. Anyway, father bought a house in Scotland, I lived with him untill I was seven. Then he brought me here. Besides my siblings here, dad's the only one I really trust."
I frowned. "What happened with your brother? You said he's here right?"
She nodded. "Lee didn't know what was going on. Mom was nice to me when he was around. He arrived two years after I came. I think dad brought him. I missed him. We're very close. It took me a few months before I told him what happened. He's furious with mom. Neither of us had gone home during the year. Lee's almost eighteen, so he might rent a place soon. I'll go with him. "We'll of course be back during the summer though."
I was both angry and happy. Angry at their mother, and how cruel she was with her only daughter. I bet she treated her brother better. From what I could tell, Lee had Apollo's music, healing, and archery skills. I was glad that he'd agreed to take his sister with him when he moved into a place.

"I'm sorry, Percy. You were here so I could answer your questions, not hear my life story."
I shook my head. "No, I wanted to know. I'm glad you're happy now."
She smiled. "Yes, I am. I'll also be grateful to dad for raising me for three years. He could have just immediately sent me here. Sure I was to young, but I didn't think he'd care."
"She's probably dad's favorite." Will whispered loudly. "Her and Lee."
She blushed. "Shut up, Will." She said, ruffling his hair.
"Anyway, to answer your question, Percy. You'll be in quite a few prophacies. Two of them are major ones. In fact, one of those is already happening."
"What about the other not major one?" I asked. "That one will start real soon." She said. "Tomorrow at the least."
"Oh that's just great." I muttered. Aurora laughed. "Oh, I'm sure you'll do fine." She said lightly. "Is that something you saw or.."
She laughed. "Can't tell you." She said with a playful smile.
"Now, I can't answer the question about your father. I can tell when things need to be left to the fates. This is one of them. But I can tell you about your mother. Will, bring me the gold mirror by my bed."
After he brought it to her, she placed it between me and her.
"I can't show what I see like dad can, so he gave me this mirror where I can project them when I need to share them. Look into it."
At first, I couldn't see anything but myself, but then an image appeared. It was very clear, as though I was right there.
I saw myself standing on Half Blood hill, facing the Minotaur. Well, I was watching my mom trying to lead it away from us. I wanted to cry. It had been the first time I'd seen my mom since it happened. I missed her so much.
I watched again as she vanished in gold light. Then, the image changed.
I saw a throne room made from stone and marble. I could see a man dressed in all black robes holding a ball of light in his hand. I clenched my hands into fists. This was the lord of the underworld. She was with him. Then, I heard him speak.
"Your son will be back for you. You are the perfect bargaining chip. I might return you. If, and only if, he gives me what he took from me." Then, the light vanished.
Aurora made the mirror go blank.
"Before you ask, yes, you will be going down there soon. I won't tell you when. I don't know that. I do know that it's part of your prophecy. Don't tell anyone that you know about it. Not untill Chiron mentions it to you."
"We're talking about the not major one, right?" I asked. She nodded. "That one won't happen for a few years. I'm afraid I can't tell you about that one either. Sorry!"
I shrugged. "It's fine. I'll worry about it later. But right now, what I'm mostly worried about, is the angry god that's after me. I mean, I didn't take anything from him. What is he talking about?"
She shrugged. "I don't know, but I doubt you took it, whatever it is."
"I don't see how I could have." I said.
"You'll find every ding out soon." She said. "You shouldn't worry about it right now."
I stood from the bench, ready to leave.
"Thank you so much for answering my questions the best you can." I said. She smiled. "No problem, Percy. Come to me when ever you need anything, got it?" I nodded. "How about just to hang out? You seem pretty cool."
A bright smile lit up her face. "Sounds good, Jackson." She said. "I'll see you at dinner. I heard dad was coming."
Will's eyes lit up. "Really? I finally get to meet him? I'm not telling the others since they wouldn't tell me about him."
I waved at Will and Aurora before leaving the cabin. It was getting late, so I made my way to the Hermes cabin to wait for the dinner call.
I was thinking about every thing I learned from Aurora. Mom wasn't dead. But, a god thinks I took something from him. How was I supposed to do that? I'm only twelve! Plus, I only just found out about all this. I decided to think about it later. I had to worry about capture the flag right now.

Chapter Text

Well, this was eventful As soon as I walked into the cabin, I was immediately ambushed by Conner and Travis Stole, the most trouble making kids in the entire cabin. I was immediately on guard. I didn't trust these guys at all.
"What did you two do?" I asked, looking at my spot on the floor. Nothing looked different, but I knew better then to relax around the Stoles.
The twins followed my gaze and smirked, which didn't really make me feel any safer. "Oh come on, Percy. We didn't do anything." Conner said, but the way his lips were tilted up in the corner completely ruined any chance of me believing him. Clearly, they could tell what I was thinking, because they both laughed.
"Look, we didn't do anything yet." Travis finally said. "But we are planning something on the Aries cabin. We don't know yet, but it's going to be great!" Conner said. "We just need you to do something for us."
I raised an eyebrow. "And why do you need my help? Why couldn't you do it with one of your other siblings?"
The twins shook their heads. "Percy, we're disappointed in you." They said together. "Why?" I asked. They let out identical sighs. "Percy, you can't trust anyone in the Hermes cabin. Not even if you are siblings. In fact, that might just make it worse." Travis said.
"Don't siblings like.. help each other or something?" I asked, confused. "Well, sometimes they do.. when it's important. Other then that, there's this thing like a friendly rivalry with your siblings. It's worse in our cabin." Conner said. If you tell your siblings about the prank you're about to pull, they'll take the credit once it's done."
"And if you tried to say that it was you, they just ignore you because they'll think you're the one taking the credit."
"So, you're trusting me with this?" I asked. The twins moved closed to me, their relaxed smiles turning cold and scarry. "I don't think you want to risk it, Percy." Conner said, his tone promising many unpleasant dings they could do to me if I dared to mess up their plan.
"I understand." I said. "You can trust me."
They relaxed, stepping back from me. "Glad to hear that." Conner said. "Now, we need you to cover for us while we try not to get killed."
"What exactly are you planning that could get you two killed?" I asked. "Well, no matter what we did, we have a chance of dying since it's the Aries cabin we're targeting." Travis pointed out. "But, this is something worse then what we normally do." Conner added.
"You might want to tell me so you have enough time to get it done before dinner." I said. They nodded. "Yes, you're right, Percy. Come with us."
Luke sent us a sharp look as we walked out of the cabin. "Luke thinks we're influencing you." Conner said with a laugh. "I mean, you kind of are." I said. "Oh please Percy, we're just bringing out what we know is in there. everyone has a pranking side to them. They just need help finding it."
"So, are you going to tell me what you're planning?" I asked as we walked up to the back of cabin five.
"Basically, we're going in there, and steeling one of their weapons." Conner said. I frowned at them. "Really? That's it? I expected more from the sons of Hermes."
The twins looked even more offended.
"Percy Jackson! You don't really think that's all, right?" Travis asked, his hand pressed to his chest in fake pain. Or maybe it was real. There father is the god of tricks, so maybe they really were offended this time.
"Percy, I said that was the simple version." Conner said. "Look, Clarisse has this spear that her father gave to her a while ago. It's electric, so it's painful when she hits you with it. She's aloud to use it during capture the flag, and when she fights with it, your arm gets numb, so you can't use your weapon."
"We need to take it." Travis said. "We're tired of losing to those idiots." Conner added.
"So, how do I help?" I asked. Now this was what I expected from them. I was all to happy to help bring down Clarisse and her ugly siblings.
"Well, we have a secret weapon this time. We didn't have her last time, so she was able to warn the Aries cabin about when we last tried to steel it." Travis said.
I thought about anyone that could help avoid the Hermes cabin. "You asked Aurora to help you?" I asked, making the twins smile.
"So, you've met our little helper." Conner said. "She helps a lot with our pranks. Tells us the best times and stuff." Travis said. "So, you must understand why we were unhappy when she helped the Aries cabin last time. Don't know why she decided to take cabin five's offer."
"I thought her brother was the counselor for the Apollo cabin?" I asked. "Yeah, Lee is, but Aurora's like the honorary counselor because of her visions. When it comes to capture the flag, Lee let's her decide what team there on."
"I suppose that it was a good thing for them that she chose the other team. A fight broke out between our cabin and the athena cabin, which made us lose the game. Something good must be happening if Aurora chose our team this time. But.. just in case, we need to take the spear."
"So, what do I do?" I asked. Travis reached into his pocket and pulled out a blue cap. "This belongs to Annabeth. It was a gift from her mother. It turns whoever wears it invisible. We took it while she was training. Put this on and circle the cabin. If you see any of the Aries kids coming, tap on the window, then run! We'll meet you back at the cabin." Travis said. I nodded. "I can do that." I said, taking the cap from Conner. "Good luck you two."
They both shook my hand before quickly darting into the cabin.
I put on the cap, and saw that my body was gone. I began to walk around the cabin, keeping an eye out of any ugly Aries campers. I saw a few, but they were going in the opposite direction. Then I saw Luke walk out of the Hermes cabin, and make his way into the woods. "Maybe he's just getting some practice in before the games." I thought. But then, why wasn't he going to the arena instead? Then I remembered that the woods were stocked with monsters for those who wanted a challenge. Maybe he was going to fight something in there.
I turned my attention back to the front of the cabin, just in time to see Clarisse walk towards the door. I immediately turned and tapped on the window, before taking off towards cabin eleven. Behind me, I could hear the sound of the twins climbing out of the window. Clarisse must have seen them because she began screaming insults after them.
"Percy, run!" Conner screamed as they began running. To my left, I heard a door open, and a pair of blue- gold eyes peek out, before the door closed again. Aurora was probably checking to see how the twins did.
Finally, I ran inside the Hermes cabin, closely followed by the stoles.
"Percy, are you here?" Travis asked. I pulled off the cap. "Did you take it?" I asked. With identical smiles, the twins pulled out a five foot spear, the tip crackling with electricity. "There advantage is ours now." Conner said. "Now, who here is a spear fighter?"

About half an hour later, we were making our way to dinner again. The Apollo cabin was right behind us. They were lined up like us, with two people in the lead. I recognized Aurora as one of them. She had her armer over one shoulder, and she had twin gold daggers strapped to her side. There was a guy beside her, an arm wrapped protectively around her. The guy was tall, with blond hair, and clear blue eyes. An easy smile rested on his face. He had a bow over his shoulder, along with some arrows. Judging by how close this guy was to Aurora, he must be Lee.
Aurora saw me looking and sent me a small smile and a wave, which I returned. Lee's gaze moved to me, and I could tell he was sizing me up. I stared back at him, trying to seem nonthreatening. It seemed to work, because his smile returned, and his grip on Aurora relaxed as well.
When they sat down, Lee was on her left, with Will sitting on the other side of him. The seat to her right was empty. It was probably for Apollo.
"Speaking of the god, I saw him appear beside her, making no sound at all. Clearly, he was trying to see how long his presents could go unnoticed by his kids. I could tell that Aurora wanted to greet her dad, but she was holding back untill he was noticed.
Apollo cought my gaze and I saw him smirk. I groaned. He was probably still thinking about my fail in archery. I rolled my eyes at him, which only made him smile more. Finally, Will saw him.
"Dad!" He said, his eyes wide and a smile on his face. The whole camp went quiet, and they all stared at Apollo, who just smiled.
"Surprise." He said, before he had to catch Aurora, who had thrown herself into his arms. I saw his smirk turn into a softer smile as he hugged his daughter tightly. Lee moved closer slightly, but he looked unsure, almost nervous. Apollo noticed, because he reached out and pulled Lee into a hug as well. The rest of the Apollo cabin moved closer, untill the whole table was in a giant group hug.
Looking around, I could see some of the campers with smiles on their faces, but most of them were glaring at cabin seven, jealous that they had their parent with them.
After a few more minutes, the group hug ended, and they returned to their seats. They were all talking to each other, all with wide smiles on their faces. Apollo still had his arms around Lee and Aurora, and Will was smiling wider then all of them. I could see something in his hands. It was a bag of some kind. I was sure he'd show it to me later.
"Well, well, if it isn't Apollo himself." Drawled Mr. D from the head table. He looked bored, but I could see a small smile at the corner of his mouth. Apollo smiled. "Miss me, brother?" He asked. Mr. D laughed. "As if. I was actually enjoying not seeing you."
Apollo shrugged. "Well, I for one, miss your parties. They're quite dull now that you're not there."
Mr. D's eyes widened slightly. "Are you saying you missed me?" He asked. Apollo's smile got gentle again, but it was barely noticable. Whatever he said next must have been said mentally because the smile got a little bigger on Mr. D's face.
I couldn't help but smile. I could tell it had been a while since Mr. D had smiled genuinely. I was thankful for whatever it was that Apollo said to him, unless it had something to do with killing all of us.

When the plates were all clear away, the conch horn sounded, and we all stood at our tables. Campers yelled and cheered as Annabeth and two of her siblings ran into the pavilion carrying a silk banner. It was about ten feet long, glistening gray with a painting of a barn owl above an olive tree.
From the other end, Clarisse and her siblings ran in with their banner. It was about the same size, but this one was red with a painting of a bloody spear and a boar's head.
"Well, that's not a very pleasant thing to look at." I heard Apollo say, and I completely agreed.
I turned to Luke and yelled over the noice, "Are those the flags?" He nodded. "Do Aries and Athena always lead?"
"No, not always, but often."
"So, if another cabin captures one, what do you do? Repaint the flag?" Luke grinned. "You'll see. First we have to get one."
"Who else is on our side?" I asked. "We only have Athena and Apollo on our side this time. We all have the most amount of people, so it's good."
I learned that in order to get support for capture the flag, you'd have to trade some things, like shower times, chore schedule and the best slots for activities.
Aries got everyone else. Dionysus, who sent me a smirk, Demeter, Aphrodite, and Hephaestus.
From what I had noticed over the week, was that Mr. D's sons were good athletes, but there were only two of them. Demeter's kids had the edge when it came to nature, but they weren't very aggressive. Aphrodite's sons and daughters I wasn't to worried about. They mostly sat out every activity and checked their reflections in the lake while they gossiped. Hephaestus' kids weren't pretty, and there were only four of them, but they were big and burly from working in the mettle shop all day. They might be a problem.
That of course, left the Aries cabin. A dozen of the biggest, ugliest, meanest kids in the world.
Chiron hammered his hoof on the marble. "Heros!" He announced. "You know the rules. The creek is the boundary line. The entire forest is fair game. All magic items are aloud. The banner must be able to be seen, and have no more then two guards. Prisoners may be disarmed, but may not be bound or gagged. No killing or maiming is aloud. I will serve as referee. Since Lord Apollo is here, he will serve as the battlefield medic. Now, arm yourselves!"
He spread his hands, and the tables were suddenly covered with helmets, bronze swords, spears, and shields.
"Here, Percy. Chiron thought these would fit. You'll be on border patrol." Luke said.
My shield was the size of an MBA backboard, with a big caduceus in the middle. I could barely lift it. My helmet, like all of the helmets on Annabeth's team had a blue horsehair plume on top. Aries and their allies had red plumes.
Annabeth yelled, "Blue team, forward!" We cheered and shook our swords and followed her down the path to the south woods. A swan with pure white plumage flew ahead of us, waiting for the game to start. The red team yelled taunts at us as they headed off toward the north.
"So, what's the plan?" I asked Annabeth. "You got any magic items you can lone me?"
Her hand drifted toward her pocket, and I figured that's where she kept her cap.
"Just watch Clarisse's spear." She said. "You don't want that thing touching you. Otherwise, don't worry. We'll take the banner from Aries. Has Luke given you your job?"
I didn't bother telling her that the Stole brothers had taken the spear, and it was now in the possession of one of the Hermes girls.
"Border patrol, whatever that means."
"It's easy. Stand by the creek, keep the guards away. Leave the rest to me. Athena always has a plan."
"Annabeth!"
Looking back, I saw Aurora and Lee walking toward us. "Don't you think there should be one more person on Border patrol? No offence, Percy, but you just started training. You should at least have a partner." Lee said. I shrugged. He was right. I probably needed someone else to guard with me, especially if the Aries cabin hate me so much. Annabeth shook her head. "Percy will be fine by himself. It will be good practice for him too. Luke told me how he disarmed him during a class."
"You know Clarisse has taken a major dislike toward him. They're going to send a big group of them to his location." Aurora said.
Annabeth sent her an angry glare. "Is that something you saw, or are you just guessing? No wait, let me guess, you can't tell us that either?"
"Annabeth.." Lee said warningly, his voice sharp. "No, I'm curious. Can you even see anything? Or are you just faking it? You're hiding a lot of things for it to be believable."
Aurora tried to speak, but Annabeth held a hand up. "No, let me finish!" She snapped, gray eyes stormy. "Do you know what I think, Aurora Fletcher? I think you're just pretending to have visions, just so you can get extra attention from Apollo!"
My mouth dropped open. Did she really just go there? And for what? Because her great plan was being questioned? I glanced over and saw Lee had his bow out, an arrow already notched.
"How dare you!" He spat, fury in his eyes. "How dare you even think about my sister lying about what she can do! Just because.."
Aurora had stepped in front of Lee, her arms crossed. "I got this, Lee." She said, her voice deadly calm. Her eyes fixed on Annabeth's and I couldn't help but flinch at the look in them.
Those blue-gold eyes were full of fury. The only time I saw someone this angry was when Apollo had first found me in his memory. I had felt like I was about to be killed. Aurora's had the same affect.
"Annabeth chase." She said. "Finally, we see you lose your head. After years, the perfectly put together Annabeth tells us what she really thinks. And why did this happen? All because I wouldn't tell you the end of your prophecy? Because I won't tell you who the hero you're looking for is? What, I'm guessing you also want me to tell you how the great prophecy ends as well? Who you're going to marry? Will you ever accomplish your dream?"
Her eyes darkened even more. "You know very well that I can't tell those things for actual reasons. Sometimes, I don't see what you want to know. And when I do see things, I have been forbidden to say anything to major. But I guess you wouldn't understand that would you, wise girl? The only things that make sense to you, are things that come from books."
Annabeth tried to speak, but Aurora just held up a hand. "No, you want to know something? Fine, I'll tell you something."
She stepped closer to Annabeth. "Your pride, and selfishness, will one day drive away the person you care about the most. You'll think you're doing something right, and you'll be blinded to what's around you, untill it's to late. I'm not going to tell you who it is, but it's not who you're thinking about. So, you have been warned. Don't say I didn't tell you anything when it happens."
While she talked, Aurora's eyes glowed a little, proving that she hadn't been lying about her abilities, not that anyone besides Annabeth thought that. Most of us understood how prophecies worked. Others like me, could just tell by looking at her that she could see things that would terrify anyone else.
Annabeth stumbled back. "You're a psycho!" She said, her face pale. Aurora laughed darkly. "Trust me, if you saw half of the things I do, you'd have a bit of madness in you as well."
With that, She grabbed Lee's and my hands, and pulled us ahead of the main group.
"Percy and Lee will be covering border patrol." She said to the group. Cabin seven, you know what to do. Stay in the trees. Don't bee spotted. Use your bows to your advantage. I think it's about time that the Apollo cabin got a win, don't you think?"
She gave the group a sweet smile that made almost everyone flinch. I made a note never to anger this girl. She was scarier then Annabeth.

"So, what exactly was that all about?" I asked. Lee and I were at the creek. Well, I was standing by the creek. Bee was sitting in a tree, his bow aimed into the forest.
Lee sighed. "Ever since Annabeth found out there was a prophecy about her, she's been bugging Aurora to tell her all of it. Apparently, there's a certain person she has to wait for, but Aurora can't tell her who it is. Of course, this just angers Annabeth, who doesn't really understand the gift of prophecy."
"Do they argue often?" I asked. Lee shook his head. "This is the first blow up between them. Normally, Annabeth just glares at her to get the information out. I suppose questioning her plan was what set her off."
"Was it true then? What she said about her pride driving someone away?"
Lee sighed again. "Probably. Her eyes were glowing, so it's more then likely."

Before I could say anything else, I heard a low canine growl, somewhere close by. Lees fingers tensed on the string of his bow. "This really isn't good." He said quietly, his gaze in the trees. "What was that?" I asked. Lee looked over at me, a small glint of fear in his eyes. "Not that many monsters make that sound." He said. "But the ones the do.." He didn't need to continue. The fear in his eyes told me that whatever had made that sound was no good.
"Lee, do you feel that?" I asked. "You mean, like someone's stalking you? Yes, I feel it too." He said quietly. Then, the growling stopped, and I couldn't feel the presents any more.
"What do we do?" I asked. I saw Lee scowl. "Well first, we have to deal with those idiots." He said. I was about to ask what he meant, but then on the other side of the creek, the underbrush exploded. Five Ares warriors came yelling and screaming out of the dark.
"Cream the punk!" Clarisse screamed. Her ugly pig eyes glared through the slits of her helmet. I smirked as I saw that instead of her electric spear, she was waving around a toy version of it. I glanced over at Lee who's blue eyes were full of amusement.
"Nice weapon, Clarisse." I said, fighting back a laugh. She raised the spear. "Thanks punk. How about you be the first person to taste it in the game?"
She and her siblings began charging across the stream. I heard the twang a bow string, and I turned to see an arrow fly through the air, a thin cord trailing behind it. As soon as they were on land, the five Ares campers went sprawling in the dirt. I couldn't help but laugh. "Trip wire arrow." Lee said happily. "Percy, it won't hold them off for long. Prepare yourself!"
Right on queue, they all untangled themselves from the cord and surrounded me. I managed to sidestep the first kid's swing, but [window] guys weren't as stupid as the Minotaur, despite looking it.
"Percy, look out!" Lee shouted. "She's gonna spear you!" I could detect the laughter in his voice, but the others couldn't. I guess they were still pretty stupid, just not when it comes to fighting.
I watched as Clarisse thrust the spear toward me. A few sparks flew from the end, but nothing happened. Clarisse growled and tried it again, resulting in the spear breaking.
Clarisse stared down at the broken spear, then let out an angry scream. "Those stupid Hermes brats!"
She threw down the broken parts of the plastic spear, then tried to punch me in the face, but I was able to move away.
Clarisse pointed to two of her siblings. "Go shut him up, will you?"
That's when I noticed that Lee was just cheerfully whistling as he casually shot arrows into the trees, keeping enemies away.
Two Ares warriors ran to the tree, and started climbing it. With out stopping his song, Lee aimed his bow at them. My mouth dropped open as I saw him shoot half a dozen arrows at once.
Wires were attached to each one. They crossed together, untill it resembled a net, which then closed around the two guys, trapping them.
"No binding!" Clarisse yelled. Lee shrugged. "Technically, they're not. They're just cought in a net, which is aloud."
Lee reached down and casually took the weapons out of their hands. "Sorry guys, but prisoners can't be armed."
He let out a shrill whistle, and two other Apollo kids appeared. "Nice Lee." One said, taking one end of the net.
"You need help with those two as well?" The other guy asked. Lee shook his head. "We're good. I think Percy's got them."
I totally did not have this. After seeing her siblings get taken away, Clarisse began to attack harder. She pulled out another spear that was at her side, this one not electric. Then she and the remaining two charged once again.
One of them slammed me in the chest with the butt of his sword, and I hit the dirt. They could have kicked me into Jelly, but they were to busy laughing.
"Give him a hair cut!" Clarisse said. "Grab his hair!"
"Clarisse, just because you don't have great hair, doesn't mean you have to ruin other people's." Lee called down. "This doesn't involve you, Fletcher. Stay out of this!" She yelled back.
Finally, I managed to get to my feet. I raised my sword, but Clarisse slammed it aside with her spear.
"Oh, wow." She said. "I'm so scared of this guy. Really scared."
"The flag is that way." I said, pointing in the wrong direction. I wanted to sound angry, but it didn't really come out that way.
"Yeah," One of her siblings said. but see, we don't care about the flag. We care about a guy who made our cabin look stupid."
"You do that with out my help." I told them. It probably wasn't the smartest thing to say, but it was the truth.
Two of them came at me. I backed up toward the creek, and tried to raise my shield, but they were to fast. One of them slashed his sword across my arm, leaving a good sized cut. Seeing my blood made me dizzy,Warm and cold at the same time.
"Hey, no maiming." Lee yelled in outrage. "Oops." The guy said. "Guess I lost my dessert privilege."
He pushed me into the creek, and I landed with a splash. They all laughed. Once again, I heard the twang of a bow string, and I heard the guy cry out in pain. An arrow had hit his arm in the same spot as I had my cut. "Oops, guess I did too." Lee said.
Then, something happened. The water seemed to wake up my senses, as if I'd just had a bag of mom's double-espresso jelly beans.
Clarisse and her siblings came into the creek to get me, but I stood to meet them. Somehow, I knew what to do. I swung the flat of my sword against the first guy's head, and knocked his helmet clean off. I hit him so hard, I could see his eyes vibrating as he fell into the water.
Ugly number two came at me next. I slammed him in the face with my shield, then used my sword to shear off his horsehair plume. He immediately backed away, but Clarisse kept coming. As soon as she thrusted with her spear, I cought the shaft between the edge of my shield and my sword, and I snapped it like a twig.
"Ah!" She screamed. "You idiot! You corpse-breath worm!"
She probably would have said worse, but I smacked her between the eyes with my sword butt, and sent her stumbling out of the creek.
Then I heard yelling, elated screams, and I saw Luke racing toward the boundary line with the red team's banner held high. He was flanked by a couple of Hermes guys, covering his retreat, and a few Apollos behind them, fighting off the Hephaestus kids.
The ares kids got up, and Clarisse muttered a dazed curse.
"A trick!" She shouted. "It was a trick!"
Just then, I saw Lee shoot another arrow. As it flew, an ear- piercing sound filled the air. Everyone raised their hands to cover their ears, including Luke. I watched as Aurora ran forward, snatching the banner from Luke, and running across the creek into friendly territory. Our side exploded into cheers. The red banner shimmered and turned to gold. The boar and spear were replaced with a bow and a liar, the symbols of Apollo. Everyone on the blue team picked up Aurora and started carrying her on their shoulders, even Luke, who good naturedly glared at her and Lee.
Chiron came out of the woods and blue the horn. The game was over. We won. The swan flew down, and was Apollo again. "Well done." He said, pulling his children into a group hug.
"Not bad, Hero." Annabeth's voice said from beside me. "Where on earth did you learn to fight like that?"
The air shimmered, and she appeared, her cap in her hand.
"You set me up!" I said, starting to get angry. "You put me here, knowing that Clarisse would come after me while you sent Luke to get the flag. You had it all planned out!"
Annabeth shrugged. "I told you. Athena always, always has a plan. Apollo winning wasn't really part of it though, but at least our team still won. I came as fast as I could. I was about to jump in but.." She shrugged again. "You didn't need any help. You and Lee were fine."
Then she noticed my arm. "How did you do that?"
"Sword cut," I said. "What do you think?"
"No."
"It was a sword cut. Look at it."
Then, I frowned. The blood was gone. Where the huge cut had been, there was a long white scratch, but even that was fading. As I watched, it turned into a small scar, and was gone.
"I--I don't get it." I said. Annabeth was thinking hard. I could almost see the gears turning. She looked down at my feet and said, "Step out of the water, Percy."
"What?"
"Just do it."
I came out of the Creek and immediately felt bone tired. My arms started to go numb again. My adrenaline left me. I almost fell over, but Annabeth steadied me.
"Oh, sticks." She cursed. "This is not good. I didn't want.. I assumed it would be Zeus..."
Before I could ask what she meant, I heard that growl again, but much closer then before.
A howl ripped through the forest. The camper's cheering died instantly. Chiron yelled something in Ancient Greek, which I later realized I understood perfectly.
"Stand ready! My bow!"
Annabeth drew her sword. There on the rocks just above us was a black hound the size of a rhino, with lava red eyes, and fangs like daggers. It was looking straight at me.
No one moved except for Annabeth, who yelled, "Percy, run!"
She tried to step in front of me, but the hound was to fast. It leaped over her, an enormous shadow with teeth and slammed into me. I stumbled back, but I could feel it's razor sharp claws ripping through my armer. I heard a cascade of thwacking sounds, like 40 pieces of paper being ripped, one after the other. I saw a volley of flaming arrows hit the creature in the neck and side. The monster fell dead at my feet. By some miracle, I was still alive. I didn't want to look under my shredded armer. My chest felt warm and wet, and I knew I was badly cut.
"Percy, let me see!"
I looked to see Apollo standing beside me. His blue-gold eyes were full of worry. "I'm alright." I said, trying to calm him. He shook his head. "Percy, your bleeding." He said. "Let me heal you real quick."
With a sigh, I let Apollo take a look at my wounds. "Lord Apollo, what exactly was that thing?" I asked. Apollo sighed, and pressed a warm hand to my chest. A gentle glow surrounded his hand, and I felt better.
"That, Percy, was a hellhound from the fields of punishment. They normally don't leave."
"Someone summoned it," Chiron said. "Someone inside the camp."
Luke, Aurora and Lee came over, the banner in Aurora's hand forgotten. Clarisse yelled, "It's all Percy's fault! He summoned it!"
"Be quiet, child." Chiron told her. We watched the body of the hellhound melt into shadow, sinking into the ground untill it was gone.
"Percy, get in the water." Annabeth said. "But, I'm fine now. Apollo healed me." I said, not knowing why I thought the water would help.
Apollo put a hand on my shoulder. "Just step in for a second." He said. "I want to see something."
"Chiron, watch this." Annabeth said.
I stepped into the creek, and the whole camp gathered around me. Apollo gave my shoulder a quick squeeze, then he let go.
Instantly, I felt better. Energy returned to my body, and I no longer felt as tired.
Some of the campers gasped. "Percy.." Apollo said, pointing to something above my head.
By the time I looked up, the sign was already fading, but I could still make out the hologram of green light spinning and gleaming. A three tipped spear, a trident.
"You're father." Annabeth said. "This is.. really not good."
"It is determined." Apollo announced. All around me, campers started kneeling, even the Ares cabin, though they didn't look to happy about it. Apollo, Mr. D, and Chiron all bowed their heads.
"My father?" I asked, completely shocked. "Poseidon," Apollo said. "Earthshaker, storm-bringer, father of horses. Hail, Perseus Jackson, son of the sea god!"

Chapter Text

The next morning, Chiron moved me into cabin three. I didn't have to share it with anyone, with plenty of space for all my stuff; the Minotaur's horn, a set of spare clothes, and a toiletry bag. I got to sit at my own dinner table, pick all my activities, and call lights out whenever I wanted. I didn't have to answer to anyone, except for Chiron and Mr. D. I was absolutely miserable.
Just when I started to feel accepted, right when I thought I was finding my place in cabin eleven, I was taken away from it. Now I was being treated as though I had some sort of disease. No one brought up the hellhound, but I could tell they were all talking about it behind my back. The attack had obviously scared everyone. It basically sent two messages. The first was that I was the son of the sea god, and two, monsters would stop at nothing to kill me, even getting into a camp that was supposed to be safe. I'm sure some of the campers resented me for basically ruining their safe place.
The other campers stayed away from me as much as possible. Cabin eleven was too nervous to have sword lessons with me after finding out what I'd done to the Ares kids. Thankfully, Luke was still willing to teach me with one on one lessons.
He pushed me harder than ever, and he wasn't afraid to beat me up. Sometimes, he'd let me splash water on myself before our lessons, but other times he said I had to learn how to fight when water wasn't around.
"You're going to need all the training you can get." He said. "You just saw that monsters would stop at nothing to have you killed. You need to be prepared for when you have to fight them. Now, let's try that Viper Beheading strike again."
Annabeth still taught me Greek in the morning, but she seemed distracted. Every time I said something, she’d scowl at me, as though I'd hit her between the eyes with a sword. After lessons, she would walk away muttering to herself, "Quest.. Poseidon?.. Dirty rotten.. Got to make a plan.."
I wasn't particularly sure what to make of Annabeth’s mood. She'd been fine with me yesterday. What was it about my father that made her pretty much hate me? I decided to ignore that for now. I'd ask her about it soon.
I guess what I found more surprising, was that even Clarisse kept her distance from me. Although I could tell by her furious looks made it clear she wanted to kill me. Personally, I wished she'd just yell or punch me. I'd much rather get in fights all the time then be ignored.
To my annoyance, even Mr. D was wary of me. The first time I tried to talk to him, he'd made coke explode all over me, before he went inside the big house. Chiron told me that he'd get over it.
"He's got mixed feelings. He knows he's been getting close with you, but he's also wary about what his father would say."
"Why would lord Zeus care if he talks to me? Is he not allowed to be friendly towards any of the campers?"
Chiron sighed. "Lord Zeus isn't very happy that you're alive." He said.
"What did I do?" I asked, starting to get angry.
"You remember what I told you? About the big three?"
"So.. you're telling me he's angry for something that he also did? What a total hypocrite!" I said, completely ignoring the much louder thunderclap.
"Be careful with what you say, Peter." Came a tired voice from the door.
"You're back." I said. Mr. D sighed and fell into his chair. "What do kids say these days? Well duh?"
I nodded.
"Then well duh, Peter Johnson." He said, a fresh can of coke in his hand. "I'm supposed to be rude toward you." He said, casually waving his hand at me.
I felt numb. I couldn't move, I couldn't say anything. I felt as though I didn’t have a body. Did he seriously just kill me? Did his father hate me that much?
Then I heard the slightly exasperated voice of Chiron say, "Really, now, Mr. D? Why did you turn him into a grape plant?"
I felt a slight pressure on where my hand would be. "If I'm not allowed to like him, then I might as well take full advantage of it. Would you rather me have turned him into a squid or something? Cause I can only do dolphins."
Chiron sighed. "Change him back. You don't have to dislike him. Your father already does that enough."
"It's the only time I can see a grape plant." Mr. D had said, sounding almost like he was pouting. "Oh, very well!"
Suddenly I could move again. I sent Mr. D a slight glare. "Really, sir?" I asked.
He shrugged. "I regret nothing Peter. Now go play before I turn you into a dolphin."
After that, Mr. D was still not really talking to me, but at least I didn't get turned into another plant.

I found myself in the Apollo's cabin, laying out on the floor, listening as Aurora played the piano while Lee played on the guitar. Will was sitting beside me, leaning against his bed while he showed me all of the healing things his dad had given him.
I honestly have no idea how I got here. I remembered being bored and tired after sword lessons and just walking around. I was about to go into my cabin when I found three scowling Apollo kids outside the door.
"Come with us, Percy." Aurora said with a glare. "Umm, what did I do?" I asked, taking a step back. Were they going to beat me up or something? However, before I could try to talk my way out of whatever was going on, I found myself being dragged away by Lee and Will. Aurora was walking in front of us, looking back every once in a while to make sure I didn't escape.
We stopped at cabin seven, and Aurora opened the door. Will and Lee pushed me inside before closing the door. I looked around and saw ten other faces staring at us. They were all glaring at me as well.
"Percy, we need to talk." Aurora said, walking in the middle of the room. She turned to face me, and I saw she was frowning. "You're avoiding us." She said. "Explain yourself!"
I sighed. "What do you mean?" I asked, trying to avoid the question. The other twelve people glared at me.
"Percy, we can tell something's wrong." Will said.
"We told you you can come to any of us if something was wrong." Lee added.
"Yes, I mean all of us." Aurora said, seeing me staring at everyone else. “You have cabin seven on your side with whatever you need us for."
"But how? I don't know most of you guys." I asked, totally confused and grateful. "You're just a pretty chill dude." Lee said, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. "We decided that we like you, and now you're stuck with us." Will said. "When you need us, for anything, just say the word.." Aurora said, nods from the rest following her statement.
"Thanks guys." I said, trying not to get emotional. I literally just gained an entire cabin that for some reason thinks I'm a cool person, and who would help me with anything. I was sure that not even the Hermes cabin, who I spent most of my time with, would just come to my aid like that.
"Great!" Someone said, standing. "Now that Percy understands that we don't think he's a freak like the rest of the camp, we have archery." He turned to me. "If I catch you avoiding us again, I'll personally make you taste my bow."
Then he smiled and walked out, most of the cabin following him. They all gave me similar threats as they left, which just made me even happier for some reason.

So, that's how I found myself here. I felt relaxed and happy, and I wasn't resenting the gods as much. At least some were decent.

The first time the Apollo cabin showed up for me was at dinner that night. One moment, I was sitting alone at my table, trying to ignore how lonely I felt, and the next, I was being surrounded by all of cabin seven. They all had their plates in their hands, and they sat down around me.
"Hey, Percy!" Will said.
"Umm.. not that I'm not happy to see you guys here, but isn't this against the rules?"
They all nodded. "Oh, it is." Lee said cheerfully. "But we're here anyway."
"We need to show you something." A girl who I think is Laurel said. She pushed something at me. Moving my plate aside, I immediately recognized it to be a mortal newspaper.
"Where did you get this?" I asked.
Laurel sighed, tucking a strand of blonde hair behind her ear. "Before dinner, we were making our way back to our cabin after archery. We saw someone put this in front of your cabin. We couldn't see his face, but it looked like it was covered. They were tall, though that could be anyone."
I flipped open the paper, and started to look through it, trying to find out why someone had placed it by my door. I froze at a particular article.
"What is it?" Aurora asked, leaning in to see better, her siblings doing the same.

"Boy and mother are still missing after freak accident."
By Ileen Smythe

Sally Jackson and her son Percy are still missing one week after their disappearance. The family's badly burned 78 Camaro was discovered last Saturday on a north Long Island road with the roof ripped off and the front axle broken. The car had flipped and skidded for several hundred feet before exploding. Mother and son had gone for a weekend trip to Montauk beach, but then left seemingly for no reason. Small traces of blood were found in the car, but no sign of the missing Jacksons. Residents in the area have reported seeing nothing unusual in the area.
Ms. Jackson's husband, Gabe Ugliano, said that Percy was a troubled kid who got kicked out of multiple boarding schools, and has shown violent tendencies. Police wouldn't say if Percy Jackson was a suspect in his mother's disappearance, but they're not ruling out foul play.
Below are pictures of Sally and Percy Jackson. If anyone has any information, police urge them to call the following toll-free crime stoppers hotline.
The phone number was circled in black marker. I balled up the paper and shoved it back at Laurel, who immediately threw it away.
"Percy, what exactly happened on your way here?" She asked.
"Also, who's this Gabe guy? He sounds awful." Lee asked.
I looked around the dining pavilion and saw that several people were watching us, wondering why cabin seven was crowding my table. Mr. D was slowly making his way over, trying to give us a little more time.
Turning back to the Apollo kids, I gave them the simple version of events. They all glared when I told them about Gabe.
"It does make some sense though." Aurora said.
"What could make sense of her marrying someone so awful?" Will asked.
"Monsters would have attacked Percy sooner if it wasn't for Gabe." Lee said with a slight frown.
"Umm.. can you guys explain what you mean?" Laurel asked, scowling at them. Aurora nodded. "Yes, sorry about that. Basically, Percy said that Gabe smelled bad right?"
"Well, worse then just bad." I said.
"Well yes, basically, he has a strong smell. The reason why she married him was to cover your scent from them. Children of the big three have a stronger smell than the rest of us. That would have alerted them to you sooner."
"I hate the fact that it makes sense. Doesn't mean I have to like him though." I said, putting my head on the table.
"Don't worry, Percy. He's still an awful person." Aurora said, patting my arm.
”You know, you could just stay here over the year." Lee said. "It's probably safer since you're way more powerful."
"Besides, now that you know what you are and who your godly parent is, a lot more monsters will show up at your house or school." Will added.
I sighed. I knew they were probably right about it being safer for me here. Maybe if I stayed, I'd be able to research more about the underworld, hopefully making a plan to get my mom back.
"I.. I guess I'll think about it." I said. They all smiled. "That's great, Percy. Some of us will be staying here too, so you won't be alone." Laurel said.

"Excuse me, but I'm quite certain that this isn't the Apollo table." Mr. D's voice said from behind me, making us all jump.
Lee and Aurora stood. "Sorry sir. We just wanted to keep Percy company." Aurora said.
Mr. D raised his hand. "I really don't care." He said, sounding bored. "Just return to your table."
The rest stood as well. "Bye Percy! Talk to us about whatever you want, okay?" Will said. I nodded, and watched as they went back to their own table. I glanced back at Mr.D, who just glared at me, though it didn't hold any anger, before he walked back to the head table.

Later that night, I had another dream. I was once again at a beach, but it wasn't Montauk this time. Behind me, I could faintly see the lights of a city. I could also see a few palm trees. It was storming again, but even worse than before. Twenty foot waves pounded on to the beach, spraying me with water. The thunder was louder. It was as though the ground was shaking with it.
Down the beach, I could see two figures. They seemed to be fighting. I couldn't see their faces, but I could tell one was dressed in green, and the other in blue. I watched as they fought. They punched, kicked, and slammed each other to the ground. Whenever they made contact, lightning flashed, and the waves got worse.
I could hear the man in blue yelling at the green one, "Give it back! Give it back!" He sounded like a five year old fighting over a toy, but something told me it was much more serious.
I began running toward them, knowing I had to stop them before things got worse. I yelled at them, trying to get their attention, but they just kept fighting.
Then, the earth began to tremble, and a deep voice that made my hair stand on end spoke, "Come down, little hero, come down."
The sand began to slide under my feet, opening up a large hole that seemed to go down to the center of the earth. With a scream, I fell through, the hole above me closing.

When I woke up, I was sure I was still falling. I looked around frantically, before relaxing when I realized I was still in bed in cabin three. My body told me it was morning, but it was still dark outside and thunder rolled across the hills. Great! I thought sarcastically. Another storm. Zeus must be in a great mood today.
A knock came from my door, and I sighed. Who wanted to see me now? I was still tired.
"Come in?" I said unsurley.
Grover walked inside, looking a little worried. "Percy, I'm glad you're up. Mr. D wants to see you." He said, pacing nervously.
"Why?"
"I think he wants to kill.. I mean, he wants to talk to you."
Nervously, I got dressed and followed him out. I was sure I was in trouble, even though I couldn't remember doing anything wrong. Maybe he wanted to turn me into another plant?
As we walked, I noticed that a hazy curtain of rain was coming in our direction. "Don't we need an umbrella?" I asked.
Grover shook his head. "No, it doesn't rain unless we want it to." He said.
I pointed at the storm. "What the heck is that, then?" He glanced uneasily at the sky. "It will pass around us. Bad weather always does."
I realized he was right. In the week I'd been here, there had never been bad weather. The few rain clouds I'd seen had gone around the valley. But this storm.. this one was huge. I wasn't sure if this one would skip us as well.
In the volleyball pit, a few Apollo kids were playing a morning game against the satyrs. As we passed, they all waved at me, which I returned. Grover just watched me curiously. "How did you become friends with the entirety of cabin seven?" He asked.
I shrugged. "Not sure. I appreciate it though."
I saw Mr. D's twins walking through the fields, making the plants grow. It seemed as though no one was worried about the storm. They were all going about their business, but they looked a little tense.
Grover and I walked up the porch of the big house. Mr. D was sitting in his usual chair with a can of coke like normal, and Chiron sat across from him in his wheelchair. They were playing against invisible opponents, two sets of cards floating above the table.
"Morning, Percy." Mr. D said, sounding tired.
"Morning." I replied, keeping my distance. I didn't want to get turned into anything for getting too close.
He sighed. "Come closer." He said. "I'm not going to kill you, even if he wants me to."
A bolt of lightning flashed across the sky, thunder making the windows of the big house rattle. Mr. D just rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, whatever." He said.
"You know, I'm kind of tempted to just make all your molecules in your body burst into flame. That way, you wouldn't be forced to die a slow and painful death. However, Chiron says it's against my punishment down here, keeping all you brats safe.
"Spontaneous combustion is a form of harm." Chiron cut in.
"Not if it's to protect the boy." Mr. D argued, making Chiron sigh.
"Well, there is another option, but it's stupid to even consider it." Mr. D said.
"What kind of option?" I asked.
He stood, and the invisible players’ cards fell to the table. "I'll let Chiron explain. I have to go to an emergency meeting." Turning back to me, he gave me the closest thing to a warm smile as he could manage. "Be careful, Percy. I wouldn’t be pleased if you were to die."
With that he was gone, leaving behind the faint smell of grapes. It took me a while to realize that Mr. D had actually used my real name. The thought made me collapse into his empty seat.
"So.. what exactly is going on?" I finally asked Chiron. With a sigh, Chiron put his cards on the table, a winning hand he didn't get to use. The memory of me helping Mr. D cheat made me smile.
"Percy, how do you feel about the hellhound?" Chiron asked. Just hearing the name made me shutter. Chiron probably wanted me to say, "Heck, it was nothing. I eat hellhounds for breakfast", but I didn't feel like lying.
"It scared me." I said. "If It wasn't for lord Apollo, I would have been dead."
"You'll meet worse, Percy. Far worse, before you're done."
"..done with what?"
"You're quest, of course. Will you accept it?"
I frowned. A quest? For what? Why would I be sent on a quest after only a week and a half of training? Maybe Mr. D was right. Maybe exploding would be better than whatever I have to do.
I glanced at Grover, who was crossing his fingers. I could tell he looked just as worried as I felt.
"Umm, sir," I said. "You haven't told me what it is yet."
Chiron sighed. "Well, that's the hard part, the details."
Thunder rumbled across the valley once again. The storm clouds have now reached the edge of the beach. As far as I could see, it looked like the sky and the sea were boiling together.
"Poseidon and Zeus," I said. "They're fighting over something important."
I think I already know what it was about, but I couldn't let Chiron know how much I overheard back at Yancy. Apollo had told me to be careful of people finding out how much I know about the situation.
"Percy, surely you've heard that knowledge has power, right? Or was it knowledge is power.. either way, you have to know when you need to be careful with the information you know." He'd said to me in a dream. "I'm not saying Chiron's evil, far from it. I'm just saying, it's better to keep what you know a secret. If father knew how much you were aware of the situation, it would only put you in more danger."
Chiron and Grover exchanged looks. "Yes, it is something important." Chiron said. "Something that was stolen. To be precise- a lightning bolt."
"Umm.. what?" I asked.
"Zeus’ master bolt!" Chiron said, sounding worked up. "The symbol of his power, from which all other lightning bolts are patterned. The first weapon that was made by the Cyclops’ in the first war, the bolt that knocked Kronos off his throne! That master bolt!"
"And it's missing?" I asked, still acting like I knew nothing.
"Stolen." Chiron said. "By who?"
"By whom," Chiron corrected. "By you."
Chiron held up a hand. "At least, that's what Zeus thinks. During the winter solstice, at the last council of the gods, your father and Zeus got into an argument. It was the usual. "Mother liked you best,' air disasters are better than sea disasters, et cetera. Then, Zeus realized that the master bolt had been taken from the throne room, right under his nose. He immediately blamed your father. Now, a god can't just take another god's weapon themselves. That is against the ancient laws. But Zeus thinks he convinced a human hero to take it."
"But I didn't.." I started. I realized that was probably what Apollo had been talking about, whenever he said I'd be in danger. He was kind of angry that he didn't tell me about it, but I guess I couldn't blame him. After all, Apollo wasn't even supposed to know that anything was wrong with his father. I was sure Zeus would do something stupid if he knew that his son knew almost every thing.
"Zeus has good reason to be suspicious. The forges of the Cyclopes are under the ocean, which gives your father some influence over the makers of the bolt. Zeus believes that he stole it, and is having them build secret copies to knock him off his throne. The only thing Zeus didn't know is which Hero he used to do it. However, now Poseidon has openly claimed you as his son. You were in New York over the winter holidays. You could easily have snuck into Olympus. Zeus believes he has found his thief."
"But I've never even been to Olympus! Zeus is crazy!"
Chiron and Grover glanced nervously at the sky. The clouds didn't seem to be parting like Grover had promised. They were rolling over the valley, encasing us in like a coffin.
"Umm, Percy.." Grover said. "We don't use that c word to describe the lord of the sky."
Even if it's true? I thought, but I knew better than to say it.
"Perhaps.. paranoid," Chiron suggested. "Then again, your father has tried to dethrone Zeus before. I believe that was on question 38 of your final exam..."
He looked at me as though he expected me to remember question 38. I couldn't even remember how many questions were on that stupid test in the first place, let alone a particular question on it.
How can I be accused of taking a god's weapon? I can't even steal a slice of pizza from Gabe’s parties without getting busted.
I sighed, starting to get annoyed now. Why can't he just get to the point? If Mr. D were still here, most of this conversation wouldn't have even happened. He would have just said whatever he wanted me to do immediately.
"So, now that I know what's going on, what exactly do I have to do?" I finally asked. Chiron frowned. "Really Percy? I thought it would be quite obvious."
My stomach sank. I had a pretty good idea as to what he wanted me to do. How exactly did he expect me to get it done? I hardly know how to fight, and I don't know what I'd have to face if I accepted the quest.
"You want me to return the bolt to lord Zeus." I said, glaring down at the table.
Chiron only nodded. "It would be best if you were the one to return it. It's a good way to prove that you didn't actually steal it."
I sighed again. "Fine! I'll do it! When do I leave?"
Chiron smiled. "Before we discuss more details, you need to go visit the oracle. Everyone receives a prophecy before going on a quest. Once you get it, come back down here. We'll finnish making our plans when you return."

Four flights up, the stairs ended under a green trap door. Taking a deep breath, I pulled the cord. The door swung down, and a wooden ladder clattered into place. The warm air from above smelled like mildew, rotten wood, and something else... a smell I remembered from biology class. Reptiles. The smell of snakes. I held my breath and climbed.
The attic was filled with greek hero junk. Armor stands covered in cobwebs, once bright shields coated in dust, old leather trunks with stickers that said ITHAKA, CIRCE'S ISLE, and LAND OF THE AMAZONS. One long table was stacked with glass jars filled with pickled things. Severed claws, huge yellow eyes, and other parts of monsters.
By the window, sitting on a wooden tripod stool was a mummy. She wore a sundress, lots of beaded necklaces, and a headband over long black hair. I could tell she'd been dead for a very long, long time. Looking at her sent chills down my back. That was before she sat up in her chair and opened her mouth.
A green mist poured out of the mummy's mouth, coiling over the floor in thick tendrils, hissing like twenty thousand snakes. I stumbled to the trap door, but it slammed shut. In my head, I heard a voice, slithering into one ear and coiling around my brain.
"I am the spirit of Delphi, speaker of the prophecies of Phoebus Apollo, slayer of the mighty Python. Approach, seeker, and ask."
I wanted to say that I went into the wrong room, but I just took a deep breath, and said, "What is my destiny?"
The mist got thicker, collecting in front of me and around the table with the glass jars. Suddenly there were four men sitting around the table, playing cards. Their faces got clearer. It was Smelly Gabe and his friends. My fists clenched, but I knew this party wasn't real.
Gabe turned toward me and spoke in the voice of the Oricle. "You shall go west, and face the god who has turned."
The guy on the right looked up and said, "You shall find what was stolen, and see it safely returned."
The guy on the left threw in two chips then said, "You shall be betrayed by one who calls you a friend."
Finally, the last guy delivered the worst line. "And you shall fail to save what matters most, in the end."
The figures began to fade, and I heard a musical voice speak. They sounded familiar, but I couldn't really tell who it was because of the hissing.
"Beware immortals. Not all of us will be kind. Please try not to die."
Then, I was alone in the room.

"Well?" Chiron asked.
I slumped at the table. "She said I would get what was stolen."
Grover sat forward. "That's great!"
"What exactly did she say?" Chiron insisted. "This is important, Percy."
"She.. She said I'd go west and face a god that has turned. I'd find what was stolen and see it safely returned."
"I knew it!" Grover said. Chiron didn't look satisfied. I wondered if he ever did. "Anything else?" He asked. I really didn't want to tell him. What friend would betray me? Would it be someone in the Apollo cabin? They're the closest friends I have. Not to mention the last line. I'd fail what mattered most? What did that mean? Why would I be sent on a quest and be told that I'd fail?
"She didn't say anything else." I said. He studied my face. I could tell he knew I was hiding something.
"Just remember, Percy. Prophecies could have many meanings. Don't think about it to much."
"Okay," I said. "Where exactly do I go? Which god is in the west?"
Part of me already knew though. This was what Aurora meant. I was going to be able to save my mom.
Chiron frowned. "I think you already have an idea." He said. I nodded. "Hades." I said, making thunder rumble once again. I tried not to roll my eyes. Zeus was too dramatic.
Chiron nodded. "Yes, Percy. "You'll have to go to the underworld. It's located in LA."
Suddenly, I felt angry. This wasn't even my problem! My father needed me to fix this for him. That was probably the only reason why I got claimed! My fists clenched once again. I wanted to punch my dear father in the face.
I'm not going to do this for him! I thought furiously. I'm only doing this for my mom!
I glanced over at Grover, who was nervously eating the cards. Mr. D wouldn't be too happy with that.
"You know you don't have to come, right? I'm not going to make you." I said, trying to calm him.
Grover shook his head. "It's okay, Percy. It's just.. Satyrs and the underground.. we don't go well together. But if you really want me to come, I won't let you down. Besides, you did save my life."
"Thank you." I said with a smile, happy that I'd have my first real friend on this quest.
Chiron nodded. "Great! You have your first person. On a quest, you must always have three people. If it's more or less.. let's just say that in the end.. only three return."
"Well, that's a cheerful thought." I muttered. "So, who exactly do I take?"
I didn't want to have to pick between the Apollo campers. They were all good friends, and I didn't want anything to happen to them. Although.. maybe Aurora could help? Or.. maybe Luke?
"Someone's already volunteered, if you accept her help." Chiron said.Great,
I frowned. "Who is it?"
The air shimmered behind Chiron, and I immediately knew who it was. , I thought. This was going to suck! She hates me.
"I've been waiting a long time for a quest, seaweed brain." Annabeth said. "Athena is no fan of Poseidon, but if you're going to save the world, I'm the best person to keep you from messing up."
"Oh please, don't get a big head here, wise girl." Came the annoyed voice of Aurora from beside me.
As soon as Annabeth saw her, she glared. "What are you doing here?" She snapped. Aurora smirked. "Since Percy's going on a quest, cabin seven would like to wish him well."
"Can't you come?" I asked her. Annabeth's glare turned toward me, but I ignored her. "I'm afraid not, Percy. I'm not meant to go with you. But don't let that stop you from calling on us when you need it."
I nodded. "I promise I will." I said. Aurora hugged me. "I'll bring the rest of cabin seven to Half-Blood hill to properly say bye."
With another glare toward Annabeth, Aurora walked away.
"Excellent." Chiron said, trying to calm the situation. "This afternoon, we can take you as far as the bus terminal in Manhattan. After that, you're on your own."
Just then, rain began to pour on the meadows that weren't supposed to see bad weather.
"No time to waist." Chiron said. "I think you should all get packing."

Chapter Text

It didn't take me long to pack. I decided to bring the Minotaur horn. It would make a good weapon, and I didn't have a sword or anything else. For the past few days, Luke and I had been trying to find a balanced weapon, but it was no use. None of the camp's swords seemed to work; not even the ones made by cabin nine. I was starting to think that I would never find a weapon that fit me. Would I be forced to fight with a horn forever? Luke on the other hand, seemed happy over my problem.
"This might not be such a bad thing, Percy. It could mean that you have a weapon that's specially made for you. We just have to find it. Then, I'm sure fighting would be easier for you."
I didn't really know how to feel about it. For one thing, if I really did have a weapon made for me, who knows if it's even at camp? What if it's like.. on the other side of the world or something. Then how would I find it?
Anyway, I placed the horn in a backpack along with an extra set of clothes and a toothbrush. I double checked to make sure I still had lord Apollo's coin. There was no way I was leaving it behind. Who knew when we'd need some godly help. Or when I just needed a conversation. For all I know, at least one of my travel companions won't be pleasant to talk to.
Speaking of my traveling partners, they too seemed ready to go.
Annabeth was of course bringing her invisibility cap, and a book on famous architecture written in Ancient Greek, I'm guessing for when she got bored. She also carried a long bronze knife, which she hid in her sleeve. I was sure the knife would get us busted the first time we went through a metal detector. When she saw me, she sent me an annoyed look before walking up the hill. I let out a frustrated sigh. I didn't know what her problem was, and frankly, I don't care. I just hope she can let go of whatever it is she has against me, at least until the quest is over. I'd like to come back alive; Thank you very much.
Grover wore his fake feet and his pans to pass as human. He also had a green cap, because you could just see his horns when it rained. His bag was filled with cans and scraps of metal to snack on. In his pocket, he carried a set of reed pipes that his father had carved for him. He said he was practicing his woodland magic. However, he only knew two songs, which didn't sound good on the reed pipes.
The camp store gave me $100 in mortal money, and twenty golden drachmas, which were coins the size of Girl Scout cookies with images of different Greek gods on one side, and the Empire State building on the other. According to Chiron, the original coins had been silver, but the Gods never used anything less then pure gold. He said that they would come in handy for non mortal transactions, whatever that meant. He gave Annabeth and me each a canteen of nectar, and a bag of ambrosia squares to be used only in emergencies.
"It's god food," He reminded us. "To much and you would die."
I took one last look at the strawberry fields, the ocean and the big house, then hiked to the top of Half-Blood hill, to where the pine tree that used to be Thalia was.
Chiron was waiting for us in his chair. Next to him was the guy that I'd seen in the sick room. From what Grover told me, he was the camp's head of security. Today, he wore a chauffeur's uniform, so I could only see extra eyes on his hands, face, and neck.
"Percy, meet Argus," Chiron said. "He will drive you into the city, and drop you off at the bus station."
Argus waved at me, which I returned with a small smile. I think he remembered me from earlier.
"Percy!"
Turning, I smiled as I saw thirteen campers running toward me. Next thing I knew, I felt myself being pulled into a large group hug. I couldn't help but smile, glad that they'd all come to say goodbye.
"Try not to die, Perce." Will said. "Yeah, if you do, we'll find a way to bring you back, just to kill you again." Lee said. "Don't take it lightly, Jackson. We will do it." Aurora warned. I just nodded. "I'll try to stay alive." I said.
Finally, they all pulled away. "Good luck, Percy. You'll tell us all about it when you return." Loral said. "Wait," Will said. He held up a hand and said something in ancient Greek. A warm glow surrounded me, before it vanished.
"What did you do?" I asked. "It's like advanced heeling. It's not going to last long. Just about ten days. Only dad can give longer lasting blessings.
"Thank you all so much." I said, fighting back my emotions. They all just hugged me again. "You're like our adopted child." Lee said. "Count on us to take care of you the best we can."
I heard someone else calling my name. I turned and saw Luke running up the hill, a pair of shoes in his hands.
"Hey," He said panting. "Glad I caught you. Seems like you have a large group of well-wishers already."
Annabeth flushed, the way she always did when Luke was around, making Aurora roll her eyes. I don't understand what exactly they had against each other. It was kind of amusing though.
"Just wanted to say good luck," Luke told me. "And I thought.. umm.. maybe you could use these."
He handed me the shoes, which looked pretty normal. They even smelled normal. Don't ask why I smelled them.
"Maia!" Luke said. White bird wings sprouted out of the heals. They scared me, making me drop the shoes. The shoes flapped around before the wings disappeared.
"Awesome!" Grover said. Luke smiled. "Those served me well on my own quest. Gift from dad. Of course, I don't use them much these days..."
His expression turned sad. I didn't know what to say. From the corner of my eyes, I saw Aurora looking at him intently, a frown on her face. Did she like him too? Looks like Annabeth may have some competition.
"Hey, man," I said. "Thanks."
"Listen, Percy.. Luke looked uncomfortable. "A lot of hopes are riding on you. So just.. kill some monsters for me, okay?"
We shook hands. Aurora's gaze never left Luke, but she had a hard look on her face. Maybe she didn't like him after all, but what exactly was her problem with him? I sent her a look, and she mouthed something that looked like, "Be careful."
I shivered. Something was wrong. But what? I decided to worry about it later.
Luke patted Grover's head, and gave Annabeth a hug, who looked like she was about to pass out, much to cabin seven's amusement.
After Luke was gone, Aurora said with a satisfied smirk, "You're hyperventilating, wise girl. You'll see him again soon."
Annabeth glared at her, making the other cabin members step forward with glares of their own.
"Let's not start anything you know you can't finish." Lee said, a growl in his voice. "Well then tell her to leave me alone." Annabeth snapped.
Loral stepped forward. "You're both old enough to grow up!" She snapped. "Aurora, don't stoop yourself to her level. Apollo's better then that."
"Could have fooled me." Annabeth said. "Isn't your father a major player or something?"
I could tell that most of cabin seven looked ready to killer her, but Lee and Loral held them back. I hoped that cabin seven ignored her. They're usually the most cheerful cabin, and I hoped they went back to normal.
Annabeth stormed down the hill to where a white SUV was waiting. Argus gave cabin seven a small wave before following her.
I picked up the shoes, and had a bad feeling about them. I looked at my friends.
"I won't be able to use these, will I?"
They shook their heads. "He meant well." Aurora said. "But taking to the air.. it might get you blasted by Zeus."
I nodded, a bit disappointed, but then got an idea. "Hey, Grover, you want a magic item?"
Chiron and cabin seven smiled at me. Grover's eyes lit up. "Me? Are you sure?"
Aurora patted his head. "Ready to become the first flying satyr?" She asked as I helped put the shoes on.
"Maia!" Grover shouted. He got off the ground okay, but then fell sideways so his bag dragged through the grass. The Apollo cabin smiled, then Lee helped him up.
"You'll get the hang of it." He said. Aurora frowned slightly. "Just be careful." She said.
"Relax, Aura, every thing will be fine." I said, trying to calm her. "I'm not sure, Percy." She said, looking and sounding uneasy. I shivered slightly, not liking the sound of that.
"Did you see something?" I asked. "I.. I can't say anything, Perce. Just.. just be careful. Promise me!"
I nodded, pulling her into a hug. "I'll talk to you when I come back." I said.
"You better." She said. "Let's go guys. We can't keep him from his quest."
"Good luck saving the world, Percy." Will said. I smiled sadly as they all walked away after one last group hug.

Before I could go to the van, Chiron put a hand on my arm to stop me. "I should have trained you better, Percy." He said. "If only I had more time. Hercules, Jason.. they all got more training."
"That's okay. I just wish.."
I stopped myself, because I was about to sound like a brat. I was wishing my dad had given me some sort of magic item, like Luke's shoes, Annabeth's cap, or the Apollo kids' magic arrows.
"What am I thinking!" Chiron cried. "I can't let you get away with out this!"
He pulled a pen from his coat pocket and gave it to me. I stared down at it. It was an ordinary ballpoint pen, that probably cost thirty cents. "Umm.. thanks." I said.
"Percy, that's a gift from your father." Chiron said. "I've kept it for years, not knowing who I was waiting for. But the profecies' clear to me now. You are the one.
"What can I do with a pen?" I asked, knowing I was obviously missing something.
"Try uncapping it." Chiron said. I frowned, but did as he said. Instantly, the pen was now a three foot bronze sword with a leather grip. To my surprise and happiness, it was a perfect fit. I guess Luke had been right about a weapon made for me.
"Well, I'm glad I have an actual weapon now," I said. "I brought the Minotaur horn in case I have to fight anything."
Chiron smiled. "You can still find use for it, Percy. If you get surrounded, it will be helpful to have something extra. At least, until you get more sword lessons."
"Can you tell me anything about this sword?" I asked. "You said that it was a gift from father, but was it.. like.. made under the sea or something?"
Chiron shook his head. "The sword has a long and tragic history that we need not go in to. It's name is Anaklusmos."
"Riptide," I whispered, surprised that the Greek translation came to me so fast.
"Use it only during emergencies, and only against monsters. No hero should ever harm mortals unless it's completely necessary, of course, but this sword wouldn't harm them any way.
I looked at the very sharp blade of the sword. "What do you mean it can't hurt mortals? It's really sharp, sir."
"The sword is celestial bronze. It's deadly to monsters, and any creature from the underworld; However, the blade will pass through mortals like an elution. They're simply not threatening enough for the sword to kill. Also Percy, I should warn you that you can be killed with both celestial bronze weapons, and normal weapons. You are twice as volnerable, so you need to be more careful."
"Good to know," I said. "Now it will be easier for monsters to kill me."
Then, a thought came to me. "Chiron, what if I lose the pen?" I asked. Chiron's smile grew. "Oh, you can't lose it." He said lightly. "What do you mean? Surely a pen could easily fall out of a pocket."
"Throw it down the hill." Chiron said. I stared at him, unsure as to what I heard. Chiron motioned to the sword. "Throw it down the hill. You'll see that you can't lose it."
I shrugged, and threw it. I watched as it landed in the grass a few yards away.
"Now, just wait." Chiron said. We stood there for a few seconds, then I felt something in my pocket. Reaching inside, I pulled out the pen.
"Cool!" I said with a smile. I was relieved that I couldn't lose the sword, since I have a problem with losing things, especially pens.
I put Riptide back in my pocket. For the first time, the quest felt real. I was actually leaving camp Half-blood. I was going west with no way of communicating to Chiron. We'd really be on our own, and I was terrified!
I reached into my pocket, my hand closing around the coin. I hoped I didn't need to use it, but I was glad I'd brought it. It made me feel a lot safer knowing I had at least one god on my side.
"You should get going, Percy," Chiron said. "Good luck. I'll hopefully see you back in ten days."
I nodded and walked down the hill. Looking back, I saw Chiron standing under Thalia's pine tree in full horse man form, his bow raised in a salute.

Argus drove us out of the country side and into western Long Island. It felt strange to be on the highway; Annabeth and Grover sitting beside me as though we were normal kids. After two weeks at camp, the real world felt like a fantasy. I found myself staring at every thing as we past, as though I was a small child. I kind of missed it here.
"So far so good," I told Annabeth. "Ten miles and not a single monster."
She gave me an irritated look. "It's bad luck to talk like that, seaweed brain."
I glared at her. "Remind me again, why do you hate me so much? I didn't even do anything to you. Is it just because I'm friends with cabin seven? If so, that's pretty dumb."
"First, I don't care who you're friends with. Also, don't mention them in front of me. Fletcher had no right going after me in front of everyone."
"Must I remind you that you were the one who attacked her first? It's not her fault she can't say what she sees. That's not how her gift works!" I snapped.
"Whatever," She said. "I don't care about her reasoning. She ruined my capture the flag plan, and she embarrassed me in front of my cabin. I don't need you defending her."
I turned away from her, frustrated by her childishness. I didn't even care why she hated me at this point. I was to annoyed.
"Guys, we can't keep arguing," Grover said. "If we want to make it back to camp, then we have to at least try to get along."
Of course he was right. I just had to be annoyed with Annabeth later.
"Fine!" Annabeth muttered. "Also Jackson, I don't hate you. Our parents are rivals. We're not supposed to get along."
"That's stupid," I said. "What they do doesn't affect us."
"Of course you wouldn't get it!" She snapped. I just shrugged and turned away from her. From the front seat, Argus looked very amused.
"Apollo, Are all children of Athena so.. irritating?" I asked silently, pressing on the coin. A quiet laugh filled my head. "I guess most of them are. Why? Are you with one now?"
"Yeah, I am. She's all like.. "Are parents hate each other. That means I should hate you to." It's annoying."
"Trust me, it's awful here on Olympus. They're constantly arguing. That's why I try to stay away for as long as I can. You can only take so much yelling about who's smarter and stuff."
"Hey, Apollo?" I asked hesitantly. "What's going on, seashell?"
I rolled my eyes. "Really ,lord Apollo? You know I hate that name." I said, making the god laugh again.
"Sorry Percy, but you're stuck with that name from now on."
I just sighed. "Whatever. I wanted to ask you if you had any advice for staying alive. We're really not in the mood to die anytime soon."
Apollo was silent for a few seconds. Then, he said, "So.. you really are on the quest. I thought I felt my Oracle give a profecy."
"Yeah, we're going to get the bolt back to your father," I said. "Also, I'm kind of trying to figure out what the profecy said. It's confusing."
"The gift of profecy often is," Apollo said. "It could have many meanings. You have to be careful. I'm sure you know how dangerous a quest can be."
"Yeah. I could die!"
"Exactly!" Apollo said, sounding way to happy for this situation. "If you get in trouble, you know how to call me! Bye seashell!"

A few minutes later, we pulled up to the bus station. Argus unloaded our bags before driving off; an eye on his hand watching us. We were officially on our own.
I thought about how close I was to my old apartment. On a normal day, my mom would be home from the candy store by now. I bet smelly Gabe was up there playing poker, not even missing her. The thought of him just made me angry. I still wanted to beat the guy up for every thing he's put me and my mom through. Maybe I could talk to Hades about making a special place for him in the underworld.
"Do you know why she married him?" Grover asked, following my gaze. I shrugged. "To help keep the monsters away." I said. "Cabin seven told you?"
"Yeah."
"Maybe it would have been best if we brought you to camp earlier," He said. "You would have gotten a lot more training."
I shrugged. "Can't exactly do anything about it now. We'll be fine."
I tried to be calm about it, but I think Grover could tell I was scared. He also probably could tell my real reasons for excepting this quest. I didn't care about saving the world, or stopping a godly war. I just wanted to get my mom back. Hades took her, and he was going to give her back.

We spent the next twenty minutes just waiting for the bus to arrive. Annabeth was reading her book, Grover was trying to play some music on his reed pipes, and I was just sitting on the bench, my pen in my hands. For some strange reason, I wished that a monster would just appear already. I was bored, and I didn't bring anything to do.
"Perhaps you should have practiced archery more," Came Apollo's voice from my head. "With all due respect lord Apollo, I suck at it. I don't think me near a bow is a good idea."
The god just laughed. "Percy, that's because you didn't really try to learn. You gave up after one class."
"I shot Chiron's tail," I said. "Oh, and did I mention he was behind me?"
"Well... maybe you just need some extra lessons. I'd be willing to teach you if you'd like."
"Why?" I asked. "You can't just give up on something just because you failed at it the first time."
"Like I said, I suck at it."
"Thing is, you didn't practice, seashell. You just gave up. So, I'm going to teach you!"
"Umm.. you don't have to. I already have a sword."
I winced as a small beam of light nearly blinded me.
"Of course you'd say that," Apollo said, sounding a bit annoyed. "While swords are competent weapons, they won't always be enough. Think about it, Percy Jackson." With that, I could no longer feel his presents in my head. "Good job, Percy," I thought. "You just annoyed a god."
I'm not sure what he wanted me to think about. In fact, I'm not sure how I offended him. Perhaps he's just having a bad day or something? Another thing. Why did I feel sad and hurt when he used my full name? He hasn't done it in a while. Ever since I got claimed, he mostly called me seashell, which I hated at first, but now.. apparently I got attached to it.

"Percy, what are you thinking about?" Grover asked. I shrugged. "Not much. I'm just thinking about the quest." I lied. He and Annabeth didn't need to know about my friendship with the sun god. Who knows what they'd say; although, I'm not sure why I care what they think.
Grover frowned. "Percy, are you sure? I can kind of since your emotions. You seem kind of sad. Are you thinking about your mom? You don't have to hide it."
I shrugged. "Not really. Although, now that you bring it up, I guess this is a good time to say that I only excepted this quest to try to get her back."
Grover nodded. "I expected that. I could tell you resent your dad, this is important too Percy. We have to basically stop a world war three."
"Yeah, I know it's important, but I'm also choosing to be a little selfish as well. I know she's not dead. I have a chance to get her back, and I'm going to take it."
Annabeth glared at me, but I just ignored her. I wasn't in the mood to listen to her at the moment.
"So, what's been bothering you right now?" Grover asked. I shrugged. "I'm just thinking about why is archery important."
I realized a second later that I completely phrased the question wrong, when I nearly got blinded again; Except for this time, it was worse.
"Percy, you just angered one of the most important gods of the twelve!" Annabeth snapped. "He can make your life miserable if he really wanted to. You have to be careful what you say. They can hear every thing."
"I didn't mean it like that!" I said, trying to blink the light away. "I meant to say, I was wondering why people might think that a sword wouldn't be enough to fight with."
Annabeth frowned slightly. "Who said that?" She asked. "Was it someone from cabin seven?"
I just nodded. I wasn't going to tell her about Apollo's gift. Not unless I really needed to. I guess I didn't fully trust her.
Annabeth sighed. "They're not wrong. A sword is nice to have, especially if it was made for you like yours was, but sometimes it's not enough. There are times when you might have to use a bow for like long distance fighting. For example, say you're on a quest, and you see a monster or a couple of them. They don't see you, and you want to keep it that way. That's when you would use a bow or another long distance weapon to kill them before they spot you and attack. So, it's good to know how to fight with two different weapons, but it's not necessary."
I sighed. "Thanks, Annabeth," I said. Now I felt bad. Apollo had been trying to teach me how to use another weapon to stay alive. I really felt like an idiot now. I wondered if he'd even listen to me; Or did I truly mess up our sort of friendship?

Before I could think more about what to do, the bus pulled up. We got in line, and I noticed how Grover was sniffing the air, a small frown on his face. I began to get worried. If Grover was nervous, then maybe something was wrong.
"Hey man, what's going on?" I asked. Grover looked at me, his eyes held a slight hint of panic. "Percy, something's wrong," He said. "I don't know what it is, but I should warn you.. it's not good."

Chapter Text

Today I learned a few things.
The first thing, was that being a half-blood was dangerous. Sure I already knew that, but today just proved it. The first sign that something was wrong was when the three old ladies came on the bus.
Grover, Annabeth, and I had found seats in the very back of the bus, and we stored our bags under the seats. I was staring out the window, trying to see what Grover was worried about. I could tell Annabeth was too. Neither of us thought that the danger would be with us, untill Grover shook my shoulder.
I looked over at him, and he pointed toward the front of the bus. My heart seemed to stop as I stared at someone I hoped I'd never see again.
Mrs. Dodds looked the same as before. Sure she looked older, but still the same demon lady. She had on a rumpled dress, and a shapeless orange hat. In her hands, she carried a large paisley purse. Behind her, two other old ladies got on the bus. They looked almost exactly the same. The only difference was that one wore a green hat, and the other wore a purple one. "Great," I muttered. "Triplet demon grandmothers."
"I thought you said they could stay dead for a lifetime?" I asked Annabeth. "I said if you're lucky. You're clearly not."
"It's all three of them!" Grover said. "What are we going to do?"
"We'll be fine," Annabeth said, obviously thinking hard. "There's got to be a way out."
I looked back up at the front. Two of the demon grandmothers crossed their legs in the aisle, which looked casual enough, but I could tell was a clear message. No one was leaving.
"How about we slip through the window?" Annabeth asked. I shook my head. "They don't open."
Annabeth frowned slightly. "Okay then, how about a back exit?"
"There isn't one," Grover said. "Besides, even if there was, it wouldn't help much. They're to fast."
Annabeth bit her lip, continuing to think of how to escape. Now I understand what Annabeth and Apollo had meant by saying that long distance fighting is sometimes necessary. In fact, this is a time where a bow would be very useful right now. I decided to ask Apollo if he still wanted to teach me when we got to Olympus. Hopefully, I didn't make him change his mind. I guess I could always ask cabin seven if he refused, but a part of me wants to learn from him. I wasn't exactly sure why though. I guess I just liked talking to him, even if he could kill me in a second.

I stared back out the window and noticed that we were heading down Ninth Apenue, heading for the Lincoln Tunnel. We had just lost our last chance to escape. I had a bad feeling that they might attack us in the tunnel.
"They won't attack us with people around, will they?" I asked. "Mortals don't have good eyes, Percy," Annabeth reminded me. Their brains can only prosses what they see through the mist."
"Won't they see three old ladies trying to kill us?"
She thought about it. "Hard to say. But we can't count on mortals for help."
Just then, we hit the Tunnel, and the bus went dark except for the lights running down the aisle. It was way to quiet with out the sound of the rain. I reached into my pocket, my hand closing around the pen; ready to pull it out immediately.
Msr: Dodds got up. In a flat voice, as though she'd been practicing, she said, "I need to use the restroom."
"So do I." Said the second sister. "So do I." Said the third. They all started coming down the aisle.
"I've got it," Annabeth said. "Percy, take my hat."
"What?"
"You're the one they want. Turn invisable and go up the aisle. Let them pass you. Maybe you can get to the front and get away."
"What about you guys?" I asked. "There's a chance they might not notice us." Annabeth said. "You're a son of one of the big three. You're smell might be overpowering."
"I can't just leave you!"
"Don't worry about us," Grover said. "Go!"
My hands were trembling. I felt like a coward, but I took the cap, and put it on. When I looked down, I couldn't see my body.
Taking a deep breath, I started creeping up the aisle. I managed to go up ten rows, before ducking into a seat as the Furies walked past. "Mrs. Dodds stopped, sniffing, and looked right at me. My heart was pounding. My hand curled around the pen once again, ready to uncap it.
Thankfully, she didn's see anything, and they kept walking. I was free.
I made it to the front of the bus. We were almost through the Lincoln Tunnel now. I was about to press the emergency stop button, when I heard hideous wailing from the back.
When I looked back, I saw that the old ladies weren't old ladies any more. Their faces were still the same; I guessed they couldn't get even worse, but their bodies had shrivled into leathery brown hag bodies with bat's wings. Their hands and feet looked like gargoyle claws. Their bags had turned into fiery whips.
All thrae of them were surrounding Grover and Annabeth, lashing their whips, and hissing, "where is it? Where!"
The other people on the bus were screaming and cowering in their seats. They deffinitly saw something alright.
"He's not here!" Annabeth yelled. "He's gone!"
The Furies raised their whips. Annabeth drew her bronze knife. Grover grabbed a can from his bag, and prepared to throw it.
As for me, what I did next was so impolsive, and dangerous, I should have been named ADHD poster child of the year. The bus driver was distracted, trying to see what was going on in his rearview mirror. Still invisable, I grabbed the wheel from him, and jerked it to the left. Everyone screamed as they were thrown to the right, and I heard the sound of what I hoped was the sound of three Furies being thrown against the window.
"Hey!" The driver yelled. "What the heck is going on?"
We fought for the wheel. The bus slammed against the side of the tunnel, grinding metal, throwing sparks a mile behind us.
We shot out of the Lincoln Tunnel, and back into the rain storm; people and monsters thrown all over the bus, cars ploued aside like bowling pins. Somehow, the driver found an exit.
We shot off the highway, through half a dozen trafic lights, and ending up barreling down one of those New Jersey rural roads. I saw woods to our left, the Hudson River to the right, and the driver seemed to be heading towards the river.
Then, I had another great idea. I slammed on the emergency brake. The bus spun a full circle on the wet asphalt, and crashed into the trees.
The emergency lights came on. The door flew open. The driver was the first to go out, the others yelling as they too ran off the bus. I stepped into the driver's seat and let them pass.
The Furies regained their balance. They lashed their whips at Annabeth, who was waving her knife at them while yelling in ancient Greek, telling them to back off. Grover threw tin cans, which of course didn't hurt them, but it did annoy them even more.
I looked at the open doorway. I was free to go, but could I do it? I didn't want to leave my friends. It was a three on two attack, and I wasn't sure they would make it.
Taking a deep breath, I took off the invisability cap and yelled, "Hey! I thought I killed you!"
Immediately, the three Furies turned and glared at me. Annabeth glared at me and mouthed, "I thought I told you to go!"
"You were going to die!" I said back.
"Percy Jackson," Mrs. Dodds hissed, black eyes glowing brightly. "Glad you could join the fun. Now, give back what you took and we'll make you're deaths painless."
I shook my head. "Yeah, I don't think so," I said. "First, we didn't take anything; your master did. Second, I killed you once, I can do it again."
So, I wasn't really sure if I could do it. I mean, the first time I had cought her by surprise. But I was going to try and see.
I pulled out the pen and uncapped it. Mrs. Dodds flinched and hissed when she saw the blade. I just smirked. Clearly, she was afraid of my sword.
"Submit now," She hissed. And this will all be over faster."
"Nice try," I replied. "Percy, look out!" Annabeth cried.
Mrs. Dodds lashed her whip around my sword hand while the Furies on either side lunged at me. My hand felt like it was wrapped in molten lead, but I managed not to drop Riptide. I stuck the Fury on the left with the hilt, sending her falling backward into a seat. I turned quickly, slashing the Fury on the right. As soon as the blade connected, she screamed and exploded into dust. I made a disgusted face. I really hated when they did that. It was grose; especially when the dust got on you.
Annabeth got Mrs. Dodds in a wrestler's hold and yanked her backward while Grover ripped the whip out of her hands.
"Ow He yelled. "Ow, hot! Hot!"
The fury I had slammed came at me again, talons ready, but I slashed her with Riptide, and she too turned into dust.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Dodds was trying to get Annabeth off her back. She clawed, kicked, hissed, and bit, but Annabeth wouldn't let go. Grover was somehow able to tie Mrs. Dodds' legs together with her own whip.
Finally, they both shoved her into the aisle. Mrs. Dodds tried to get up, but she didn't have any room to flap her bat wings, so she kept falling back down.
Zeus will distroy you," She promised. "Hades will have your soal!"
"Braccas meas vescimini!" I yelled. I wasn't sure where the latin came from. I guess it was because of my many lessons with Chiron. Anyway, I think it means eat my pans. Yeah, not a very good insolt; I know.
Thunder shook the bus. The hair rose on the back of my neck.
"Get out!" Annabeth yelled at me. "Now!"
"What about the bags?" I yelled back. "We can't leave them!"
"We have no choice, Percy! We have to go now! The bus will explode soon!"
I took one last glance at our bags, which rested under the seats still. Then, I ran off the bus, Grover and Annabeth right behind me. We saw the other passengers wandering around, some arguing with the driver, others running around yelling, "We're going to die!" A tourist with a camera snapped my picture before I could put my sword away again.
"Great," I muttered. "Now I'm going to be in the news again!"
Just then, the windows of the bus exploded, sending the pasengers running for cover. Lightning created a huge hole in the roof, but an angry sound from inside told me Mrs. Dodds wasn't dead. Why couldn't Zeus be helpful for once instead of trying to kill me? Wasn't he a god? Couldn't he just see that I don't have his stupid bolt? That would literally save us the trouble of going on this stupid quest.
"No, think of mom," I told myself. "Think of this as a chance to get her back."
I guess I should thank Zeus for being "paranoid."
"Run!" Annabeth said. "She's calling for reinforcements!"
We plunged into the woods as the rain poured down; the bus in flames behind us, and nothing but darkness ahead.
In a way, it's nice to know there are Greek gods out there, because you at least have someone to blame when things go wrong. For example, when you're running away from a bus that's just been attacked by a group of monsters and blown up by lightning, not to mention the fact that it's raining as you're running away from said bus, most people would say it's just really bad luck. However, when you're a half-blood, you know something else is trying to make your life a living hell. Or.. would it be living Hades? Either way, it sucks. In this case, you'd blame lord Zeus. However, not all gods are to blame. Some, like Apollo are actually helful.
You see, there the three of us were, walking through the woods, the glow of New York city making the night sky yellow behind us. Grover was shivering, his eyes wide in fear.
"Three kindly ones! All three at once!"
I was honestly very worried about him. He looked like he was going to go into a panick attack or something.
Just then, I felt something hit me in the back. I quickly turned around, just in time to get hit in the face by another backpack. A third one hit me in the chest before falling to the ground.
"What the.." I said, totally shocked. "Grover, Annabeth, come look!"
They immediately appeared at my side, there eyes wide in surprise like me.
"How did our bags get here?" Annabeth asked. I shrugged. "They.. they just hit me." I said. Annabeth frowned. "It might be a trick." She said, her eyes on the three bags.
"There's a note!" Grover said, pointing at a piece of paper that rested on what looked like my bag. "Percy, be careful.- Annabeth said as I picked up the paper.
The writing was small and very neat. From what I could tell, it was written in Ancient Greek. It said, "You are not dying because of a lack of supplies, Seashell. I wish to have a talk with you first. I'll see you on Olympus."
I couldn't help but smile a little, but I made sure my friends couldn't see it.
"It's from Lord Apollo, I think," I said. "It says that he can't have me dying untill he has a talk with me first."
"Percy, he might be really mad at you!" Annabeth said. "Yeah, maybe he wants to kill you himself for insolting his weapon." Grover added. I frowned. "I hope not." I said. "But hey, at least we have our stuff."
The three of us grabbed our bags and started walking again. This time though, the air between us was more relaxed now, especially Grover, who was now happily snacking on a can.
Well, every thing was calm untill Annabeth glared at me. "What?" I demanded, ready for another fight with her. "Percy, I thought I told you not to jump into the fight!" She snapped. "We nearly lost all of our stuff!"
"What did you want me to do? Let you get killed?"
"You didn't need to protect me, Percy. I would have been fine. Besides, I have more training then you!"
"It sure didn't look like you were fine!" I snapped back, compleetly done with her attitude. "Look, can't you just be grateful for once? I don't really care that our parents hate each other! I tried to help you. I won't do it next time. Will that make you happy?"
Annabeth's face turned red with anger. "Shut up, seaweed brain!" She snapped, before turning around and walking faster.
"Percy," Grover sighed. "You shouldn't start fights with her. At least, not during the quest. We have to work together to stay alive."
"Yeah, I know that. I just can't help it though. She's just so annoying. I mean, I just tried to help. No offence, but you guys seemed like you needed it."
Grover shrugged. "Oh, we did need help. Annabeth will realize it soon."
"Yeah, when pigs fly." I muttered. Grover grinned. "You know, there are some pigs that really do fly." He said. I groaned. "You know what I mean!" I sighed, making Grover laugh.

After a few more minutes of walking through muddy ground, Annabeth fell into line beside me. I glanced over at her, a small frown on my face. Was I going to get yelled at some more? What did I do this time?
"Look, Percy I.." Her voice faltered. "I appreciate your coming back for us, okay? It was brave of you."
I smiled, immediately relaxing. I guess Grover was right. She just needed some time.
"We're a team, right?" I asked with a small smile. She was silent for a few more steps. Then she said, "It's just that if you die.. Aside from the fact that it would really suck for you, it would mean the quest would be over. This may be my only chance to see the real world."
"You really haven't left camp for five years?" I asked. "No.. only for short field trips. My dad.."
"The history professor?"
"Yeah. It didn't work out for me living at home. I mean, camp half-blood is my home."
She was rushing her words out now, as if someone was going to stop her. I made sure to pay close attention. Who knew when she'd open up again.
"At camp you train and train, and that's all cool and every thing, but the real world is where the monsters are. That's where you learn if you're good or not. It's where you find out if the training pulled off, or if you're just going to be another meal for them. It's what we all train for."
I thought I heard doubt in her voice, which kind of surprised me. From the time I've known her, Annabeth always seemed confident in her skills. I never thought she'd be slightly insicure.
"You're pretty good with that knife." I said, trying to cheer her up. "You think so?"
"Anyone who can piggyback ride a Fury is okay by me:" I replied with a slight smile. I couldn't really see, but I thought she might have smiled.
"You know," She said. "Maybe I should tell you.. something funny back on the bus.."
Whatever it was she was trying to tell me was interrupted by a shrill sound, like an owl being tortured.
"Hey, my reed pipes still work!" Grover cried. "If I could just remember a find path song, we can get out of these woods."
He played a few more notes, but only more shrill sounds came out. Guess he needed more practise. Instead of finding a path, I immediately slammed into a tree and got a nice size knot on my head. Thanfully, it began to fade thanks to Will's advanced healing thing.
After another mile or so, I started to see a light up ahead. It looked like a neon sign. I could smell food. Fried, greasy, excellent food. I realized I hadn't eaten anything unhealthy since I got to camp, where we lived off of grapes, bread, cheese, and extra-lean-cut nymph- prepared barbecue. I needed a double cheeseburger, immediately.
We kept walking until I saw a deserted two-laned road through the trees. On the other side was a closed down gas station, a tattered billboard for an old movie, and one open place, which was where I could see the sign, and most importantly, It was where I could smell the food.
It was't a fast food place like I hoped. Instead, I saw one of those weird roadside shops that sold lawn statues and stuff. The main building was a long, low warehouse surrounded by acres of statues. The sign above the gate was impossable for me to read, because if there was anything worse for my dyslexia then regular english, it's red cursive neon english. To me, it looked like a bunch of letters scrambled together.
"Umm, what the heck does that say?" I asked, hoping that one of them could read it. "I don't know." Annabeth said. She loved reading so much, I forgot she was dyslexic as well. Thanfully, Grover was able to read it. "It says, Aunty Em's garden gnome Emporium." I crossed the street, following the smell of the food. "Hey.." Grover warned. "The lights are on inside," Annabeth said. "Maybe it's open."
"Snack bar," I said wistfully. "Snack bar," She agreed.
"Are you two crazy?" Grover said. "This place is weird. Besides, we have food in our bags!"
"Yeah, but we need to save it." Annabeth said. "Why would you want to eat canned food when you have a perfectly good snack bar in front of you?" I asked. Grover threw up his hands. "Oh, I don't know.. maybe because it's safer, and it's less likely to get us killed?" He said. We ignored him and kept walking.
The front lot was a forest of statues: cement animals, cement children, even a cement satyr playing the reed pipes, which gave Grover the creeps. "Looks like my uncle Ferdinand!"
We stopped at the warehouse door. "Don't knock," Grover pleeded. "I smell monsters."
"You're nose is messed up because of the Furies," Annabeth said. "All I smell is burgers. Aren't you hungry?"
"Meat," He said scornfully. "I'm a vegetarian."
"You eat cheese enchiladas and aluminum cans." I reminded him. "Those are vegetables. Come on! Let's leave. These statues.. they're looking at me."
Before Annabeth or I could answer, the door creeked open. Standing in front of us was a tall middle eastern woman; at least, I assumed she was middle eastern, because she wore a long black gown that covered every thing but her hands, and her head was compleetly veiled. Her accent sounded middle eastern as well.
"Children, it is to late to be out all alone. Where are your parents?"
"There.. umm.." Annabeth started to say. I was about to say something stupid, like, "Oh, we work at a sercus", when I felt a presents in my head again. My mouth opened, and I heard myself say, "We don't live to far from here, ma'am. Our parents went out of town for a few days, and we were just looking for a place to eat at. We're really sorry to bother you."
"Oh, my dears," The woman said. "You must come in. I am Aunty Em. Go to the back of the warehouse please. There is a dinning area."
"Percy, you better be more careful this time." Apollo hissed in my head, making me nearly flinch. "I.. I will. Thanks for your help again Lord Apollo."
As we walked inside, Annabeth sent me a small smile. "Not bad Seaweed brain." She said. Grover nodded. "No offence, but I wasn't expecting that from you."
"Well, at first I was going to say that we work at a cercus." I said. Annabeth sent me an unimpressed look. "Well, let's just be glad you didn't do that." She said.
The deeper we went into the building, I saw more and more statues. There were a lot of people with all different poses, wearing all different outfits, and with different expressions. I was thinking you'd probably need a very big garden to fit even one of these statues, since they were all life-sized; but mostly, I was thinking about food. In fact, it seemed as though that was all I could think about. I didn't even notice Aunty M locking the door behind us, which should have been a sign that something was wrong. I didn't even notice Apollo trying to lead me away from where I was going. I would probably hear about it during our talk.
At the back of the warehouse was a fast food counter with a grill, soda fountain, pretzel heater, and a nacho cheese dispenser. A couple of picknick table with at the front.
"Please, sit down," Aunty M said. "The food will be out soon."
"Awesome." I said happily.
"Umm," Grover said. "We don't have any money."
I wanted to say that he was lying, but even while I was only thinking about food, I knew it was better to hide it. We might need it after all.
"No, no, children. No money! This is a special case, yes? It is my treat. We can't have you three starving before your parents return."
"Thank you, ma'am." Annabeth said. Aunty M stiffened, as though Annabeth had done something wrong, but then she immediately relaxed, so I must have just been seeing things. "Quite alright, Annabeth," She said. "You have such beautiful eyes, child."
I would only realize later on, that we hadn't told her our names. That should have been the first sign. Lord Apollo nearly killed me when he found out.
Aunty M went behind the counter, and started cooking. Before we knew it, she'd returned with plastic trays filled with cheeseburgers, vanilla shakes, and large survings of fries. As Annabeth and I ate, Grover picked at the fries, but he still looked nervous.
"What's that hissing noise?" He asked. I listened, but I couldn't hear anything. Annabeth shook her head. "I don't hear anyding." She said.
"Hissing?" Aunty M asked. "Perhaps you hear the deep-fryer oil. You have keen ears, Grover. But please, relax. Eat some food."
I noticed that Aunty M didn't eat anything. Instead, she was leaning against the counter, her arms crossed, just watching us. It felt a little unsettleing having her watch us eat, especially when her face was still covered. She hadn't taken off her headdress, not even while she was cooking.
"So.. you sell gnomes." I said, trying to sound interisted. "Oh, yes," Aunty Em said. "Animals too. Oh, and don't forget people as well. Anything that people would want to put in a garden. Statuary is very popular, you know."
"Do you get a lot of business?"
"Not very much, no. Since the highway was built.. most cars don't come this way any more. I must cherish every customer I get."
I felt as though someone were watching me. I turned, but it was only a statue of a young girl holding an easter bascet. The detail was much better then in most garden statues. However, when I looked closer, I saw that something was wrong. Her face looked startled. No.. terrified. What kind of person would want a scared child in their garden?
"Aww," Aunty M said sadly. "You notice some of my creations don't turn out well. They do not sell. The face is always the hardest to get right."
"You make these yourself?" I asked. "Oh, yes. Once upon a time, I had two sisters who helped me with the work, but they've passed along. It's only Aunty M now. I have only my statues for company now. This is why I make them, you see."
The sadness in her voice sounded so real, I couldn't help but feel sorry for her.
Annabeth had stopped eating. She sat forward and said, "Two sisters?"
"It's a terrible story," Aunty Em said. "Not one for children, really. You see, a bad woman was jealous of me when I was younger. I had a.. a boyfriend, and this woman tried to break us apart. She caused an accident. My sisters stayed by me. They shared my bad fortune as long as they could, but they eventually passed. They faded away. I alone survived, but at a price."
I wasn't sure what she meant, but I felt bad for her. My eyelids kept getting heavy, the food making me tired. Poor old lady. Who would want to hurt someone so nice?
"Percy!" Annabeth was shaking me, trying to get my attention. "Maybe we should go. I mean, our parents will be home tonight. Don't you remember?"
She sounded tense. I wasn't sure why. Grover was eating the wax off the tray, but Aunty M didn't say anything about it.
"Such beautiful gray eyes," She said to Annabeth again. "It's been a while since I've seen gray eyes like those."
Annabeth quickly stood. "We really should go."
"Yes," Grover said, standing as well. Our parents should be home now."
I didn't want to leave. I felt full and content. Aunty M was so nice. I wanted to stay with her for a while.
"Please, dears," Aunty Em pleeded. "I so rarely get to be with children. Before you go, won't you at least sit for a pose?""
"A pose?" Annabeth asked warily. "A photograph. I will use it to moddle a new statue set. Children are so popular, you see. Everyone loves children."
Annabeth shifted her weight from foot to foot. "I don't think we can, ma'am. Come on, Percy."
I frowned. "Annabeth, why can't we?" I asked. "It's just a picture."
Annabeth glared at me. "Seaweed brain, you have to snap out of it! She's.."
The woman sighed. "It will be quick," She said. "Come, we can't keep your parents waiting."
Aunty M lead us back out the front door, to the garden of statues. She directed us to a park bench beside the stone satyr.
"I think I'll have the young girl in the middle, and the two young gentleman on either side of her." Aunty Em said. "Not much light for a photo." I pointed out. "Oh, there's enough. Enough for us to see each other, yes?"
"Where's your camera?" Grover asked. Aunty Em stepped back, smiling at the three of us. "Now, the face is the most difficult. Can you smile for me, please?"
Grover glanced at the statue beside us and said, "That really does look like uncle Ferdinand."
"Grover, look this way, dear." Aunty Em said.
She still had no camera in her hands. "Percy!" Annabeth said, her voice geting more panicked. I tried to listen to her, but I was still trying to fight the tiredness from the food.
"I'll just be a moment," Aunty Em said. "YOU know, I can't really see you in this cursed veil..."
"Percy, you have to listen! Something's wrong!"
"Wrong?" Aunty Em asked, reaching up to undo the thing around her head. "Not at all, dear. I have such noble company tonight. What could be wrong?"
"That is uncle Ferdinand!" Grover gasped. "Look away from her!" Annabeth shouted. She put on her cap and vanished. Her invisable hands pushed me and Grover off of the bench. I was on the ground, looking at Aunty M's sandaled feet. I could hear Grover go in one direction, Annabeth going in another, but I was to surprised to move.
That was when I heard a strange rasping sound above me. My eyes rose to Aunty Em's hands, which were now gnarled and warty, with sharp bronze talons. I almost looked higher, but Annabeth screamed, "No, don't!"
The rasping sound continued; sounding like tiny snakes. It was coming from.. from where about where her head would be.
"Run!" Grover shouted. I heard him running across the gravel, yelling, "Maia!"
I still couldn't move. I stared at Aunty M's claws, trying to fight the trance the old woman had put me under.
"Such a pity to destroy such a handsome face," She told me. "Stay with me, Percy. All you have to do is look up."
I fought the urge to listen to her. Instead, I booked to one side and saw a glass sphere sitting on a shelf. I could see Aunty Em's reflection in the glass. Her headdress was gone, and her face looked like a pale circle. Her hair was moving, reminding me of snakes. Then, it hit me. Aunty M. How could I be so stupid?
"Think," I told myself. "How did she die in the myth?" I think she was asleep when she was attacked by Perseus. Unfortunately, she wasn't anywhere near asleep now. If she wanted, she could use those talons and claw open my face.
"The gray-eyed one did this to me, Percy," Medusa said to me, and she didn't sound at all like a monster. Her voice invited me to look up, to look her in the eyes. "Annabeth's mother, the cursed Athena, turned me from a beautiful woman into this."
"Don't listen to her!" Annabeth shouted from somewhere in the statues. "Run, Percy!"
"Silence!" Medusa hissed. Then, her voice returned to it's soothing tone. "You see why I must distroy the girl, Percy. She is my enemy's daughter. I shall crush her statue into dust. But you, dear Percy, you need not suffer."
"No." I muttered, trying to get my legs to move. "Do you really want to help the gods?" Medusa asked. "Do you understand what waits for you on the fulish quest, Percy? What will happen if you reach the underworld? Do not be a pawn of the Olypians, my dear. You would be better off as a statue. Less pain."
"Percy!" Behind me, I heard a buzzing sound, like a two hundred pound humming bird in a nosedive. Grover's voice then yelled, "Duck!"
I turned, and there he was in the night sky, flying in with his winged shoes fluttering. He was holding a tree branch like a baseball bat, and his eyes were closed tightly.
"Duck!" He repeated, and this time, I listened. Knowing Grover, he'd miss Medusa and hit me instead. I dove to one side. I quickly moved to hide in the statues as Grover started to hit Medusa with the branch.
"You miserable satyr!" She hissed. "That was for uncle Ferdinand!" Grover yelled back. I heard the sound of the branch connecting with her body, and her snake hair hissing and spitting in anger.
Next to me, Annabeth's voice said, "Percy!"
I jumped so high, my feet nearly cleared a garden gnome. "Don't do that!" I snapped. Annabeth took off her cap and became vissable. "Percy, you have to cut her head off."
"What? Are you crazy? Let's just get out of here."
"Medusa is evil. I'd killer her myself but.." Annabeth took a deep breath. "You've got the better weapon. Besides, I'd never get close to her. She'd slice me to bits because of my mother. You.. you got a chance."
"What, I can't!"
"Look, do you want her turning more enocent people into statues?"
She pointed to a statue couple, who's arms were wrapped around each other. She then grabbed the glass sphere from the shelf and gave it to me.
"A polished shield would be better." She studied the sphere for a moment. Then, she tossed me the ball. "Just look at her in the glass. Never look at her directly."
"Hey, guys!" Grover yelled from above us. "I think she's unconscious!"
Medusa let out a rage-filled growl.
"Maybe not." Grover said. He was about to fly back to hit her with the branch again, but I held up a hand. "I.. I'll take care of her." I said, trying to sound confident. "Good luck, Percy," Grover said. "We've got your back."
I took out my pen and uncapped it. The bronze blade of Riptide appeared in my hand.
I followed the hissing and spitting of Medusa's hair. I kept my eyes on the glass ball so I would only see her reflection, and not the real thing.
"Relax, Percy," I told myself. "You're just going to behead one of the most famous monsters in Greek Mythology. No big deal."
Naturally, I didn't relax. However, I had to hurry. Medusa was starting to search for us. So, I took a deep breath and stepped out from behind the statues.

Chapter Text

I slowly began advancing on her, which wasn't easy while holding a sword and a glass ball. If she chose to charge, I'd have a really hard time defending myself. But for some reason, she let me come to her. First twenty feet, then ten.
I could see the reflection of her face now. Surely the real thing couldn't be that ugly. Maybe the green swirls of the glass ball were distorting it, making it look worse then it really was.
"You wouldn't hurt an old woman, Percy," She said, voice gentle. "I know you wouldn't."
I stopped, fascinated by the face I saw reflected in the glass. Her eyes seemed to burn through the green tint, making my arms go weak. From behind one of the statues, I heard Grover say, "Percy, don't listen to her."
Medusa laughed. "To late!" She said, before lunging at me with her talons ready. Reflexively, I slashed up with my sword. I heard the sickening sound of her head being sliced off, followed by the sound of a monster disintegrating. Something fell to the ground next to my foot. It took all of my willpower not to look. I could feel little dying snake heads tugging at my shoelaces.
"Oh, yuck," Grover said. "That is absolutely disgusting."
Annabeth appeared next to me, her eyes fixed on the sky. She was holding Medusa's black veil. "Don't move." She said. Then, with out looking down, she covered the head with the black cloth, then picked it up. To my disgust, it was still dripping green stuff. It would probably still be in my dreams.
"Are you okay?" She asked me, her voice trembling slightly. "Yeah, I'm fine," I said, although I felt like throwing up the food I'd just eaten. "Why didn't.. why didn't the head turn into dust as well?"
"Once you sever it, it becomes a spoil of war," She said. "Same as your Minotaur horn. But don't unwrap the head. Even now, it can still petrify you."
Grover appeared from behind a statue and made a face at the head. "Please tell me you're not going to keep that in your cabin?" He said, looking pleadingly at me. I shook my head, a small, grim smile on my face. "No," I agreed. "I have a better idea."

The three of us made our way back into the warehouse. We found some plastic bags behind the counter and double wrapped Medusa's head. What I did next might get me killed by most of the gods. Maybe not Mr. D or Apollo though. Well, now that I thought about it, I wasn't really sure. They might hate me less then the rest, but this still might offend them enough. This was mostly for Zeus and my father though, so hopefully they'd understand.
"I'll be back." I said, making my way to the back. I walked inside Medusa's office and looked around. On her large oak desk, I could see her account book, which was open to her six most recent sales, all to the underworld to decorate Hades and Persephone's garden. According to one of the bills, the billing address was DOA Recording Studios, West Hollywood, California. I folded up the bill and put it in my pocket. In the cash register I found $20, a few golden drachmas, and some packing slips for Hermes Overnight Express, each with a little leather bag attached for coins. I picked up a box that looked like it would be the right size. "Time to possibly die." I told myself, then made my way back to the front. I then packed up Medusa's head, and filled out a slip. The Gods
Mount Olympus
600th Floor
Empire State Building
New York, New York
With best wishes,
Percy Jackson
"They're not going to like that, Percy," Grover warned. "They'll think you're impertinent."
I didn't listen. Instead, I poured some golden drachmas in the pouch. As soon as I closed it, there was the sound of a cash register. The box floated off the table and disappeared with a pop.
"Not even Mr. D will be able to save you from Zeus' anger." Annabeth warned. I shrugged. "Perhaps he should stop trying to get me killed." I said. Annabeth glared at me. "Lord Apollo is already angry with you. Do you really think this is wise?"
"He said he wouldn't kill me until he spoke with me. I'm sure I'll be fine."
"Lord Apollo won't stop his father, Percy." Grover said. I sighed. "Look, it's already to late. I already sent the package. Maybe Lord Hermes won't send it or something. Either way, we have to go. We already spent to much time here."

About half an hour later, we decided to camp out in a marshy clearing about a hundred yards from the road. The area looked like a place where local kids would throw late night parties. The ground was littered with crushed soda cans and fast-food wrappers. I could tell Grover hated the place.
"These people have no respect for nature," He muttered. "What would Pan say? No wonder he disappeared."
Annabeth and I went through our bags, and I once again sent a thank you to Apollo. A sleeping bag was in each of our bags, along with every thing else we'd packed. We didn't dare light a fire to dry our clothes though. The Furies and Medusa had caused enough excitement for one day. Well, more like a lifetime, but either way, we didn't want to attract anything else.
We also decided to sleep in shifts. We didn't want to get attacked in our sleep. I volunteered to take the first watch. After all, Medusa was sort of my fault. I didn't really want to think about her and my father dating though. Or the fact that she could have still liked him. It was totally weird.
Annabeth crawled into her sleeping bag, and was asleep as soon as her head hit the ground. Grover flew to a low tree branch, put his back to the trunk, and looked up at the night sky.
"Go ahead and sleep," I told him. "I'll wake you if there's trouble."
He nodded, but still didn't close his eyes. "It makes me sad, Percy."
"What does? The fact that you signed up for this stupid quest? The fact that you nearly died because of it?"
"No. This, makes me sad."
He pointed at all of the trash on the ground. "The sky too. You can't even see the stars. That's one of the reasons why I love camp so much. It's clean there. The sky is fully visible at night. Not in the city, though.." He let out a long sigh. He looked older at that moment. More, sad.
"Tell me about the search." I said, trying to cheer him up. He studied me for a few seconds, as though he thought I was just making fun of him, but I was actually curious. Grover seemed very passionate about it.
"Like I said before, Pan disappeared about two thousand years ago," He said. "A sailor off the coast of Ephesos heard a voice crying out from the shore, "Tell them that the great god Pan has died!" When humans heard the news, they believed it. They've been ruining Pan's kingdom ever since. But for the satyrs, Pan was our lord and master. He protected us and all the wiled places of the world. We refused to believe that he'd died. We still don't believe it. In every generation, the bravest satyrs pledge there lives to find Pan. They search the earth, exploring the wildest places, trying to find where he is hidden and wake him from his sleep."
"So I'm guessing you did too?" I asked. "It's my life-long dream," Grover replied. "My father was a searcher. My uncle Ferdinand as well. He's the one you saw in Medusa's statue garden."
"I'm sorry." I said. Grover shook his head. "We all know the risks when we search for him. They know there's a chance they won't return. But.. I'll be the first to return alive. I'll find him. I'm not going to give up!"
"So.. you could die?" I asked. Grover took out his reed pipes. "No searcher has come back. They all disappear. They're never seen alive again. We keep doing it though. Pan's important to us."
I stared up at the orange haze of the sky, trying to understand how Grover can believe in something that seemed nearly impossible. Of course I believed in him, but I was still worried about the death rate. I decided not to say anything. I'd support him when he went to find him.
"How are we going to get into the underworld?" I asked instead. "I mean, what chance to we have against a god?"
"I don't know," He said. "But back at Medusa's, when you were searching her office.. Annabeth told me something."
I looked over at him. "Of course, Annabeth will have a plan." I said, trying to sound bitter. Grover sighed. "Don't be so hard on her, Percy. She's had a tough life, but she's a good person. Besides, she forgave me after..." He stopped talking, and looked at the ground. "What do you mean?" I asked. "Forgave you for what?"
Suddenly, Grover became interested in playing notes on his pipes. "Hold on," I said. "You're first job was five years ago. Annabeth has been at camp for five years. She wasn't.. She was with Thalia, wasn't she?"
"I.. I can't talk about it, Percy." Grover said. His lower lip was trembling, so I decided to leave it alone.
"Anyway, like I was saying, back at Medusa's, we agreed that something strange was going on with this quest. Something isn't what it seems."
"Well, duh. I'm getting blamed for stealing a thunder bolt. Isn't that strange enough?"
"That's not what I mean," Grover said. "The kindly ones were sort of hanging back. Why did Mrs. Dodds wait so long before attacking you? Also, on the bus.. they weren't as aggressive as they could be."
"They seemed plenty aggressive to me." I said. Grover frowned. "They've been much worse," He said. Besides, they were yelling at us: 'Where is it?
"Asking about me," I said. "They might think of me as an it. They really don't like me after all."
"Maybe.. but Annabeth and I, we got the feeling they weren't talking about a person. They seemed to be thinking about an object."
"That doesn't make much sense."
"I know. But if we've misunderstood something about this quest, and we only have nine days to find the master bolt..."
I thought about it for a few minutes. "I mean, why would Hades be looking for the bolt if he already has it? Unless.."
Grover and I stared at each other. "Either lord Hades doesn't have it.. or he's also missing something."
"We'll talk more about it in the morning. We need to make a plan." Grover said. I nodded. "Sounds good."
We sat in silence for a few more minutes, the only sound was Grover's quiet playing. It was peaceful, and I felt myself getting tired. Before I could sleep, Grover asked, "Why did you mail the head to Olympus?"
I sighed and shrugged. "Mostly, I was mad. I mean, I'm being forced on a quest, got monsters sent after me, and not to mention my mom is being held captive by the lord of the underworld. That's just part of it. I resent my dad for not being there. For not sending a sign or something. I know about the stupid ancient laws, but not all of the Gods listen to them. Why couldn't he visit me? At least once?"
I took a slow, deep breath. "I'm sorry. I'm rambling." I said. Grover shook his head. "It's okay, Percy. At least you're saying how you feel. Other half-bloods keep their emotions hidden. It's not pretty when they finally snap."
I let out a quiet sigh. "That's mostly what I feel," I said. "I just wish my dad was like Apollo. He actually makes an attempt to be there. Sure he's not there every day, but he at least shows he cares."
Grover frowned slightly. "Percy, I think I get it," He said. "I think I know why you sent the head."
"Didn't I just tell you why?"
"Yes, but you also said you wish your father was around. Here's what I think. Maybe you want him to notice you. Maybe a part of you wants to make him proud."
"Are you reading my emotions again?" I asked. Grover nodded. I once again sighed. "I guess that could be true," I said. "Very, deep down though."
"Of course," Grover said. "It's the same for others as well."
"How about I take first watch, huh? You should get some rest. Who knows what we'll face tomorrow."
I wanted to protest, but he started to play Mozart, and I turned away, my eyelids growing heavy. After a few notes of Piano Concerto No. 12, I was asleep.

In my dreams, I was standing in a dark cavern behind a large, deep pit. Gray mist creatures were all around me, whispering. I somehow knew they were the spirits of the dead. They tugged at my clothes, trying to pull me back, but I felt compelled to walk forward to the very edge.
Looking down made me dizzy. The pit was so wide and black, that I knew it was bottomless. However, I felt as though something huge and evil was trying to rise from the pit.
"The little hero," An amused voice said far down in the darkness. "To weak, to young, but perhaps you will do."
The voice felt ancient, cold and heavy. It wrapped around me like lead. "They have mislead you, boy," It said. "Barter with me. I will give you what you want."
A shimmering image hovered over the void: my mother frozen at the moment she'd dissolved in a shower of gold. I wondered if that was Hades. I mean, he was the last person who had my mother. But.. this guy sounded much more ancient. It didn't sound like him. Yet again, Hades could change his voice or something.
I once again thought of my conversation with Grover. Maybe Hades had lost something? But why would he change his voice? I'd have to find a way to ask Aurora if she saw anything new. I was very confused.
I turned my attention back to my mother. Her face looked like she was in pain; as though the Minotaur was still squeezing her neck. Her eyes looked right at me, pleading. I tried to cry out, but my voice wouldn't work. Cold laughter sounded from the pit.
Then, an invisible force pulled me forward. It would drag me into the pit if I didn't stand firm.
"Help me rise, boy."
The voice became hungrier. "Bring me the bolt. Strike a blow against the treacherous gods."
The spirits of the dead whispered around me, No! Wake! The image of my mother began to fade. The thing in the pit tightened it's grip on me. I realized it didn't want to pull me in. It was using me to pull itself out.
"Good," It said. "Good."

I immediately sat up, staring around me, my eyes wide. It was still night time, and Annabeth was now leaning against a tree. She looked over at me, a small frown on her face. "What's wrong?" She asked. I took a calming breath, then told her about my dream. Her face had gone pale when I told her about the pit, and the voice I heard in it.
"This is so not good, Percy," She said. "That's definitely not lord Hades."
"Do you have any ideas on who it could be?" I asked. Annabeth frowned. "I.. I have some ideas. Let's just hope I'm wrong though."
"It had my mother though."
"I know, but perhaps they just used her to get your attention. Any monster would do that."
I sighed. Of course she was right. I just really wanted her back. Annabeth's face softened a little. "Go back to sleep, Percy. I'll wake you up later."
"Are you sure?" I asked, but my eyes were already closing again. "Go to sleep, seaweed brain:" She said, and that was exactly what I did.

Instead of standing on the edge of a pit, I found myself flying through the air, the wind blowing hard into my face, making my eyes water. I could tell it was still night, but far below, I could see the lights of a city. I think I was flying above the Empire State Building.
"You know, this package is going to make the others mad, right?"
I turned to my left, and saw a guy flying beside me. He looked young and athletic looking, with light brown hair, bright green eyes, and a mischievous smile on his face. He looked slightly familiar. In one hand, he held a long staff with two snakes wrapped around it. That's when I realized who it was.
"Lord Hermes." I said. The god smiled. "That's me," He said. "Now, you do realize this little beauty will cause some trouble for you and your friends, right?"
Hermes didn't look or sound mad, but I made sure to still be careful. He could blast me after all.
"I understand," I said. "I was angry. Lord Zeus was blaming me for stealing his bolt, which I didn't do by the way, and my father also made me angry."
Hermes laughed, a light care free sound. I was reminded of the Stole brothers after they played a good prank. I mace sure to check my pockets to make sure I still had every thing. The god noticed and smirked. "I'm glad you learned to be careful from my children," He said. "Who knows what could happen to your stuff. Especially your sword; or even the gift from my brother."
I looked down. I felt embarrassed for some reason. Hermes laughed again. "Anyway, back to your little package.."
I sighed. "Look, I'm sorry Lord Hermes. I didn't mean for it to offend you. It was mainly for my father and lord Zeus."
Hermes placed a hand on my shoulder. "Relax, Percy. I'm not going to kill you for it. I actually find it hilarious. That's why you're coming with me while I deliver it to our fathers. I think they'll be finishing another meeting. I left it in order to bring the package myself."
I frowned. "Why do I have to come?" I asked, feeling nervous. Hermes laughed. "Well, I want you to see the trouble you caused. It will be amazing. Besides, no one will see you; I promise. They won't kill you when they get it. My father will probably make your quest a whole lot harder, so be careful going forward."
"Is there anyone who won't want to blast me?" I asked, my head falling into my hands. Hermes thought about it for a second.
"Well... Dionysus might lecture you for a few hours and temporarily turn you into a grape plant, but he won't kill you."
"Don't forget about Apollo." A voice hissed. I nearly flinched at the voice, making the god laugh. "Relax, Percy. It's just my snakes. George, Martha, say hi."
"Hello, dear," Martha said. "Hermes has been in a very good mood because of your package. He's been wanting to do something like that for a while now."
"Do you have any rats?" George asked. I shook my head. "I'm sorry, but I don't have any." I said. George hissed in disappointment. "Next time we meet then. Make sure you bring me one."
"Umm, sure?" I said, sending Hermes a questioning look. "Oh, don't mind him. George only thinks of rats. Anyway, Martha's right. Apollo won't kill you either. Although, he is quite irritated with you already, isn't he?"
I sighed. "Yeah, he is. I'm not sure if he'll let me fix it though."
"I'm sure he will." Hermes said. "He's been telling me about having a chat with you when you get to Olympus."
"Yes, but what if he kills me after the talk?" I asked. "Relax, he won't. At least, not unless you do or say something that will anger him."
"That's good to know," I said. "What about the other gods? How will they react to the head?"
"Oh, they'll want to kill you," He replied, sounding a bit to cheerful. "They'll think you're way to arrogant. We gods don't really like heros acting like that."
I let out an annoyed breath. "This is why I sent it." I said. Hermes nodded. "I get it." He said, and we were quiet for a while.
A short while later, I felt my feet touch the ground. Hermes wrapped an arm around my shoulders and started walking toward a set of large double doors. I couldn't really see anything else. It all looked hazy and dark.
"I can't let you see Olympus yet," Hermes explained. "You'll have to wait until you come yourself. Y''re going to love it."
He then pushed open the doors and we walked inside what felt like a large room. I still couldn't see anything, but I could tell the room was about the size of my entire apartment, but probably even bigger. I could hear the crackle of a fire to my right, and our footsteps echoed in the room.
The sound of talking immediately stopped as we came in. At first, I thought that they saw me, and I began to really get scared. Hermes must have noticed, because he sent me a small smile. "They don't see you, I promise." He whispered, before walking up to his father.
"What is this, Hermes?" A deep voice asked. I then realized that I couldn't see the gods either, except for Hermes. They were also covered in mist. Hermes grinned slightly, and snapped his fingers. A box appeared in his hand, and she showed it to all of the gods. "I have a package for all of you." He said brightly. "Who is it from?" Zeus asked. Hermes shrugged. "Oh, just this guy named Percy Jackson."
The reaction was immediate. A flash of lightning filled the room, and a large clap of thunder was heard out side. The other gods sounded interested, and a bit angry as well. A familiar voice said, "Let us see it then brother." It was Apollo.
I held my breath as Hermes slowly opened the box. I wasn't really ready to see their reactions, but it was to late.
As soon as the lid was open, the room went completely silent, the only sound came from the hearth. Then, the room exploded with sound.
Voices began shouting in anger, some probably cursing me in Greek. Lightning flashed, and I could tell a huge storm was building up. A bunch of throwing knifes were stuck in the wall, and about a dozen silver arrows streaked through the air, also landing in the wall. However, not all of the reactions were bad.
"Of course Peter Johnson would do something like this." Mr. D's voice said in his usual lazy drawl. A quiet, musical laugh came from Apollo, and I couldn't help but smile. I was glad that he at least didn't want to kill me, even if he was still mad at me.
Suddenly, a flash of green light filled the room, and I knew it had something to do with my father. Immediately, the room went quiet.
"Clearly, my son is resentful," Someone said. His voice wasn't as deep as Zeus or Hades' but I could still hear the power in it. "It's clear he misses his mother, and he's angry that I never met him. We won't take our anger out on him."
"And why not?" Zeus' voice said, quiet, but full of rage. "Isn't it clear, brother? You won't be able to get your master bolt back if he's dead."
"That's not true," It was a woman who spoke now. "My daughter is on this quest. Surely she can bring the bolt up herself. She doesn't need that arrogant brat's help."
"Oh, as if your daughter was any better," My father said. "She's been so friendly toward Perseus. Not to mention Apollo's children."
"Your daughter knows that my Aurora can not tell people a lot of the things she sees, and yet she still decides to argue with her." Apollo said, voice ice cold. It was honestly terrifying. "This has nothing to do with my daughter," Athena snapped. "Your child, which you're not even supposed to have may, I add, has disrespected us by sending that witch's head. Not even someone as dimwitted as you can not deny that."
"I'm not saying I don't."
"Then you should let us punish him as he so clearly deserves!" A new voice said. This dude reminded me of a biker, and I immediately knew to stay away from him.
"Ares, I will not allow any of you to hurt him. He is the only one who can prevent the war between father and uncle P." Apollo said, which surprised me. I wasn't expecting him to stand up for me.
"And who are you to tell us what to do, Brother?" Came a cold female voice. "Artemis," Apollo said, his voice sounding formal. "Surely you understand how important this is? Father won't be able to get his bolt back if we kill him."
I didn't know if I should feel upset after hearing that. Did Apollo only think of me as a way to stop a war? What was I thinking? Of course he did. We weren't close at all. What else would he believe?
Artemis let out an irritated sound. "Apollo, surely you understand that a mortal can not just disrespect us and get away with it."
"He's already on a quest, sister. I'm sure that's enough punishment for him. Besides, I'm sure father won't make things easier for him."
"You're quite right, son." Zeus said, and I sighed. Hermes had been right. Zeus was probably going to send more monsters after me or something.
Hermes quickly walked over to me. "I must go," He said. "I have many more packages to deliver. Good day to you all." He then placed a hand on my shoulder and we walked back out side.
"I expect you to be more careful, Percy. You heard father. He's going to make things worse for you."
I nodded. "Were you expecting those reactions?" Hermes asked. "Most of them," I replied as we walked. I was still surprised that not all of the gods wanted to kill me." Hermes just laughed. "They think you're brave for sending us Medusa's head. They don't kill people they find brave."
"Also because I have to return the bolt." I sighed. Hermes smiled. "You'll do it," He said. "You'll make it to the end."
"I sure hope so," I said. "I don't want to see what kind of punishments lady Artemis would have planned while I was dying."
"Oh don't mind her. She hates men in general. Anyway, I believe it's time for you to wake. You have a long road ahead of you. Hopefully I'll see you when you return to Olympus." With that, I found myself falling through a bunch of clouds.

Chapter Text

Someone was shaking me. My eyes opened, and I immediately blinked, trying to get the sun out of my eyes. I glanced to my left and saw Annabeth sitting beside me, a smirk on her face. "Well, the zombie lives." She said. "How long was I asleep?" I asked, sitting up. "I tried to wake you up a few hours after you woke up the first time, but you wouldn't move, so I took your turn being on look out. You owe me, seaweed brain."
I groaned. "I had a weird dream." I said. Annabeth frowned. "Was it like the one before? I already told Grover about it, by the way." I shook my head. "no, this was different," I replied, before looking down. "Well umm.. lord Zeus might make our quest harder because of Medusa's head?"
"Percy!" Annabeth said with a long sigh. "How do you know this?" I quickly explained the seen in what must have been the throne room. Annabeth had frowned when I told her about her mother.
"She's wrong," She said when I asked her what was wrong. "If you would have died, the quest would have been over. We would have failed, and Grover and I would have had to return to camp. I can't just finish it for you. That's up to you."
I sighed. "Good to know," I said bitterly. "But not even that will stop lord Zeus from possibly sending the worst monsters after us; and from what I heard, he won't be the only one."
"You're relationship with Mr. D still surprises me." Grover said from a few feet away. "Me too." I agreed.
Annabeth tossed me a bag of nacho flavored corn chips from Medusa's snack bar. "This is the best we've got for now," She said. "We're saving the rest of our food for later. Oh yes, and Grover went exploring. Look, he found a friend."
I looked over and frowned slightly. Grover was sitting cross-legged on a blanket with something fuzzy in his lap. It looked like a dirty, unnaturally pink stuffed animal. Then, when my eyes focused more, I realized that it wasn't a stuffed animal. It was a pink poodle. The poodle barked at me, looking almost suspicious. Grover said, "No, he's not."
I blinked. "Are you.. talking to that thing?"
The poodle growled. "This thing" Grover warned, "Is our ticket west. Be nice to him."
"You can talk to animals?"
Grover ignored the question. "Percy, meet Gladiola. Gladiola, Percy."
I stared at Annabeth, thinking she'd laugh at this joke they were playing on me, but she looked serious. "I'm not saying hello to a pink poodle," I said. "Forget it."
"Percy," Annabeth said. "I said hello to the poodle. You have to say hello to the poodle. We don't have much time, you know."
I sighed and glared. "Hello. I muttered. Grover then explained how he'd met Gladiola in the woods, and they started talking. He'd run away from a rich family who'd posted a $200 reward for his return. Gladiola didn't really want to go back, but he would if it meant helping Grover.
"How does Gladiola know about the reward money?" I asked. "He read the signs," Grover said. "Duh." "Yes, of course. Silly me."
"So, we turn in Gladiola, get the money, and buy tickets to LA," Annabeth said. "Oh yeah, and kill the monsters that Percy sent to us because he couldn't control his temper."
I just sent her an angry glare. "It's not my fault some people are sensitive." I muttered, causing a flash of lightning to cross the sky. "Percy, shut up!" Annabeth hissed, getting to her feet. "Let's just go before one shows up now."

We were able to find a train station about half a mile from our little camp site. The reward money was enough to buy tickets as far as Denver. I was worried about how we would get to LA from there. I doubted the 100 dollars the camp store had given us were enough to get there. I mentioned this to Annabeth, but she just shrugged. "I guess we'll just have to find a way when we get there." She said.
"I thought you liked making plans?" I had asked. "I do. It's just that I don't know much about Denver transportation. I can't exactly make a plan yet."
We spent two days on the train, and I had been worrying the whole time. Thankfully, we weren't attacked by anything, but I made sure to keep an eye out for blood thirsty monsters sent by Zeus. I also tried to keep like low profile, sense my name and picture was on several east coast newspapers. It was the same picture that had been taken back in New York by the tourist. I had a wiled look in my eyes, and my sword looked like a metallic blur in my hand. It looked like either a baseball bat or a lacrosse stick. The caption read:
Twelve-year-old Percy Jackson wanted for questioning in the Long Island disappearance of his mother two weeks ago is shown fleeing from the bus where he accosted several elderly female passengers. The bus exploded on an east New Jersey roadside shortly after Jackson fled the seen. Based on eyewitness accounts, police believe the boy may be traveling with two teenage accomplices. His stepfather, Gabe Ugliano, has offered a cash reward for information for his capture.
"Don't worry about that, Percy," Annabeth told me. "Mortal police can't find us." But she didn't sound to sure. I just hoped she was right. I worry what cabin seven would do when they heard about the news. Aurora would probably slap me and call me an idiot. Actually, I think all of them would do that.
The rest of the day I spent between pacing the length of the train and staring out the windows. I couldn't sit still for the entire trip. I got several annoyed looks from the other passengers, but I ignored them.
Once, I saw a family of centaurs galloping across a wheat field, bows at the ready as they hunted. The child, who was the size of a second grader on a pony, caught my eye and waved. I had looked around the train, but no one else had noticed. They all had their faces buried in laptops or magazines. Even Annabeth had her face in her book, so she hadn't seen.
Another time, toward evening, I saw something huge moving through the woods. I could've sworn it was a lion, except that lions don't live in America, and this thing was about the size of a hummer. It's fur glinted gold in the light. Then it leaped through the trees and was gone.
We hadn't been able to get beds in the sleeper car, so we dozed in our seats. I tried not to drool since Annabeth was sitting beside me. Grover kept snoring and waking me up. Once, he shuffled around and his fake foot fell off. Annabeth and I had to quickly put it back on before anyone else noticed.
"So?" Annabeth asked me when we got Grover's foot back on. "Who wants your help?"
"What do you mean?"
"When you were asleep just now, you were saying, I won't help you. Who were you dreaming about?"
For some reason, I was reluctant to say anything. It was the second time I dreamed about the evil voice in the pit. However, she already knew about the first dream, so I eventually told her. She had gone quiet for a while.
"The more you tell me, the less it sounds like Hades," She said. "I'm not sure why he'd appear to you in a pit. He's usually in a black throne, and he never laughs. It's actually sounding more and more like..."
"The person you hoped it wasn't?" I asked. She nodded. "But why would it be him? Why would he want to contact you?"
"Can you at least tell me who it is?" I asked. Annabeth sighed. "Like I said, I hope I'm wrong, but it sounds like it could be Kronos."
I didn't know what to say. Can it really be Kronos who wanted my help? But.. why me? Why did he want me to get him out of that pit?
"Where exactly does that pit go to?" I asked, but I feared I already knew the answer. Judging by Annabeth's wince, I wasn't wrong.
"Let's just hope we're wrong, Percy," She said. "If it really was him.." She didn't need to continue. I remembered reading about the war between him and the gods. We couldn't have it happen again.
"We shouldn't rool it out though." I said. Annabeth nodded. "We won't, but we need more proof before we do anything."
We were quiet for a few more minutes, then I sighed. "He still offers my mother. Whoever it is down there has her, and I have to get her back."
Annabeth frowned. "Percy, you can't make a deal with Hades. That's a bad idea. You need to understand that. I myself have no love for the lord of the dead. I know not to trust him."
I frowned. "What would you do if it was your dad down there?"
"That's easy," She said. "I'd leave him to rot."
"Are you serious?" I asked. Annabeth's gray eyes met mine. Her expression was intense, like when she had drawn her sword against the hellhound.
"Percy, my father's resented me ever since I was born," She said. "He never wanted a baby. When he got me, he asked Athena to take me back; to raise me on Olympus because he was to busy with his work. She wasn't happy about that. She said heros had to be raised by their mortal parent. I appeared on my father's doorstep in a golden cradle, carried down from Olympus by Zephyr, the west wind. You'd think my dad would remember that as a miracle. Maybe he'd take some pictures or something. But he always talked about my arrival as if it were the most inconvenient ding that had ever happened to him."
She took a deep breath, and I placed a calming hand on her shoulder. "You don't have to continue," I said. "You did say it was none of my business, and it clearly makes you upset."
She shook her head. "No, it's okay. I'll tell you. I guess you deserve to know since we're basically on a quest together, and it's best to have trust and stuff. It's just hard to talk about it sometimes." She took another breath before continuing her story.
"When I was five, he got married and totally forgot about Athena. He got a regular mortal wife, and had two regular mortal kids, and tried to pretend I didn't exist."
I stared out the train window. The lights of the town were slipping by. I wanted to comfort her, but I wasn't sure how. I mean, what could I tell someone who's parent didn't want them? I suppose I can relate to that, even if it's different.
"My mom married this really awful guy," I said. "Grover said she did it to protect me; to hide me in the sent of a human family. I know she meant well, but it didn't change how awful he was to both of us. Because of him, I was happy to be going off to another school. It would mean I wouldn't have to see him for almost a year. I often ask her why she doesn't leave him, but I never get an answer. Maybe now that I know every thing, she could get a divorce. I mean, I could fight off any monsters that come near our home, so she wouldn't have to worry about hiding me."
I sighed. "Sorry for rambling so much. I guess I just had to share all my thoughts with someone. Besides, I wanted you to know that I sort of understand about bad families."
Annabeth pinched the golden ring on her necklace. I guessed it belonged to her father. I wondered why she wore it if she hated him. I decided it wasn't a good idea to ask her, at least not yet.
"He doesn't care about me, Percy," She said. His wife, my step mom, treated me like a freak. She wouldn't let me play with her children. My dad, instead of sticking up for me like a normal parent would, went along with her. Whenever something dangerous happened, you know, something with monsters, they would both look at me resentfully, like, 'How dare you put our family at risk.' Finally, I took the hint. I wasn't wanted, so I ran away."
"How old were you?"
"Same age as when I started camp. Seven."
"But.. You couldn't have gotten all the way to camp by yourself."
"No, not alone. Athena watched over me, guided me toward help. I made a couple of friends who took care of me, for a short time anyway."
I wanted to ask what happened, but I could tell she was lost in memories, so I didn't say anything. Instead, I listened to Grover snoring and gazed out the window once again, watching the dark fields of Ohio race by.
Toward the end of the second day on the train, we passed through some golden hills and over the Mississippi River into ST. Louis. Annabeth tried to see the gateway arch, which to me looked like a huge shopping bag handle stuck on the city.
"I want to do that." She sighed. "What?" I asked. "Build something like that. Have you ever seen the Parthenon, Percy?"
"Only in pictures."
"Someday, I'm going to see it in person. I'm going to build the greatest monument to the gods, ever! Something that will last a thousand years."
"You want to be an architect?" I asked. Her face flushed in either anger or embarrassment. "Yes, an architect," She said. "Athena expects her children to create things, not just tear them down, like a certain god of earthquakes I could mention!"
I scowled. "You really didn't need to bring "him" into this." I snapped, turning my attention to the churning brown water of the Mississippi below.
"Sorry," She said quietly. "That was mean."
"No, don't worry about it. It was mean of me to question what you want to do, even if I didn't mean it in a rude way. But hey, can't we just work together a little? I mean, didn't our parents ever cooperate?"
Annabeth had to think about it for a while, which honestly made me nervous. Did our parents really hate each other that much? Would there years of petty fights get in between a possible friendship between us? If one of us dies on this quest because we couldn't get along, I would never forgive either of them.
Finally, Annabeth said, "I guess.. the chariot," She said. "My mom invented it, but Poseidon created horses out of the crests of waves. So they had to work together to make it complete."
I let out a relieved sigh. "So.. we can do the same right?" I asked. "We can get along on this quest."
We rode into the city, Annabeth watching as the arch disappeared behind a hotel. I didn't press her. It was partly her decision after all.
"We can try," She said. "Don't get me wrong. We're definitely going to argue."
"Doesn't everyone though?"
"Good point."
We pulled into the station down town. The intercom told us we'd have a three hour break before departing for Denver.
Grover woke up and stretched. Before he was fully awake, he said, "Food."
"Come on, Goat boy," Annabeth said. "Sightseeing."
"Sightseeing?" I asked. "The gateway char. This may be my only chance to ride to the top. Are you coming or not?"
Grover and I exchanged looks. I really wanted to say no, but I guess we can't just leave her alone. It would be a good time for a monster to attack. Grover shrugged, coming to the same conclusion. "As long as there's a snack bar with out monsters."

The arch was about a mile from the train station. Fortunately, the line to get in wasn't very long. We made our way through the underground museum, looking at stuff from the eighteenth hundreds. It wasn't very exciting, but Annabeth was telling us interesting facts about how the arch was built, and Grover kept passing me jelly beans, so I was okay. I couldn't help but look at the other people in the line. Something just felt wrong.
"Do you smell anything?" I asked Grover. He took his nose out of the candy bag long enough to smell the air. "Underground," He said with a disgusted face. "Underground air always smells like monsters. Probably doesn't mean anything."
I tried to ignore my brain, but something still felt wrong. It was like we shouldn't be here.
"Guys," I said. "You know the god's symbols of power?"
Annabeth had been reading something about the arch, but she stopped and looked over. "Yeah."
"Well, umm.. doesn't our friend have a hat like Annabeth's?"
"You mean the helm of darkness," Annabeth said. "Yeah, that's his symbol of power. I saw it with him at the council meeting. His helm is a lot more powerful then my hat though."
"It basically allows him to become darkness," Grover said. "He can melt into shadows or past through walls. He can't be touched, seen, or heard. He can also create fear so strong it can drive you insane or even stop your heart. Why do you think normal creatures fear the dark so much?"
"Why exactly did you ask about the helm, Percy?" Annabeth asked. "I'm just thinking.. how do we know if he's here right now; watching us? I mean, we wouldn't be able to tell he's there."
Annabeth and Grover glanced at each other. "Well.. we don't." Grover said. "Well, that makes me feel a lot better." I said. Grover handed me a blue jelly bean, and I smiled.
I was starting to forget my fear when I saw the tiny elevator car we were going to ride in, and I knew I was in trouble. I really hate confined spaces. They make me feel like I'm going crazy.
We were forced to ride in the car with this fat lady and her small dog, a Chihuahua with a rhinestone collar. To my surprise, the guards didn't say anything about the dog. The bad feeling seemed to get stronger when I looked at the lady. I glanced over at Grover, and I saw him frowning as well. I think he noticed it as well. My hand immediately closed around my pen, ready for the attack.
Just then, the elevator began moving up in the arch. I tried to ignore the way the car was going in a curve. I didn't want to throw up the little food I'd eaten on the train.
"No parents?" The lady asked. She looked a little like Mrs. Dodds, and I wanted to hit my head against the wall. Was she just going to keep on following us? I turned to Grover and mouthed, "Is that Mrs. Dodds?"
Grover shook his head slightly, and I relaxed slightly. I know that was probably a bad idea, but I had been told that the Furies were the worst monsters, so it couldn't be that bad, right?
"They stayed below," Annabeth said. "They don't like heights."
"Why do all the monsters ask about our parents?" I thought. "I mean, they clearly know that we're half-bloods, so why can't they just stop trying to be nice?"
Then, a thought came to me. What if they didn't know we knew they were monsters? They can't be that dumb right? They really don't act like normal humans.
"Oh, the poor darlings."
The dog growled. The woman said, now, now, Sunny. Behave."
The dog had eyes like it's owner, intelligent and vicious. I guess they were both monsters.
At the top of the arch, the observation deck reminded me of a tin can with carpeting. Rows of tiny windows looked out over the city on one side, and the river on the other. The view was great, but if there's anything I like less then confined space, it's a confined space 600 feet in the air. Needless to say, I was ready to go pretty quick. Annabeth was talking about all of the things she would change to the place, and her entire face lit up. I couldn't help but be happy for her. She probably could have stayed up there for hours, but thankfully, the park ranger said the observation deck was closing soon.
I lead Grover and Annabeth back to the elevator, and made them go in. I was about to follow, but I saw that two other tourists were already in the car. There was no room for me. The park ranger said, "Next car, sir."
"We'll get out," Annabeth said. "We'll wait with you."
"No, it's okay. I'll be fine. You two go ahead. I'll meet you guys at the bottom."
Grover and Annabeth both looked nervous, but they let the doors close. I watched as there car disappeared down the ramp.
When I looked around, I noticed that the only people left were me, the fat lady, the park ranger, and a little boy with his parents. I smiled at the fat lady, my hand still curled around the pen. She smiled back, her forked tongue flicking between her teeth.
"Great," I thought with a sigh. "Just when my friends leave, she decides to show herself. I have the best luck."
Before I could take out my pen, her dog jumped down from her arms and started barking at me. "Now, now, sunny," The lady said. "Does this look like a good time? We have all these nice people here. Can't we just wait a little longer?"
The dog growled at me once again, foam dripping from his black lips. I saw the parents pull the little boy back, as he tried to pet the dog.
The lady sighed. "Well, son, if you insist."
I quickly pulled out my pen. "Did you just call that Chihuahua your son?" I asked, keeping the pen hidden behind my back. "Chimera, dear," The fat lady corrected. "It's an easy mistake to make."
She rolled up her sleeves, revealing that the skin of her arms was scaly and green. When she smiled, I saw that her teeth were now fangs. Her pupils were sideways slits, like a reptile's.
The chimera barked louder, and with each bark, it grew. First to the size of a Doberman, then to a lion. The bark became a roar.
The little boy screamed. His parents pulled him back toward the exit, and they stumbled into the park ranger, who was staring open-mouthed at the monster. Well, monsters.
The Chimera was now so tall, it's back rubbed against the roof. It had the head of a lion, with a blood caked main, the body and hooves of a giant goat. It also had a giant serpent for a tail.
"Well," I thought, trying not to completely lose it. "I'm so dead."

Chapter Text

For almost a whole minute, I just stood there, staring at the creature. I realized I haven't even uncapped my sword yet. My hands felt numb, and they were shaking slightly. It was the first time since the Minotaur that I'd fought a monster on my own, and I was terrified. I was surprised that the Chimera didn't kill me when I was just standing there.
The Chimera and I just stared at each other, neither of us moving. I knew that if I moved, he would probably kill me.
The snake lady made a hissing noise which might have been laughter. Her eyes looked full of amusement, and I wanted to punch her. Why do monsters find us half-bloods funny? There the ones who look stupid.
"You should be honored, Percy Jackson. Lord Zeus rarely allows me to test a hero with one of my brood. For I am the mother of Monsters, the terrible Echidna!"
I stared at her, not sure what to say. Normally, I might have had something smart to say, but right now, all I could think of was, "Isn't that a kind of anteater?"
I immediately knew that wasn't the smartest thing to say. She howled, her snake-like face turning brown and green with rage. "I hate it when you mortals say that! I hate Australia! How dare they name that ridiculous creature after me! For that insult, Percy Jackson, my son shall destroy you!"
"I knew I should have kept my mouth shut!" I thought, as the Chimera charged toward me, his teeth gnashing. "I guess Annabeth was right. I do have a way of getting into trouble. The stupid Chimera had been almost, calm before she told him to attack me.
I managed to leap aside and dodge the bite. I ended up beside the family and the park ranger, who were all screaming, trying to force open the emergency exit doors. I couldn't let them get hurt! They didn't deserve it.
Taking a deep breath, I uncapped my sword and ran across the deck and yelled, "Hey, chihuahua!" The Chimera turned faster then I would have thought possible with his size. Before I could swing my sword, he opened his mouth, blasting a column of fire at me. I let out a very undignified shriek, and dove through the explosion. The carpet had burst into flames. The heat was so intense, I nearly lost my eyebrows. When I looked back, I saw a hole in the side of the arch, with steaming metal around the edges.
"Great," I told the Chimera. "You just blowtorched a national monument! You do know you're going to get me in more trouble with the police, right? Not to mention Annabeth."
The monster tilted it's head, like it had actually understood me. That, or it was wondering why on earth I was talking to him instead of killing him, which I was also wondering. The weird snake lady was just watching us, a frown on her face.
"Well, sunny? Are you going to kill him, or should I do it myself?"
That seemed to snap Chimera out of his confused state, and he growled at me, the sound sending shivers down my back. When the Chimera charged once again, I slashed at his neck. Of course, something had to go wrong. The blade glanced harmlessly on the Chimera's collar. I tried to regain my Ballance, but I was so worried about defending myself from his mouth, that I had completely forgotten about his snake tail, until it turned and sank it's fangs into my leg.
I let out a gasp of pain. My leg felt like it was on fire. I stumbled, trying my best to stay standing. I knew that if I were to fall over, I would be killed immediately. So, I forced myself to stand, even though putting pressure on my leg felt like torture.
I then tried to stab the Chimera in the mouth, but the snake tail wrapped around my ankles and pulled me off balance, and my blade flew out of my hands. I watched in horror as it flew out of the hole in the arch, and fell down to the river below. I was weaponless. Not just that, but I could also feel poison from the Chimera making it's way to my chest. I remembered that Chiron said that my sword would return to me, but when I checked, I saw no pen. Maybe it had fallen to far away. It didn't really matter anyway. I could feel myself getting weaker. I knew that even with my blade, I wouldn't be able to do much.
The Chimera began making his way toward me, and I could tell he knew I was nearly dead. With out thinking, I backed up to the hole. Echidna laughed again. "They don't make heroes like they used to, am I right, son?"
Chimera growled as if in agreement. He was taking it's time as he moved closer.
I looked over at the family and the park ranger. The little boy was hiding behind his father's legs. I knew I had to somehow protect these people. I couldn't just die. The Chimera would probably kill them after I die. There would be no one there to stop him.
I tried to think of what to do, but now my whole body was on fire. I felt dizzy. It was getting harder to breathe, and I knew I didn't have long. I thought of the horn that was stored in my bag, but I knew I wouldn't have enough time to get it out. My hand closed around the coin, the only other thing I had. I sent a silent prayer to Apollo.
"Look, I know you may really hate me right now for insulting your bow, but I'm about to die. Do you think you could.. blast this Chimera or something? By the way, tell your dad that I don't appreciate the gift he sent."
For a few seconds, nothing happened. Maybe Zeus was preventing him from helping? That, or Apollo didn't care what happened to me.
Then, I felt him in my head. I could tell immediately that he wasn't happy. His irritation was giving me a head ache.
"What the hell, Jackson? I leave you alone for a day, and you get poisoned by a Chimera? You also partly destroyed a national monument? You know, you're father is not amused, and neither am I."
"Umm, hello to you too," I thought. "Can you like.. stop being so mad? You're making my head hurt."
The pressure in my head only got worse. "You're about to die, and you complain over your head hurting? You know what, I'm not going to tell you what to do now."
"You can't do that. I need to bring the bolt to..." I started to say, but then I screamed as I found myself being thrown from the building.
I'd never really given much thought as to how I would die. It was just something I knew would happen. I hoped it would be quick and painless; maybe in my sleep or something. I never pictured myself falling 600 feet toward a river. I've once read that falling a couple stories into water would basically be like falling on to solid asphalt, and I was really not looking forward to the impact. I made sure to send as many Greek curses to Apollo as I could. After all, it would be his fault for my death.
"Relax, Percy, you're not going to die," Came the slightly amused voice from my head. "Although, I probably should kill you for your.. colorful language."
"What do you mean I'm not going to die? You threw me from a building!"
"Yes, I did, but you'll be alright."
"I'm not immortal," I snapped. "I can't survive falling from this height!"
Apollo sighed. "Really, Percy, and here I thought you were smarter then that." He said.
"First you kill me, and now you insult me? What did I do to you?"
A beam of sunlight flashed in my eyes, and I rapidly blinked. "Use your brain, Jackson! You're not going to die because of your father!"
Before the words could sink in, I hit the water, and sank below the surface.
I was falling slowly now, bubbles trickling up through my fingers. I landed at the bottom of the river soundlessly. I watched as a catfish the size of Gabe swam away from me. I made a face as disgusting trash, beer bottles, old shoes, and plastic bags floated around me.
That was when a few thoughts finally caught up to me. First, I hadn't been flattened like a pancake. Second, I didn't even feel the Chimera poison any more. I was alive, which was good. The third thing I learned was that I wasn't wet. I could feel the water, and I could see where the fire used to be, but when I touched my shirt, it felt perfectly dry.
I reached out and grabbed an old cigarette lighter, and flicked it. A tiny flame appeared, right there at the bottom of the Mississippi. I then grabbed a wet burger wrapper, and it immediately went dry. As soon as I let it go, the light went out, and the wrapper got disgusting again.
Finally, and I'm not sure why it took me so long to notice it, but I was breathing. I was underwater, and I was breathing normally.
"Do you understand now?" The annoyed voice asked. I couldn't help but smile. I knew Apollo was frustrated by me, and yet he didn't kill me, which is something I can't say for certain gods. "Yes, lord Apollo, I get it."
"Gods! You're such an idiot, Jackson! Why do I even bother helping you?"
I shrugged, trying not to laugh. "I mean, I'm not making you. You're the one who decided to help."
"Yes, and I regret it."
"Whatever you say. Now, I'm going to find my sword. I'll call you when I need help again.
"Don't expect me to answer."
After Apollo's presents left, I thought I heard a woman's voice. She sounded like my mother, so at first I thought it was just in my head.
"Percy, what do you say?"
"Umm.. thank you, father." I said. Underwater, my voice sounded older, like I did in recordings. I didn't get an answer. All I got was the sight of the catfish swimming past me, and the trash floating around. That was when I saw my sword. It was about five feet away, the hilt sticking up from the mud.
I heard the woman's voice again. "Percy, take the sword. You're father believes in you."
I knew then that it wasn't just in my head. Her voice sounded like it was coming from everywhere, like dolphin sonar.
"Where are you?" I called out. Then, through the gloom, I saw her-- a woman the color of the water, a ghost-like figure floating in the current. She had long hair that flowed around her, and her eyes were green like mine. With out thinking, I said, "Mom?"
"No, child, only a messenger. Though your mother's fate is not as helpless as you believe. Go to the beach in Santa Monica."
"What?"
"It is your father's will. Before you go into the Underworld, you must go to Santa Monica. Please, Percy, I can not stay long. The river here is to polluted for my presents."
There was so much I wanted to ask this woman, the words getting caught in my throat. "I can not stay, brave one." She said, reaching out. I felt the current brush my face. "You must go to Santa Monica, and Percy, do not trust the gifts..." Her voice faded. "Gifts?" I asked. "What gifts? Wait!" She made one last attempt to speak, but the sound was gone. As I watched, her image melted away. If it was some form of my mother, I had lost her again. I had a strong urge to drown myself. The only problem, I couldn't drown.
"You're father believes in you." I thought bitterly. She'd also called me brave.. unless she had meant the catfish. With a sigh, I swam toward Riptide, grabbing it by the hilt. I had to hurry. For all I knew, the Chimera with his Snakey mother were still waiting for me, ready to finish me off. At the least, the police would be showing up, trying to find out who had blown a hole in the arch. If they found me, they would definitely have some questions. I capped my sword and put it in my pocket.
"Thank you, father." I once again said to the water. Then I swam toward the surface, appearing beside a floating McDonald's. A block away, I saw every emergency vehicle in St. Louis was surrounding the arch. Police helicopters circled overhead. The crowd of people reminded me of Times Square on New Years Eve. When I saw them, I wanted to go back underwater to hide, but I knew I had to find Grover and Annabeth.
When I stepped out of the river, I heard a little girl pointing me out to her mother. "Momma, that boy walked out of the river."
"That's nice, dear." Her mother said, her eyes on the police. "But he's dry."
"That's nice, dear."
As I walked, I heard a news reporter talking into her microphone.
"The damage, as you can see, is very serious. We're trying to get to some of the survivors, to question them about eyewitness reports of someone falling from the arch."
I felt a surge of relief when I heard the word survivor. Maybe that family and the park ranger made it out alive. I hoped Grover and Annabeth made it out as well.
I pushed through the crowd, trying to see what was going on in the police line. More reporters were rushing around, talking into their microphones. I ignored most of what they were saying, but one woman's voice made me pause.
"Channel five has learned that surveillance cameras show an adolescent boy going wiled on the observation deck, somehow setting off this freak explosion. Again, no confirmed fatalities..."
I backed away, trying to keep my head down. They didn't recognize me, but with my luck, it would only be a matter of time.
"Percy!"
I turned and got tacled by Grover. "We thought you'd gone to Hades the hard way." He said. Annabeth stood behind him, trying to look angry, but I could tell she was relieved to see me.
"We can't leave you alone for five minutes! What the heck happened to you?" She demanded. "Umm, I sort of fell."
"Percy, 630 feet?"
Behind us, a cop yelled for the crowd to move, and I watched as a couple of paramedics appeared, rolling a woman on a stretcher. I recognized her as the mother of the little boy on the observation deck. She was trying to explain to them what happened, but I could tell they obviously didn't believe her. Then, she pointed at me. "There he is! That's the boy who jumped from the arch!"
I turned quickly, pulling Grover and Annabeth after me. We disappeared into the crowd. "Percy, what's going on?" Annabeth asked. Was she talking about the dog in the elevator?"
"Try a Chimera." I said. "What!" Grover yelped. So I told them the whole story. From my fight with the fire-breathing dog, who for some reason I started to like, to the message from the underwater spirit.
"Wow," Grover said. "We've got to get you to Santa Monica. You can't ignore a summons from your dad."
Before Annabeth could respond, we passed another reporter doing a news break, and I almost froze when he said, "Percy Jackson."
I really didn't want to hear what he was saying, so I started walking faster. We ducked around the news van and slipped into an alley.
"First dings first," I said. "We've got to get out of town. Then we'll worry about how to get to LA."
We somehow made it back to the train station with out being spotted. We were just able to board before it left for Denver. I let out a sigh as the bus headed west, away from all of the police and reporters. I knew I'd have quite the story to tell cabin seven if I returned to camp.

The next afternoon, seven days before the Solstice, our train rolled into Denver. We hadn't eaten since last night, and we were all hungry. We hadn't showered since half-blood hill, and I was sure it was obvious.
"We should try to contact Chiron," Annabeth said. "I want to tell him about your talk with the water spirit."
"I thought you said we can't use phones?" I said questioningly. "I'm not talking about phones."
We walked through downtown for about half an hour, but I was unsure as to what Annabeth was looking for. The air was hot and dry, which felt weird after the humidity of ST Louis. Everywhere I turned, the Rocky Mountains seemed to stare at me like a tidal wave about to crash into the city.
Finally we stopped at an empty Do-it-yourself car wash. We moved toward the stall farthest from the street, keeping our eyes open for patrol cars.
"What exactly are we doing?" I asked as Grover took out the spray gun. "It's seventy-five cents," He muttered. "I've only got two quarters. Annabeth?"
"Don't look at me," She said. "the dining car wiped me out."
I pulled out my last bit of change and passed Grover a quarter, leaving me with a few nickels and a drachma. "Perfect!" Grover said. "We could use the spray bottle of course, but the connection isn't as good. Besides, I'll get tired of pumping."
"What are you talking about?"
He put in the quarters and set it to fine mist. "IMING."
"Umm, instant messaging?"
"Ira-messaging," Annabeth corrected. "The rainbow goddess Iris carries messages to the gods. If you know how to ask, and if she's not to busy, she'll do the same for half-bloods as well."
"How does it work?" I asked. "Like this." Grover said, pointing the gun in the air. Water hissed out in a thick white mist. The late afternoon light filtered through the vapor and broke into colors. Annabeth held out her hand toward me. "Drachma, please."
I handed it over. She raised the coin over her head. "Oh goddess, except our offering." She called out, and threw the coin into the rainbow. It disappeared in a golden shimmer. "Half-Blood Hill." Annabeth requested.
For a moment, nothing happened. Then I was looking through the mist at strawberry fields and the Long Island Sound in the distance. We were on the portch of the big house. Standing with her back to us at the railing was a small girl with black hair. She was holding two daggers in her hands, and staring intently at something in the meadow.
"Aurora!" I called. She turned, eyes wide. "Percy!" Her face split into a wide smile. "Are Grover and Annabeth with you? Oh thank the gods!"
"We're fine," Annabeth said. "Where's Chiron?"
"He's down at the cabins," Aurora's smile faded. "We're having some issues with the campers. Listen, is every thing alright with you guys? Where are you?"
"What kind of issues?" Grover asked. Just then a car pulled into the next stall, it's music blasting through the speakers. Aurora made a face. "What's that?" She demanded. "I'll take care of it," Annabeth said. "Grover, give the gun to Percy and come on."
Grover muttered something about girls being harder to understand then the Oracle, then he handed me the gun and followed Annabeth.
"Chiron had to break up a fight," Aurora yelled over the music. "Things are pretty tense here, Percy. Word leaked out about the Zeus and Poseidon fight. We're still not sure how though. Probably by the same idiot who called the hellhound. Anyway, the campers are starting to take sides. Aphrodite, Ares, and our cabin are backing your father. Athena is backing Zeus. The rest are staying out of it, although I believe Hermes is backing your father up as well."
I didn't know how to feel about Clarisse's cabin being on my dad's side.
"So how are you three doing?" Aurora asked. "Chiron will be sorry he missed you."
I told her every thing, including the dreams. I was so happy to see her again, to feel as though I was back at camp, even for a few minutes, that I didn't notice how long I had been talking for, until I heard a beep from the sprayer. I only had one minute before the water would turn off.
"I wish I could be there with you, Percy. We can't really help much from here, but listen.. you have to promise me to be careful. I could feel something's very wrong with your quest. I want you to please stay on your guard."
"What do you mean something's wrong?" I asked. Aurora sighed. "I don't think Hades took it, Percy. I don't know how I know, or who really did take it, but I don't think it's him."
"But I still go to the Underworld, right?" I asked. She nodded. "Yes, from what I can tell."
Just then, the music completely turned off. I heard a man's scream, car doors slammed, and the car raced out of the stall. Aurora laughed. "You might want to see what that was," She said. "I'll tell Chiron you tried to contact him. I'll let you know if he says anything."
I nodded. "Hopefully I'll see you soon." I said. Aurora glared at me. "Jackson..." She said in her warning voice. "Okay, okay, I'll see you in a few days, Aura."
"Better," She said. "Oh, and Percy.. please try not to make an enemy out of Ares."
"What?" I asked. "You mean.. the cabin? Because I think I already did."
The connection began to cut off, but I heard Aurora say, "You'll see. Just keep your temper."
Then I was alone in a wet and empty stall. Annabeth and Grover came around the corner. They were laughing, but they stopped when they saw me. Annabeth's smile was gone. "What's wrong, Percy? What did Aurora say?"
"She says that something's wrong with this quest. She doesn't think it's Hades who took the bolt, but that we still have to go to LA. She also said something about not angering Ares."
They both frowned. "That's not good," Grover said. "If it's not Hades, then who could have taken it?"
Annabeth bit her lip. "This really isn't looking good," She said. "It might have something to do with your dreams, Percy."
I felt like a bucket of ice water was poured over me. I really hope we were wrong. "Let's just find something to eat." I said. "We can talk about this after."

A few minutes later, the three of us were sitting at a booth in a gleaming chrome diner. All around us, families were eating burgers and drinking sodas. After a few minutes, the waitress came over. She raised her eyebrow, an annoyed look on her face. "Well?"
"We would like to order dinner." I said. "You kids have money to pay for it?"
Grover's lower lip began to tremble. Annabeth looked ready to pass out from hunger. With a smile, I started to reach into my backpack for the money from camp. Before I could bring it out, something was shaking the building. When I looked out the window, I saw a motorcycle the size of a baby elephant pull up at the curb. All conversation in the diner had stopped. The motorcycle's headlight glowed red. The gas tank had flames painted on it, and a shotgun holster on either side, complete with actual shotguns. The seat was leather, but leather that looked like.. human skin?
The guy on the bike was huge. He was dressed in a red muscle shirt, black jeans, and a black leather jacket. A hunting knife was strapped to his thigh. He wore red wraparound shades, and he had the cruelest face I'd ever seen. His face was covered in scars from many many fights. However.. my face felt hot. This guy was handsome in a way.
"Stop it, Percy," I told myself. "He's like.. old!"
As he walked into the diner, a hot, dry wind blew through the place. All of the people stood, as if in a trance, but the biker just waved his hand, and they sat back down. They all went back to their conversations. The waitress blinked as if someone had pressed the rewind button on her brain. "So, do you kids have money?" She asked again. The biker said, "It's on me."
He slid into our booth, which was way to small for him, and crowded me against the window. My face flamed again. I stared down at the table and refused to look at him. From the corner of my eye I saw the biker smirk.
Then, he glared at the waitress. "Are you still here?" He demanded. He pointed at her, and she turned and walked back to the kitchen. Then, the biker looked at me. I couldn't see his eyes through the shades, but bad feelings began boiling in my stomach. Anger, resentment, bitterness. I wanted to hit a wall. I wanted to pick a fight with someone.
I turned to face him, and he smiled at me. "So you're old seaweed's kid, huh?"
"Who are you?" I asked. Annabeth sent me a warning look. "Percy, this is."
The biker raised his hand. "S'okay," He said. "I don't mind a little attitude. Long as you remember who's the boss. You know who I am, little cousin?"
Then it struck me why this guy looked familiar. He had the same look as some of the campers at camp, the ones in cabin five. "You're Ares," I said. "God of war."
Ares grinned and took off his shades. Where his eyes should have been, there was only fire, empty sockets glowing with miniature nuclear explosions. "That's right, punk," He said with a smile, which looked terrifying on him. "I heard you broke Clarisse's spear."
"She was asking for it."
"Probably. That's cool. I don't fight my kids' fights, you know? What I'm here for, I heard you were in town. I got a little proposition for you."
The waitress came back with a tray full of food. Ares gave her a few drachmas. She looked nervously at the coins. "But, these aren't.."
Ares pulled out his knife and started cleaning his fingernails. "Problem, sweetheart?" He said. She frowned, but walked away again.
"What you do that for?" I asked. "You can't threaten people with a knife."
Ares laughed. "Are you kidding? I love this country. Best place since Sparta. Don't you carry a weapon, punk. You should. Dangerous world out there, especially for you. Which brings me to my proposition. I need you to do me a favor."
"I'm guessing I don't have a choice?" I asked. He put a hand on my shoulder with a grin. "I like you, punk," He said. "Glad we understand each other."
"But what favor could I do for a god?" I asked. "Something a god doesn't have time to do himself. It's nothing much. It won't get in the way of your main quest, I promise. You see, I left my shield at an abandoned water park here in town. I was going on a little.. date with my girl friend. We were interrupted. I left my shield behind. I want you to get it for me."
"Two things," I said. "One, what kind of dating spot is that? Second, why don't you get it yourself?"
The fire in his eyes got hotter. "Why don't I turn you into a prairie dog and run you over with my bike? Because I don't feel like it. A god is giving you a chance to prove yourself, Percy. Are you going to prove yourself a coward?" He leaned forward, and I tried to move away, but my back was pressed to the wall. "Or maybe you only fight when there's a river around, so your daddy can protect you."
I let out a sigh. "Really, lord Ares? You really didn't have to go there," I said. "I'll do it. But only, if you help us out."
Ares raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And what kind of thing can I help with?"
"We need a way to get to LA," I said. "We don't really have much time left."
Ares leaned back against the seat, a thoughtful look on his face. "How about this," He finally said. "You get my shield, and I'll think about helping you."
I put my head in my hands. "That's the best we'll get, huh?" I asked. "The water park is a mile west on Delancy. You can't miss it. Look for the tunnel of Love ride."
"I'm still questioning your date locations," I said. "By the way, what interrupted your date?"
Ares sighed. "Look, punk," He said. "You better be careful when you're in the ride. It might be best if you go in alone."
"Why? What's in it?"
Ares opened his mouth to say something, but then a strange light surrounded him. He sent me a glare, and I tried not to flinch. Something had changed in him. "I don't have all day, Jackson," He growled. "I'll expect you back in two hours. Don't disappoint me."
After that, I must have fallen into a trance, because the next thing I knew, Ares was gone. Grover and Annabeth were frowning, and I knew it wasn't just in my head.
"Did either of you notice the change in him when I asked him what was in the ride?" I asked. They both nodded. "This isn't good, Percy," Grover said. "Ares himself asked for your help? He's one of the worst gods you can get angry. We can't fail this task."
"I know, but did you guys see him?" I asked. "He looked.. scared. What can cause a war god to be scared? Whatever it is can't be good for us, right?"
My friends shared a look, and Grover began eating the wax on the tray. "I guess we'll just have to find out." He said.

Chapter Text

The sun was sinking behind the mountains when we finally found the water park. Judging from the sign, the park used to be called waterland, but now some of the letters had been smashed out, so it now read WAT RAD. The main gate was padlocked and was topped with barbed wire. Inside, huge dry waterslides and tubes curled everywhere, leading to empty pools. Old tickets and ads floated around the ground. The place looked sad and creepy.
"Now that I've actually seen his date sight, I'm actually worried about who his girlfriend is," I said. "I mean, I said that his dating spots were awful, but if she likes them.."
"Percy," Annabeth warned. "Be more respectful."
"Why? I'm just concerned for Ares' dating life."
Annabeth sighed. "His girlfriend is very temperamental." She said. "You really don't want to insult her looks." Grover added. "Well, who is she?" I asked. "Hecate?"
"No, Aphrodite," Grover said a little dreamily. "Goddess of love."
"Isn't she married to someone? Hephaestus?"
"What's your point?" He asked. "Your father's married to Amphitrite."
"And Zeus is married to queen Hera." Annabeth added. "Okay, I get it." I said. I felt a strong urge to change the subject. I didn't enjoy thinking about how me and Thalia had been born because of affairs. "So how do we get in?"
"Maia!"
Grover's shoes sprouted wings. He flew over the fence, did an unintended somersault in midair, then landed on the other side. He dusted off his jeans, then smiled at us, as though he'd planned the whole thing. "You guys coming?"
Annabeth and I had to climb the old-fashioned way, holding down the barbed wire for each other as we crawled over the top. "I should have kept those shoes," I muttered. "You can climb the fence in no time."
Grover just laughed. "Well, I guess you should have thought about that before you gave them to me."
"Let's just go," Annabeth cut in. "Ares expects us back in two hours, and I'm not sure how much time we have left."
The shadows grew long as we walked through the park, checking out the rides. They all had stupid names like Ankle Biter Island, Head Over Wedgie, and Dude, Where's My Swimsuit? "No wonder this place is abandoned." I thought.
To my surprise, no monsters tried to kill us. Nothing made the slightest noise. Part of me wished we would run into something, since it's been way to peaceful.
We found a souvenir shop that had been left open. Things were still on the shelves, which only made this place creepier.
"Clothes," Annabeth said. "Fresh clothes!"
"Yeah," I said. "But you can't just take it."
"Watch me."
She grabbed an entire row of stuff and disappeared into the changing rooms. A few minutes later she came out in Waterland flower-print shorts, a red Water-Land T-shirt, and Water-Land surf shoes. A waterland backpack was over her shoulder, probably stuffed with more stuff.
She raised an eyebrow. "Well?" She asked. "Are you two going to change?"
Grover shrugged. "Why not." He said. Soon, all three of us were dressed like walking advertisements for the theme park. "I look stupid." I said. "It wouldn't be the first time." Annabeth said. I rolled my eyes. "Whatever, wise girl."
We continued searching for the Tunnel Of Love. I had another bad feeling, like the whole park was holding it's breath. Needless to say, I kept looking over my shoulder.
"So, Ares and Aphrodite,- I said, trying to keep my mind from freaking out. "They have a thing going?"
"That's old gossip, Percy," Annabeth told me. "Like, three-thousand-year-old gossip."
"Well, that's longer then I expected Ares to have a girlfriend." I said. "Really, Percy?" Grover groaned. "You're going to get killed one of these days."
"I'm just saying. He's a little.. angry?"
"God of war, Percy." Annabeth sighed.
"Either way, what about her husband?" I asked. "Surely he's not happy about their relationship."
"Well, I'm sure you know the story of Hephaestus. He was thrown off Mount Olympus when he was a baby by his own mother. So he wasn't exactly handsome. He's clever with his hands, but Aphrodite isn't into brains and talent."
Ares' face came into my head, and I tried to keep myself from blushing. "So she likes bikers."
"Whatever."
"Hephaestus knows?"
"Oh sure," Annabeth said. "He caught them together once. I mean, literally caught them, in a golden net, and invited the other gods to come and laugh at them. He's always trying to embarrass them. That's why they meet a for the way places like here."
"Guys, I think we found it." Grover cut in. In front of us was an empty pool that would have been awesome for skateboarding. It was at least fifty yards across, and shaped like a bowl. Around the rim, a dozen bronze statues of Cupid stood guard with wings spread and bows ready to fire. On the other side of us, a tunnel opened up, probably where the water flowed into when the pool was full. The sign above it read, "Thrill Ride Of Love."
"Do you smell anything?" I asked. "Something about this feels weird."
"I don't smell monsters." He said, moving toward the edge of the pool. "I found the shield." Annabeth said. She pointed at a pink and white two-seater boat with a canopy over the top and little hearts painted over it. In the left seat, glinting in the light was Ares' shield, a polished circle of bronze.
"Yeah, I really don't see the god of war riding in this." I said. "Besides, I thought you said out of the way places? This is way to romantic."
"Percy, can you please stop insulting their love life?" Grover asked. I shrugged. "I'm just telling the truth. Also, this is to easy. We just walk down and get it."
Annabeth ran her fingers along the base of the nearest statue. "There's a Greek letter carved here," She said. EDA."
I took a deep breath. "I'm going down there."
"I'll go with you." Grover said. He didn't look to happy about it, but I could tell he was trying to make up for what happened at the arch, even though it wasn't his fault. "No," I said. "I want you to stay up here with the flying shoes. I'll be counting on you if something goes wrong. Grover smiled. "Sure. But what could go wrong?"
"I don't know. I just have this feeling. Annabeth, come with me."
"Are you kidding?" Her cheeks were bright red. "What's the problem now?" I demanded. "Me, go with you to the.. Tunnel Of Love? How embarrassing is that? What if someone saw me?"
"Who's going to see you?" I asked, but my face was bright red as well. Leave it to a girl to make things complicated. "You know what? Stay out here with Grover then. You have a weapon. Stop anything that comes after me."
I started making my way down the side of the pool, my sword in my hand. You could never be to careful when you're a half-blood. I stopped beside the boat. The shield was propped on one seat, and beside it was a lady's silk scarf. I once again tried to picture two gods meeting here, and I still couldn't understand. That is, until I saw them. Mirrors were all around the rim of the pool facing this spot. I could see myself no matter which direction I looked. "That must be it." I thought. "While Ares and Aphrodite were making out, they could look at their favorite people, themselves.
I picked up the scarf. It shimmered pink, and the smell was indescribable. Rose, or mountain Laurel. Whatever it was, it smelled good. I smiled slightly. I wanted to keep it.
"Percy, put that thing down!" Annabeth called out. "Stay away from the love magic!"
"What are you talking about?" I asked. "Just get the shield, and come on, seaweed brain. We don't have all night!"
The moment I touched the shield, I knew I was in trouble. My hand broke through something that had been connecting it to the boat. At first I thought it was a cobweb, but when I looked closer at it, I realized it was some kind of metal fealament. It was so fine that it was almost invisible. It was a trip wire.
"Guys, I think I'm in trouble." I said. "Percy? What's going on?" Grover asked. Before I could answer, the pool was filled with sound. It was like the whole thing was turning into one giant machine.
"Stupid blacksmith!" I growled. Of course this was what scared Ares.
"Umm.. Percy?"
When I looked up, I saw all of the Cupid statues were drawing their bows. Before I could move, they shot, but not at me. They fired at each other, across the rim of the pool. "A net!" Annabeth cried. Sure enough, silky cables trailed from the arrows, arching over the pool, connecting to form a net. "Percy, you have to get out." Grover yelled. "No, duh!" I called back, using Mr. D's favorite phrase.
I grabbed the shield and started running, but going up the pool was a lot harder then going down. "Come on!" Annabeth yelled. I was sure she was happy not to have followed me. I was really getting annoyed with the war god myself. Why didn't he tell me about the trap?
"He did try, remember?" A voice in my head said, but it wasn't Apollo. "Something creepy happened to him when he tried to say something."
Grover was trying to hold open a section of the net for me, but where ever he touched it, the golden threads started to wrap around his hands. Then, the Cupid heads opened, and out came video cameras. Spotlights rose up all around the pool, nearly blinding me, and a voice said, "Live to Olympus in one minute." Then it started to count down.
"I'm so stupid!" Annabeth screamed. "EDA is H! He made this to trap his wife and Ares! Now you're going to be shown to Olympus!"
I almost made it to the rim when the row of mirrors opened. like a latch, and out came thousands of tiny metallic.. things poured out. From the rim Annabeth screamed. "Spiders!" She shrieked. "Percy, you have to get out now!"
I'd never seen her like this before. She had backed away from the pool, her knife in her hand. She was staring open-mouthed at the army of spiders. I tried to move toward the edge of the pool again, and nearly tripped over a fresh wave of the stupid things. I promised myself that if I ever met the god, I'd have plenty of things to say. I tried to tell myself that they weren't programed to kill me, just to bite me and make me look stupid. Then again, this was a trip meant for gods. They can't die, so I might be doomed.
I decided to get back into the boat, since I couldn't even walk any more. I uncapped my sword and started swatting the spiders as they tried to get in. I wished I had another thing to help me keep them out.
Meanwhile, the voice kept counting down. The spiders were now spitting out strands of metal thread, trying to tie me down. The strands were easy to break at first, but then there was so much of it, and the spiders kept coming. I kicked one away from the boat, and the thing bit a chunk out of my shoe. I was suddenly very thankful it didn't decide to bite my skin.
Gover was floating above the pool, trying to open the net, but it wouldn't move.
"Think," I told myself. "Think! There is no way I'm about to be the joke of Olympus!"
Then, a thought came to me. I could use water. I just had to find where the ride's water came from. Then I would hopefully be able to use it.
Then I saw them. Huge water pipe behind the mirrors; where the spiders came from. And up above the net, next to one of the Cupid statues was what looked like the control station.
"Grover!" I yelled. "Get into that booth and find the on switch!" It was a crazy hope, but it was my only chance of getting out.
By now, the spiders were all over the boat. Annabeth was still screaming, even though she wasn't anywhere near them. Grover was now in the control booth, pushing all of the buttons.
"Five, four--"
Grover looked up at me with a hopeless look on his face. He was letting me know that he'd pushed every button, but nothing was happening.
Then I remembered the first day I showed up at camp. Clarisse dragging me toward the bathroom for her stupid initiation ceremony. I thought about how I had somehow caused the pipes to explode. I still wasn't exactly sure how I did it, but I had to try.
I closed my eyes and thought about waves, rushing water, and the Mississippi River. I then felt the familiar tug in my gut. I tried to imagine I was dragging the whole ocean to Denver.
"Three, two, one, zero!"
Just as the lights got brighter, letting me know I was now being shown live, water exploded out of the pipes. It swept into the pool, washing away all of the spiders. I quickly sat down and pulled on the seat belt just as the tidal wave slammed into the boat. The boat turned, lifted in the flood, and spun in circles. The water was full of short-circuiting spiders; some of them slamming into the walls and bursting. I stared right into one of the cameras with a glare.
"This is stupid!" I snapped, making sure they could hear me. "You should have put some fingerprint sensors or something. I came here to get a stupid shield, not to be stuck in a boat while all of you watch!"
"Percy!" Annabeth screamed, but I didn't care. If I was going to be shown live, I was going to make the most of it. At this point, I didn't care what they did.
"First, I'm going to start with Lord Ares," I said. "I have no clue what happened to you when you tried to tell me about the trap, but I really don't appreciate this."
I made the water push me closer to one of the cameras. "Now, I'd like to talk about Lord Zeus."
I took a deep breath. "I, Perseus Jackson, did not steal your lightning bolt. I don't know who it was, but I'll find out, and I'll bring it back to you, even though I don't know why I'm helping."
I quickly spun the boat away from a beam of blue light that had been sent my way. "One last thing, uncle," I said. "I'm not a fan of you trying to kill me while I'm trying to bring you your weapon. It's only making the whole quest longer and harder."
Then I turned the boat toward the tunnel, and it sped into darkness. I held on as tight as I could as the boat shot passed pictures of Romeo and Juliet and a bunch of other stupid romantic stuff.
Then I was out of the tunnel, the night blowing through my hair as I shot toward the exit. If the ride had been working, I would have gone off a ramp between the golden gates of love, and splashed safely into the pool. But there was a problem. The gates of love were chained. Two other boats were smashed against the gate; one was completely underwater, while the other had been smashed in half.
I took off my seat belt, and strapped the shield to my arm. I had no other choice but to jump. I know that it sounded really stupid, but it was really the only thing I could think of. With luck, I'd land in the pool. I just had to think about the fact that my luck was normally awful.
I took a deep breath, then waited. Just before the boat would have smashed into the gate, I jumped. The good news was that I was still alive. The bad news however, was that I had way to much momentum. I was thrown into the air, over the gates, over the pool, and down toward solid asphalt. From the corner of my eye, I saw Grover trying to fly toward me, probably to catch me, but I wasn't sure if he'd reach me in time.
Then I felt a force slam into me. It felt as though I'd been pushed by someone. I found myself falling toward the center of the pool. Just before I hit the water, I thought I saw a flash of light brown hair, and an elfish smirk.
I hit the pool with a splash, and immediately swam toward the edge, where Grover helped me out. "How did you do that?" Annabeth asked. I sent her a confused look. "Did what?"
"You were going over the pool. How did you make yourself go back?" Grover said. I shrugged. "I'm not sure. It felt as though someone had slammed into me or something. I thought I saw lord Hermes before I landed in the water though."
"I'm surprised any of the gods wanted to help you after the things you said in the tunnel," Annabeth snapped. "Percy, do you have any idea as to how stupid that was? You could have died!"
I let out a sigh, and held up Ares' shield. "I know that, but at least I did what we were sent to do. Let's just go. We're running out of time."
I took one last look at the ride. The water was slowly flowing out. My boat had been smashed to bits against the gates like the other two. About a hundred yards away, the Cupid statues were still filming. The cameras had turned in order to keep the spotlights on me.
"Shows over," I yelled. "I've got nothin else to say! Thank you for your time. Good night!"
The Cupids turned back around. The lights shut off, and the park was once again quiet, except for the sound of the water going into the pool. For some reason, I wondered if I'd gotten good ratings. I really hated being made fun of. It's happened plenty of times at my many schools. With a sigh, I turned to my friends. "Let's go. I need to have a little talk with Ares."

The war god was waiting for us in the diner parking lot. "Well, well, you made quite the impact on Olympus.. again."
"You knew it was a trap," I said. "You knew this would happen. That's why you made us go and get your shield."
Ares sighed. "Look, punk, I'm sorry. I tried to tell you as I'm sure you know. I have no clue what stopped me."
Then, he grinned. "I wish you could have seen the look on the crippled blacksmith's face when you showed up on camera instead of me. It was the best thing I'd seen in years."
I gave him his shield. "You're a jerk," I said, surprisingly not as mad as I probably should be. Ares seemed to get it, but Annabeth and Grover caught their breath. Ares laughed, turning the shield into a bulletproof vest. He slung it across his back, then pointed at a large truck parked across the diner. "That's your ride. Take you right to LA, with one stop to Vegas."
"You're kidding," I said, staring at the sign. It said, INTERNATIONAL HUMANE ZOO TRANSPORT. WARNING, LIVE WILED ANIMALS.
Ares shrugged. "It was the closest thing I could find, punk. Sorry it's not up to your princely standards."
He snapped his fingers, and the back door opened. "Also, here's a little something for getting the job done. He slung a blue backpack off his handlebars and handed it to me. Inside were fresh clothes for the three of us, twenty bucks, a pouch full of drachmas, and a bag of Double up Oreos.
"Thank you, lord Ares." Grover said. "Thanks a lot."
I let out a sigh. Why do my friends think I'm going to say something to anger him? I was warned by Aurora not to do that.
I took the backpack from him and put it over my shoulder. "Thanks," I said. "I.. I appreciate the help."
For a second, I thought I saw something in Ares' face change. It looked almost like.. regret? Before I could say anything about it, he went back to normal.
"Not a problem, punk," He said. "You three better get in the truck now. Your drivers are fixing to come out. I'll see you around, kid. Good luck on the rest of your quest."
Before Ares could drive away, I held up a hand. "Wait," I said, getting surprised looks from all three of them. "Come on, kid, I don't have all day here."
I rolled my eyes, and held up the silk scarf. "I think this is your girlfriend's," I said. "You guys left it when you left the park."
Once again, the strange emotion flickered on the war god's face. "Thanks, punk, I'm sure she'll appreciate it." With that, he was gone.
Annabeth turned to me. "He probably won't hate you now. Especially not after you gave him his girlfriend's scarf back." She said. "Yeah, but am I the only one who saw something like regret in his face?" I asked. They both shrugged. "We weren't really looking to closely at hm,"Grover said. "Maybe you were just seeing things?"
"It doesn't matter," I said. "Our drivers are leaving. We have to get inside."
We ran across the street and climbed into the back of the truck, pulling the door shut behind us. The first thing that hit me was the smell. It was like the world's biggest litter box. The inside was dark, so I uncapped my sword. The blade cast a faint bronze light over a sad seen. Sitting in a row of dirty metal cages were three of the most pathetic zoo animals I'd ever seen; a zebra, a male albino lion, and a weird antelope thing I didn't know the name of. Someone had thrown the lion a sack of turnips, which he clearly didn't want to eat. The zebra and the antelope had each been given a tray of hamburger meat. The zebra's main had gum in it, as if someone had been spitting on it. A stupid silver balloon was tied to one of the Antelope's horns. Apparently, none had wanted to get close to the lion to mess with him, but the poor thing was pacing in a space to small for him, panting from the heat. He had flies around him, and I could see his ribs through his fur.
"This is what they call kindness?" Grover yelled. "Humane zoo transport?"
He probably would have gone back out there to beat up those guys with his reed pipes, and I would have helped him, but then the truck started moving, and we nearly fell over. We sat together on one of the feed sacks, trying to ignore the smell, the heat, and the flies. Grover tried to talk to the animals, but they just stared at him sadly. The zebra was looking at me, and a voice in my head said, "What are you doing here?"
I jumped, and my friends looked at me. "Are you okay, seaweed brain?" Annabeth asked. I turned back to the zebra. "We have to get to LA," I said. "This was the only way to get there."
The creature tilted it's head slightly. "Surely there are other traveling methods?"
I shrugged. "Can't really use them."
"Percy, are you talking to the zebra?" Annabeth asked. "It's probably a gift from Poseidon," Grover said. "A zebra is a type of horse, after all."
"Can you like.. change our food?" The zebra asked. "I don't want this stuff. Besides, I think the lion would want it more."
I found a water jug and refilled their bowls; then used my sword to switch out the food. I gave the meat to the lion and the turnips to the zebra and the antelope. The lion tossed his head in the air, and gave me a look like, "I guess I should thank you.“ It reminded me so much of Mr. D, that I had to laugh slightly.
Meanwhile, Grover was calming the Antelope down while Annabeth cut off the baloon. Then Grover promised the animals that we'd help them more in the morning before settling in for the night.
"Hey," Annabeth said. "I'm sorry I freaked out in the water park, Percy. I guess it was a good thing that I wasn't with you, huh? I probably wouldn't have been much help to you then."
"It's okay."
"It's just.." She shuttered. "Spiders!"
"I'm guessing it's because of the Arachne story? Didn't she get turned into a spider for challenging your mom to a weaving contest?"
Annabeth nodded. "Her children have been taking revenge on Athena's children ever since. If there's a spider within a mile from me, it will find me. I hate them!"
"I'll try to keep them away from you," I said. "We're a team remember?"
Annabeth handed me an oreo from the bag Ares had given us. "Percy, I'm sure you already know about what happened five years ago." She said. I nodded. "I've known for a while now. Chiron told me the first day I was there."
Annabeth sighed. "Luke and Thalia.. they were.. amazing monster fighters, even with out training. We traveled north from Virjinia without any real plans, fighting off monsters for about two weeks before Grover found us."
"I was supposed to bring Thalia to camp," Grover said sadly. "Only Thalia. I had strict orders from Chiron. I couldn't do anything to slow down the rescue. We knew Hades was after her, but I couldn't just leave Luke and Annabeth. I thought.. I thought I could take all three of them. It was my fault the kindly ones caught up to us. I got scared on the way. I took a few wrong turns. If I'd just been even a bit quicker.."
"Stop it," Annabeth said. "No one blames you! Not any more. Thalia didn't blame you either."
"You should have seen Mr. D's reaction," Grover continued, as if he hadn't heard her. "I think he was this close to killing me, and I don't blame him. Thalia sacrificed herself to save us. I'm sure he'd rather have you, me, and Luke die instead of her."
"He's mostly over it now," I said. "He let you get me, didn't he? Surely he had an idea of who my father was."
"Percy's right," Annabeth said. "Neither of us would be here if it wasn't for you, Grover. Neither would Luke."
"It's just my luck. I'm the lamest Satyr ever, and I nearly get the two most powerful half-bloods killed."
"You're not lame," Annabeth insisted. "You're braver then any other Satyr I've met. Name one other who would dare go to the underworld. I bet Percy's really glad you're here right now."
She kicked me in the shin. "Yeah," I said, which I would have done even with out the kick. "You've got the biggest heart of any other Satyr out there. I'm sure Thalia would agree. I'm also sure that you'll be the one to find Pan."
I waited for Grover to say something, but his breathing got slower. I realized he'd fallen asleep. "How does he do that?" I asked. Annabeth shook her head. "I don't know. But that was really a nice thing you told him."
"I meant it."
We were silent for a few miles. "So if the gods fight, will it be like the Trojan War?" I asked. Will it be Athena vs Poseidon?"
She put her head against her backpack, and closed her eyes. "I don't know what my mom will do. I just know I'll fight next to you."
"Why?"
"Because your my friend, seaweed brain. Any more stupid questions?"
"No, I think I've asked them all for now." I answered. Annabeth smiled, and fell asleep. Eventually, I did the same.

Chapter Text

My nightmare started off like many of my dreams before. I was being forced to take a test while wearing a straitjacket. All of the other kids were going outside, but I was being forced to stay while the teacher kept saying, "Come on, Percy. You're not stupid, are you? Pick up your pencil."
That's when the dream changed. I looked over to the desk beside me and saw a girl sitting there, also in a straitjacket. She looked around my age with black punk-style hair, dark eyeliner around her stormy green eyes, and freckles across her nose. Somehow, I knew who she was. It was Thalia. She struggled against the jacket for a while, then glared at me in frustration. "Well, seaweed brain? One of us has to get out of here."
"She's right," My dream self thought. "I'm more then likely going back to that pit. I'd honestly rather take the stupid test.
Sure enough, the straitjacket melted off of me. The floor opened up, and I fell through. The teacher's voice changed until it was cold and evil, the same voice I'd been hearing for days.
"Percy Jackson," It said. "Yes, the exchange went well, I see. That fullish god. He's not the smartest of the group, but he did nicely. Of course, he won't remember.. not unless you two meet again, which won't happen."
I frowned. What was the voice talking about? What exchange? Is the god Ares? Or maybe Zeus? I decided to think about that later. The voice was talking again, but it wasn't to me this time. Hopefully, something important would be said.
"And he suspects nothing?" It asked. Another voice, one I thought I recognized spoke at my shoulder. "Nothing, my lord. He is as ignorant as the rest."
I looked over, but no one was there.
"Deception against deception," The thing in the pit said. "Excellent."
"Truly, my lord," Said the voice next to me. "You are well-named the Crooked One. But was using that stupid god really necessary? I could have brought it to you directly after I stole it."
"If it wasn't for me, you would have already failed me before," The voice said. "No, using him was in fact necessary. He was easy to control; and I'm sure none of the other Olympians suspect a thing."
"And neither will Percy," The voice said. "I'm certain he won't find out either. As I said, he's just as ignorant."
"Yes," The voice said. "Things are going along nicely. Zeus' anger has grown. Poseidon has played his most desperate card. Now we shall use it against him. Shortly you shall have the reward you wish, as well as your revenge. As soon as both items are delivered into my hands..." "But wait, he is here."
"What?" The invisible person, who I swear I know said. "Did you bring him, my lord?"
"No!"
The full force of the thing's attention was now on me, freezing me in place. "Blast his father's blood! He is to changeable, to unpredictable. The boy bright himself here."
"Impossible!" The servant cried. "For a weakling such as you, perhaps." The voice said, before it's power was back on me. "So.. you wish to dream of your quest, young half-blood? Then I shall oblige."
The seen changed. I was standing in a vast throne room with black marble walls and stone floors. The empty throne was made from bones put together. I immediately recognized this place from Aurora's mirror. It was Hades' throne room. At the foot of the dais was my mother, frozen in shimmering golden light, her arms out. I tried to move toward her, but my legs refused to move. I then tried to reach out to her, but my hands were withering to bone. Skeletons in Greek armer surrounded me, draping me with silk robes, and placing laurels that smoked with Chimera poison on my head. The voice began to laugh.
"Hail, the conquering hero."
I woke with a start. Grover was shaking my shoulder. "What's going on?" I demanded, reaching for my sword. Grover held up a hand. "The truck stopped," He said. "We think they're coming to check on the animals."
"Hide!" Annabeth hissed. "Easy for you to say." I muttered as she pulled on her hat. Grover and I had to duck behind feed sacks.
The trailer door opened, sunlight and heat pouring in. "Man," One of the men said, waving his hand in front of his ugly nose. "I hate this heat."
He climbed inside and poured some water into the animal's dishes. "You hot, big boy?" He asked, then splashed the rest of the water in the lion's face. The lion let out an angry roar.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah." The man said. I could feel Grover tense next to me. He looked downright murderous. The guy then threw a happy meal bag at the antelope, before smirking at the zebra. "How ya doin, stripes? Least we'll be getting rid of you this stop. You like magic shows? You're gonna love this one. They're gonna saw you in half!"
The zebra looked at me, eyes wide with fear. "Free me, please!" It said in my head. "I don't wish to be cut in half!"
There was a loud knock on the side of the trailer. The trucker inside with us yelled, "What do you want, Eddy?"
A voice from outside shouted back, "Maurice? What did you say?"
"What are you banging for?"
Three more knocks. Outside, Eddy yelled, "What banging?"
Our guy rolled his eyes, before walking outside. I could hear him cursing at Eddy for being an idiot.
A second later, Annabeth appeared next to me. I guessed she must have done the banging to get the guy out of the truck. "This transport business can't be legal." She said. I sighed. "Leave it to lord Ares for getting us an illegal ride." I said. Then, I frowned. "Hey, I had a dream. It was kind of different then the rest. I'll tell you guys about it when we get out of here."
Annabeth nodded, but she looked worried. Grover was biting his lip, his hand clenched around his Reed pipes.
"Open my cage, lord! Please! I'll be fine after that."
Outside, the two idiots were still yelling at each other, but I knew it was a matter of time before they returned to torment the animals again. I grabbed my sword and slashed the lock from the zebra's cage. The zebra burst out. It turned to me and bowed. "Thank you, lord," It said. "I wish you luck on the rest of your trip."
Grover held up his hands and said something to the zebra, like a blessing. Just as one of the guys poked his head in to see what the noise was, the zebra leaped over his head and into the street. I could hear yelling, and screaming and cars blowing their horns. The three of us rushed to the doors in time to see the zebra galloping down a wide street lined with hotels and casinos with neon signs.
"We've just released a zebra in Las Vegas." I said. "No one will care," Annabeth said. "Now, watch."
Maurice and Eddy ran after it, with police chasing after them yelling, "Hey, you need a permit for that!"
"Now would be a good time to leave." Annabeth said. "The others first." I said, cutting the locks with my sword. Grover raised his hands and said the same blessing as for the zebra. "Good luck." I told the animals. The lion walked over to me, nudging me with it's head. He gave me the same bored look I often saw with Mr. D. I laughed and patted his head. Then, the lion and the antelope also jumped out, and ran together down the street. To my amusement, most of the people only backed up and took pictures. I was sure all three of them would be fine.
"Why couldn't you place a blessing like that on us?" I asked. "It only works on wiled animals."
"So it would only affect Percy." Annabeth said. "Hey," I protested. "Kidding," She said. "Mostly."
"Come on," Grover said. "Let's get out of this filthy truck."
We stepped out into the desert afternoon. It was about 110 degrees, and I was already burning up. Not to mention the sun was directly in my eyes.
"Dude, can't you just lower the temperature a little?" I begged Apollo. Or at least not put the sun directly at me?"
"Why don't you find some shade or something?" Came the annoyed voice. "You have plenty of places you could stop at. Besides, you could always not look at the sun."
"You're a real jerk, you know that?"
"Least I didn't insult something of yours."
I let out a quiet sigh. "Petty," I muttered. "I didn't even really insult it. Besides, you already know I'm sorry."
"Oh, do I? Perhaps I want to hear it directly from you."
"Shut up, sunshine. I have a quest to finish. I'm sure you'll find me when I return your father's lightning bolt. You can yell at me then."
"Whatever, Jackson. Try not to die, will you?"
"Let's go, Percy." Annabeth said, and we started walking. We passed the Monte Carlo and the MGM. We also passed some pyramids, a pirate ship, and the statue of Liberty, which was a small replica, but it still made me feel homesick. To be honest, I wasn't exactly sure what I was looking for. Maybe just a place to get out of the heat for a while. Find some food and drinks while we think of a new plan to go west. Besides, I promised to tell them about my dream from last night.
We must have taken a wrong turn, because we found ourselves at a dead end, standing in front of the Lotus Hotel and Casino. The entrance was a huge neon flower, the petals lighting up and blinking. No one was going in or out, but the glittering doors were open, spilling out air conditioner that smelled like flowers. The doorman smiled at us. "Hey, kids. You look tired. You want to come in and sit down?"
Over the last week, I learned to be suspicious. I figured anyone could be a monster or a god. This guy though, looked pretty normal. I could immediately tell. Besides, I was so tired and so happy that at least someone wanted to help, that I agreed to come in for a bit.
Inside, we took one look around, and Grover said, "Wow!"
That was honestly the only word I was thinking as well. The whole lobby was a giant game room, and I'm not talking about typical casino games either. An indoor waterslide snaking around the glass elevator, which went up at least 40 floors. A climbing wall was against one building, along with an indoor bungee-jumping bridge. Virtual reality suits had actual working lazer guns. Not to mention the hundreds of video games, each one the size of a wide-screen TV.
Looking around some more, I noticed there were a few other kids at the games, but not that many. Snack bars were serving every kind of food you can imagine.
A bellhop came up to us. "Welcome to the Lotus Casino. Here's your room key."
"Wait," I started to say. "We can't.."
"No, no," He said, laughing. "The bill's already taken care of. No extra charges, no tips. Just go on up to the top floor, room 4001. If you need anything, just call the front desk. Here are your cash cards. They work in all the restaurants and on every game and ride."
He handed each of us a green plastic credit card. I knew there had to be a mistake. He obviously thought we were some millionaire's kids. Either way, I took the card and asked, "How much is on here?"
The guy frowned. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, when does it run out of cash?" He laughed. "Oh, you're making a joke. Hey, that's cool. Enjoy your stay."
I glanced over at my friends, who shared my curious expression. "What do we do?" I asked. "Well, it wouldn't hurt to just check out the room," Annabeth said. "I know we can't stay long, but we can at least get a shower and a few hours of sleep."
Grover and I shared a look. "Why not." He said, and we made our way up.
Our room was a sweet with three bedrooms and a bar full of candy, sodas, and chips; a hotline to room service, fluffy towels, and water beds with feather pillows; a big screen television with satellite and high-speed internet. The balcony had it's own hot tub. I noticed the view was amazing, but I doubted we'd have time to fully appreciate it with every thing else.
"Oh, goodness," Annabeth said. "This place is.." "Sweet," Grover said. "Absolutely sweet!"
In my bedroom, there were clothes in the closet, and they fit me. I frowned, thinking this was a little strange. I tried to think about why I felt suspicious all of a sudden, but I kept thinking about the large bed waiting for me.
I threw Ares' backpack in the trash since I wouldn't need it any more. I could just get a new one at the camp store.
I took a long shower, which felt great after a week of travel. I changed clothes, ate a bag of chips, drank three cokes, and came out feeling better then I've ever felt before. In the back of my mind, the same feeling as before kept repeating itself, but I still couldn't focus on it. It was like trying to remember a dream that was just out of reach. Something told me my friends also knew. I decided to talk to them about it. Well, maybe later.
I came out of my room and noticed that Grover and Annabeth had also showered and changed. Grover was happily eating a bag of chips, while Annabeth had turned up the national geographic channel. I frowned at her. "All those channels, and you turn on national geographic? Are you insane?"
"It's interesting."
"I feel good," Grover said. "I love this place." His shoes lifted him a foot off the ground, then set him back down.
"So what now?" Annabeth asked. "Sleep?"
Grover and I looked at each other and smirked. We both held up our plastic cash cards. "How about.. play time."

I couldn't remember the last time I had more much fun. I came from a relatively poor family. Our idea of spoiling ourselves was eating out at a fast food place and renting a video. This.. was totally different, and a whole lot better.
I bungee-jumped the lobby about five times, did the waterslide, snowboarded, and played some video games. I saw Grover going from game to game. It was no surprise that he liked the hunter game, where the dear are the ones that kill the humans. I supposed it was his way of avenging all of the hunted animals. On the other hand, Annabeth was playing a bunch of trivia games and other smart people stuff. They had this huge sim game where you could build your own city, and you can actually see the buildings appear. I could tell that one was her favorite. I remembered her talking about wanting to build something that would last a long time, so I guess this was her living out her dream.
The first time I noticed something was wrong with this place was when I felt a sharp pain in my head. I immediately moved over to an empty corner of the lobby, in case someone heard my conversation.
"What are you so mad at?" I demanded. If it was even possible, the pain got worse. It felt as though my head was about to split open, and I was reminded of the story of Athena's birth.
"Apollo, talk to me! What's wrong with you?"
When I focused, I could feel someone trying to get into my head, but I couldn't feel the sun god's presents.
"Look dude, can you stop trying to break my head open? Maybe you can try to talk to me later or something."
When I was walking around, my mind kept going back to Apollo. Why was he having so much trouble with talking to me? Was his father blocking him from helping me? But what exactly would I need help in? Everything was fine for now. Soon, thoughts of Apollo left my mind as I found VR Sharpshooters. This is where I fully realized something was wrong.
There was a guy that looked about my age at the game I was playing, but his clothes were weird. For a moment, I thought he was some Elvis impersonator's son or something. He wore bell-bottom jeans and a red T-shirt with black piping, and his hair was jelled like some New Jersey girl's on prom night. We played together for a while and he said, "Groovy, man. Been here two weeks, and the games keep getting better and better."
"Umm, did he just say Groovy?" I thought. "Who even says that any more? I mean, Apollo maybe.. but still.."
Later, while he and I were talking, I said something was sick, and he looked kind of startled, like he'd never heard that word used like that before.
It was when I asked him what year it was that things fell into place. He had to think about the answer for a bit, before finally saying, "It's 1977. Why do you ask?"
I began to get scared. "No," I said. "No, it can't be."
The guy frowned at me. "Hey man, I have a game going on right now. You're giving off bad vibes right now."
I began walking around the area, trying to talk to people, which wasn't easy. Most of there attention was either on there games, or on there food; although I was able to talk to a few. However, what they told me wasn't exactly good. I had one guy tell me that it was 1985. Another said it was 1993. Although the years were different, they all claimed that they've only been here for a short while. A few days, a few weeks at most.
That made me start to panic even more. How long had we been here for? To me, it felt like only a couple of hours, but was it really? I once again tried to remember why exactly we were here. Slowly, the thoughts made sense.
The three of us had to go to LA. We were supposed to find the entrance to the Underworld. My mother..
"Hades' underpants," I swore. "We had to prevent the third world war from happening! I had to get my friends, and we had to go.
I found Annabeth still fixed to her city building game. "Come on," I said. "We've got to get out of here." "Unsurprisingly, she didn't answer. I shook her. "Annabeth?"
She looked up, her face full of irritation. "What do you want, seaweed brain? I'm busy!"
"We need to leave," I said. "Something's really wrong in this place."
"Leave? Now? What are you talking about?"
I tried not to roll my eyes. "Annabeth, this place is a kind of trap. We can't stay here!" She didn't answer until I shook her again.
"Oh my gods Percy, what do you want?"
"Listen! The Underworld. Our quest."
"Oh come on, Percy. Just a few more minutes."
"Annabeth, there are people here from 1977. Kids who have never aged. Don't you get it? You check in, and you basically stay for ever!"
"So?" She asked. "Can you imagine a better place?"
"Yeah, okay! Now I know you're totally out of it." I said, grabbing her wrist and pulling her away. "Hey!" She screamed and hit me, but no one else even looked at us. They were to busy doing these own thing.
With a sigh, I made her look directly in my eyes. "Spiders!" I snapped. "Large, hairy spiders."
That helped. Her vision cleared. "Oh my gods! How long have we.."
"I don't know, but we've got to find Grover."
We found him still playing Dear Hunter. We both shouted his name, but he ignored us. "Die, human. Die, silly polluting nasty person!"
"Grover!" He turned his plastic gun on me and started clicking, as though I was just another person in his game. I was honestly very worried.
With a sigh, I looked over at Annabeth. Together, we grabbed on to Grover's arms and started pulling him from the game. His flying shoes sprang to life and starting pulling him back toward the game as he yelled, "No! I just got to a new level! No!"
Before I could try to calm him down, the bell hop walked up to us. "Well now, are you ready for your platinum cards?"
"We're leaving." I told him. "Such a shame," He said, and I had a feeling he meant it, that we'd be breaking his heart if we left. "We just added a whole new floor of games for platinum card members."
He held out the cards, and I had to force myself not to take one. I knew that if I took one, then I'd really never leave. I'd stay here forever, and I'd even forget about my mom, the quest, and maybe even my own name.
Grover reached for the card, but Annabeth grabbed his arm. "No, thanks," She said. "We really have to go."
As we walked toward the door, the smells of the food and the sounds of the game seemed to get more and more inviting. I thought about our room back upstairs. The warm beds, the clothes the fit just right..
"Snap out of it, Percy," Annabeth said. "We've got a quest to finish."
I shoved the doors open, and we ran down the sidewalk. It felt like afternoon, about the same time we went into the casino, but something was wrong. The weather had completely changed. It was now stormy, with heat lightning flashing out in the desert. Ares' backpack was once again over my shoulder, even though I could have sworn I'd thrown it away. However, I could tell we had other problems to worry about.
I ran to the nearest newspaper stand and read the year first. Fortunately, it was still the same year as before, but then I noticed the date. It was June 20th! We had been in that stupid casino for five days! We had only one day left to finish the quest, and we weren't even in LA.
"Seashell!" Apollo's relieved voice said in my head. "I honestly thought you were never leaving that place. I tried to warn you but.."
"It's fine," I said, actually happy to hear from him. "I could tell you were trying to get my attention. It was.. painful."
"Yes.. I'm sorry about that. I'm not sure why I was blocked from your head."
I sighed. "We only have one day to finish this stupid thing, and we're not even near done! In fact, we don't even have a ride to LA. Does this mean there will be a world war three?"
Instead of answering, the air seemed to get hotter, and the sun became a whole lot brighter. "Umm, what exactly are you doing?" I asked. "I'd close your eyes, seashell. Unless you want to explode."
I quickly turned to my friends. "Guys, close your eyes, now."
"Percy, what's going on?" Annabeth asked. "I'm not sure," I replied. "But if it's what I think it is, then I really owe a god a favor."
The three of us closed our eyes just in time to not get incinerated by a blinding flash of light. Once I figured it was safe, I opened my eyes.
A bright red sports car stood in front of me, the metal glowing because of the heat. Apollo himself stepped out, still looking like a teenager. He was dressed in another expensive outfit, and his now blond curls framed his face.
"You're lucky the place you need to go is part of my rout. Otherwise, I'd have a harder time with picking you guys up." He said, giving us a blinding smile. "Lord Apollo," Grover said with a bow. "What brings you here?"
Apollo leaned against his car, his eyes fixed on me. "I heard you three needed a ride west. That's where I'm heading, so I figured, what's the harm in helping you three get there? Besides, I'm sure neither of us wants a war. The last one was already bad enough."
My friends looked shocked, and honestly, I didn't blame them. I myself hadn't expected Apollo to show up to give us a ride. Although I was happy, a part of me couldn't help but worry that this was all some kind of trick or something. Surely he's not doing it just because, right?
"Lord Apollo, what's the catch." I asked. Apollo raised an eyebrow, smirking slightly. "I'm glad you know not all things are done out of the kindness of people's hearts," He said. "However, I'm actually offering you three a free ride to LA. I'd decide quickly though. As you can see, you're running out of time."
"We'll take it," Annabeth said. "Thank you for the ride, Lord Apollo."
Apollo shrugged. "Don't worry about it," He said. "I'm happy to help. Oh, and by the way, my car only fits two people. Don't worry though; i was able to get some help."
Just then, Annabeth and Grover found themselves floating off the ground. Annabeth let out a scream, and Grover tried to get away with his flying shoes. They were already high above me, so all I could do was watch.
"Apollo, what's going on?" I demanded as my friends went even higher. The god let out a sigh, rolling his eyes at the sky. "Brother, show yourself. You're scaring them."
A few seconds later, Hermes appeared holding my friends. "Hello, Percy," He said with a smile. "Good to see you again. Don't worry about your friends. I'll get them to LA in one piece. Or.. I'll try to at least."
Apollo sighed again. "Do stop scaring them, my dear. They won't be able to complete the quest if you let them die."
Hermes just rolled his eyes at Apollo. "Whatever. Anyway, where do we meet, Percy?"
"Can you take them to Santa Monica? Dad wants me there before I go see Hades." With one last smile, Hermes flew away, leaving me with Apollo.

Chapter Text

It was like my dream all over again. I was in the car, my eyes fixed on the view outside my window. Quiet music was playing through the speakers, and Apollo was singing along. It was very peaceful, and I made sure to enjoy it. Who knows when I'll have another quiet moment like this.
"What are you thinking about?" Apollo asked, his blue-gold eyes now fixed on me. I shrugged, leaning back against the seat. "Nothing much. Just wondering what will happen when we get to LA. I mean.. me and my friends are about to go into the underworld. I'm not exactly thrilled about it."
Apollo nodded. "I don't blame you. That place totally makes me sick. Literally."
"How can a god get sick?" I wondered. "You see, uncle Hades and I are very different. I'm the god of the sun, so I prefer light. The underworld is the complete opposite. It's dark and gloomy but it's nowhere near as bad as Tartarus though. Anyway, I'm sure you can figure it out. The farther I get from sunlight, it feels like I'm slowly fading away. That's why I never go down there. In fact, the only god who goes down there besides Hades himself is Hermes. As the god of messengers, he has free rain of everything."
"So.. have you ever been down there?" I asked. "Even once?"
Apollo frowned slightly, appearing to be in thought. "I think so.." He said. "Oh yes, I have! It was when I was younger. It was back when my sister and I were inseparable. We used to be known as the Archer twins before we went our separate ways.."
A cloud of sadness came over his face, and he stared blankly out the window. I didn't know what to do. I've seen Apollo get sad a few times when I spoke with him in my dreams, but whenever I'd ask him what was wrong, he'd always act like he was fine. If I tried to push it, he'd always pretend as though he hadn't heard me, and start talking about something else.
Now though, I could tell that his sadness had something to do with his sister. I wasn't sure what happened between them, but at least I knew what was causing him to be upset.
"Hey, I'm sorry," I said. "You don't have to answer my question if it makes you upset." Apollo turned back to me, a fake smile on his face. "Oh, I'm alright, seashell. Don't worry about me. Sorry I got distracted."
I let out a sigh. He was once again trying to act like every thing was perfectly fine. That act may work with anyone else, but not me. Taking a deep breath, and hoping he wasn't going to kill me, I placed a hand on his arm.
"I can tell you're lying," I said. "I can tell something's really bothering you. I just want you to know that you can tell me. It's not like I'll tell anyone. You'd probably kill me if I did."
This time, a less forced smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. "Thanks, Percy," He said. "I appreciate it."
The car was quiet for a while, except for the music still playing. I realized Apollo had a lot of different types of music on his playlist. The songs ranged from pop, to rock, to rap, to R&b, and others. I didn't know most of them, but a few actually sounded good. Maybe I'd add them to my own playlist, even though I don't really listen to it that much. I had just thought that Apollo wouldn't take my offer when he spoke, his voice full of sadness.
"You half-bloods may think I'm the nicest of the gods right now, but I assure you it wasn't always like this. I used to be cruel and temperamental. Don't get me wrong, I can still be like that, but I hide it better. I've made so many stupid decisions over the years, some of them having worse consequences then others."
As he spoke, he kept his gaze down, not making any eye contact with me at all. He seemed.. worried. Of what, I wasn't sure of. Maybe that I'd think differently of him or something. "Take your time," I said. "I'm listening." I saw him take a few deep breaths before continuing.
"You see, being a god, especially a very young one, you feel like the whole world belongs to you; like you're better then everything and everyone. For me, it was even worse, since I was father's very first son. I was celebrated more then any other of his children, which caused me to think that I was the best god of them all, right there long with father, Hades, and your dad. I.. I thought I could get away with anything. And for a while, I could. I had my sister beside me, and she had my back. She helped me get revenge for our mother after she was insulted, and she killed one of my exes after she cheated on me."
He let out a long sigh, and glanced over at me. I smiled at him, trying to let him know I was still listening. His gaze moved back to the desert rushing past.
"Anyway, I did a lot of stupid things. Things that drove the one person I cared about the most away from me. I didn't know what I had done until it was to late. Until she spent most of her time with her hunters, and refused to see me. By then, it was to late to fix our relationship. I.. I don't really want to talk about what I did. I just hate thinking about it. I try to pretend that I'm fine; that her ignoring me doesn't hurt, but it's hard. Whenever she acts all distant, I feel like my heart is breaking all over again. You know.. the only other person that can tell I'm not always alright is Hermes. He tries to distract me, and I love him for it. He always takes my side against Artemis, but I still miss her."
I nodded. "I'm sure you do. I mean.. you can't exactly just forget your twin is ignoring you. How often do you see her?"
Apollo leaned back against his seat, a small frown on his face. "Like I said, she spends most of her time with her hunters, who she taught to hate me. Well, not really. They hate all men, but it feels like they hate me the most, which I don't blame them for it. I basically ruined my sister's life. Anyway, I mostly see her about twice a year, during our meetings, but I sometimes run in to her while she's hunting. Naturally, she doesn't speak to me."
We were once again quiet. I had no idea what to say. I knew words like.. "It's going to be okay would probably get me punched, so I didn't say it. However, despite not knowing what to say to him, Apollo seemed more relaxed, as if only telling me about his problems made him feel better.
"Thanks for listening to me, seashell," He said. "I don't really like to talk about it to people. They just think I'm this cheerful, annoying god. They don't want to deal with my problems."
"Like I said, it's no problem at all. If you want to ever say more, I'll listen."
Silence once again filled the car, but this time, it was comfortable. Apollo's smile actually seemed to be genuine now, and I was happy that I could help him. Then I remembered something.
"Okay, now that you're here, I can actually apologize in person." I said. Apollo raised an eyebrow, a small smirk at the corner of his mouth. "Oh? And what exactly are you apologizing for?"
I let out an annoyed sigh. "Look, I'm really sorry okay? I honestly didn't mean to insult your weapon. I know how important it is. I've seen your children shoot, and I admit it's very impressive. What I meant to say, was that I didn't understand why you wanted me to use one when I had my sword. Now though, I understand why it's important to know how to use one. The truth is, I wouldn't mind learning how to use one, but I'm honestly really bad at it, something I'm sure you remember. Even Lee tried to give me some tips, but I'm just not meant to use one. I'm sorry."
Apollo was quiet for a while as he studied me. Finally he said, "I can teach you if you'd like."
Out of all the things I'd expected the god to say, offering to teach me to shoot a bow, certainly wasn't one of them. I just sat there, my mouth open in shock, just staring at him. I was finally able to stammer out, "You can't be serious, right?"
Apollo smiled again, the car going into a steep dive. "Just think about it, okay seashell? Take as long as you need. My offer will always be standing. Besides, it's the least I can do after you listened to my stupid problems."
I still wasn't able to say anything, not even to say thank you. I didn't have to though. Apollo just gave my hand a quick squeeze before the car landed in the sand.
"Like I said, just take your time. Anyway, we're here. You're friends just showed up. Also, please try to stay safe down in the Underworld. I'm not sure if I'll be able to help you while you're down there, but I can try."
I was sad to be leaving the car. Thanks to the sun god and our talk, I was able to forget about my quest, at least for a little bit. Now though, I realized that I'd soon be going into the underworld; somewhere that even Apollo hates. Somewhere where he wouldn't be able to talk to, or help me. That was when I realized something.
"Is it okay if I ask you to do something for me?"
Apollo raised an eyebrow. "Depends on what you want," He said. "Surely you know there are things I can't do for you."
"I know, but I'm pretty sure you can keep an eye on Ares for me." Apollo frowned at me. "And why do you want me to keep an eye on him?" He asked. I let out a sigh before telling him about my dreams of Kronos. I think that Ares might be the god who he chose to do something for him. He gave me this bag, and I think something's wrong with it. When he gave it to me, he looked almost.. reluctant. I might be wrong, but..."
Apollo held up a hand. "Hey, relax, seashell. I can keep an eye on him. I'm sure everything will be fine, but I'll be on the look out. Also, even if the coin might not work, I want you to try to let me know if something happens. I'll try to help."
"Thank you," I said. "I'm glad you're at least taking this seriously."
Apollo smiled, giving my shoulder a quick squeeze. "Of course I'll take it seriously, especially if you're having dreams about Kronos. Oh, and Percy, be sure to tell father that when you return his bolt. It's something he should know.. just in case." I just nodded, causing Apollo to smile. "Great! Now, let's go. You're friends are waiting."

Grover and Annabeth looked relieved to see me as I walked over, Apollo following a few feet behind me. "Thank the gods," Annabeth said. "Glad to see you didn't annoy lord Apollo enough to throw you out of the sun chariot." Apollo smirked. "I must idnit, it was very tempting." He said, making me glare at him. "Yeah, so they why didn't you?" I asked. Apollo shrugged, his smirk still in place. "Because if uncle Hades kills you instead of me, I wouldn't be the one who your father takes his anger out on."
"He wouldn't care," I said. "He's just using me to prevent a war."
"So then why would he want you to go to Santa Monica?" Annabeth asked. "Like I said, he's using me to prevent a war. He's trying to do every thing he can to prevent me from failing."
Apollo placed a hand on my shoulder. "Relax, Percy," He said. "You need to focus on your quest right now. You can tell him what you think about him when you go to Olympus."
I nodded, sending Apollo a small smile. "Yeah, yeah, I'll do that," I said. "He at least has to listen after not even bothering to talk to me."
"Percy.." Annabeth started, but Grover shook his head. "Something tells me he won't die." He said. Annabeth sent him an annoyed look, but thankfully stayed quiet.
I jumped slightly when I felt an arm wrap around my shoulder. Looking over, I saw Hermes give me a small smile. "Thank you, Percy." He said so only I could hear him. I raised an eyebrow, confused as to what he was talking about. "For talking to him," Hermes clarified. "He doesn't like to talk to anyone about what's bothering him. I was the only one who knew. I'm glad he chose to open up to you."
I looked down, not sure what to say. "I.. I honestly don't know why he told me," I said. "I mean, I offered to help him. I knew that something was bothering him, but I didn't actually expect him to take my offer."
Hermes just ruffled my hair. "There's just something about you, Percy," He said. "You just seem to have this.. trusting quality about you. I'm not surprised he told you."
"Hermes, we have to go," Apollo said. "We can't keep these three any longer. They don't have much time left."
Hermes nodded, giving my shoulder a quick pat, before running toward the sports car. "Good luck you three!" He called back, making Apollo roll his eyes. "You know you can get to Olympus yourself, right?" He asked. "Oh sure, but I want to spend time with my favorite sibling." Hermes replied, sliding into the passengers seat. Apollo sighed before smiling at us. "Good luck you three," He said. "Oh, and Percy, I'll keep an eye on Ares for you."
"Thank you, lord Apollo." I said. He nodded, and climbed into his car. Annabeth, Grover, and I turned away as the car disappeared into light.
"Percy, what was that about lord Apollo keeping an eye on lord Ares?" Grover asked. I let out a sigh. "Oh, I forgot to tell you about my dream," I said. "I guess I forgot about it because of the casino."
"Well?" Annabeth asked. "What happened?" I took a deep breath before telling them the whole thing, even the part with Thalia. Grover and Annabeth looked sad when I mentioned her.
"Your description of her was almost completely right," Annabeth said. "The only thing you got wrong.. was her eyes."
"They're blue." Grover said with a sigh. "But why was she in your dream?" Annabeth asked. I just shrugged, not sure what to say. "All I know is that I made myself go to where Kronos was. He didn't even know I was there until near the end of the dream."
"So," Annabeth said with a frown. "What you're saying.. is that someone we know is working with Kronos, and he made a god, possibly Ares to do something for him."
I nodded. "That's pretty much it."
"It must have something to do with the backpack," Grover said. "I mean, you said that you threw it away, right? Then it came back to you when we left the casino. The bag must be cursed or something."
"That's what I've been thinking," I said. "It's why I told Apollo to keep an eye on him. I mean.. I told you guys that he was acting strange back at the restaurant. Kronos must have been involved with that."
I was quiet for a while before adding, "Doesn't change that fact that he's a jerk though." I said with a smirk. "Percy!" Annabeth said with a sigh. I shrugged, not sorry at all. "He threatened to run me over with his motorcycle!" I protested. "Because you were being disrespectful!"
"It's not my fault he makes it easy to be angry around him. At first he reminded me of Gabe!"
Grover groaned. "Can't we just focus on this quest?" He begged. "Percy, you have to be nicer to the Olympians. Annabeth, he's not dead yet. You need to relax. Now, Percy, you have to somehow get your father's attention. We have to hurry."
I turned to stare at the water, which was turning gold in the sunset. I remembered standing on the beach at Montauk, looking out at a different sea. How could my father be in charge of all that? How could I be the son of someone that powerful? I took a deep breath, giving my friends one last look before stepping into the water.
"Percy?" Annabeth said. "What are you doing?"
"Don't worry, Annabeth," I said. "I'll be back soon. You and Grover stay there."
I kept walking, the water going up to my waist, then my chest. Then, my head went under, cutting off her lecture on how the water could be polluted.
At first, I held my breath. It's not exactly easy to just inhale water. Finally though, I couldn't stand it any more, and I took a breath. Sure enough, I could breathe normally. With a smile, I walked deeper, plesently surprised that I could see perfectly in the murk. I jumped as I felt something rub up against my leg. I nearly shot out of the water when I saw a Maco shark swimming beside me. But.. it wasn't attacking. It was rubbing against me. Taking a deep breath, I touched it's dorsal fin. It bucked a little, as if inviting me to hold tighter. I grabbed the fin with both hands, and it took off, pulling me along.
We went deeper into the darkness. It dropped me off at the edge of the ocean proper, where the sand bank dropped off into a huge chasm.
"I'm starting to really hate pits." I muttered, glaring into the whole, fully expecting that voice to be down there, trying to get me to help it. "Percy Jackson."
It was the same woman who had spoken to me back in ST Louis. As she got closer, her shape became much clearer. She had flowing black hair, and a dress made of green silk. Light flickered around her, and her eyes were so beautiful, that I didn't notice the seahorse she was riding. She climbed off, and the Maco shark and the seahorse began playing something that looked like tag. The underwater lady smiled at me. I knew there was a name to ocean spirits, but at the time, all I could think of was Naiads, but I knew that was wrong. I decided to think more about it later.
"You've come far, Percy Jackson, well done."
I wasn't quite sure what to do, so I bowed. "You're the same woman who spoke to me before, right?" I asked, hoping I hadn't made a mistake. The lady smiled. "Yes, child. I am a Nereid, a spirit of the sea. It was not easy for me to appear to far up river, but my fresh water cousins, the Naiads, helped sustain my life force. They honor lord Poseidon, though they do not serve in his court." "And.. you serve in my father's court?" She nodded. "It has been many years since a child of the sea has been born. We have watched you with great interest."
Then I remembered faces off the waves at Montauk when I was little, reflections of smiling women. Like so many of the strange things in my life, I hadn't given it much thought.
"If my father is so interested in me, then why isn't he here now? Why won't he speak to me? Why is it that lord Apollo helps me in a fight instead of my own father?"
A cold current rose out of the depths. "Do not judge the lord of the sea to harshly," She told me. "He stands at the brink of an unwanted war. He has much to keep him busy. Besides, he is forbidden to help you directly. Which is why he is grateful to lord Apollo, who finds ways to ignore the ancient laws. That is why I'm giving you a warning, and a gift."
She held out her hand. Three white pearls flashed in her palm. "I know you travel to Hades' realm," She said. "Few mortals have ever done this and survived. Orpheus, who had great music skill. Hercules, who had great strength, Houdine, who could escape even the depths of Tartarus. Do you have these talents?"
"Umm.. No, ma'am."
"Ah, but you have something else, Percy. You have gifts you have only begun to know. The oracles have for told a great and terrible future for you, should you survive to manhood. Poseidon will not have you die before your time. therefore, take these, and when you're in need, smash a pearl at your feet."
"What will happen?"
"That," She said, depends on the need. But remember, what belongs to the sea will return to the sea."
"What about the warning?" I asked, feeling nervous. Her eyes flickered with green light. "Go with what your heart tells you, or you will lose all. Hades feeds on doubt and hopelessness. He will trick you if he can, make you not trust your own judgment. Once you are in his realm, he will not willingly let you leave. You have done well in trusting the lord of the sun. He will help you whenever he can. Keep faith. Good luck, Percy Jackson."
She called back her seahorse and rode toward the void. "Goodbye, young hero." She called, her voice getting fainter as she disappeared into the depths.
The shark appeared at my side again, and he took me back to the beach. As soon as I stepped out of the water, my clothes were immediately dry. Grover and Annabeth were waiting for me, both with relieved looks on their faces. I told them what had happened, and I showed them the pearls. Annabeth frowned. "No gift comes with out a price," She said. "They're will be a price, just you wait." And on that happy thought, we turned our backs to the sea.

Chapter Text

We decided to take a bus into west Hollywood. When I showed the driver the address, he didn't seem to know where it was. I was really starting to get frustrated. We were really running low on time now. We thanked the driver and got off at the next stop. I suppose we just have to look for it on foot.
We walked for miles, looking for DOA. We asked around, but no one seemed to know where it was. We even checked the phone book, but it wasn't there. Twice, we had to duck into alleys to avoid cop cars.
I froze in front of a store window because a television inside was playing an interview with someone that looked very familiar. Taking a closer look, I realized that it was my stepfather, Smelly Gabe. He was talking to Barbara Walters, as though he were some big celebrity. She was interviewing him in our apartment in the middle of a poker game. I could see a young blond lady sitting beside him, patting in hand. A fake tear was visible on his cheek.
"Honest, Ms. Walters, if it wasn't for Sugar here, my grief counselor, I'd be a mess. My stepson took everything I cared about. My wife.. my Camaro.. I-I'm sorry. I have trouble talking about it."
"There you have it, America," Barbara Walters said, turning toward the camera. "A man torn apart. An adolescent boy with serious issues. Let me show you again, the last picture taken a week ago in Denver."
The screen cut to a shot of me and my friends standing in front of the diner, talking to Ares. "Who are the other children in this photo?" She asked dramatically, making me roll my eyes. Why does she have to act so fake in front of the cameras? It's stupid.
I turned away in disgust. "Let's go," I said. "I can't stand to hear any more." Thankfully, my friends got the message, and we walked away before I punched out the window.
It got dark, and different people came out to... play. Now, don't get me wrong. I don't scare easy. But LA had a totally different feel then New York. Back home, everything seemed close. It didn't matter how big the city was, you could get anywhere with out getting lost. Well.. most of the time. Things just made sense to us there. A kid could be safe as long as he wasn't stupid.
LA was definitely not like that. It was spread out, and hard to move around. It reminded me of Ares. It wasn't enough that LA was big. It had to be wiled and chaotic to show it. At this point, I had no idea how we were going to find the underworld before tomorrow. In fact, even if we did find it, and make it out alive, how were we even going to get back to New York? I decided to think about that part later. "One thing at a time." I told myself. That was all we could do anyway.
"I'm really sorry, seashell. I probably should have told you where to go. I guess it just slipped my mind." Apollo's voice said in my head. I smiled. "Hey, it's no problem," I said. "You were going through some stuff. I understand. But can you tell me where to go now?"
"Yes, of course. I'll have you three there in about.. ten minutes maybe."
"Sounds good," I said. "Thank you."
"Don't mention it. Besides, you're only a block away."

We were finally here, staring up at gold letters etched in black marble. DOA recording studios. At the bottom it read, NO LIVING. It was almost midnight, but the lobby was brightly lit and full of people. Behind the desk sat a tough-looking guard with sunglasses and an earpiece.
I turned toward my friends. "Do you guys remember the plan?" I asked. "Grover let out a quiet whimper. "Oh yes," He said. "The plan! I love the plan, Percy. It's a great plan!"
"Okay, I get it," I said with a sigh. "It sucks. But we couldn't think of anything else."
"What happens if the plan doesn't work?" Annabeth asked. "Don't think negative." I said. "Right," She said. "We're about to go to the land of the dead, and I shouldn't think negative."
"Well.. yeah. I mean, if we're going to the underworld, we're going to need all of the positivity we can get."
"You're an idiot." Annabeth decided. "Yeah, that's great. We can talk about this later," I said. "For now, we have to get into the land of the dead."
I took out the pearls the Nereid had given me, and passed them to my friends. "Take one, and keep it safe. Who knows what will happen down there."
Taking one last deep breath, the three of us walked into the lobby. To my surprise, despite being the land of the dead, the air was warm instead of cold, and the place seemed inviting.
Quiet music played from hidden speakers. The floor and walls were gray. Pencil cactuses grew in the corners. The furniture was all made from black leather, and every seat was taken. More people were standing, looking out the windows, or waiting for the elevator. No one moved, or talked, or did much of anything. I take it back, it's not exactly very comfortable looking.
That's when I took a closer look at the people. When I looked at them from the corner of my eye, I could see them fine, but when I focused on one in particular, they looked.. transparent. I could literally see through there bodies.
The three of us walked up to the guy behind the desk. It was a raised podium, so we had to look up at him. He was tall and elegant, with chocolate-colored skin, and blond hair shaved military style. He wore tortoiseshell shades and a silk Italian suit that matched his hair. A black rose was pinned to his lapel under a silver name tag. The name looked a lot like Chiron, but I knew that wasn't right. This must be Charon, the sort of.. gatekeeper to the underworld.
"Hello, Mr. Charon," I said, deciding to take the polite rout. "We need to go to the underworld. It's.. urgent."
Charon looked down at us, a sweet, but cold smile on his face. I was reminded of a snake before it struck.
"Well now.. isn't that interesting?" He said. His voice was smooth, with what I think was a British accent. "You three seem to be quite.. eager to go to the underworld, little dead ones. No screaming. No 'There must be a mistake, Mr. Charon.' Are you three wanting to see some of your dead family members perhaps?"
I frowned. "Mr. Charon, we're not dead." I said. "We have to speak with lord Hades. It's very important."
Charon leaned forward and seemed to be smelling me. "You're not dead," He said, leaning back in his chair. "I should have known. You're a godling."
"Yeah, sure," I said. "Can we please go down now?"
"Percy, please," Annabeth said with a sigh. "Stick to when you were being polite."
"Annabeth, we have to hurry," I said, starting to get frustrated. "We can't always get what we want by being nice."
Charon growled, a sound that sounded very unlike a human. "Leave while you can," He said. "The underworld is no place for godlings."
I reached into my pocket and put a couple of drachmas Apollo had given me on Charon's desk. "Look," I said. "I'll give you more if you allow us to go down to the underworld." To prove my point, I pulled out the whole bag.
Charon's growl turned into something more like a lion's purr. "Do you really think I can be bought, godling?" He asked. I shrugged. "I mean.. maybe? I mean.. surely Hades doesn't pay you a lot for all of your hard work."
"Oh, you don't know the half of it. How would you like to babysit these spirits all day? How would you like to listen to them scream and complain all the time? I haven't had a pay raise in three thousand years! Do you think suits like this come cheep? I mean.. this is real Gucci!"
"You deserve better," I agreed. "A little appreciation. Respect. Good pay." With each word, I put another coin on the counter. "I must say, mate, you're making a lot more sense now." I placed down a few more coins. "You know.. I could always mention a pay raise while we talk to Hades if you'd like. I'm sure you'd like to buy yourself some more Gucci stuff."
Charon sighed. "The boat's almost full. I might as well add you three and be off."
He stood, scooping up the money, and said, "Come along."
We pushed through the crowd of spirits, who mostly parted as Charon walked through. He lead us into the elevator, which was already crowded with the dead, each one holding a green pass. Charon pushed two spirits back into the lobby who were trying to follow us in. "Right.. now.. no one get any ideas while I'm gone. Oh yes, and if anyone changes my music station again, I'll make sure you're all here for another thousand years. Understand?" With that, he shut the doors. He then slid in a card, and we started to go down.
"What happens to the spirits in the lobby?" Annabeth asked. "Nothing," Charon said. "For how long?"
"Forever, or when I'm feeling nice."
"I thought you had to send down those who were dead?" I asked, a little confused. Charon sighed. "I suppose it's my job, yes," He said. "However, it's up to me when to actually send them down. They mostly just wait until I decide to fill up a boat, or when Hades tells me to bring them down."
I began to get a dizzy feeling. We weren't going down any more, but forward. The air turned misty. Spirits around me started to change shape. They're clothes changed into gray robes. The floor of the elevator began swaying. I closed my eyes, thinking I was just imagining it. However, when I looked, Charon's suit was now a black robe. His glasses were now gone. Where his eyes should have been were empty sockets. They were like Ares' except that Charon's were dark, full of night, death, and despair. He saw me looking and said, "Well?"
"Nothing," I said. "Just a little.. surprised." Charon just laughed.
When I blinked again, the elevator wasn't an elevator any more. We were standing in a wooden boat. Charon was poling us across a dark, oily river swirling with bones, dead fish, and other, stranger things; plastic dolls, crushed carnations, and soggy diplomas with gilt edges.
"The river Sticks," Annabeth said quietly. "It's so.."
"Polluted," Charon said. "For thousands of years, you humans have been throwing in everything as you come across. Things like hopes, dreams, and wishes that don't come true. Irresponsible waste managing if you ask me."
Mist curled off the water. Above us was a ceiling of stalactites. Ahead, the shore glimmered with green light, the color of poison.
I was suddenly filled with panic. What the heck was I doing here? The people around me were.. dead. I shouldn't be here!
Annabeth grabbed my hand. Normally, I would have found this to be very embarrassing, but I understood how she felt. She wanted to know that someone else was alive on this boat, that she wasn't completely alone. I found myself muttering a prayer, although I wasn't sure who it was for. Probably to Apollo. Despite him not being able to help much, he was the only god I really trusted right now.
Just then, the shoreline of the underworld came into view. Craggy rocks and black volcanic sand stretched inland about a hundred yards to the base of a high stone wall, which went off in either direction as far as I could see. In the distance, a howl cut through the air, making my hair stand on end. I was reminded of the hellhound back at camp, but this monster sounded a lot bigger, and a whole lot angrier.
"Old three-face is hungry," Charon said. His smile got sharper, like a shark that had just smelled blood. "Bad luck for you, godlings."
The bottom of our boat slid on to the sand. The dead began to get off. I saw a young woman holding a little girl's hand. An old couple walking arm-in-arm. A boy about my age, the hood of his gray robe pulled over his head. Before me and my friends could follow, Charon placed a hand on my shoulder. "I'd wish you luck, mate, but there is none down here. Mind you, don't forget to mention my pay raise."
I reached into my pocket and gave him the rest of the coins. "Take these," I said. "Thank you for bringing us down here."
Charon smiled before he took the empty boat back across the river. "Let's go, Percy," Annabeth said. "We have to follow the rest of the spirits."
We went up a well-worn path. I'm not really sure what I was expecting-- Pearly Gates or a big black portcullis, or something like that. Instead, the entrance to the Underworld looked like an airport security. There were three separate entrances under one huge black archway. Each entrance had a pass-through metal detector with security cameras on top. Beyond this were tollbooths manned by black-robed spirits like Charon.
The dead queued up into the three lines. Two of them were marked attendant on DUTY, and the other read Easy Death. The Easy Death line was moving quickly along. The other two were very slow.
"What do you think?" I asked Annabeth. "Easy Death must go right into the Asphodel Fields," She said. "I suppose they don't want to risk judgment by the court, because it might go against them."
"The dead have a court?"
"Yeah. Three judges. They switch around who sits on the bench. King Minos, Thomas Jefferson, Shakespeare-- people like that. Sometimes they look at a life and decide they deserve a reward, which is Elysium. Sometimes they choose punishment. But most people, well, they just lived. They didn't do anything special. They weren't heroes, but they also weren't evil. Those people go to Asphodel."
"What happens there?"
Grover let out a sigh. "Imagine standing in a wheat field in Kansas. Forever."
"Harsh." I said. "Not as harsh as the Fields of Punishment." Annabeth said. "Or that," Grover muttered. "Look."
A couple of black-robed ghouls had pulled aside a spirit and were frisking them at the security desk. The face of the guy looked familiar.
"Where have I seen him before?" I asked Grover. "He's that preacher who made the news, remember?"
"Right." I said with a sigh. "Who?" Annabeth asked. "He was this annoying guy from upstate New York who'd raised millions of dollars for orphanages, then got arrested for spending the money and stuff for his mansion, like gold-plated toilet seats, and an indoor golf course," I told Annabeth. "He died in a police chase when his "Lamborghini for the Lord" went off a cliff."
"What are they doing to him?" Annabeth asked. "Special punishment from Hades himself," Grover guessed. "The really bad people get his attention as soon as they arrive. The Kindly Ones will set something up for him."
The thought of the Furies made me shutter. I was in their territory now. I was sure Mrs. Dodds was licking her lips with anticipation.
We got closer to the gates. The howling of the hungry monster was much louder now. It was so loud that it shook the ground beneath my feet, but I still couldn't see where it was coming from. Then, about fifty feet ahead, the green mist shimmered. Standing where the three paths split was a giant shadowy monster. I hadn't seen it before because it was half transparent, like the dead. Unless it moved, it blended with whatever was behind it. Only it's eyes and teeth looked solid. To my horror, it was staring strait at me.
My jaw hung open. All I could think to say was, "He's a Rottweiler."
I'd always pictured Cerberus as a big black mastiff, or even a bloodhound. As I watched, the dead walked right up to him with no fear at all. The attendants in the other lines parted on either side of him. The Easy Death spirits walked right between his legs or stomach, which they could do with out ducking.
"I'm starting to see him better," I said. "Why is that?"
Annabeth took a deep breath. "I think," She started. "I think it's because we're getting closer to being dead."
The dog's middle head turned toward us. It sniffed the air and growled. "I'm guessing he can smell the living?" I asked. "It's fine," Grover said, trembling beside me. "We have a plan."
"Right," Annabeth said. I'd never heard her voice sound so small. "A plan."
We moved toward the monster. The middle head growled again, then barked at us. "Can you understand him?" I asked Grover. "Oh yeah," He said. "I can understand him."
"What's he saying?"
"I don't think humans have a four letter word that translates, exactly."
"Right," I said faintly. "Let's hope this plan works."

A few minutes later, the three of us were hiding in the trunk of a large black tree as ghouls called for backup from the Furies. We were all out of breath from running through the gate, and we hoped we wouldn't be given away by our loud breathing.
"Well, Percy, what have we learned today?" Grover asked, thankfully keeping his voice down. "That three-headed dogs prefer red balls over sticks?"
"No. We've learned that your plans really, really suck.."
"Not really," I argued. "Annabeth and I had the same idea. She just had better aim. I guess even in the Underworld, people and monsters also need a little attention once in a while." I pretended not to see Annabeth wipe a tear from her eye as we heard the sad winning of Cerberus in the distance, longing for his new friend. I made a silent promise that we'd try to visit him sometime. I wasn't sure how, but I'll find a way.

It's official. I really don't want to go to Asphodel when I die. It was pretty much exactly what Grover had said. A boring field. The black grass had been trampled by all of the dead feet. A warm wind blew, like the wind from a swamp. Black trees grew in clumps. It was a very depressing place.
Me and my friends tried to blend in to the crowd. I couldn't help but look for familiar faces in the crowd of dead people, but they were hard to look at. Their faces shimmered. They all looked either angry or confused. They would come up to us and say something, but then they'd walk away again when they realized we couldn't understand them. I was really creeped out. The dead weren't scarry, they were just... sad.
We followed the line of new spirits that went from the main gates toward a black-tented pavilion. At the back of the tent were two smaller lines. To the left, spirits flanked by security ghouls were marched down a rocky path toward the Fields of Punishment, which glowed and smoked in the distance. It was a vast cracked waistland with rivers of lava and minefields and miles of barbed wire separating the different torture areas. Even from far way, I could see spirits being chased by hellhounds, burned at the stake, forced to run naked through cactus patches, or listen to opera music. I could just make out a tiny hill with the ant-sized figure of Sisyphus struggling to move his boulder. I saw worse things too, things I didn't want to think about.
The other line coming out of the judgement was much better. This one lead down toward a small valley surrounded by walls. It was a gated community which seemed to be the only happy part of the Underworld. Beyond the security gate were neighborhoods of beautiful houses from every time period in history, Roman villas, medieval castles, and Victorian Mansions. Gold and silver flowers bloomed on the lawns. The grass rippled. I could hear laughter and smell the faint smell of barbecue cooking.
We left the judgment pavilion and moved deeper into the fields. It got darker. The colors faded from our clothes. The crowds of spirits began to thin. After a few more miles of walking, we began hearing a familiar screech in the distance.
Up ahead was a castle made of black obsidian. Above the parapets swirled three dark bat-like creatures, the Furies. I got the feeling they were waiting for us.
"I suppose it's to late to turn back?" Grover asked. "We'll be okay." I said, trying to sound confident. "Maybe we should search some of the other places first?" Grover said, trying to keep the fear out of his voice. "Come on, goat boy." Annabeth grabbed his arm. Grover let out a yelp. His shoes sprouted wings, pulling him away from Annabeth. He landed flat on his back in the grass. "Grover," Annabeth chided. "Stop messing around. We're running out of time."
"But I didn't do anything." Grover protested. By now, his shoes were flapping like crazy. They floated off the ground and dragged Grover away from us. "Maia!" Grover yelled, but nothing happened. I tried to grab his hand, but it was to late. He was picking up speed, sliding down the hill like a sled. We began to run after him.
"Try to get them off!" Annabeth called out. It was a smart idea, but I guess it wasn't easy to do that while they're pulling you at full speed. He tried to sit up, but he couldn't reach the laces.
We continued to run after him, trying not to lose site of him as he raced between spirits who chattered at him in annoyance. I was sure Grover was going to smash into the gates of Hades' castle, but the shoes pulled him sharply to the right, and in the other direction.
The slope got steeper. Grover picked up even more speed. Annabeth and I had to practically sprint to keep up.
I realized that we'd entered a side tunnel. No black grass or trees now, only rock and the dim light of the stalactites above.
"Grover!" I yelled, my voice echoing. "Hold on to something!"
"What?" He yelled back. He was grabbing at the rocks, but there was nothing big enough to slow him down.
The tunnel got darker and colder. The hairs on my arms stood up. It smelled.. evil. It made me think of things I shouldn't even know about. Blood spilled on an ancient stone altar, the foul breath of a murderer. Then I was what was ahead of us, and I stopped dead. The tunnel widened into a huge dark cavern, and in the middle was a chasm the size of a city block. Grover was sliding right toward the edge.
"Come on, Percy!" Annabeth yelled, tugging on my wrist. "But that's.."
"I know!" She shouted. "The place you described in your dream. But Grover's going to fall if we don't catch him!"
She was right, of course. Grover's situation got me moving again. He was yelling, clawing at the ground, but the shoes kept dragging him toward the pit, and I didn't think we were going to get to him in time.
What ended up saving him were his hooves. The flying shoes had always been a lose fit on him. Grover finally hit a huge rock and the left shoe came off. It speed down into the darkness, down into the pit. The right shoe kept tugging him along, but not as fast. Grover was able to stop himself by grabbing on to the rock. He was ten feet away from the edge when we caught him and pulled him back up. The other shoe tugged itself off, and flew after it's twin.
We all collapsed, exhausted on the gravel. My limbs felt like led. Even my backpack seemed heavier, as if someone had filled it with rocks.
Wait, the backpack!
I sat straight up and pulled it off. I knew it! Something was really wrong. I wasn't imagining the weight change.
"Percy?" Annabeth asked. "What's going on?"
"I was right," I muttered, pulling open the bag. "Ares was forced so..."
I froze, staring inside the bag. Grover and Annabeth noticed my shock, and they also looked inside.
there, inside the bag, was a two-foot-long metal cylinder, spiked on both ends, humming with energy. It was the master bolt.
"What are we going to do?" Annabeth asked as we stared into the bag. Instead of answering, I reached into my pocket and pulled out the coin.
"Apollo!" I said aloud. "Lord Apollo, can you hear me?"
For a moment, nothing happened. Then I heard a faint voice in my head. "Percy? Percy, what's happening?"
"I.. I was right about Ares. The bolt was in the backpack. It showed up when one of us was about to fall in to Tartarus. Also, can you ask your brother if his flying shoes were cursed or something?"
There was another long pause. My friends were watching me with curious looks on their faces. I guess this was the first time I'd really shown my gift from Apollo.
"Well, you should probably still go to Hades," He said. "I know you're there for your mom. Also, try to talk to him. He's pretty mad that he's being blamed. Besides, something tells me that he too is missing something."
"What do you mean?" I demanded. Apollo sighed. "Look, seashell, Father wasn't the only one who lost their symbol of power. Ares was also made to steel the helm of darkness. Tell him you know where it is, and that you'll get it to him. He might let you go then. Be sure to be polite toward him. Tell him everything that's happened. Perhaps he won't kill you so quickly."
"Thank you," I said. "What's Ares doing now?"
"He's with me. He's pretty normal right now. He's confused as to why he has Hades' helm, but I'll explain dings to him. In the meantime, try to stay alive. I'll try to meet you wherever you come out."
I placed the coin back in my pocket, then closed the backpack. "Let's go," I said, quickly standing. "We have to talk to Hades."
"Percy, how long have you had the coin?" Annabeth asked. I shrugged. "For a while now. He's mostly been keeping me alive. I guess it's a sort of favor for my dad, sense he can't directly help. At least, that's what the water spirit said to me."
"What did he say?" Grover asked. I let out a sigh. "Well, Zeus wasn't the only one that lost their symbol of power. Ares has it right now."
"So what do we do?" Annabeth asked. "Well, I guess there's only one thing we can do," I said. "let's go talk to the lord of the dead."

Chapter Text

The furies circled the parapets, high in the gloom. The outer walls of the castle glittered black, and the two story tall gates stood wide open. Up close, I saw that the engravings on the gates were seens of death. Some were from modern times; an atomic bomb exploding over a city, a trench filled with gas mask wearing soldiers, a line of African families waiting with empty bowls. Even though the seens were modern, they looked as though they had been carved into the gates thousands of years ago. I wondered if these were prophecies that had come true.
Inside the courtyard was the strangest garden I'd ever seen. Multicolored mushrooms, poisonous shrubs, and weird luminous plants grew without sunlight. Precious jewels made up for the lack of flowers; Piles of rubies as big as my fist, and clumps of raw diamonds. Placed around the garden like frozen party guests were the statues from Medusa's garden; petrified children, satyrs, and centaurs- all smiling grotesquely. Needless to say, this was the creepiest place I'd ever been in. In the center of the weird garden was an orchard of pomegranate trees, there orange blooms bright in the dark.
"Persephone's garden," Annabeth said. "Keep walking." I understood why she wanted to move on from this place. The smell of the fruit was overwhelming. I had the desire to eat them, but then I remembered what happened to the goddess, and I forced myself to ignore the enticing fruit, pulling Grover away in the prosses.
"Percy, let me just try one. It can't be that bad." He begged. I shook my head. "Sorry man, but you know if you eat those, you won't be able to leave. I'm not losing my best friend to a stupid fruit."
We walked up the steps of Hades' palace, and slipped inside. I was honestly surprised that the doors were open. I'd expected a whole army of undead guards at the doors, in order to prevent stupid half-bloods from going in.
The entry hall had a polished bronze floor, which seemed to boil in the reflected torchlight. There was no ceiling, just cavern roof, far above. Every side door was guarded with a bunch of dead soldiers. "Why put all of the guards inside of the house?" I thought. "Why not keep them out of the house completely by placing them outside?"
I decided not to think to much about how my uncle ran his house. It's none of my business.
We walked down the hall, stopping outside a big set of doors. Two US Marine skeletons guarded the doors. They grinned down at us, weapons in their boney hands.
"Well, guys," I said. "I suppose we should knock or something."
A hot wind blew down the hall, and the doors swung open. The guards stepped aside. "I guess that means we can go in." Annabeth said, leading the way inside.
The room looked exactly like it did in Aurora's mirror, even the god sitting in the throne. He was the fifth god I'd met, but he was the first that really struck me as god like, except for maybe Apollo. For one thing, he was at least ten feet tall and dressed in black silk robes and a crown of gold. His skin was albino white, and his hair was shoulder-length, and black as night. He practically radiated power. He lounged on his throne of bones, looking as graceful and dangerous as a panther. I immediately felt the urge to bow down to him, to serve him.
"Snap out of it, Percy," I told myself. "You have a quest to finish. Not to mention, you have to save your mom." I looked down at the floor, refusing to make eye contact with the lord of the dead. His aura was affecting me, just like Ares' had been.
"You are brave to come here, son of Poseidon," He said in a an oily voice. "After what you have done to me, very brave indeed. Or perhaps you are simply very foolish."
I took a deep breath and stepped forward. "Lord and uncle, I'm sorry about your helm, but I was not the one who stole it."
Hades raised an eyebrow, and the motion was so human like, that I almost laughed. "And why exactly should I believe you?" He said. "Who else would have stollen my helm, and caused a war between the gods?"
I let out a sigh. "To be honest, I don't know why everyone thinks it was me," I said, ignoring Annabeth's sharp look. "I only found out about all of this about a month ago, and some of that time was spent still in school. I do not see how you gods think I'd have enough time to take two of the big three's master weapons. You three are gods. Surely you can tell if it was me or not. Would you be happy if I made a promise on the sticks? If so, I have no problem in doing so:"
For a moment, the whole room was quiet. My friends were sending me exasperated looks, and Hades himself was just watching me, a small frown on his face. "I do not think that's necessary, Jackson," He said. "I can sense you're telling the truth. Besides, why else would you bring the bolt to me?" I let out a long sigh. "If you can tell I'm not lying, then why can't lord Zeus do the same?"
Hades leaned back against his throne, and rolled his eyes. "My brother is as thick-headed as they come," He said. "I'm not exactly sure how he became king of the gods. I'm sure he knows you didn't take his master bolt, but he wants to put the blame on someone, so why not the son of someone who wasn't supposed to have any more half-blood children?"
"Lord Zeus is a hypocrite," I said. "He basically did the same thing a few years ago."
"Percy!" Annabeth said, her eyes wide." "Relax, daughter of Athena, young Perseus speaks the truth. My brother should not be putting the blame on him, just because of his parentage."
Hades sits up, and sends me a sharp look. "That still doesn't mean I'm happy with you being alive, Jackson."
"Yes, I understand that, sir." I said. "You made that pretty clear when you sent all those monsters after me."
"Arrogant child," Hades said. "You got that from your father. You're lucky I'm not having you killed right now for the way you're speaking to me."
"You have someone I care about," I said, remembering why I was here in the first place. "I want her back. Then, I can tell you what I know about your helm."
Hades just stared at me for a few seconds, and I was worried that he might just kill me, or torture the information out of me. Finally, however, he held out his hand, and a ball of fire appeared in his hand. He placed it in front of him, and it took the form of my mother. She was frozen in a shower of gold, just like when she had been taken. I couldn't speak. I tried to touch her, but the light was as hot as a bonfire, so I just stood as close as I could.
"I'm sure you already knew I took her," He said. "The daughter of Apollo must have shown you in her mirror." I still couldn't speak, so I just nodded, my eyes not leaving my mom. "I knew you would come eventually. I knew you would do anything to get her back. However, I now know that you don't have my helm. So why should I give her back to you?"
My gaze shot up to meet Hades' black eyes, and I glared. "I know who has your stupid helm!" I snapped. "Give me back my mom, and I'll tell you."
"Percy, can't you just tell him?" Annabeth begged. "We still have to get back to New York."
"Look, Annabeth," I said, turning to face her. "Surely you know I'm mostly here for her. I'm not telling him anything unless he agrees to give her back."
Hades studied me for a while longer, before he finally nodded. "Very well, Perseus. I'll agree to give her back. But first, I want the information."
I opened my mouth to tell him, but a faint voice spoke in my head. In the presents of Hades, he sounded even fainter, and I had to listen carefully to understand him.
"Seashell, you have to make him swear on the sticks. Gods don't always keep their promises. If you want to be sure he keeps up his end of the deal, you have to make him swear."
"I didn't know gods could also make an oath on the sticks." I replied quietly. "Oh sure we can. But since we're gods, the consequences are worse for us. Now, remember what I told you, and good luck."
Once the presents was gone, I turned back to Hades. "Uncle, please don't kill me for this, but I want you to make an oath on the river Sticks."
Both of my friends gasped, and Hades looked murderous. "You do not trust me, boy?" He said, voice quiet and dangerous. I shrugged, trying not to show how scared I truly was. "I'm just trying to be safe, lord Hades. Surely you can understand."
The room was completely silent. Me and my friends didn't dare break it. Hades looked deep in thought, and we didn't want to know what would happen if we interrupted him.
After another couple of minutes, Hades finally nodded. "Very well," He said, although he didn't look to happy about it. "I swear on the river Sticks that I'll return your mother once you tell me who has my helm."
"You also have to promise that you'll let us go. We have to return the master bolt to Zeus." I said. Hades sent me an annoyed look. "Yes, yes," He said. "I'll also let you three go." In the distance, thunder rumbled, and the oath had been made."
"Now, tell me who stole my helm." Hades said, once again leaning back in his throne. I took a deep breath and made eye contact with the lord of the dead. "Lord Ares seemed to get possessed or something. We believe it might be Kronos."
Quickly, I told him about my dreams, and what had happened before we got to his castle. While I talked, Hades kept his face completely blank, and I had no idea what he was thinking. When I was done, a small frown appeared on his face.
"I see," He said. "And you say Ares has no recollection of steeling my helm or his father's master bolt?" "Yes sir," I said. "That's what we can tell." Hades nodded thoughtfully, one of his hands resting on a smaller throne shaped like a black flower. I wished queen Persephone was here now. From what I heard from the myths, she could calm Hades when he was in one of his moods. I just hoped he wouldn't lose his temper.
"Do you think you can get my helm back from Ares?" He asked, making me frown. "I'm not sure, uncle," I said. "We still have to get to New York to return the master bolt, and we don't have a lot of time. In fact, we're not really sure how we're going to get there."
Hades smiled slightly, and I wasn't sure if I should be scared or not. The lord of the dead hardly ever smiles.
"Don't worry about that, Godling," He said. "Ares is waiting for you in Santa Monica. I'm sure you three can convince him to return my helm." I shared a quick look with my friends. "Does he look possessed?" Annabeth asked. Hades shrugged. "Can't really tell," He said. "I personally can't tell the difference. He's just as annoying as ever."
"What about my mother?" I asked with a hard look. "You promised that you'd give her back when I told you who took your helm, and I did."
Hades let out a sigh and waved his hand. The image of my mom was gone. "Where is she?" I demanded. "Relax, Jackson. I sent her back home. Now, will you try to get my helm back?"
"Why can't you take it back? I mean, it's your symbol of power. Can't you just have it return to you?"
Hades put his head in his hands. "None of this would be happening if it was that easy," He said. "Trust me. Zeus has tried that already." Well, I totally felt like an idiot now. Of course that would be the first thing the gods would do. Although.. Zeus doesn't seem to be the kind of person to rationally think things through. I wouldn't be surprised if he forgot to try that and went immediately to blaming me.
"Well?" Hades demanded. "Will you retrieve my helm?"
I let out a long sigh. When I got back to camp, I was going to take a very long nap. This quest was exhausting. Hopefully this would be my only one.
"It's not like we have a choice," I said. "If we decline, you'd probably have us killed." Hades just smirked. "You're learning quite fast, Percy," He said. "Glad that we're on the same page here. Now, use your gift, and get to Santa Monica. You're running out of time."
I reached into my pocket, my hand closing around the pearl. I glanced at my friends, and they did the same. "Thank you," I said, turning to Hades. He raised an eyebrow. "For what?"
"For listening to us, and not killing us on sight."
"Just leave before I change my mind."
As the three of us smashed the pearls at our feet, I saw a hint of a smile on the god's face. For a moment, nothing happened. Then, the shards of the pearl exploded in a flash of green light, followed by a gust of air that smelled like the sea. I was surrounded in a white sphere, which started to lift into the air. Annabeth and Grover were right behind me. We were shooting up toward the ceiling, and I was worried that this too was a trap by Kronos. Would we get killed by the stalactites?
"How do you control these things?" Annabeth shouted. "I don't think you do!" I yelled back. We screamed as the bubbles slammed into the ceiling, but.. instead of the pain we should have felt, it was dark. Were we dead? But I could still feel the bubble going up. We were going through the rock.
"What belongs to the sea will always return to the sea." Those were the words of the sea spirit. We were going to the beach. Right to where Ares was.
I'm not going to lie and say I wasn't nervous. In fact, I was terrified. I had no idea what was going to happen once we reached the surface. My number one question was wether Ares would listen to us. I was hoping he wasn't being controlled by Kronos, but I wasn't to hopeful. I mean, I already had the worst luck ever. I wouldn't be surprised if the war god was waiting to kill me.
For a few moments, I couldn't see anything outside of the smooth walls of my sphere, then my pearl broke through on the ocean floor. Annabeth and Grover were thankfully still behind me.
A few seconds later, the three of us shot to the surface, right in the middle of the Santa Monica bay. I grabbed Grover and pulled him to a life saver. Then, I went back for Annabeth. Turning back to the water, I saw a curious shark, about eleven feet long circling us. I smiled slightly, and rested a hand on it's head.
"Don't eat us." I said. The shark gave me a sad look before racing away. To our left, a surfer dude yelled something about drugs before moving away from us as fast as he could.
Somehow, I knew that it was early morning, the day of the summer solstice. We were running out of time. We had to get to shore, and find a way to New York. I wasn't really sure what time we had to be there, but I didn't want to risk being late. Most of all, I had to have a serious conversation with Ares. Maybe I could somehow get Kronos to leave him alone.
We were able to get a boat to take us to shore, but the officers were to busy to keep us for long. They left us at the beach, thankfully with towels around our shoulders. I knew I could have made myself dry, but it would have really been suspicious. Thankfully the ocean listened when I prayed to stay wet.
As we walked down the beach, I felt miserable. I felt as though I'd just come back from the dead, which I technically did. I was tired, and wet, and my heavy bag didn't make it easier.
"I can't believe we came all this way for nothing." Annabeth said. "It was a stupid trick," I said. "Kronos isn't stupid. It was a strategy worth of Athena."
"Hey!" She warned. I held up my hands. "You get it, don't you?" She dropped her eyes, her anger fading. "Yeah," She said. "I get it."
"Well, I don't!" Grover complained. "Percy, at least you got your mother back. I'm honestly surprised that he agreed to make that oath."
"I can't believe Percy was stupid enough to demand an oath." She turned to glare at me. "Do you have any idea how dangerous that was? What if he refused? What if he killed you for it? Then what would have happened?"
I didn't know what to say. I guess those thoughts hadn't really crossed my mind. I just listened to the advice a god gave me, and it worked out. Now that I had time to think about the visit to the underworld, I realized how much of a risk it really was. However, I couldn't make myself regret it. I mean, what else could I have done? I couldn't just insult him, right? Besides, Apollo was right. A god doesn't always keep there promise. Sure what I did could have backfired, but literally every thing in this quest could have gotten me killed.

"Hey, Jackson!"
Even before I turned around, I knew who it was. Sure enough, there the war god was, dressed in his black leather jacket, his motorcycle beside him, the lights making the sand red. I gave my friends a look, and we walked toward him.
"Hey, kid," Ares said, sounding genuinely happy that we made it out. I frowned, looking into his eyes. Or at least, what should be his eyes. He didn't show any emotion, so I wasn't sure if he was being taken over by Kronos, or if he was always this.. cold.
"Did you know about this?" I finally asked, motioning to the backpack. Ares frowned, the fire growing a little brighter. "No, I knew nothing about it. I was only recently told by Apollo."
"Did he also tell you about Hades' helm?"
Ares opened his mouth to answer, but then a flash of gold light surrounded him. At first, I thought it was Apollo, but when I looked closer, I realized that it was a different shade of gold. Not only that, but the light didn't give of a warm aura like the sun god. Instead, it felt.. cold. No, not just cold. It was.. evil. He was possessed.

"Percy, look out!" Annabeth screamed. I turned and narrowly missed being sliced open by Ares' sword. I hadn't realized that he'd drawn it.
"You were supposed so get killed!" Ares growled, his eyes flashing brighter. "You were supposed to fall into the pit, and deliver the bolt to me!"
Then, a smirk appeared on his face. "Not a problem. You were only a miner setback. I'll just kill you and your friends, then I'll have my servant deliver the helm and the bolt to me."
I reached for my sword, quickly uncapping it. "Yeah, I don't think so," I said. "I have a better idea."
Ares sneered. "Oh, I'm just dieing to hear your "great" plan."
"Good to know," I said with a glare. "How about.. you leave Ares alone, and I'll give back the helm and the bolt, which will prevent a war."
Ares.. or should I say.. Kronos just burst out laughing. "Such a shame I have to kill you," He said. "If I didn't have to get rid of you, you might have been a good.. alley to have."
"Yeah, I don't think so," I replied. "I'm not really interested in helping a Titan who ate his own children."
Kronos rolled his eyes. "Please, Jackson, you really think the gods hadn't done bad things? You can't be that stupid."
I frowned. "I know they're not the best, but at the same time, they're much better then you, so I'd rather help them."
Kronos sighed. "Well, guess I should just go ahead and kill you."
"Yeah, I don't think so," I said, taking a step forward. "Why don't you fight me? Surely you wouldn't back down from a fight."
"Percy, what are you thinking?" Annabeth hissed, fury in her gray eyes. at this point, I didn't know myself. I'd just challenge a god that was being taken over by a Titan. Cabin seven was going to kill me. Well, after Ares does."
Kronos once again rolled his eyes. "I don't see why not," He said. "I suppose you should have the privilege to fight the greatest Titan that had ever lived before you die."
"How very self-centered of you." I noted, making the light get brighter. "Let's just get this fight over with!" He snapped. "I've got other things to do." With that, he swung his sword.

Thinking back on tonight, I always felt grateful to Apollo. If it wasn't for him and Hermes appearing in time to stop his sword, I most definitely would have been dead. I may have had a bit of training before I started this quest, but it was nothing compared to a war god. In fact, even now I find myself surprised to be alive.
As I said before though, Apollo and Hermes were the ones that prevented me from failing the quest. They both appeared on either side of Ares, and while he was distracted with trying to behead me, they both shot blasts of light at him, dropping him immediately.
As soon as Apollo confirmed he was knocked out, he turned to me, a glare on his face. "That, was the stupidest ding you've ever done, Percy. Do you have any idea how your plan could have failed? I know you have some training, but not nearly enough! You're lucky we were able to get to you in time!"
"Not that we're doubting your abilities, mind you," Hermes said, placing a hand on Apollo's shoulder. "You might have been able to get out of it.. somehow."
Apollo sent his brother a sharp look. "A very, small chance!" He said with a sigh. "Just promise to be more careful next time, Percy."
"I'll try," I said, thinking about the prophecy that Aurora told me about. "It might be hard though."
Apollo's frown deepened, and I was sure he knew what I was thinking about. Finally, he just nodded sharply. "Fine then. As long as you try, that will be enough."

Hermes bent down and quickly picked up Ares sword. After making sure he was still out, he slipped it into his bag. "Hermes, is that really a good idea?" Apollo asked. Hermes shrugged, sending him a small smile. "He's got plenty, brother. He won't miss this one."
Rolling his eyes, Apollo motioned toward me. "You promised to give back his helm," He said. "There it is."
Following his gaze, I saw the black helm resting on Ares' motorcycle. Quickly walking over to it, I picked it up. I wasn't really sure how I was going to bring it back to him. I had to get to Olympus, and I didn't think I had enough time to have another trip to the underworld.
As if hearing my thoughts, all three of the demon bat ladies appeared in front of me. Mrs. Dodds flew in front, her eyes locked on the helm. With a small smile, I tossed it to her. "Tell Hades that it was Ares who took it. He was being taken over by Kronos. Also, there might be someone else, but I'm not sure who they are yet."
For a moment, Mrs. Dodds just stared at me. She didn't look angry. Instead, she looked almost.. respectful. "Thank you, Percy Jackson." She finally said, before she and her sisters flew away.
Turning back to my friends and the two gods, I took off my backpack, holding it out to Apollo. "I'm guessing you can't take this for me?" I said, a little hopeful. Just as I thought, the god shook his head. "I'm afraid not, seashell. You know I would if I could. However, I can take you to Olympus."
Hermes glanced at Grover and Annabeth. "I can take you back to camp Half-Blood. Percy has to do this last part by himself. I promise he'll come back in one piece."
Grover and Annabeth looked at me, both looking worried. I sent them a reassuring smile. "It's alright guys," I said. "I'll see you guys soon. Make sure to tell Chiron about Kronos. He needs to know."
They both nodded, and Hermes stepped in between them, taking each one by the arm. "Perfect," He sang out. "Good luck, Percy. It would be a shame if you got killed."
"Please try not to insult Zeus," Annabeth said. "Even with out his master bolt, he will have no problem killing you."
I gave her a small smile. "I would never," I said, even though we both knew it wasn't true. I had called him out in Denver after all. "I'll see you guys later."
I watched as Hermes flew away with my friends, and couldn't help the small feeling of loneliness. We were together for the entire quest. It seemed unfair that they couldn't join me in the end.
"Are you ready to go?" Apollo asked, and I turned to him with a smile. "As ready as I'll ever be." I replied, taking his offered hand. And in the next second, the beach and lights of LA were gone.

Chapter Text

"Seashell, we're here!" Apollo's voice sang out. "Mount Olympus, the best place in the world. Well, technically it's not in the world, but you get my point."
My eyes were wide as I took in the sight before me. Mount Olympus looked exactly like how it did in my dream. I could see a city of multileveled palaces, all with white-colummned porticos, gilded terraces, and bronze braziers glowing with a thousand fires. I could see several roads going up the mountain, where the biggest palace gleamed against the snow. Several gardens bloomed with olive trees and rosebushes. I could also make out on open-air market, a stone amphitheater, and a coliseum.
Apollo smiled at my amazed expression. "It's amazing, isn't it?" I couldn't speak, so I just nodded. "As you could probably already tell, this is the newer version of Olympus. The other one is still in Greece. And while this place may seem perfect, it doesn't beat home."
I followed behind Apollo as he lead me through the city. We passed a group of giggling nymphs who through olives at me from their garden. "Don't worry about them. They always do that." Apollo said, sending them a small smile. As we passed the market, people tried to sell me different things like ambrosia-on-a-stick, a new shield, and a genuine glitter-weave replica of the golden Fleece. As we walked passed one of the parks, a group of girls called out to us.
"Lord Apollo, are you going to join us?"
"Who are they?" I asked. Apollo smiled, waving at the group. "Those are the nine muses. They are the main people I hang out that. We do a lot of concerts together." Turning back to the girls, Apollo shook his head. "Sorry girls, but I can't join you today. I have to take Percy Jackson to see father." One of the muses let out a sigh. "I see," She said. "Very well then. You know where to find us when you want to join us."
"Will do. You girls have fun."
"Why doesn't anyone seem worried about the possible war?" I asked as we continued to walk. Apollo sighed. "Unfortunately, no one really is worried here," He said. "They don't tend to pay attention to such things unless it involves them."
"But it's a war," I said. "It does involve them. Don't they realize it?" Apollo let out a sigh. "The war hasn't started yet, so they're not worried about it."
"That's stupid."
"I know it is. I used to think like that before."
"What exactly happened?" I asked. "People say you used to be like all the other gods. What changed?"
Apollo stopped walking for a second, but then continued. I could see his expression had darkened slightly. "I'll tell you about it some other time. Right now, let's just worry about getting that bolt to my father." As much as I wanted to know what happened, I knew not to push him. I could tell it was a sensitive topic for him. Hopefully he can confide in me when he was ready.
We finally climbed the main road that lead toward the biggest palace. It looked like the opposite of lord Hades' palace. Instead of everything being black and bronze, Zeus' palace glittered white and silver. Hades must have built his own version of Olympus in the Underworld because he wasn't welcomed to the real one. I actually felt bad for the guy. He'd actually been nice to me, and didn't try to kill me... for the most part. Being kicked out of the literal home of the gods really must've sucked.
"Well, this is where I leave you," Apollo said, stopping in front of a set of steps leading to a courtyard. "You must finish this on your own. Besides, father won't like the fact that I'm with you." He tilted his head slightly, his eyes fixed somewhere in the throne room. "By the way, I think you should know that your father's in there as well." I sighed. "Well that's just great." I muttered. There was no way I was ready to meet my father. I don't think I ever will be. Apollo seemed to understand how I was feeling, because he placed a gentle hand on my shoulder. "It's going to be okay, seashell," He said. "I've been with you for a lot of your quest, and I'm sure you'll be alright in there. Just be a little more careful with how you speak to my father. Unlike the other gods you've met, father won't be so forgiving."
"I can't help it though," I protested. "I just say what I feel. Besides, if the gods act like jerks, then I'll probably point that out." Apollo sighed. "Percy, please," He almost begged. "At least try to be careful. You can think whatever the hell you want, just don't say it out loud." I couldn't help but laugh. "Did you just use another religion as a swear word?" I asked. Apollo sent me an annoyed look. "Seashell, just go in there. I'll be waiting out here. Good luck." With that, he turned and walked away, sending me one last smile before disappearing in a flash of gold light. Having no other choice, I quickly made sure that the lightning bolt of still in the backpack, then walked inside the palace.
Calling the giant room I stepped into a throne room isn't exactly right. The place made Grand Central Station look like a closet. Massive columns rose to a domed ceiling which was covered with moving constellations. Twelve giant thrones were arranged in a U shape, reminding me of camp. A giant fire crackled in the central hearth pit. The thrones were all empty, except for two at the end; the head throne, and the one to it's immediate left. Even with out Apollo's warning, I would've immediately known who was waiting for me.
I slowly walked toward them, my legs trembling. Actually, my whole body seemed to be shaking. The gods were in giant form, just as Hades had been, which really didn't help me relax. As I stared at them, my body tingled, as though my body was starting to burn. Part of me wished Apollo had come in with me after all.
Zeus, the lord of the gods, was wearing a dark blue suit. He was sitting in a simple throne of solid platinum. That was honestly surprising to me. I'd expected a gaudy thing of solid gold or something. He had a well-trimmed beard, marbled gray and black like a storm cloud. His face was proud, his eyes a dark gray. As I got closer to him, the air crackled and smelled of ozone.
The god sitting next to him was no doubt his brother, but he was dressed completely different. He reminded me of a beachcomber from Key West. He had on leather sandals, khaki Bermuda shorts and a Tommy Bahama shirt with coconuts and parrots on it. His skin was deeply tanned, his hands scarred like a fisherman's. His hair was black, like mine. His face had that same look that had always branded me a rebel. His eyes, which were green like mine, had a lot of lines around them, as though he smiled a lot, something I only thought Apollo and Hermes did. His throne was a fisherman's chair. It had a black lever seat and a built-in place for a fishing poll. Instead of a poll though, I saw a bronze trident, flickering with green light around the tips. The gods weren't moving or speaking, but I could feel a thick tension in the air, as if they've just finished an argument. I approached the fisherman's throne and knelt at his feet. "Father." As much as I really resented him, I knew better then to look up. My heart was racing. At any moment, either of these two gods could blast me into millions of particles, and I could do nothing to stop it. Then to my left, Zeus spoke. "Should you not address the master of this house first, boy?"
I fought not to roll my eyes. Surely Zeus could wait one second. He doesn't need all the attention. I forced myself not to speak. I just kept my head down and waited. I was sure that was making Zeus more annoyed, a small win for me.
"Peace, brother." Poseidon finally said. His voice brought back the memory of the warm glow I remembered as a baby, the feeling of this god's hand on my forehead. "The boy defers from his father. This is only right."
"You still claim him then?" Zeus asked menacingly. You claim this child whom you sired against our sacred oath?"
"Oh that's rich." I thought. "You basically did the same thing a few years ago."
"I'd be careful seashell," Apollo's voice said. "I blocked out that thought, but you should know that he can tell what you're thinking." I cursed mentally, causing the god to laugh. "Don't worry Percy. I promise you can vent to me later. I'm sure you'll have plenty to say." Well, he's not wrong. I turned my attention back to the two gods in front of me. I didn't want to accidentally miss something important.
"I have admitted my wrongdoing," He said. "Now I shall here him speak." You've got to be kidding. That's all I am to him? A wrongdoing? Why did I even except this stupid quest? Clearly, even after all I did, my father still thinks of me as a mistake. Fine by me. I don't really care!
"I would've let you live, boy," Zeus grumbled. "I would've let you take a plane, since you have my bolt. However, you were able to get the good favor of my son. No matter. Just hand it over. And I shall listen to what you have to say. I can tell you have some... unpleasant news to tell me."
"Perseus," My father said. "Look at me." I really really didn't want to, but I couldn't exactly say no to a god. So with a quiet sigh, I looked up, meeting his gaze. I was unsure as to what I saw in his eyes. What I didn't see though, was a sign of love or approval; nothing to encourage me. I got the feeling he had no idea what to think of me. He had no idea if he was happy or not to have me as a son, and I doubted my unflattering thoughts were helping much.
"Address lord Zeus, boy," He told me. "Tell him your story. Don't leave any parts out." So I told him everything, just as it had happened. I left out where Apollo helped me. Something told me that if he knew his son played a part in my success, he wouldn't be to pleased, and I didn't want the son god to get in trouble. I haven't told him about my dreams, and what Annabeth and I thought was going on.
When I was done talking, I took out the master bolt and placed it at Zeus' feet. There was a long silence, broken only by the fire. Finally, Zeus opened his palm and the bolt immediately flew into it. As he closed his fist, the points flashed, until he was holding a more realistic version of a thunder bolt.
"I sense the boy tells the truth," Zeus muttered, once again making me try not to roll my eyes. He sounded surprised, as if a simple mortal couldn't tell the truth. I was really not liking him. "I did tell you that Hades wouldn't steal your bolt, brother." My father said. They then had a quick, intense conversation in Greek. The only word I caught was father. I'd have to ask Apollo what they said later. Poseidon made some kind of suggestion, but Zeus cut him off. He tried to argue, but Zeus stood. "We will speak of this no more!" He said. "I must go personally to purify my bolt in the waters of Lemnos, to remove the human taint from the metal."
"Lovely." I thought. I was surprised my eyes didn't fall out from rolling them to much. Or... trying not to. When he looked at me, his expression softened, something that I wasn't expecting. "You have done well, boy," He said. "Few heroes could have done as well."
"I had help sir," I said. "Grover Underwood and Annabeth chase."
"To show my appreciation, I shall not kill you. I do not trust you, Perseus Jackson. I do not like what your arrival means for Olympus. However, there might be a chance you could change my mind."
"Umm... thank you, sir."
"Do not presume to fly again, unless it's with my son. Don't let me find you here when I return. Otherwise, you shall taste this bolt, and it shall be your last feeling." Thunder shook the palace. With a blinding flash of lightning, he was gone. "And here I was thinking he wasn't all bad." I thought with a sigh. When I looked up again, I realized I was alone in the throne room with my father.
"You're uncle has always had a flair for dramatic exits." He said. "I think he would have done well as the god of theater."
"Excuse me? That's my job!" An irritated Apollo practically shrieked. I put my hand to my head, frowning slightly. "Do you mind?" I thought. "I'm not in the mood to explode because of your yelling!"
"Sorry about that, Seashell. I'll be waiting for you at the edge of the mountain. Don't be long!"
"Although, I do believe Apollo is the right god after all." My father said, smiling slightly.
"Sir, am I right about the pit?" Poseidon just sighed. "I'm afraid so, Perseus." He gripped his trident. "In the first war, Percy, Zeus sliced our father up into a thousand pieces, just as Kronos had done to his father. He cast the remains in the darkest part of Tartarus. That caused the war to end. However, Titans can not die, just as we gods can not. Whatever is left of our father is still alive, hungry for power. He will do anything to return to full power."
"He's healing," I said. "He's coming back." My father shook his head. "He has stirred many times before. This is probably just one of those times."
"That's what he intends, father," I said, trying to get him to understand. How is it that Apollo believes me, but not one of the big three? Hell, even Zeus seems to believe me to some degree.
"You have finished your quest, child," Poseidon finally said. "That is all you need to do. Do not worry about Kronos." I wanted to argue, but I knew it wouldn't do any good. It might even anger one of the few gods I have on my side. "As you wish, father." I said, looking down. A faint smile played on his lips. "Obedience does not come naturally to you, does it?"
"No... sir."
"I must take some blame for that, I suppose. The sea does not like to be restrained." He rose to his full height and picked up his trident. Then he shrank down to the size of a human man. "You must go, child. But first, know that your mother has in fact been returned. You will find her at home."
I couldn't help but smile. "I guess I could trust Hades to a degree after all. "When you return home, Percy, you will have to make an important choice. You will find a package in your room."
"A package?"
"You will understand when you see it. No one can choose your path, Percy. You must decide yourself." I nodded, but I didn't know what he meant.
"I am sorry you were born, child. I had brought you a heroes' fate, and a heroes' fate is never happy. It is never anything but tragic."
I tried not to feel hurt. Here was my own dad, telling me he wishes I wasn't born. I didn't care if my fate was tragic. It still hurt to have your own father reject you. Biting my lip I said, "I don't mind, father."
"Not yet, perhaps," He said. "Not yet. But your friend has warned you that you have more quests to do in the future. From what I know, they're not pretty. They might even be worse then this one."
I bowed, biting back the comment I had. "I'll leave you then," I said. "I won't bother you again." I was only a few steps away when he called me back. When I turned, I saw something else in his eyes; a fiery sort of pride. "You did well, Purseus. Do not misunderstand me. Whatever else you do, know that you are mine. You are a true son of the sea god."
As I walked back through the city, conversations stopped. The muses paused their concert. Everyone I passed turned to look at me, their faces filled with respect, and they kneeled to me, as if I were some kind of hero.
I was still in a trance-like state when I reached the spot where Apollo was waiting for me. Thankfully, he seemed to immediately know what was wrong, because he led me to his car. "You need to rest," He said. "Now where do you want to go?" I thought about what my father had said about the strange package in my room, and about the important choice I had to make there. Besides, I wanted to see my mom. "Take me home." I said.

Chapter Text

About ten minutes later, the sun chariot was pulling up in front of my mom's apartment building. I was staring out of the window, a little shocked that I'd made it back. I guess I wasn't really expecting that I'd make it back from the quest. Now that I was actually here though, something else was bothering me.
"She's waiting for you now, Seashell. You don't have to worry any more. Hades kept his promise." My body immediately relaxed upon hearing those words, and I sent the son god a grateful smile. "Thank you, lord Apollo," I said. "I guess I was still unsure as to wether I can trust lord Hades." Apollo gave me a reassuring smile. "Don't worry about that Percy. You made him swear an oath, didn't you?" When I nodded, he smiled again. "So then you have nothing to worry about. Styx works the same for us gods as it does for you mortals. Trust me Percy, none of us wants sentries of bad luck. It's easier to just follow through with our oaths."
I let out the breath I didn't even know I was holding and nodded. "I'm glad to hear that. I was honestly afraid that I'd never see her again." Apollo's smile turned sad, his eyes darkening slightly. "I'm glad you have a good relationship with your mom, Seashell. Please, make sure you keep it like that. Father locked away my mother, and I can never see her." I frowned. "Why would Zeus do that?" I demanded, glaring up at the sky. Apollo wouldn't meet my gaze, his eyes instead fixed on a man walking into the building. "It was after the war against the Titans," He said, his voice quiet. "The gods obviously won and father wanted to make sure that this wouldn't happen again, so he imprisoned them all, even the peaceful ones like Calypso, Maia, which is Hermes' mother, and Leto, who's mine. I haven't seen her in so long." The air around us god colder, as if the son lost it's warmth. Looking over at Apollo, I noticed his expression had somehow gotten more upset, his mouth set in a small pout. I once again felt a flash of anger toward Zeus. He was so paranoid that another war would start, that he locked up all of the Titans, even those who didn't do anything. I really doubted he even thought about his children and how they felt about having their mothers imprisoned. I really wasn't liking this dude.
I jumped slightly when I felt a hand on my shoulder. "Don't worry about it, Seashell. I'm used to not seeing her. It just still makes me a little upset. I'll be alright though. Now, go see your mom. Do you want me to wait for you?" I frowned, not liking how Apollo would try to hide his emotions behind a fake smile. Am I the only one who notices? Can't any of the other gods tell that the son god is hiding things? Did his own children know?"
"Percy? Are you okay? Do you need me to take you up to your apartment? I'm sure you're exhausted." I shook my head, trying to shake away my thought on Apollo. I'd have to ask Aurora when I returned to camp. "No, I'm fine. Thanks for the offer though. I can just call a cab to camp." Apollo nodded, sending me another smile, this one a little more genuine. "Well then, I'll see you soon, Seashell. You did agree for archery lessons after all." I let out a sigh before opening the car door. "Thanks again lord Apollo. I'm sorry for taking up so much of your time." Apollo held up a hand. "Hey, don't worry about it Seashell. I don't mind. Oh, and please, didn't I tell you to call me Apollo. No more of this lord stuff." I smiled sheepishly. "I'm sorry Apollo. I guess I was still unsure if you were serious or not." "I'm not going to tell you something if I don't mean it Percy. Anyway, I'll see you later. Say hi to my children for me. I'm not sure when the next time I can visit is." Sending the god one last grateful look, I stepped out of the car and made my way inside the building.

I've been standing outside my apartment door for about ten minutes, trying to get the courage to knock. I'm not really sure what I was afraid of. I mean, Apollo did say that Hades had held up his oath, so why was I frozen to the ground?
"Apollo's never lied to you before." I thought, trying to convince myself that nothing was wrong. "Why would he lie about this? He'd be pretty messed up to do something like that."
After another five minutes, I finally just knocked. I guess I was about to see for myself wether Apollo was right, although I didn't really doubt him. For a moment, nothing happened, but then the door slowly opened and their she was, my beautiful mother, smelling of peppermint and other candy, the worry evaporating from her face as soon as she saw me.
"Percy! Oh, thank goodness! Oh, my baby!" She crushed the air right out of me in a tight hug. We stood in the hall of the apartment as she cried, running her hands through my hair. I'll admit it, my eyes were a little misty as well. Well, maybe a little more then a little. I was shaky, so happy to see her. She told me she had just appeared at the apartment this morning, scarry the crap out of Gabe, which I found a little amusing. She said she didn't remember anything since the Minotaur, and couldn't believe I was a wanted criminal, traveling around the country and blowing things up. She'd been worried all day because she hadn't heard the news.
Apparently, Gabe had forced her to go back to work, saying she had a month's salary to make up for, and that she'd better get started. I swallowed back my anger and started telling her about my quest, knowing that she wouldn't feel better until she had all the details.
I tried to make it seem less scarry, but even the things I did tell her seemed to freak her out, although she seemed to relax when I told her about Apollo's help. "I always liked that one," She said with a soft smile. "He sure did change after..."
"You've spoken to him?" I asked, my eyes wide. My mom nodded, slightly, a far away look in her eyes. "He'd visit me during my pregnancy to keep me company. He could tell you were someone special, and that I'd need some help. I'll always be grateful to him. Anyway, continue with your story Percy."
I was just getting to my talk with Ares when Gabe's voice spoke from the living room. "Hey, Sally, that meat loaf done yet or what?" She closed her eyes, and I could see a hint of anger in her face. "He isn't going to be happy to see you, Percy. The store got a lot of calls from LA... Something about free appliances."
"Oh yeah. About that..." She managed a weak smile. "Just don't make him angrier, alright? Come on."
As soon as I walked into the living room, I immediately wanted to leave. In the month I've been gone, the whole place had turned into Gabe land. Trash was all over the carpet, and the sofa had been covered in beer cans. Dirty socks and underwear hung from the lamp shades, and as usual, Gabe and his three friends were playing poker at the table.
As soon as Gabe saw me, his cigar fell from his mouth. His face got redder than lava, and it seemed as though steam was about to come out of his ears with how angry he looked. "You've got nerve coming here, you little punk. I thought the police..."
"He's not a fugitive after all," My mom interjected. "Is that wonderful, Gabe?" Gabe looked back and forth between us. He didn't seem to think my homecoming was so wonderful.
"Get me the phone, Sally, I'm calling the cops. I can still charge for the damages done to my car."
"Gabe, no!" He raised his eyebrows. "Did you just say no? You think I'm gonna put up with this punk again? I don't think so, Sally."
"But..." He raised his hand, and my mother flinched. For the first time, I realized something. Gabe had hit my mother. I didn't know when, or how much, but I was sure he'd done it. Why else would that gesture make her react like that?
What seemed like a balloon of anger began expanding in my chest. I came toward Gabe, instinctively pulling the pen out of my pocket. He just laughed. "What punk, you're gonna write on me? You touch me, and you're going to jail forever, you hear me?"
"Hey Gabe." Eddy interrupted. "He's just a kid." I swear, that must be his favorite line or something. Gabe sent him a resentful look and imitated in a high voice. "Just a kid." His other friends laughed like idiots. "I'll be nice to you, punk. I'll give you five minutes to get your stuff and clear out. After that, I call the cops."
"Gabe." My mother pleaded. "He ran away," Gabe told her. "Let him stay gone if that's what he wants."
I really wanted to uncap my sword, but I know it wouldn't hurt humans, though I thought of Gabe to be less than that. "Can't you like... send a plague at him or something?" I silently begged to Apollo, hoping he was still there. "Sorry, seashell, but I can't do that. As much as I'd want to, your father prevented it. He said that you have to make some sort of choice." I glared down at the ground. "What kind of choice?" I asked. "I... I can't help you with that, Percy. I'm really sorry." And he really did sound sorry, so I couldn't be mad. "It's fine. I guess I'll just figure it out myself.
My mother took my arm. "Please, Percy. Come on. We'll go to your room." I let her pull me away, my hands still trembling in rage. I had to literally fight back the urge to go back and at least try to slice his head off.
My room had been completely filled with Gabe's junk, and I was nearly overwhelmed with the smell of the place. "Gabe is just upset, honey," My mother said. "I'll talk to him later. I'm sure it will work out."
"Mom, it will never work out. Not as long as Gabe's here."
She rang her hands nervously. "I can... I'll take you to work with me for the rest of the summer. In the Fall, maybe there's another school..."
"Mom." She lowered her eyes. "I'm trying, Percy. I just... I need some time."
In that moment, a package appeared on my bed. At least, I was pretty sure it hadn't been there before. It was a battered box that seemed to be the right size to fit a basketball. The address on the mail slip was in my own handwriting. Over the top in black marker was the address of our apartment with the words, "return to sender." Suddenly I understood what my father had told me. I knew the choice I had to make.
I looked at my mother, who's eyes were on the box. "Do you want Gabe gone?" She bit her lip nervously. "Percy, it isn't that simple. I..."
"Mom, just tell me. That jerk has been hitting you. Do you want him gone or not?" She hesitated, but then gave a hardly noticeable nod. "Yes, Percy. I do. And I'm trying to tell him. But you can't do this for me. You can't solve my problems."
I looked at the box again. "I... I could. I could solve your problem." I wanted to slice open that package, take out what was inside, and plop it on the poker table. I could start my very own statue garden, right there in the living room. "That's what a Greek hero would do in the stories," I thought. "That's what Gabe deserves." But a hero's story always ends in tragedy. Poseidon had told me that. I remembered the underworld. I thought about Gabe's spirit floating in the fields of punishment, forced to listen to classical music. Maybe I could talk to Hades about that. A month ago, I wouldn't have hesitated in doing it. Now though...
"I can do it," I said. "One look inside this box, and he'll never bother you again." She glanced again at the box, and it was like her thoughts were confirmed. "No, Percy," She said, stepping away. "You can't."
"Poseidon called you a queen," I said. "He said he hadn't met a woman like you in a thousand years." Her cheeks flushed. "Percy."
"He's right. You deserve better than this, mom. You should go to school, get your degree. You can write your novel, meet a nice guy, maybe move into a nice house. You don't need to protect me any more by being with him. You know I'll be fine now. Just let me get rid of him."
She wiped a tear from her cheek. "You sound so much like him," She said. "He offered to stop the tide for me once. He offered to build me a palace at the bottom of the sea. He thought he could solve all my problems with a wave of his hand."
"What's wrong with that?" Her eyes seemed to look inside me. "I think you know, Percy. I think your enough like me to understand. If my life's going to mean anything, I have to live it myself. I can't let a god take care of me... Or my son. I have to do it myself. You're quest has reminded me of that."
"I'll leave the box," I finally said. "If he threatens you..." She looked pale, but she nodded. "Where will you go, Percy?"
"Half-Blood Hill."
"For the summer... Or forever?"
"I guess that depends." We locked eyes, and I could tell we'd come to an agreement. We would see how things were at the end of the summer." She kissed my forehead. "You'll be a hero, Percy. You'll be the greatest of all."
At took one last look around my room. I had a feeling I'd never see it again. Then I walked with my mother to the front door.
"Leaving so soon, punk?" Gabe called after me. "Good riddance." I had one last twinge of doubt. How could I turn down the perfect chance to get rid of him? How could I leave with out saving my mother? "Hey, Sally? How about the meat loaf?" A flash of anger flared in my mother's eyes, and I thought, just maybe, I was leaving her in good hands after all. Her own. "The meat loaf is coming right up, dear," She said. "Meat loaf surprise." She looked at me, and winked. The last thing I saw as the door closed was my mom looking at Gabe, as though wondering what he'd look like as a garden statue.

I knew that when I returned to camp, there would be a big celebration, and I wasn't exactly looking forward to it. But what made it better was as soon as I stepped over the hill, I heard a cry of "Percy!" Then the next thing I knew, I had my arms full of a crying Will Solace. He was hugging me very tight, and I could tell he was actually happy to see me again, a feeling I shared with him. I blinked back the tears that were threatening to spill as I hugged him back, but it was no use. Another pair of arms wrapped around me from behind, and I immediately knew it was Aurora.
"It's so good to see you back, Percy." She said, and her familiar quiet and musical voice finally made the tears fall. I had missed cabin seven while I was gone, and now that they were here, welcoming me back to camp, it was to much. "Come on, Percy," Will finally said, pulling away a little. "Everyone else is waiting for us."
Sure enough, as soon as we walked into the main part of camp, the rest of the Apollo cabin was there, and they all took turns hugging me. "We kept up with your quest," Lee said. "You sure did get into a lot of trouble, didn't you?" The only response I had was a sort of teary laugh. "Well, it's not a quest with out some trouble."
"That's true," Aurora said. "But really Percy. You've met seven gods on your quest. I'm honestly surprised you're still alive, especially after that little stunt you pulled in that water park." I looked down when she glared at me. "Umm... sorry?" Her lips twitched into a small smile. "Whatever, Percy. I suppose the important thing is that you're alive. Now, let's go burn your burial shroud."
The rest of the camp was waiting for us at the bonfire. Annabeth and Grover were already waiting for us, both looking happy to see me. Annabeth was holding her shroud, a beautiful thing of gray silk with owls embroider into the fabric. Will handed me something, and I almost teared up right there. It was a sea green fabric with a realistic looking trident in the center. "We hope you like it," Lee said. "The Ares cabin almost volunteered to make it." I smiled, once again happy that I had cabin seven as friends. "Thank you." I said, really meaning it.
As Apollo's cabin lead us in some songs while passing out food, I found myself surrounded with my old friends from cabin eleven, Annabeth's siblings, and Grovers friends, who were admiring the new searcher's licence he had been given earlier that day, something I was very happy about. Grover would finally be able to complete his own quest.
The Ares cabin kept sending me confusing looks, some angry, some almost... grateful. I didn't know how to take that, so I did my best to ignore them. I'd worry about them if they decided to approach me themselves.
"You did well, Peter Johnson." A familiar lazy voice drawled out. Looking to my left, I saw Mr. D sitting there, a can of coke in his hand. "It's good to see you." I said, sending him a smile, which he returned with a barely noticeable one of his own. "I suppose it's good to see you as well. I guess I should thank you for preventing a war. I'm really not a fan of them." I laughed quietly. "I didn't think you were," I said. "You seem to be more of the party type." The god's eyes seem to sparkle as he said, "Well, duh." All in all, it was a grate way to come back home."

Chapter Text

I moved back into cabin three, but it didn't feel so lonely any more. I had my friends to train with every day, and at night, I listened to the sea, knowing my father was out there. Maybe he wasn't sure about me yet, but at least he was still watching. And so far, he was proud of what I have done. As for my mother, she had a chance for a new life. I just hoped that she'd take it. Thankfully, I didn't wait for long to find out.
I was sitting in the Apollo cabin, my head resting against one of the beds while Aurora quietly played the piano, and Will was putting some sort of cream on the latest burn I'd gotten from the lava wall. I felt quite relaxed, and comfortable, and I thought that nothing could ruin my mood. That was when the cabin door opened and Lee walked in, handing me an envelope with my mother's familiar handwriting on the front. Lee, Will, and Aurora seemed to since something about my expression, because they sat around me, their eyes fixed on the letter in my hands. "What is it, Percy?" Will asked. "Who's it from?" Instead of answering, I carefully opened it up, and pulled out the sheet of paper and began to read.
"Percy, I hope you're having fun at camp. I just wanted to let you know that Gabe has disappeared. I have no idea where he could be. I filed a missing person report with the police, but I have a feeling they won't find him. Oh, and I almost forgot to say that I sold my first life-sized concrete sculpture. I called it The poker player. I got enough money from it, that I put down some for a new apartment, and I was able to pay for my first year of college at NYU. The gallery I'd sold it to wants more, but I think I'm done with making statues. I think it's time to start on my writing. Percy, I found a really good school here in the city. I put a spot down, in case you want to go for your seventh grade. You could live at home. But if you want to stay for the year at camp, I'll understand."
When I was done, the three of them were completely silent. I was honestly kind of worried. Had I broken them or something? Finally, Aurora sent me a sharp look. "Tell us everything that happened." She demanded, and the other two nodded, so I did. It honestly felt great to tell others about the quest that nearly killed me. When I was done, they all looked almost... resigned. "You're going to be that type of hero, aren't you?" Will asked, his head falling on to my shoulder. "What do you mean?" I asked. Lee rolled his eyes. "The kind that gets hurt all the time, and goes on all kinds of potentially deadly quests." I looked over at Aurora. "Are they right?" I asked, really hoping they weren't. But the look on her face said otherwise. "I... I can't say much, Percy, but I know you're life isn't going to be easy; especially during these next few years." Will sighed. "Aurora," He complained. "I wasn't serious!" She only shrugged. "No, but you were being honest. Percy's life is gonna suck."
"Lovely." I said, looking down. "Hey, at least you'll have us.," Lee said, giving my shoulder a tight squeeze. "We're not letting you get hurt." All I could do was smile at them, grateful once again that I had them as friends. I didn't know how I was going to go through the quests Aurora has seen for me.

On the fourth of July, the whole camp gathered for a fireworks display by cabin nine. Obviously, because of their father, they're not just going to settle for a simple display. Instead, they went completely overboard, but I loved it. Never again could I look at fireworks the same. As soon as the show ended, Grover came up to us, ready to say goodbye. He was dressed in his usual outfit, but he looked different, almost high school age. His goatee had gotten thicker, and he had put on some weight. His horns had also grown a bit, so he now had to have his cap on all the time in order to pass as human.
"Well, I'm off," He said. "I just came to say... well, you know." I tried to feel happy for him, I really did. After all, it wasn't every day that a satyr got permission to find the great god Pan. But it was hard saying goodbye, especially after Grover had told me about how none of the others had returned. I'd only known Grover for a year, but he was my oldest friend. I just didn't want anything to happen to him.
Annabeth hugged him, telling him to keep his fake feet on. "Where are you going to search first?" I asked. "Kind of a secret," He said, kind of embarrassed. "I wish you could come with me, guys, but humans and Pan..."
"We understand," Annabeth said. "You got enough tin cans for the trip?"
"Yeah."
"And you remembered your pipes?"
"Jeez, Annabeth," He grumbled. "You're like an old mama goat." But he didn't really sound annoyed. He gripped his walking stick and slung his bag over his shoulder. He looked like your typical hiker now, not like the little thing I used to protect back at school. "Well," He said. "Wish me luck. I might need it." He gave Annabeth another hug, and clapped me on the shoulder before walking back over the dunes. "We'll see him again." Annabeth said, and I tried to believe her.
July past in what seemed to be a blur. I spent some of that time making plans for capture the flag, making allies with the other cabins in order to keep the flag away from the Ares cabin. For the first time, I got to the top of the lava wall with out getting burned, something Will was very happy about. "Hopefully this continues. I lost count of the amount of burns you've received because of the wall."
Despite the rest of my summer being mostly grate, I'd sometimes find myself walking past the big house, and I'd stare up at the attic and think of the Oracle. I tried to convince myself that it's prophecy had been completed. I went west, though the god had been Ares instead of Hades. Well, sort of. Technically it wasn't either of them. I took the master bolt back to it's owner, and the helm was back with Hades. The line that still bothered me was "You shall be betrayed by one who calls you a friend." At first I thought it was Ares, but he technically didn't betray me. So who was this line talking about? It couldn't be someone from cabin seven, right? Why would any of them have a reason to betray me? No, it had to be someone else.
I did know that the last line was about my mother, but in the end, she was fine, so it wasn't a problem. So why was I still uneasy? It should mostly be done, right? I told myself to stop thinking about it, since it would only make it worse. I'd better just let the rest play out, even though something told me that was an awful idea.
The last night of the summer session came to quickly. The campers had one last meal together, and as usual, we burned part of it for the gods. At the bon fire, we were given our summer beads. I got my own leather necklace, and when I saw the bead for my first summer, I was glad that the fire light hid my blushing. The design was pitch black, with a sea green trident in the center. "The choice was unanimous," Luke said. "This bead commemorates the first son of the sea god at camp, and the quest he undertook into the darkest part of the underworld to stop a war." The entire camp got up and cheered, cabin seven being one of the loudest. I was surprised that even the Ares cabin chose to stand. Annabeth's cabin lead her to the front so that she could share in the cheers. I'm not sure I'd ever felt this sad and happy at once. I'd finally found a family, people that thought I'd done something right. And in the morning, most of them would be leaving.
The next morning, I found a letter on my and table. I knew Mr. D filled it out, because as usual, my name was wrong. "Peter Johnson, if you intend on staying at camp year round, you must inform the big house by today at noon. If you do not, we will assume you have vacated your cabin, or died a horrible death. Oh, and cleaning harpies would began work at sundown. They will be authorized to eat any unregistered campers. All personal items left behind will be destroyed in the lava pit. Have a nice day."
I had honestly forgotten about that deadline. Summer was over, and I hadn't answered my mother, or the camp about whether I'd be staying. Now I had a few hours left to decide. Normally, this choice would be easy. I'd much rather take nine months of training to being stuck in a class room. Now though, I had my mom to think about. For the first time, I had the chance to live with her, with out Gabe. I had a chance to be at home and walk around the city in my free time. Annabeth's words came back to me then. "The real world is where the monsters are. That's where you learn if you're any good or not." I then thought about Thalia, and I wondered how many monsters would attack me when I left camp. I knew that despite surviving my quest, I still needed a lot of training. If I left, would me and my mom even make it to the summer? Finally, I decided to go down to the arena and practice for a bit. That might help me think more clearly.
The camp grounds were mostly empty, and it felt a little weird. I was so used to the place being full of people. All the campers were either in their cabins packing up, or running around with mops, getting ready for final inspection. I saw Argus helping some of the Aphrodite kids carry their Gucci suitcases and makeup kits over the hill, where the camp busses were waiting to take them to the airport. "Don't think about leaving yet," I told myself. "Just train." When I got to the arena, I saw that Luke had the same idea as me. His gym bag was resting at the edge of the stage, and he was slashing of some of the practice dummies with a sword I'd never seen before. It must have been a regular blade, because he was slashing their heads right off, stabbing through their guts. He must've been here for a while, because he was sweating a lot. His expression was very intense, it was as though he was really fighting for his life. I watched, as he basically destroyed the whole row of dummies, until they were just a pile of straw and armer. The guy was an amazing fighter, and I was glad that he had trained me this summer.
Finally, he saw me and stopped hacking up the straw. "Percy."
"Umm, sorry," I said, feeling a little embarrassed. "I just..."
"It's okay," He said, lowering his sword. "Just doing some last minute practice."
"Yeah, I could tell. Those dummies won't bother anyone any more."
Luke shrugged, grinning. "It's cool. We build new ones every summer."
Now that the sword wasn't being used to slice up battle dummies, I could tell something was weird about it. The blade was two different types of metal, one edge bronze, the other steel. Luke noticed me looking at it. "Oh, this? New toy. This is Backbiter."
"Backbiter?" Luke turned the blade in the light so it gleamed. "One side is bronze, as you can tell. The other is steel. Works on mortals and immortals both."
I thought about what Chiron had told me before I started my quest. About how we should never hurt mortals unless it was completely necessary. Luke's new toy was kind of scarry.
"I didn't know they made weapons like that."
"They probably can't," Luke agreed. "It's one of a kind." He gave me a small smile before placing the sword back in its scabbard. "Listen, I was going to come looking for you. What do you say we go down to the woods one last time? Maybe find something to fight?" I don't know why I hesitated. I mean, this is what I wanted, wasn't it? Besides, Luke was being so friendly. Ever since I've gotten back from the quest, he's been a little distant. I was a little afraid he resented me for all the attention I was getting.
"You think it's a good idea?" I asked. "I mean..."
"Aw, come on. He reached into his bag and pulled out some cokes. "Drinks are on me." I stared at the cokes, wondering where he had gotten them. The camp store didn't have any mortal sodas. It was probably a child of Hermes thing. My willpower crumbled. I needed this.
We walked down to the woods and looked around for any monsters to fight, but it was to hot. All the monsters with any sense wouldn't be out right now. We found a shady spot by the creek where my first capture the flag game had been. We sat on a big rock, drank our cokes, and watched the sunlight in the woods.
After a while, Luke said, "You miss being on a quest?"
"With monsters attacking me every three feet? Are you kidding?" Luke raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, I miss it," I finally said. "You?" A shadow passed over his face. "I've lived here since I was fourteen," He told me. "Ever since Thalia.. well, you know. I trained, and trained, and trained. I never got to be a real teenager, out in the real world. Then they threw me one quest, and when I came back they were like, "Okay, rides over. Have a nice life." He crumbled the coke can and tossed it into the creek, which shocked me. One of the first things you learned at camp Half-Blood was don't litter. You'll definitely here from the nymphs and naiads. They'll get even.
"The heck with Laurel wreaths," Luke said. "I'm not going to be like those dusty trophies in the attic." I frowned. "You make it sound as though you're leaving." Luke gave me a twisted smile. "Oh, I'm leaving, alright, Percy. I brought you down here to say goodbye." I bit my lip, really not liking the sound of that. Luke's voice had taken a darker tone to it, and I had a feeling that their was another meaning to his words.
"Umm, Apollo?" I thought, starting to feel a little worried. Instead of the warm presents I had gotten used to being in my head, I felt nothing. That was when I realized I'd left the coin back at my cabin. `Why the heck did I do that?" I thought, frustrated with myself. "Why did I leave it when I might need it the most?" I knew that if something bad really did happen here, I'd never let that coin out of my sight.
From beside me, Luke snapped his fingers, and I knew I was right. A small fire burned a hole in the ground at my feet. Out crawled something glistening black, about the size of my hand. A scorpion. I immediately reached for my pen, happy that I wouldn't be completely useless. Or, at least I thought.
"I wouldn't do that, Percy," Luke warned. Pit scorpions can jump up to fifteen feet. It's stinger can pierce through your clothes. You'll be dead in sixty seconds."
"Luke, what?" Then it hit me. "You'll be betrayed by one who calls you a friend."
"You." I said. He stood and calmly brushed off his jeans. "I saw a lot out there in the world, Percy," He said. "Did you feel it? The darkness gathering? The monsters growing strong? Didn't you realize how useless it all is? All the heroics, being pawns of the gods? They should've been overthrown years ago, but they held on, thanks to us half-bloods."
I couldn't believe this was happening. "You're talking about our parents." I said. He laughed. "Is that supposed to make me love them? Yeah, I don't think so. They're not important. What we need to do is start over."
"You're as crazy as Kronos." His eyes flared. "Ares is a fool. He never realized the true master he was being used by. If I had time, Percy, I could explain. But I'm afraid you won't live that long."
That was when I noticed that the scorpion was now crawling on to my pants leg. Their had to be a way out of this. I needed time to think. "You work for Kronos." I said. The air got colder. "You should be careful with names. Didn't you learn that already?"
"You were the one that stole the bolt and the helm. He spoke to you in your dreams." Luke's eye twitched. "He spoke to you, too, Percy. You should've listened."
"Why would I have done that?" I demanded. "You're clearly being brainwashed, Luke."
"You're wrong. He showed me that my talents are being waisted. You know what my quest was, Percy? My father wanted me to steel a golden apple and return it to Olympus. After all my training, that was the best he could come up with."
"That's not an easy quest," I said. "Shouldn't you be grateful that you even got a quest? Annabeth has been wanting one for years now, and you were able to get one before her." Luke glared at me. "That doesn't Matter, Percy. That quest has already been done before. I didn't really care about completing it. That's how that stupid dragon gave me this scar. After the quest, I started dreaming of Kronos. He convinced me to steal something that no one has stolen before. When we went on that winter trip to Olympus, I stole the master bolt, and the helm. Unsurprisingly, the gods never thought anyone would steal from them, so their security was awful."
I glared at him. "So then why didn't you bring the items directly to Kronos?" I said, trying to keep my voice level. Luke's grin slipped a little. "Zeus sent out his sons and daughters to find the missing bolt::Artemis, Apollo, my father, Hermes. But it was Ares who caught me. I could've beaten him, but I wasn't careful enough. He and me, took the weapons, and threatened to burn me alive. Then I guess Kronos got into his mind or something. Anyway, I'm sure you can put together every thing else, Percy. I really don't have time to explain everything to you."
Sure enough, everything was coming together, like some sort of messed up puzzle I didn't want to solve. The hellhound in the forest, the flying shoes, everything that had lead up to me nearly helping out Kronos. It had all been Luke's fault. I knew Luke could tell I had figured it out, because he smirked. "You should've died in Tartarus, Percy. But don't worry, I'll leave you with my little friend to set things right."
"Thalia gave her life to save you," I growled. "And this is how you repay her?"
"Don't speak of Thalia!" Luke yelled. "The gods let her die! That's one of the things they will pay for!" As much as I wanted to keep trying to convince Luke to change his mind, I knew it was useless. He had made up his mind, and I could tell there was no changing it.
"Call off the bug," I finally said. "Fight me yourself, Luke." Luke smiled. "Nice try, Percy. But I'm not Ares. You can't bate me. My lord is waiting, and I'm sure he has lots of quests for me to undertake. Goodbye, Percy. There's a new golden age coming. You won't be part of it." With that, he slashed his sword in an arc and he was gone in a ripple of darkness."
As soon as he was gone, the scorpion lunged. I swatted it away with my hand and swung at it with my sword. The thing jumped at me and I was able to cut it in midair. I was about to congratulate myself until I looked down at my hand. My hand had a huge red welt, hissing and smoking with a yellow liquid. The thing had gotten me after all.
My ears pounded. Once again, I cursed myself for forgetting the coin. I could really use some godly help right now. My vision began to get foggy, and I started to get dizzy. The poison was quickly spreading.
"The water," I thought. "It healed me before." I stumbled to the creek and put my hand in, but nothing happened. The poison was to strong.
by now, my vision was getting dark. I could barely stand up. "Sixty seconds." Luke had told me. I had to get back to camp. If I collapsed out here, their was a very strong chance I wouldn't be found. At least, not by anyone from camp.
My legs felt like led. My forehead was burning. I began stumbling toward the camp, and I noticed the nymphs were stirring from their trees. "Help," I said, my voice coming out in almost a whisper. "Please..." Immediately two of them took my arms, and they glided through the forest. I remembered making it to the clearing, a familiar voice screaming for help, and Chiron blowing a horn. Then everything went black.

I woke with a straw in my mouth. I was sipping something that tasted like chocolate chip cookies. Slowly, I opened my eyes. I was laying in one of the infirmary's beds, my right hand bandaged like a club. Argus was standing in the corner of the room, guarding it like normal. Looking to my left, I saw Will sitting beside me, holding my glass and wiping a damp cloth on my forehead. His blond hair looked messy, and his blue eyes were full of worry. Next to him, Annabeth was watching me intently, her gray eyes wide.
"Umm, hi." I said. "You idiot." Annabeth said, and I knew she was happy that I was awake. "Percy, you were green and turning gray when we found you." Will said, biting his lip. I reached out, giving his small hand a squeeze. "I'm fine," I told him. "Thanks for helping me."
"Percy, you almost died," Will said. "How the heck are you so calm about this?" Before I could answer, Annabeth placed her hand on Will's shoulder. "Percy's used to getting in situations like this," She said. I advise you to get used to it. It happened a lot during our quest."
I sighed. "Most of those things weren't my fault." I said, but neither of them seemed to believe me.
"Percy, it's great to see you awake." Chiron said, making his way into the room. He was in human form, which I wasn't really expecting. He smiled, but his face looked tired and pale, which reminded me of when he would grade Latin papers. "How are you feeling?" He asked. "Like my insides have been frozen, then microwaved." From the corner of my eye, I saw Will fight back a smile. "Good," I thought. "I have to make him not worry as much."
Chiron sighed. "Sounds about right. It was pit scorpion poison after all. Now, can you tell me what exactly happened?"
Between sips of nectar, I told them the whole story. When I was done, the room was completely still and quiet. Will had put down the glass, and his small hand was in mine, squeezing it as hard as he could. His lips were pulled down in a frown, and his other hand was clenched around a small bronze dagger at his waist. Annabeth had her head in her hands, and I could tell she was crying quietly.
"I'm afraid I expected this," Chiron said, his face and voice looked and sounded tired. "He was never the same after his quest. This must be reported to Olympus. I will go at once."
"He's out there right now," I said. "I have to go after him."
Will glared at me, his eyes flashing. "Not like this you're not," He snapped. "You're hurt, Percy. Not only that, but you don't have nearly enough training. No offence, but Luke has been training longer. Not to mention he has help now. You're definitely not going!"
I tried to sit up, but the young son of Apollo was much stronger than he looked. "Will, let go of me." I said, but he shook his head, pinning me to the bed. "Don't be stupid, Jackson. I'm not letting you get killed!"
I turned to Chiron, but he was already shaking his head. "No, Percy. I'm afraid Mr. Solace is correct. You're not quite ready."
"The gods won't even talk about Kronos!" I snapped, once again trying to push Will off of me. "Zeus declared the matter closed."
"Percy, I know this is hard. But you must not rush out for vengeance. You aren't ready."
I didn't like it, but I knew that both Will and Chiron were right. One look at my hand, and I knew I wouldn't be sword fighting any time soon. Slowly, I relaxed back into the bed. Will sent me a hard look before letting me go.
"Aurora told me about a great prophecy," I finally said as Will put his head down on the bed before me. My hand began running through his blond curls, trying to calm him. "I'm guessing it's about Kronos?" Chiron sighed, his eyes looking out of the window. "I'm not aloud to say, Percy," He said. "I'm sure Ms. Fletcher didn't say to much about it?" When I nodded, Chiron sighed. "Knowing to much about your future is dangerous, Percy. But I promise I'll do my best to prepare you. All of you."
I wanted to protest. I wanted to ask him more questions, but his expression told me there could be no more discussion. He had said as much as he could. "I'll be back as soon as I can," Chiron said. "Oh, and when I come back, Percy, I need to know if you're staying here, or going home for the year. Think on it." He then looked at Annabeth. "Oh, and, my dear... whenever you're ready, they're here."
"Who's here?" I asked, but no one answered. Chiron sent me one last look before rolling himself out of the room, and down the stairs. Annabeth slowly lifted her head, her eyes puffy from crying. I looked away, knowing she wouldn't want me to see her like this. Instead I looked down at Will, who's eyes had closed, his breathing slow and steady. I sighed softly, guessing he'd used all of his energy to heal me. I could also tell that Chiron helped a little, since Will was still learning. A made a mental note to tell him to be more careful when he woke up.
"I... I took your advice about something." Annabeth finally said, her voice quiet. I slowly began to try to get out of bed, which immediately woke Will up. "What the heck, Percy?" He muttered sleepily, though his glare was still quite scarry. "I want to go outside." I said. Will bit his lip for a moment, then slowly stood, his arm wrapped around me. "Come on, Annabeth," I said. "Let's go out. We all seem to need some air."
When we finally reached the porch rail, I was starting to regret my decision. My body was shaking slightly, and I felt like I was going to be sick. But honestly, it was worth it. It was dusk, and the camp looked completely deserted. The cabins were dark, and the volleyball pit was silent. It all seemed so strange.
"What are you going to do?" Annabeth asked me. "I don't know."
I think Chiron wants you to stay to get some more training." Will said quietly, and I nodded. "Yeah, I could kind of tell. But I don't think that's what I want. But, I think I'll feel bad leaving you two alone with only Clarisse for company."
"I'll be fine," Will said, leaning against the rail. "Lee, Aurora, and Laurel are staying with me." Annabeth pursed her lips, then said quietly, "I'm going home for the year, Percy." I stared at her. "You mean, to your dad's?" She pointed to the top of Half-Blood hill. Next to Thalia's tree stood a family, two children, a woman, and a tall man with blond hair. They seemed to be waiting. The man was holding the backpack that Annabeth had gotten from Denver.
"I wrote him when we came back," She said. "Just like you suggested. I told him... I was sorry. I'd come home for the school year if he still wanted me. He wrote back immediately. We decided... we'd give it another try."
"That took guts." Will said, which made Annabeth's lips twitch into a smile. "Don't do anything stupid you two," She said. Especially you, Percy. At least, not with out sending me an Iris message." I gave her a small smile. "I won't go looking for trouble. I usually don't have to." Both Will and Annabeth sent me slightly exasperated looks, and I grinned.
"When we come back next summer, we'll hunt down Luke. We'll ask for a quest, but if we won't get one..."
"We'll sneak off anyway." I said. She held out her hand, and I shook it. Surprisingly, she offered her hand to Will, who also shook it, then gave her a small hug. "You know you can come back if it goes wrong, right?" He asked, looking worried. She smiled softly. "I know, Will. Thank you. Keep your eyes open you two."
"We will," I said. "You take care as well, wise girl." Will and I watched as she walked up the hill to join her family. She gave her father an awkward hug before looking back at the camp. She touched Thalia's pine tree before allowing herself to be lead back into the mortal world.
"I think," I started, turning back to Will. "I think I know what I'm choosing." Will gave me a small smile. "I'm guessing I'll see you next summer?" He asked, and I nodded. "I'll live," I said. "Then, I'll training more during the summer." Will nodded slightly, starting to lead me toward my cabin. "I'm sure you'll train before then," He said. "I heard father's going to teach you how to shoot a bow properly." I sighed. "Kind of wished he forgot about that." I said, which only made him laugh. "You can't be that bad at it, right?" He asked, and I shrugged. "I guess we'll just have to see." I replied, not really looking forward to it.