The message was so surprising, so confusing, that Annabeth had to put it down after the first reading and get her bearings. Then she picked up the sheet again, poring over the neat print and trying to make sense of what they'd just received.

It was like Chiron had been too shocked to do anything but write everything exactly as he heard it. No time for explanations, only time to force out a letter, then throw it at a naiad and have her ferry it over. Which wasn't even efficient, which was an even worse sign, because Chiron was always efficient.

Rogue magicians entered Manhattan on a mission against the House's orders. Encountered two demigods, Apollo and Hermes parentage respectfully, and initiated a confrontation. Warnings from Olympus were not paid heed by the trespassers.

As always, Chiron knew things Annabeth didn't, because how else could you explain what he was talking about? He might have been surprised, but apparently "magicians" and "warnings from Olympus" were certainly not his reasons for being so. Unlike her, who had almost dropped the letter from her shaking fingertips.

Both demigods were killed in the fight. Bodies have not yet been recovered. Reopened Duat claims zero responsibility, gods have threatened conflict. All are entirely distracted from our prophecy. Halt all activity regarding the Argo II until further notice.

"Annabeth?" Percy was calling her from down the hall, but she ignored it for the moment, reading the message one more time. The real horror of it sunk in then, a dull ache rising in her chest. She shared Chiron's revulsion at this unwarranted murder, his shock. Even if she didn't completely get why.

Stay in Camp Jupiter. Keep ties strong, protect yourselves from magicians. One has revealed their energy to us, so their cover is off. Pay attention to dreams.

And pray to your parents that they avoid war.

- Chiron

"Annabeth? You okay?"

They'd lost enough already. They'd had enough insanity thrown at them this year. Not one of them was used to Greek and Roman, Greco-Roman or whatever you wanted to call it, even if they were on the cusp of teaming up and dealing with a vengeful old earth goddess. And now, thought Annabeth, now there were more gods, more deaths, more orders, more panic from Chiron of all people, and all of it uncharacteristically cryptic and strange.

"Annabeth!" She jumped, and there was Percy, standing in the doorway with his hands on his hips. "You dead to the world? I wanted to ask you if-"

Percy's voice faltered when he saw Annabeth's face. She said nothing in response at first, finally holding out the letter to him.

"You need to see this. Then call a meeting."

She could already feel a headache coming on. Too much to think about, too much to do. Too many fears.

"So they're just not gonna tell us anything else?"

"That's exactly it." Percy leaned on the ship's railing, waving the letter in front of him. "This is all we know. We have to wait for instructions."

Leo threw his hands in the air. "Of course. This beautiful ship is all ready to go, too. So of course right now we have to drop everything for a bunch of crap we've never heard of."

He received a steady glare from most of those assembled. Piper's eyes were steely, and fixed on her friend.

"People just died, Leo. The stupid ship can wait another few days for that."

"The Argo II is not a 'stupid ship,' thank you."

"That's not the point! You're being immature."

Jason, standing between them, pinching the bridge of his nose in exasperation. "Would you two knock it off? Leo, don't be a jerk, Piper, don't provoke him." Hazel peeked at him from where she was sitting, looking sympathetic (then looking at her feet when she and Leo accidentally met eyes). Percy glanced around, shaking his head softly. Leo had the good sense to look ashamed.

"We still have to find Nico, too," Hazel said softly. Nobody but Frank seemed to hear her.

"I don't want to hear this any more than you guys do," Percy said tiredly. "Actually? I probably want to hear it the least. I have months to make up on, and this was going to be how."

Jason nodded in silent approval, the only one who could share that particular sentiment. An awkward silence hung around them, for several long seconds.

"And you're sure this isn't a Greek trick from your teacher? Something else to put us off guard?"

Reyna had been standing under a sail (and as far from Piper as possible), looking so impressively indifferent that Percy had almost forgotten her. Now the whole meeting – the assumed Seven, Grover, Tyson, and Annabeth – looked up together. Annabeth's face was almost panicked, and Grover noticed, reaching out to put an arm around her shoulders.

Percy's voice was soft. "I'm sorry?"

Frank, standing behind Hazel, opened his mouth to say something, but his praetor beat him to it. Reyna lifted her chin to look at Percy. "I'm ... sorry. My suspicions have not be completely put to rest. And someone has to placate Octavian. What I meant to say is, this seems too poorly placed to be anything but something to throw you off on purpose."

"Chiron wasn't himself in that letter," Annabeth said in an odd voice. "I've known him for nearly ten years. Something really is wrong, there's something he can't tell us. And before you say a word, it was definitely him. Only someone powerful could get a letter through to us right now, like Chiron, and ..." She stopped. Grover tightened his arm around her, and gave Reyna a black look. She ignored him, and Annabeth; but Reyna had gotten very good at ignoring Annabeth that week.

Reyna kept her eyes on Percy. "Someone powerful like Gaea, perhaps."

"That's enough!" Jason's voice was fierce, maybe too fierce, and cut off anyone else who might have wanted to speak. To his credit, he seemed to realize enough to relax his tone. "Reyna, I really don't think this is a trick. Gaea doesn't have time for this. She's kind of ... you know, busy, destroying the world."

Percy thanked the gods that Jason Grace had a good head on his shoulders – a stoic, quiet guy, but there was a reason he'd been praetor. He gave his counterpart a nod. "The letter's too ... well, truthful. Chiron's actually distressed, he had no time to be cryptic and annoy us more by 'protecting us from the truth' and the like. I mean – it's still confusing as all get-out, but that's because our sender's confused too. See what I'm saying here?"

Reyna nodded, conceding to Percy. "It makes somewhat more sense when I hear it that way, I'll give you that. Somewhat. But I'll stay vigilant, and if you're wrong ..." She shook her head. "I'll have to tell ourdear augur about this. We'll be seeing a shortage of stuffed toys afterwards."

Hazel glanced around nervously. "Where is Octavian? Shouldn't he be here?"

"He won't get on the ship," Reyna replied dryly. "He says it makes him feel unclean."

Leo snorted. "Good. Nobody wanted him up here anyway."

Piper's eyes flashed. "Leo."

"I think that's all for today," Percy said quickly, deftly silencing another dispute (and wondering, not for the first time, just how much Leo loved the Argo II to begin with). "You guys can go. I'm ... going to go to my bunk, and read this over again." The other looked at him in some confusion – it was an abrupt ending to an already awkward meeting. "I'll see you guys at dinner."

"I will go guard the camp!" Tyson said immediately, before the others could disperse. "And hit any magicians that come close with my big stick, okay? I've heard of magicians - nobody is killing you!"

Reyna gave him an odd look, but Percy smiled. Tyson was nothing if not earnest. "Sure, buddy. Good luck." Tyson was the first to run off, headed straight for the service tunnel. At least he'd earned his respect in the battle – Rome wouldn't deny him guard duty.

"Funny how he knows more about magicians than any of us – whatever they are, in this case," Frank said.

"I've heard a story or two, but I've never in my life heard of a Duat," Grover replied, surprising Percy. "The House is something like an old, old myth for non-humans, but I never thought ..."

"Don't worry about it, Grover," Percy said finally. "We'll keep on our toes, okay? Hope it's a ... very, very overblown false alarm." Nobody seemed very reassured, especially not the Greeks. Chiron had never once raised a false alarm.

Percy didn't get many goodbyes on his way off the ship; but everyone was still distracted, and he didn't blame them. Nor did he want to be bothered. Annabeth, he figured, would need a couple of hours before she was up for company – and being that she was the only person Percy wanted to talk to, alone it was.

Camp Jupiter was, admittedly, a pleasant-looking place, and the Argo II cut an impressive silhouette, moored where it was on the Little Tiber. He could see why Leo was proud of the thing. Of course, his mood was marred; Percy wasn't concentrating on the view.

"Hey, Percy! Wait up, will you?"

He suppressed a sigh before turning around. "Hey, Leo. You're not getting the scuffs out of the deck now that we've stomped around up there?" So much for some time to clear his head.

"Nah, not yet." Leo shrugged, raising an eyebrow. "Your buddy Grover ate my tin of polish – again. Anyway, listen. I'm actually gonna try and be serious for a minute. I need to ask you a question."

Leo was a nice guy. A little obnoxious sometimes, but Percy would humour him. It was rare enough to see Leo Valdez at all serious. "Shoot. Make it quick."

He didn't seem deflated. "You know more about Camp Half-Blood, about this place even, than I do, or most of us do. You and Jason are lucky like that. So ..."

"So?"

"So I know you can give me a better answer than your official-ish one: how screwed are we, really?"

Percy stopped walking. "Why aren't you asking Jason? Same level as me and all. And your best friend."

"Because ..." Leo paused for a moment. "Because, I dunno. Give me something, will you? I just need to know."

Percy stuffed his hands into his pockets, giving Leo a long, tired look. "I think ... pretty screwed, Leo. We're on a time limit here, and Gaea won't wait for us. If Greeks and Romans can't settle their differences – and we haven't – I don't know how the gods will deal with that Duat or whatever it is."

Leo seemed unusually solemn at that. Percy really couldn't blame him. "They're pretty good at going to war. Our parents, I mean."

"Yeah."

"Anyway," Leo said finally, apparently trying to break this off for Percy's sake. He looked apologetic, even. "I guess it'll probably be okay. Just a blip on the radar, right? We've been through worse."

Percy managed a lopsided grin. "Smartest thing you've said all day, Argonaut."

Leo grinned back, and his flashed brightly. "No hating, dude. Not on your partners in crime, your Argonaut amigos. You know what I'm sayin'."

"Alright, Leo, buddy." Percy held out a hand. "I thought you were gonna be serious?"

Another grin. "It won't last. But – speaking of which, Percy." His smile faded. "One more thing. Legit seriousness, actually."

"Sure."

Leo meant well, he always did. Percy was more than tolerating him, which was impressive, given the mood he was in.

"Is Annabeth alright?" His eyebrows furrowed, looking hard at Percy. "Y'know, because she's pretty close with Chiron, and I guess she knew those two demigods ... she's shaken up really good."

Percy exhaled softly. "She's shaken up, yeah." He hadn't seen her this bothered in a long time. Suddenly he felt a rush of guilt, from just slinking away on his own. Maybe he should've stayed, instead of assuming that she'd want to be alone. "But you know Annabeth." He half-smiled. "Annabeth's tough as nails. I'd bet drachmas on her finding the fix to our problem, if she could put her mind to it."

He could tell that was reassuring. Leo relaxed. "You got lucky with that girl, man. So make sure she can calm down, alright? As the caring and totally-not-prying dude that I am, I'm counting on it."

"Sure, Leo. You count on it."

"Good man." Leo's grin flashed again, then he turned to go. "I guess I'll see you at dinner? Try not to brood yourself out."

"Yeah, see you. And I'll do that." It had been a good talk – considerably less obnoxious than Percy would have first guessed – but he was still worn out. He was glad to be done, and glad he could try to make up for earlier and go find Annabeth.

The boys went their separate ways, each lost in thought. Maybe tomorrow, Percy hoped. Tomorrow or even tonight, they would get their good news. And Leo could hoist his beloved trireme back into the sky.

The McDonald's off a highway wasn't really Sadie's idea of a good place to eat. But it was still dinner, and after today she was too tired to complain (or even want to eat much, solving the problem automatically). San Francisco had been a dead end after all, and they'd spent three days scouring museums for nothing. With what they were facing – not to mention having to outrun police dogs again – this was no small problem.

"...So we'll get back to the hotel, and tomorrow morning we can make a portal." Sadie turned from the window to look at her brother, food still forgotten. Carter Kane was staring at her over the edge of his drink. "Hey. Are you even listening to me?"

Sadie shrugged, giving her food a disdainful glance before turning back to Carter. "Not really, honestly. Still rather stuck on our spectacular failure."

He sighed, and reached over to take her fries. Sadie clearly wasn't hungry. "I wouldn't call it spectacular. 'Anticlimactic' might be more accurate. Or just 'depressing.' But I agree." Carter reached out again, this time for her McNuggets. "It's worrying."

Sadie only watched as her brother finished off her food. "So worrying that you've taken up binge eating?"

Carter glared, and his sister was tired enough that she didn't shoot off a reply. She looked out the window instead, following the cars as they whizzed past, wishing a bus would pull in already so they could at least get back out.

After just a few minutes, the food was almost gone, and Carter sighed. He rested his chin in his hands, elbows on the table. Not for the first time, Sadie noticed how tired he looked – it made him seem older than fifteen these days. "We need to have better luck next time." His voice was soft, but stung with determination. "There's really no room for failure."

His sister nodded, brows furrowed in thought. "Maybe if these other Nomes get with the whole 'end of the world' program," she replied darkly. "We had a hell of a time just getting to see the artifacts. Not that they were useful."

Carter no longer seemed to be listening, absently stacking their trash as he glanced out the booth's window. "We can see if there's anything we missed in our library," he said, almost under his breath. "More scrolls about Apophis, strong counter-spells maybe ..."

Sadie shook her head, and stood up. He wasn't even paying attention. "Throw that out, will you? I'm going to take a walk while we wait for the bus." She was tired, and dejected, and felt cramped and enclosed after sitting in a booth for even those few minutes.

Her brother blinked, returning to reality. "A walk? Where?"

Sadie shrugged, shouldering her bag and turning to go. "Just up the road. I need air." She tilted her chin slightly upward. "Especially now that I smell like a McDonald's." Carter rolled his eyes, but Sadie ignored him, striding away and pushing open the door. "I'll meet you in a bit." If Carter answered, she didn't hear him, already concentrating on getting as far from the restaurant as she could.

San Francisco weather was, admittedly, pleasant. Not too hot, not too wet, nice and airy. Sadie breathed deeply, even managing a small smile. They were still on a highway stop at the city limits, and afternoon traffic was still roaring by, but it was better than indoors.

Despite the nice weather, Sadie found that there wasn't much to see. The Caldecott Tunnel was fairly impressive, but only for all of ten seconds. All this place was, really, was asphalt and truckers and tired commuters. And two young magicians. There was probably something she could explore until a shuttle arrived, but Carter would have her head if she went out of his sight.

Making her way towards some service tunnels, Sadie determined it might just be too cruel to scare Carter right this second. Not while they were both disillusioned and exhausted, anyway. Even Sadie Kane had standards for this sort of thing.

She could still see her brother's silhouette in a window – good enough for her. Maybe there would be some graffiti on the concrete to admire.

What she hadn't expected was to get within ten feet of a service tunnel ... and immediately feel the most terrible urge to turn back.

This was no human gut feeling – Sadie knew those, and this curled around her very ba instead, warning and pressing. Sadie stopped dead, unconsciously preparing to reach for her wand. It would be just their luck, if some beast cornered them now.

But demons and gods were undetectable, unless they chose to be found. Looking around cautiously, Sadie couldn't place the magic she sensed. Besides the very clear warning, like a gesture without words. It was a language she didn't understand.

Curiosity got the better of her, and Sadie took several steps closer. The service tunnel was unassuming enough, cars were still passing by. But something was here, and it seemed like it was almost part of her world.

Almost.

"Alright," Sadie said aloud, finally holding out her wand. She was nervous, but simply on principle she tried not to let it show. "I'm not stupid. Don't play games with me." It was unwise to bluff, it was extra unwise to bluff in front of something she didn't understand. Carter would kill her, but she would risk it this time just to get this unnerving, intruding feeling out of her system.

For some moments, there was nothing but her and the sound of traffic.

Then (and as the Kanes would later muse, inevitably), all hell broke loose.

Sadie had been thrown off by the magic – so her attackers descended immediately, and awell-placed headbutt knocked the wind out of her, throwing her painfully into the asphalt.

Before she could even catch her breath, she found herself face-to-face with a Cyclopes.

Well, that was the first thought in Sadie's mind, between her struggle to catch her breath. A tall, bulky thing, wearing a bright orange t-shirt and sporting one large brown eye, was looming over her. In his hands was a thick wooden club, and he had raised it in an attempt to crack her ribs.

She managed to roll to one side before it made contact, and with a sickening thud the Cyclopes broke through the asphalt instead.

Sadie barely registered the fact that he seemed to have two eyes for a moment, his face swimming in front of her as she staggered and tried to register what she'd forgotten. But after it passed (and she could breathe again), she found her head and her magic.

Her first instinct was to get him down, weaken him so she could confront the brute properly. Sadie didn't want to deal with this – she wanted him so deep in the Duat he'd be stuck forever, whether Apophis won or not. She wasn't sure if Cyclopes even came from the Duat, but where else would he have come from, and why else would he be attacking her?

She thrust out her wand, and already a blue glow was forming. The most useful hieroglyph she could think of came to mind, and the shapes formed gracefully above her free hand.

"Nii!" A word for throwing, specifically for throwing your enemies. It was a favourite of hers, since she'd found it.

Blue magic threw the Cyclopes back violently, so strong that he slammed straight into a wall next to the tunnel. Sadie heard a satisfying crack from the concrete, and smiled.

"You dumb brute!" she taunted, taking a step closer and preparing another spell. "I have better things to do than deal with you, so let's make this quick!"

Her target stood up, wobbling slightly before straightening and focusing his eye on her. His t-shirt was now muddied and torn, and a bruise was welling on the side of his head.

He charged just as Sadie tried another spell – but the divine word choked in her throat as he made contact again, surprisingly quickly for someone his size. They hit the dirt, and she had to struggle away from him in an embarrassingly desperate effort. The Cyclopes glared. Then he spoke up; something Sadie hadn't expected from a monster like this.

"You will not hurt demigods," he snarled. "I will hit you with my stick instead!"

Demigods? Hurting demigods? Sadie didn't understand. She did, however, grasp the meaning of the second part quite well. She held out her left hand, ready to bring up another, half-desperate hieroglyph. This was not the time for this. She was alone, she was tired, she was not up to snuff. And Sadie Kane couldn't stand that kind of shame.

That was the moment when Carter shot past her with a yell, and cracked the Cyclopes across the face. With a McDonald's tray. A McDonald's tray that he'd still almost lost his hold of as he ran.

It wasn't an encouraging sight, since Carter had stumbled in his effort to get there quickly – and his weapon of choice was a McDonald's tray, something Sadie had to repeat to herself to make sure that, yes – that had just happened. He was looking decidedly unheroic, and it was only the Cyclopes' momentary confusion that gave Sadie another moment to collect herself.

"Really, Carter?" she shouted, trying to pull up another decent spell. "You're a magician! And you decide to fight this thing with a bloody fast-food tray?"

Carter had drawn his khopesh, and a moment later had to roll to one side as the Cyclopes lunged. "I panicked, okay! I don't want you to spend this mission dead!"

Sadie managed a shield – ikmem – something quick enough to get their target off his feet. "Magicians don't panic, you twit!" The Cyclopes scrambled back up, discouragingly quickly, and swung so hard at Carter that he could barely lift his blade to block the club.

Sadie rushed forward, but the Cyclopes finally seemed to have oriented himself. He shook her off like a bug, and to her horror she realized her stores of magic were already depleting. She exhaled, and cursed herself for forgetting even an amulet. Their enemy was stronger than she'd first guessed. And they were going to pay for it.

Carter and the Cyclopes duelled, Sadie weaving between and around them to support her brother and keep either from getting killed. A shield here, a glyph there, but only small spells, because she was already tired.

Carter lashed out fiercely, his teeth gritted in determination and rage as he swung and tried to keep the Cyclopes' strength at bay. This was the last thing he needed, Sadie knew - and now that he had some footing, he would take out every last frustration here, in this fight.

"I will knock you into the ground!" the Cyclopes shouted. "You will not hurt any more friends, little magicians!"

Carter swung wildly, and the Cyclopes roared, the khopesh catching his shoulder and drawing blood. "I don't know what you're talking about!" he shouted back. "And I'm so done with this!"

He turned at the wrong time then (Sadie would be cursing her reflexes for days, since she missed her chance to cover his mistake) and it was just enough leeway for the Cyclopes to get in a hit equal to the tray's. Unfortunately, Carter's skull was not as thick as his opponents – and his weapon had been much more pathetic.

With another crack, the club made contact – with the side of Carter's head. He dropped like a rock onto the pavement. Sadie couldn't help herself. She screamed.

She was going to lunge, let the rest of her adrenaline-fuelled anger out, but he grabbed her in the shocked moment between rage and terror for her brother. Caught off guard so deftly, Sadie actually slumped. Poor Carter. Poor stupid Carter, always getting it bad enough to be taken right out. She'd kill him later. If they were alive later.

"Stop moving," said the Cyclopes suddenly. "No struggling. I do not like hitting smaller people. Even if they are murderers."

Sadie blinked. She looked from him to Carter bleeding on the ground, and she couldn't quite wrap her head around how they were the murderers. "We're magicians," she growled. "We kill no one but demons. Demons like you, though I'll tell you Cyclopes things are news to me." She took a deep breath. "When you kill us proper, do make it quick and painless."

That just seemed to confuse him, and that surprised her. It almost put her off guard. "Only monsters are for killing. I won't decide what to do about crimes."

Sadie's eyes narrowed. "What crimes?"

The Cyclopes' eye turned dark. "Good demigods, brave ones, died because of you. Rogue magicians, crossing boundaries. Daddy's told me stories, but those things should be history."

She wanted to be confused, wanted to let herself stew on that insanity for just a second. This creature might not be the demon they'd thought (and it truly pained her to say that). But Carter was quite possibly dying in front of her, and Sadie refused to cope with that feeling again. Even if it meant losing more of her dignity. She took a deep breath.

"I'll tell you again: we're not murderers. I don't even know what a demigod is. I'm not sure I know what you are." She tried to squirm from the Cyclopes' grasp, but it was only when she tried that she realized that her exhaustion was bone-deep. She had to slump again, as he watched her with what must be a unique mix of contempt and confusion. His grip didn't change.

"If you don't kill anyone but monsters, then why don't you let me help my brother. Since you've laid him up so nastily."

He didn't move at first. "In Camp, people can fix him," the Cyclopes replied. "I only hit him enough for blood, so I could catch you. Demigods take worse."

Sadie mumbled something rather uncouth about said demigods, and the Cyclopes finally let her go, grumbling unhappily as he did. She stumbled towards Carter, felt for a pulse, made sure he was actually breathing to ease her horrible fear.

She almost punched him when he reached down, and slung Carter over his shoulder like he was a winter jacket. She really did punch him when he threw her over the other one, but all her half-hearted protest and wriggling did nothing to help her cause. This had to have been their worst fight since they started their training. Pathetic, and disheartening, and above all frightening.

They were going to camp, whatever camp was, with a Cyclopes. Carter had a concussion for a crime they hadn't committed. Like a man on a mission, their captor walked back through the service tunnel. Sadie was fairly sure they were going to die.

Which, of course, no longer mattered if it was really the case. If they were executed by apparently crazy demigods (with Sadie unable to escape; she'd never leave Carter), there would be nobody to stop Apophis, he would eat the sun, and everyone including demigods and Cyclopes would die anyway.

Sadie squeezed her eyes shut. She thought she'd known despair before, but throw that in with shame and exhaustion, and she had another beast entirely.

Gods help them.

It was getting dark, and only now was Jason's day looking up.

It hadn't occurred to him how much the Romans had missed him until he got back – a fact that was half due to memory loss, half his own fault for getting distracted by other things. Hazel had actually hugged him when he'd gotten home, and Frank, a boy he'd never even met, had been eager to see him. The attention had been a bit unnerving.

Reyna's coolness towards him hadn't been sorted out, but he thought he knew why (it was also why she and Piper had barely spoken). When Jason wasn't speaking seriously with the others, planning the task at hand, getting to know the Romans again ... he was treading lightly around relationships, mediating. He didn't think he was very good at it. Leo, to Jason's chagrin, agreed wholeheartedly.

So after all that, and after today's dismal news, it was relaxing to sit with someone friendly like Hazel, chatting about nothing and catching up. It was nice to get to know Frank, too, another member of the Fifth and someone Hazel thought very highly of. And more, Jason guessed, but he had the sense not to pry into it.

The three of them were sitting by the Little Tiber as the sun set, after dinner and before anything else serious had to be done.

Hazel and Frank were laughing; Jason was recounting another story for them from what Frank called his "Greek side quest." A more cheerful one than usual, given the nature of that day's meeting.

"-So we all look up," he said, a rare grin on his face, "And there's Leo, on this metal dragon's back – and he's pretty much having the time of his life. And after we all get over our abject terror? He says, 'I'm gonna name him Festus.'"

They laughed at that – the fierce dragon's head on the Argo II's bow had once been named "Happy" in Latin. Even Hazel laughed, the girl who winced every time she saw or heard about Leo.

"I asked him if we were really going to save the world on a mecha beast named Happy the Dragon," Jason finished, "and he pretty much said yes. That's exactly what we were going to do."

Frank lifted his arms in the air, stretching. "Pretty much exactly what you did. Leo talks about that dragon like it was his kid."

"They were buddies – a lot of it was because Festus couldn't set Leo on fire, but they were actually, seriously-" Jason stopped. His expression changed suddenly, his face paling as he stood up. "What ..."

He didn't notice that Frank and Hazel hadn't seen what he had. He was too busy staring in horror.

There were several reasons to be horrified. One was that he knew Tyson was on guard by himself (something the Romans disapproved of as it was), and now of all times he'd left the camp undefended. The second thing was that his Camp Half-Blood shirt was muddied and torn, and there was blood on his face and clothes. He'd been in combat.

The third thing was the two figures he had a hold of, one slung over each shoulder like they weighed nothing. A tall boy was lying limp like a corpse, and his companion, a girl, had turned to look at them in fear and anger. She wasn't struggling, but it looked like she had been not long before.

"Jason! Hazel! Brother! I found them!" Tyson called, approaching the river. "I found killer magicians!"

Beside Jason, Hazel's face was ashen. He didn't blame her – this could very well be what Chiron had warned them of. "Killer magicians" could not be a good sign.

"Hazel," he said in a low, deadly voice. "Go get Percy, will you? And Reyna. I think our problem just got bigger."

She seemed reluctant to leave, but the look Jason gave her was sufficient to explain how vital this really was. Frank watched her go nervously, before turning back to Tyson. (Jason had learned that the "brother" thing disconcerted him a little, relation or not.)

"Tyson," Frank said carefully. "You're sure these are the things we got a letter about. Er, killer magicians."

Tyson nodded eagerly. The girl he was holding, however, managed to turn around and shout at them. The boys couldn't make out what she said, but they were still much closer now – Jason could make out the wild panic on the girl's face. Right now, however, he couldn't muster much compassion. Instead, he swore under his breath.

"From our end, we have no reason to believe you," he replied, lifting his chin and looking every bit Jupiter's son. "I hope you can do a damned good job proving that!"

Author's Note: So I know there's a really, really, really big differences in Kane Chronicles readers on the site versus PJO ones (read: there are like 20,000 more PJO fics than Kane's 400 or so), and that this is a pretty obvious crossover series-wise, but I'm still really excited about sharing this with you guys. The characters are fun (even if they were all miserable this chapter) and the adventure is shaping up to be the same.

I've been doing a lot of research on the connections between these two mythologies, which inspired the initial idea for this – and as you'll find out, there's a lot of them. So that's something I'm looking forward to putting out. The thing my research failed spectacularly in is decent translations for the Egyptian languages. My current dictionary only gives me the short forms with the hieroglyphs, so it's basically guesswork for the divine word spellings in our alphabet. If anyone can help, please do!

I'll try to keep author's notes shorter from this point on, if they happen at all – there were just a few things to say here. I'll finish off by hoping you guys can drop some reviews (and criticism, if you'd like). Have a great day!