Author's Note: Hey Y'all! I'm in the very long, painstaking process of re re re editing all of my chapters. Nothing major. A comma here and some re wording there; stuff that would really only matter to me I guess, but I hope with everything I have that you enjoy it anyway! :) ~AlyNC96

Chapter 1

It was just after breakfast and I was on my way to the arena to practice. It was spring break and I had just gotten back from a sort of mini mission trying to slow down Kronos' forces when Annabeth came running up to me. "Hey Percy," I smiled at her and was about to reply.

Then I noticed that look in her eyes. Her stormy gray eyes looked like she was thinking at a million miles an hour. "Hey, what's up?" I said concerned.

"Chiron needs us for a counselors meeting. He said it was really important."

"Oh alright, walk with me?" I gestured toward the Big House.

She flashed me a smile. My heart thumped. Gods, I love her smile, I thought."Sorry Seaweed Brain, I've got to round up the other counselors. Save me a seat?"

"Yeah, sure," I said smiling. We went our separate ways. My smile faded as I wondered what could be so important. We usually had meeting at the first of the month or in times of emergency, other than the mini mission, I couldn't think of anything that everyone had to be there for.

I sat there, looking at the girl lying in the infirmary cot, wondering. She slept heavily, on her stomach, with her face mushed in the pillow. She was skinny, well muscled in her arms and legs, but skinny, like she'd never gotten a decent meal more than once or twice a week. She had dark black hair and long legs; one looked hastily bandaged at the knee. I wouldn't have guessed she'd be more than 15 years old.

Next to her, in the same cot (the infirmary ran out of space for them apparently), was a little boy no more than 4 years old. He was also scrawny, but it was much more noticeable than the girl's appearance. He had light blonde hair and big eyes, or he would have had big eyes if they were open. He was asleep too; curled up into a little ball at the girl's side as if he slept that way all the time.

In the next cot lay two girls that looked identical to each other. Well, as far as height, weight (I'm assuming), and facial features went. They were dressed in opposite colors. If you had twins you'd do the same thing, so you could tell them apart, I thought subconsciously, not really sure why I had just assumed they were twins. The girls had long limbs and elf like features with slightly curly rich brown hair. They slept splayed out all over each other like they were sleep-fighting over who got the most space. It looked to me like the girl on the right had gotten the space, her limbs all over the place including an arm on top of her sister's head. The sister on the left had gotten the bed sheets though; she slept completely covered with just her head poking out and one arm hanging over the cot's edge, like her sister would unknowingly push her off any minute. They were fairly tall, skinny, and lanky so it was hard to just guess their age.

In the cot that ran long ways at the foot of the two others was another girl. My gods, I thought, how did they all get along for all this time, a bunch a teenage girls? I shook the thought from my head. I'd seen the Aphrodite girls get into it quite a few times, not a pretty site. Though these didn't look like the type of girls to fight over handbags, belts, and bracelets I didn't want to think about it.

This girl was broad and muscular, like a natural born warrior. She had stringy, stick straight, light brown hair and a small mouth perfect for twisting into a scowl. She was the shortest and the youngest (Again, I'm assuming) of the group besides the little boy; 10 at best. She slept with an arm behind her head, one across her stomach, and one leg bent and propped against the wall.

All of them wore really worn out clothes. Like Goodwill rejects, I couldn't help thinking, no matter how rude it was. Their pants were too short, showing ankles. High waters, I remembered my mom calling them. Their tops were either way too big or just a bit snug. Stains and little wholes littered them and their jeans had big holes in them and not the kind that are there on purpose. I silently hope that their under things weren't Goodwill rejects too. Gross.

On top of that their outfits were ripped, torn, and monster blood stained; the unmistakable mark of demigods fresh out of a good fight. Or a bad fight. I wasn't sure yet.

Chiron had, not but 5 minutes ago, directed me up to the infirmary instead down to the rec room for the meeting, for some odd reason. Well, this was the odd reason. These demigods must be important. He thought they would mean something to the grand scheme of things.

I waited, just kind of taking in everything. My thoughts were interrupted by other camp counselors joining me in the infirmary. Katie Gardener entered first, looking extremely annoyed, followed closely behind by two pleased looking Stoll brothers. I silently wondered what prank they had pulled on the Demeter cabin this week.

"Aww, C'mon Katie. Lighten up a little," Travis was saying.

"Shut up Travis, I'm not speaking to you." She replied firmly.

"That's speaking isn't it?" Katie scowled deeply at this comment. She opened her mouth to say something then thought better of it and crossed her arms making a hmph sound. The Stoll's just snickered.

"Didn't like your chocolate Easter Bunnies?" Connor asked.

"Not on my cabin's roof, no I did not." More snickers. Well, that explains it.

Next, Silena Beauregard walked in laughing and hand and hand with her boyfriend Charles Beckendorf, who had a goofy smile plastered on his face. Clarisse La Rue, Michael Yew, and Pollux straggled in within the next few minutes. Everyone seemed shocked to see the new demigods lying in the infirmary and quieted the conversations and giving worried looks instead. Annabeth and Chiron came in last.

I had already had a few theories about the demigods developed in my mind. I didn't consider any of them seriously, just waiting for Chiron to confirm or deny them. "Good afternoon everyone," Chiron said. "Well, let's get down to business. As I'm sure you have noticed we have… quite a few topics to cover."

There were a few mutters "yea I can tell"s and "you think"s directed at the crowded infirmary. I had just now noticed a few stray members of the Apollo cabin pulling out nectar, carefully redoing the dark haired girl's bandaged knee and tending to the other's minor bumps and bruises.

"But first things first," Chiron insisted. "Beckendorf, Percy how did the bus bombing mission go?"

Beckendorf looked at me and I nodded for him to continue. "The bus bombing was an extreme success." I could tell from his voice that he was pleased with the job we'd done. "The Greek bombs went off the second the first harpy flushed. The whole bus went up in flames with not a single survivor." Silena, who was still holding his hand, beamed at him. If Beckendorf was the blushing type of guy I guarantee that he would have done so then. He looked at me and grinned. "Percy caused a great distraction for me."

I smiled in return. "It was your skills, dude. You rigged the things. I was just there."

"I don't know what you two are smiling for," Clarisse butted in, "It's not like that is going to stop Kronos for long. A week at the very most."

"Well, that's a pleasant thought." Connor Stoll muttered sarcastically.

"She's right though," Annabeth said, "as much as I hate to say it, she's right."

"'Course I'm right, Bird Brain!" Clarisse countered. "You think that Kronos is going to be dumb enough to let a few Greek bombs slow him down any longer than that?"

"I didn't say that Clarisse," Annabeth said through gritted teeth. I could tell she was trying to keep a cool head about where this conversation was heading, but it wasn't working out so well. Not that I could say I wasn't as stressed as she was, with a huge war right around the corner and the Prophecy….. Well, I couldn't blame her. "I was agreeing with you; name calling is unnecessary."

"Oh well… you should be ….agreeing then." Clarisse said rather dumbly. No apology, I thought, typical.

"I have a short mission that I think the Apollo and Ares cabins would be best for if you are up to the challenge." Chiron stated.

"Only always," Clarisse practically barked. "But working with Yew is going to be an issue."

"Believe me you're no bucket of sunshine either." Michael said.

Clarisse glared viciously at him and started to say something but Chiron chimed in, "I'm sure you two can work everything out. You will have plenty of time to prepare for this mission."

"And now…..," Chiron got a far away and sad look in his eyes as he turned to the group of new demigods laying in the cots, "these demigods…. I should have known better than to let this happen."

He sounded incredibly angry with himself. I'd never heard him sound like that before. "These demigods are from southern Mississippi. They went through years of troubles and monsters and bull crap," with each word he sounded that much harsher; that much more furious with it all. His last words drew a gasp from everyone's lips. Wow this IS bothering him! Annabeth and I exchanged looks of worry.

"To get here," he continued,

"And the oldest girl here," he gestured to the dark haired girl with the bandaged knee,

"Atlanta Nicole Jones; she is a daughter of Poseidon."