Percy
Percy squirmed in his desk. The time was ticking loudly in his mind. It was the last day of school and all he could think about was seeing Annabeth. As much as the nick name, "Seaweed Brain" ticked him off he couldn't help but smile at the thought of it. How he missed his Owl head/ Wise girl, yeah, he really needs to think of a better nickname for her.
His teacher, Mr. Smith, was lecturing them about keeping up with math in the summer. "Percy!" He snapped, "How long is the packet you have to complete this summer?" Percy, who was not paying attention shouted, "Too long!" He spent the rest of the day at home, being punished for being kicked out, he was so close to staying a whole school year in one school.
He lay on the couch as Sally Jackson talked him about respecting others and paying attention. Percy who bored out of his mind just laid there watching his mom's eyebrows move up and down. It was pretty relaxing and he nearly fell asleep a couple of times. He began to imagine them as George and Martha, Hermes's snakes. "Give me a rat.", echoed around in Percy's mind, although he usually didn't get cravings for small rodents. It kept on going until the door burst down and Tyson was standing in the doorway.
"Uh sorry," he murmured blinking his big eye innocently, "I'll fix it!" He hollered much too loudly and doors slammed all down the hall. He grabbed some tools and quickly reattached the hinges to the frame until it looked better than it had before it was knocked down. "All better!" Tyson grinned at Sally. Sally had a look of awe on her face.
"Hi Tyson," She said warmly, "Make yourself at home." Tyson was already at home, in fact he was already half way into a bag of Barbecue chips.
"Percy," he crunched, "Thalia is in trouble!" He turned pale and his whole body shook. The building along with Tyson started rumbling. Percy's first instinct was to jump behind the couch and yell earthquake. Percy looked confused at Tyson, who started to giggle, "Here comes the puppy!" And Mrs. O'Leary the Hellhound burst through the door.
"Oh my gods!" Shouted Sally as Mrs. O'Leary, who could easily out way an elephant, burst through the nicely made door that Tyson repaired and started licking her face, crushing the coffee table. "Tyson, Holy Hephaestus! Could you please fix this? I really need this fixed before Paul comes home." Tyson happily took out his tools as an Iris message appeared.
"Hi Percy!" Annabeth smiled at Percy with her "stop your heart from beating" smile. Annabeth always catches him at the best times, when he is cradling his body behind the couch, when he and his mom were watching some sappy comedy, and some other times Percy tried not to think about, at least it wasn't him going to the bathroom… Leo pushed her aside and grinned wildly,
"I made Festus a new body!" Percy smiled as Annabeth knocked Leo away and glared in his direction.
"Anyway," she purred as Leo ran around in the background chasing Festus as Frank soared on his back. "Don't mind them, they don't understand how serious the situation is." She now had a look on her face that could make anyone feel like a waterless naiad. Jason patted her on the shoulder to show that he feels her. Percy didn't know what it felt like to have a sister but if he lost her he would never forgive himself, ever. "You need to Shadow travel to the entrance of the underworld, Nico is waiting. We will ride on Festus, if Leo can get Frank to land him. I would bet Hazel could get him to but she seems to enjoy watching this." Annabeth laughed when she turned to watch Leo chase Festus. Leo was so red he looked like he was on fire, but he promised he wouldn't light himself near Hazel.
"Bye then." Percy sighed. His mom had a look of concern on her face, she shrugged it off, Percy does even more dangerous stuff all the time. He hopped on Mrs. O'Leary and burst into darkness not even looking back.
Percy was almost unaware of the darkness opening around them until spotted Nico Di'Angelo.
Nico
"It's about time!" Nico complained as he helped Percy up and set down some food and water for Mrs. O'Leary. She barked joyously and gobbled up what looked like grilled pterodactyl. "So when is your girlfriend coming?" He teased.
"Well if they can get Frank down in the next half an hour I would say three hours or so. Yeah, as much as I hate shadow travel it's better than soaring in the air. Well, that is if Zeus wants to shoot you out of the sky." Percy explained. Nico laughed. They talked for awhile, just about life, the school year, Annabeth, camp, more Annabeth, some manly stuff like knitting, the usual.
"Well we could head down, just a little, maybe to the River Styx, just to see if we find Thalia." Nico questioned.
"I guess it couldn't hurt, what happened to Thalia anyway?" Percy asked. They headed down the cold stairs into a pit of eternal darkness.
"Artemis and Persephone were having a little mix up, Artemis started hunting in Persephone's mothers fields and, well, the rest in self explanatory. Thalia went down to stand up to Persephone and she hasn't been seen since. Our first thought was to ask Hades, he'll go easy on me." Nico explained. The rush of the river filled their ears as the dark water dangerously ran by. Nico started to cross over the bridge when Percy shouted,
"We weren't supposed to cross the river." Nico scowled and turned around when the water erupted behind him. Nico had a fearful expression.
"Percy, cut that out!" He cried as the water flooded the bridge and rose to his neck. "Help!" he screeched as he was swallowed whole. That was strange Percy thought. Nico should have died in those waters. He would have to of been prepared. It would to be some strong power, much too strong for Persephone, to control the river. It would have to be the power of one of the big three, and since this is Hades domain, he must be up to something.
Annabeth
Annabeth screamed with frustration when Leo fell over with exhaustion. "Hazel! Get the Hades over here and make Frank land him!" Annabeth yelled, she felt even more exhausted than Leo who had spent the past hour and a-half chasing an overweight boy flying on a mechanical dragon over camp. Hazel walked down under Festus and screamed,
"Frank, get down here or I swear on the River Styx I will kill you!" Hazel threatened. Frank calmly coasted Festus on the ground.
"Oh my gods Frank, you could have done that hours ago!" Annabeth glowered. Frank smiled and lifted Leo's body on to the dragon all in ox form, probably to show that Leo was a little pudgy. Leo stirred in his sleep, and murmured something about burning Frank to ashes and something about bacon. They lurched in the air, Festus's body swayed uncertainly and Hazel couldn't help but look down. The winds picked up and some supplies went tumbling off Festus's back. The distant crack of thunder brought Annabeth to her senses. This was going to be a long flight.
Leo
Leo's eye's fluttered open when Jason was shaking him. "Dude! You got to get us out of here!" Jason pleaded. Leo jumped up, a little to far. He was plummeting to Earth at about a zillion miles an hour. All Leo could think about was he was going to die before he could get Frank back for being so annoying. Now he understands how Piper feels when he acts like that. Before she left to visit her dad he put a mechanical lizard in her hair. She refused to join them on their quest, partially because she was spending the week with her dad and partially because she was sick of Leo's pranks. He is almost as bad as Travis and Connor, almost.
The wind rushed against Leo's ears. He heard a sickening pop and his gut hurt so bad. His first thought was that he hit a flag pole, it's happened before, it's not fun. Soon he was drifting up. He heard Jason grunting, his arm pushing into Leo's stomach as they flew up to Festus. Once they reached Festus's golden body Jason hurled him on. Leo leaned over the side and threw up the contents of his stomach. Jason laughed, "I wish you did that before I had to save you, you weigh like two hundred pounds! Do you live on bacon?" Jason kidded. Leo Scowled,
"First off, no, I do not only live on bacon, I also enjoy beef jerky. Before we made the Argo I was lighter, you know eating whatever you want you gain the Argo eighty, you know, like the freshman fifteen." Leo waited for laughter, no one did, "You guys really got to get out more. And second I do not weigh two hundred pounds, I only weigh one forty." Jason stared deeply at Leo, "Fine one fifty, but that's as high as I'm going."
"And when do you find someone who is less than five feet tall that weighs that much?" Hazel chimed in.
"What about Dionysius?" Leo said firmly. "Compared to him I'm a feather. Oh and Pipers old dog, and her miniature horse, and her hamster. She really needs to take better care of her pets." Leo confirmed.
"Let's stop making fun of my girlfriend's former pets." Scowled Jason, "She let me pet Mr. Wiggles, her hamster, it was so sad when he died."
"And just how did he die?" Leo said smugly.
"Obesity." Sighed Jason
"Just my point!" Laughed Leo. Leo turned to look at Frank and started to say something. Frank gave him the death stare and Leo decided right now would be a good time to shut up. They had finally settled that Leo wasn't the must overweight thing under five feet. Now they have to deal with the storm. Vortexes swirled around the golden dragon. Festus whirred, his cry mixing in with the storms around them. Leo struggled to pull him forward when Jason yelled,
"There just venti, we can stop them!" Jason called out. Everyone fought side by side, Festus was shaking wildly and it was a very close call. Soon enough they burst free and were surprised to see they were only a couple more miles to the entrance.
Percy
Percy yelled as hard as he can but the spirits just wandered by. They gave him sad, lonely looks as they floated around desperately. Percy tried many times to lift him out of the water but it was almost if he was no longer in there at all. Percy finally had it with that water. He waded in the water screaming, "Come and get me." The water erupted around him. He used all his powers to calm it but it didn't budge. His energy drained quickly and soon he was pulled in to the cold, dark water.
Piper
Piper sat in a warm room in her summer home. She could hear the waves crashing against the sand. The seagulls sang a happy song, and she was bored as Hades. Her dad walked in after a long day at work. "Hi Pipes!" He yelled cheerfully, "Where you just sitting around here the whole time?" Piper stared at him innocently when someone knocked on the door. "I'll get it!" Her dad smiled as he ran off to the door. Piper sighed and looked out the window when her dad called. "Piper! Your camp counselor is here and he needs to talk to you about some important activities." It better not be Leo in his fake mustache trying to convince my dad to do stupid stuff again Piper thought. As she pranced to the door she heard the friendly voice of Gleeson Hedge, her favorite Satyr.
"Well hey Piper, we have uh, um uh uh uh, oh a meeting! And yeah, since you are uh um a good camper so we um, want you to participate." He stumbled. She turned to her dad,
"Daddy," she said in sweetest charm speak, "Please let me go to camp, it is a very important meeting." Her dad nodded and she packed her bags.
She ran to Coach Hedge's car and popped in. "Hey beauty queen." He teased.
"Don't call me that, goat man. Anyway, what's up?" She asked curiously. Hedge explained what happened to Thalia. He explained about Frank riding the dragon for hours and so he had to get her so that they actually get something done and control those crazy kids.
Coach Hedge dropped her off at the entrance and said "Nico and Percy should be around here somewhere, there probably goofing off somewhere, blowing things up." Piper laughed and soon Festus came in sight.
Hazel
Piper's fragile body soon came in sight. Frank waved wildly, in fact he was flapping eagle wings and soared down to meet her. Hazel sat at the front of the dragon. Her black hair flowed in the wind and her dark skin glittered under the noon light. She waved down at Piper who gave Hazel her perfect "Aphrodite" smile. Hazel yelled down, "Have you seen Thalia?" Piper shook her head.
"I haven't seen Thalia, Nico, or Percy." She continued. Coach Hedge nodded,
"I assume they are up to no good, pranking Persephone maybe?" He added. Leo poured some disgusting oily mixture down Festus's throat.
"Stay boy." Leo commanded as everyone watched in awe. Hazel turned her head and noticed that the entrance was open.
"Um, you guys, it's open." She pointed out. Coach Hedge locked eyes with her and they ran down the stone steps.
Frank
Frank followed in the back of the group, the fowl stench of death filled his nose. They crept down the stairs until the river ran dangerously by. One by one they crossed the bridge over the River Styx. As Jason was crossing the old rusty bridge the water erupted around them. It swallowed everyone in a matter of seconds except Frank who had not yet stepped foot on it. He was all alone in the underworld. He flew over the bridge not wanting to get swallowed up by the mysterious wave.
Jason
Jason squirmed and fought the water as it pulled him down. His arm linked with Piper's. The water forced into their lungs. He guessed this wasn't as bad as saving Leo, but close. Jason had felt drowning before and it is deathly terrible. Piper pulled as she drifted down with the deadly current. Jason could barely see in the murky water but he saw a small latch open and the current pulled them in.
They were in a dark room rushing with shallow water. The water sloshing around was the only noise. Then they heard a distinct noise, a sneeze. They followed the noise down a thin barely lit hallway until they came to what resembles a prison. Jason ran forward, he saw his sister's pale face in the little light. Annabeth rushed to Percy and Hazel took to Nico's side. Once they had all settled down they decided to plan an escape.
Frank
Frank followed a trail of souls attending to Hades. He soared above quickly and quietly and no one seemed to notice and if they did, they didn't care. He entered the palace through a open window and turned back into Frank
"Boy! What are you doing here! Shouldn't you of drowned with the others."
Frank grimaced, "Drowned?" Hades shook his head,
"If only, Persephone said take it easy on them. I am sick of the Percy Jackson coming here and surviving! It's making me look me weak! I am one of the big three! I had to do it! My dignity! My pride!" Hades starting crying. Frank hating seeing adults cry, especially immortal adults. Frank decided to think.
"You could say that you let them out, and I could tell them not to do it again." Suggested Frank. Hades scowled,
"Just let them go! Why the Hades would I do that! I've got them this time. Plus I charmed the water using very powerful magic, it won't kill them but it makes Poseidon look weak! It is the perfect plot!"
"Well Mr. Hades sir, I was just thinking maybe you would like to not worry about them and surviving and all that. It's such a pain having to feed them and make sure they are healthy, you know." Frank replied hastily. Hades considered this. He scowled at Frank. Not wanting to spoil his perfect plot. Percy Jackson has sassed him enough, he can't have him floating around with him for eternity, Hades shivered at the thought. He nodded and let Frank retrieve them just for the sake that he didn't have to clean up after Percy, he can be such a slob sometimes. It's a long story. Frank ran down to the dungeon. "Hi guys." He said causally.
Hazel ran up squealing and hugged him. Leo punched him in the shoulder and everyone else gave him a high five. Frank told them about the warning and they promised to stay out of trouble down there, for now. They headed out to go tell Artemis they had retrieved Thalia. Artemis couldn't afford to lose another girl after Zoë Nightshade. Artemis was overjoyed and safely took them all back to Camp Half Blood. It was a great start to an even better summer.