Disclaimer, I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians.

Italics mean unnatural communication

x-X-x is a dream state transition and vice versa

3TB for short

It All Started With A Manticore

Percy POV

x-X-x

The whole lobby was a giant game room. And I'm not talking about cheesy old Pac-Man games or slot machines. There was an indoor waterslide snaking around the glass elevator, which went straight up at least forty floors. There was a climbing wall on the side of one building, and an indoor bungee jumping bridge. There were virtual reality suits with working laser guns. And hundreds of video games, each on the size of a widescreen TV. Basically, you name it, this place had it. There were a few other kids playing, but not many. No waiting for any of the games. There were waitresses and snack bars all around, serving every kind of food you can imagine.

"Hey!" a bellhop said. At least I guessed he was a bellhop. He wore a white-and-yellow Hawaiian shirt with lotus designs, shorts, and flip-flops. "Welcome to the Lotus Casino. Here's your room key."

I stammered, "Um, but…"

"No, no," he said, laughing. "The bill's taken care of. No extra charges, no tips. Just go on up to the top floor, room 4001. If you need anything, like extra bubbles for the hot tub, or skeet targets for the shooting range, or whatever, just call the front desk. Here are you LotusCash cards. They work in the restaurants and on all the games and rides."

He handed us each a green plastic credit card.

I knew there must be some mistake. Obviously he thought we were some millionaire's kids. But I took my card and said, "How much is on here?"

His eyebrows knit together. "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."

We took the elevator upstairs and checked out our room. It was a suite with three separate bedrooms and a bar stocked with 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 its own hot tub, and sure enough, there was a skeet-shooting machine and a shotgun, so you could launch clay pigeons right out over the Las Vegas skyline and plug them with your gun. I didn't see how that could be legal, but I thought it was pretty cool. The view over the Strip and the desert was amazing, though I doubted we'd ever find time to look at the view with a room like this.

"Oh, goodness," Annabeth said. "This place is…"

"Sweet," Grover said. "Absolutely sweet."

There were clothes in the closet, and they fit me. I frowned, thinking that this was a little strange.

I threw Are's backpack in the trash can. Wouldn't need that anymore. When we left, I could just charge a new one at the hotel store.

I took a shower, which felt awesome after a week of grimy travel. I changed clothes, ate a bag of chips, drank three Cokes, and came out feeling better than I had in a long time. In the back of my mind, some small problem kept nagging me. I'd had a dream or something… I needed to talk to my friends. But I was sure it could wait.

I came out of the bedroom and found that Annabeth and Grover had also showered and changed clothes. Grover was eating potato chips to his heart's content, while Annabeth cranked up the National Geographic Channel.

"All those stations," I told her, "and you turn on the National Geographic. Are you insane?"

"It's interesting."

"I feel good," Grover said. "I love this place."

Without his even realizing it, the wings sprouted out of his shoes and lifted him a foot off the ground, then back down again.

"So what now?" Annabeth asked. "Sleep?"

Grover and I looked at each other and grinned. We both held up our green plastic LotusCash cards.

"Play time," I said.

I couldn't remember the last time I had so much fun. I came from a relatively poor family. Our idea of a splurge was eating out at Burger King and renting a video. A five-star Vegas hotel? Forget it?

I bungee-jumped the lobby five or six times, did the waterslide, snowboarded the artificial ski slope, and played virtual-reality laser tag and FBI sharpshooter. I saw Grover a few times, going from game to game. He really liked the reverse hunter thing- Where the deer go out and shoot the rednecks. I saw Annabeth playing trivia games and other brainiac stuff. They had this huge 3-D sim game where you build your own city, and you could actually see the holographic buildings rise on the display board. I didn't think much of it, but Annabeth loved it.

And then I found it.

Mythomagic 3D.

It was another virtual-reality game, one of the many littered throughout the hotel, only this one spanned over the entire 13th floor. I could hear cheers coming from the area as I exited the elevator, taking in the giant neon sign above a darkened archway. A few kids dressed in weird armor were just vanishing as I walked over, glancing around. The whole arena was closed off in thick black walls, and I could just hear cheers, roars, and other strange sounds echoing through the archway.

I looked around to get my bearings, wondering what the heck Mythomagic was in the first place. The answer came to me in the form of a metal plaque beside the entryway. It took me a few tries to fight off my dyslexia, but in the end I read, "Mythomagic 3D- enter all you would be heroes, face the terrors of the ancients, struggle against monster of myth and legend, revel in this wicked 8th wonder of the world! Sponsored by the Mythomagic Co. Olympus branch. We are not responsible for any incidents involving tennis balls, changing fates, missing appendages, spontaneous breast growth, mangling by platypus, plethora's of cheese, lightning strikes, stubbed toes, death, or decapitation. Have fun out there, and remember to play safe!"

Well that was a bit weird. Oh well, if the cheers were any kind of comment on the game itself, it didn't really matter how weird it was. Let's get this started. A lone attendant stood outside the entrance, dressed in an immaculate white suit, peering down at a scanner. He glanced up as I approached, flashing a blinding white smile at me, eyes shining a shade of red that would put a Valentine to shame as he spotted me.

"Well hello there," He beamed, leaning back and crossing his arms "You were almost late, I might have had to send someone looking for you."

"What do you mean?" I asked cautiously, taking an involuntary step back.

Alarms were going off in my head, but I couldn't focus too hard on anything. My brain felt like it had been turned to jello, everything was so hard to take in.

"Hmm? Oh just business, I had to get you in here before he left. You don't want to miss your cue now do you? After all, this is one of the most important moments of your life."

"It is?"

The man nodded.

"Indeed. I don't just guide anyone you know. You should be grateful. Of course you won't remember this for years, and years, but I'm sure once you're ready, dear old mum will pull a few strings and set everything right." The attendant reached down, snatching my LotusCash card from my hand and swiping it through the scanner. "Honestly it's a true shame she doesn't just put you together now. But that's mother for you, always one for a tragedy. She's always had a thing for star-crossed lovers, the one sided romances, the pain, the torture, the agony. That was never really my domain, but if she thinks this is what's best-"

"Wait, what are you talking about?"

The man blinked at me for a few times, red eyes misted with confusion before turning to alarm as his card scanner beeped.

"You're late! Move out Perseus, you have a hero in distress waiting for you out there."

"Wait!" I exclaimed as he started pushing me through the arch.

The man blurred around me, strapping a breastplate, pauldron, grieves, braces, and a visored headset onto me in record time, finally tossing me a sword and shoving me into the darkness.

"Good luck in there kiddo. Remember all is fair in love and war!" The attendant called.

I turned back, questions bubbling out, only to stare in confusion. The attendant was gone. What the heck was going on? Who was that nutjob?

The jello sensation suddenly thickened, and I relaxed, a smile coming back to my face. Eh, it was Las Vegas, there were bound to be a few weirdoes. And besides, who cared about any of that, this game had a whole floor dedicated to it? It had to be pretty sick right?

Sick didn't begin to give it justice. I hadn't even walked ten feet before my headset suddenly lit up and what looked like the ugly love child of a steroidal boar and a demented lion suddenly burst through the wall. It squealed a war cry as it charged me full force, six tusks thicker than my arm aimed right for my chest.

I rolled to the side, slashing at its dirty flank with my sword. The beast squealed as a luminescent red line appeared where I had struck. A second later the line vanished and a health bar materialized about it, quickly falling from green to yellow. It skidded to a halt, dust stirring up in its wake as it glared at me, pawing the ground, fuming and spitting angrily.

"Bring it on pork chop!" I goaded, spinning my sword around my hand.

The boar roared again, thrusting its head down and rushing at me, its tusks flying back and forth as it charged. I felt cocky this time, waiting until the last possible second to roll to the side, using the monsters own momentum to impale my blade though its back. It really didn't like that. The boar squealed, bucking wildly and knocking me flat on my butt.

I groaned, curling up and rubbing my throbbing chest, surprised at how real the blow had felt. Talk about a lifelike graphics, if I hadn't known any better I would have thought an actual monster was coming after me.

A glance above my head showed my own health bar materialize, draining from green to yellow, even as the boars started turning red, my sword still imbedded in its side. The boar shook and trembled, beady eyes locked on me. It snorted as it advanced, coming closer and closer.

"You're not mad about that whole pork chop thing are you?" I joked, scrambling to my feet.

The boar snorted, close enough now that I could practically taste its nauseating stench. I tried to dodge to the side, but eh beast's tusks beat me there, forcing me back and nearly impaling me on the others.

"Nice piggy…"

I was almost in the corner now, almost all escape had been cut off. Okay, so my sword was lodged in its shoulder, behind the fanged snout and wall of tusks, and my only real escape options were cut off by angry hooves, and, you guessed it, an angry wall of tusks and bacon.

So far I sucked at this game.

The beast gave one last snort, before lowering its head and stabbing forward. I flinched back clenching my eyes shut and preparing for my imminent impalement. Talk about irony, while the others were going around eating kebabs, I was about to become one. Something slammed into the wall beside me, and I peaked back through my lashes, confused.

I was alive? My eyes darted down, trying to figure out how I had survived my kebab fate, only to break out laughing. The tusks were stuck in the wall beside me. The boars head was too big to fit in my tiny corner, its tusks still a good six inches away from me on both sides.

The monster didn't seem to think that it was so funny. It fumed and spat, rearing back and stabbing, only to miss yet again. I leaned back, putting my hands behind my head and relaxing as it squealed in fury, striking again and again to no avail.

After a minute or two, the boar took a few steps back and charged, its tusks lodging firmly into the wall. When it tried to move back this time, it nearly toppled over its own hooves. Convinced it wasn't going to be getting away any time soon, I stepped up on its immobile head and onto its back, hopping off and landing neatly next to it. It bucked and screamed, jerking its massive head back and forth, but the ugly was stuck tight.

"Sorry buddy." I murmured, pulling the sword free.

The boar gave a final wailing grunt as its health bar fell flat before the monster exploded in a puff of golden dust. I chuckled as I walked away, the fear and panic that had gripped me only seconds before ebbing away. Who cares if I had just had my life threatened, that was totally epic! I had to find more monsters!

And more I found. I don't know how big the 13th floor really was, but it seemed to go on forever, or at least that's what the headset made it seem like. There were at least twelve different environments; a jungle, a desert, a canyon, a mountain, a beach (I'd done really well there for some reason), and so much more.

It didn't take long to get into the swing of the game, and soon I was taking on every monster I could get my hands on. Various achievements and numbers popped up around me as I kept going, making me go harder and harder. I saw other players once and a while, and even joined a small group to take down a two headed, three armed, five footed mountain troll, but mostly I just kept on going.

It was like some internal compass was guiding me through the game, trying to get me to go somewhere. Somehow it fought through the haze I'd grown used to since I came here, and kept pulling and nagging at me, dragging me on.

And then it stopped, my gut tugging me hard straight ahead.

I walked a few steps, jumping as the environment shifted to a nighttime setting on the edge of a cliff. Some type of creepy old castle was in the background, and I could see a few other players starting to storm the gates.

"Wicked!" I grinned, starting up towards them.

I was halfway there, trying to figure out what other monsters I was going to fight before I heard a panicked cry near the cliff. I saw a flash of something shiny, frowning as I saw a manticore knock a kid flat on his back, the kid desperately backtracking towards the edge of the cliff as the manticore advanced.

Before I knew what was happening I was sprinting at full speed towards them, my heart pounding a million miles a minute. The tug in my gut had turned into a crushing overwhelming force telling, no, commanding me to go to the rescue.

I jumped up on a rock as I got close, leaping through the air and slashing through the manticores raised tail. It gave a mighty howl as the scorpion tipped barbs fell to the ground, rounding on me and giving the kid a chance to get to shelter.

Relief filled me as they managed to get away, my heart feeling ten times lighter. What was going on with me? I shook my head, trying to concentrate and take a battle stance. I had bigger, hairier issues to deal with at the moment.

The manticore tried to walk around me, fangs snapping, trying to get a read on me. I stopped it from coming around, stalking forward to keep it back up against the cliff. I don't think I even saw it move, the Manticore suddenly shot forward, scratching straight through my now level 7 armor.

I staggered back, only for it to bat me to the side, and finally smacking me with its amputated tail, my head slamming up against the rocks. I was dazed, rolling onto my back and staring at the simulated sky in shock. How strong was this thing? I frowned as my health bar appeared above my head, mouth dropping as I watched it fade all the way from blue (I might have made a few alterations to my player preferences) to red almost instantly, barely a spec left of my health.

One more hit and I'd be out of the game.

I sat up, the manticore smiling a toothy grin as it bounced on its toes, ready for more. What were my options here? My sword was still right beside my hand, I could try and fight it. I'd probably die of course. I could run like heck and see if I could outrun it; I probably couldn't. Or maybe I could get some of the others to help me then- no, they wouldn't be here fast enough. I was dead.

"So long, sucker." The manticore hissed, leaning low to the ground before pouncing.

Several things ran through my mind at that moment, things like 'oh my gosh I'm going to die', 'wow these graphics are to die for' and 'I wonder if I should go to the buffet after this, I'm starving'. But as the manticore came flying down at me some innate instinct shot through me.

I moved faster than I ever had before, rolling to the side and grabbing my sword, bracing myself with my sword pointed straight for its toothy grin. The manticore never had time to adjust its course, it ran straight into my sword, the blade going hilt deep as the monster crashed into me. I slammed painfully into the ground, the weight of the manticore crushing me a split second before it vanished in an explosion of golden dust.

I coughed, waving the stuff away and sitting up, muscles protesting angrily. Dang this game really took a lot out of you. Maybe it was time to go hit the buffet. But hey I'd beaten that manticore, and that thing was a total beast! That was worth all the trouble, especially after all the EXP came in and a golden award popped up in the corner of my visor reading 'N00BZ RUL3!'

I stood up, grabbing my sword and shaking myself off, almost ready to go when a voice behind me said "Whoa…"

I glanced back to see it was the kid I had saved, their face obscured by their helmet.

"That was a level nineteen manticore," He said solemnly, glancing around at the dust "You totally saved me. You were absolutely amazing! Where did you learn to do that?"

I just cracked a grin, glancing back at the carnage myself.

"Yeah I guess it was pretty awesome. And no problem, I bet you could have handled it yourself."

The kid just shook his head wildly.

"No way, I'm barely a level 6. Are you a hero?"

I just shrugged, bashfully running a hand through my hair.

"I wish kid. Hey listen, it was nice meeting you but I'm gonna go-"

We both yelped as twin arrows shot out of the darkness, catching us both squarely in the chest. We stumbled back, and I bit my lip, my chest searing in an entirely new pain. The arrow had shot straight into my heart, and it stayed there, the shaft a brilliant shade of red, burning me from the inside out before it burst into flames and vanished.

I made out the same thing happening to the kid, but I was too busy dealing with the sudden head spinning and reeling. What the heck had that been? That hadn't been anything like the other hits in the game, it felt like the arrow had just shot into my soul.

I peered into the darkness ahead, and for a split second I thought I saw the attendant standing just down the hill, red eyes shining with a bow still outstretched towards us. And then he was gone. I jumped, all memory of the strange guy vanishing as I watched what was left of my health drop, and for the words 'GAME OVER' to take over.

And then I was staring into a blank visor. I sighed and pulled it off of my head, taking in the strange room around me. Everything was grayscale, several different areas with different types of grey environment littering the area for use. I could see the players who had been up at the castle, giving out war cries and fighting nonexistent enemies.

"Ah!" the kid beside me cried.

His shoulders slunk, and a light on the side of his visor went off, probably signaling that he was out of the game as well.

"That totally wasn't fair!" He whined, crossing his arms.

A smile tugged at my lips and I shrugged, feeling his pain. "No kidding, snipers suck."

The kid nodded angrily, his pouting somehow actually coming off as kind of cute. Suddenly I didn't want to go to the buffet, I wanted to hang out with him, to find out what he was like.

"And I worked so hard to get here too! Bianca made me stay with her all day to play that stupid tennis game!"

"I know the feeling I thought I'd never get away from Annabeth and Grover. This was great, fighting monsters and being a hero."

Wait a second, who was Annabeth?

"You do make a good hero," The boy said with a grin "I think you'd be a pretty cool partner for this game."

"Do you want to try?" I asked, hoping he'd say yes.

I deflated when he shook his head saying "We can't, part of the game rules. You only get one chance, then you have to wait a full 24 hours to play again."

"That's a stupid rule."

"No kidding. Well…" He hesitated, looking like he wanted to say something before shaking his head "I guess I'd better go. Thanks for the save, even if it did get you sniped. You at least get to be my hero."

He suddenly blushed bright, his olive toned skin burning before he whirled around giving a curt "Bye!" before trotting towards the entrance.

"Hey!" I called, catching up to him and turning him around.

He jumped at my touch, taking a step back, only to waver for a second and take a step closer.

"Yeah?" He asked, voice unsure.

"I, uh… Um…. What I mean is… You wanna hang out?" Holy cow, was I getting tongue tied asking someone if they wanted to hang out?

The boy seemed taken aback, glancing around, before pointing at himself.

"You want to hang out with me? Really?"

"Yeah. I mean you seem pretty cool, and if you just started and you got to level six that means you've got some skill. You want to go play laser tag or something?"

The boy nodded eagerly, visor bobbing up and down. I beamed, relief flooding through me. I still didn't know why, but something about him just seemed… right. I didn't get that feeling about many people. Really only my mom and Grover had ever gotten that same buzz reaction from me. And I trusted that feeling, so maybe I should give him a chance.

"Cools. I'm Percy by the way, Percy Jackson."

"Percy Jackson, huh?" The kid tested my name out a few times, his grin growing before he nodded and pulled off his visor. A mop of ebony black hair pooled out, and two eager brown eyes shined up at me. He extended a hand saying "I'm Nico. Nico Di Angelo."

I shook his hand, both of us beaming.

"Nice to meet you Neeks," I said, earning a blush "Now you ready for some kick butt laser tag?"

x-X-x

I shot up from the floor gasping, my head spinning. The water had vanished, and by the way the Argo was shaking I could tell we were back in the air. I stumbled to my feet, gripping my bedframe for support. What the heck had that been?

That had never happened. I'd never met Nico in the Lotus Casino. Right? I didn't remember seeing him… I tried hard, but those days were a blur. And yet, the more I thought about the dream I had just come from, the more details I remembered.

That had all been real. It had all happened.

My heart was still palpitating wildly, and that same flame I'd felt when I was shot had come back, burning back to life. Something was wrong here. Or maybe something was right. I didn't know. All I knew as I made my way out onto the deck, was that things were going to change.

The long awaited chapter 2, hope this kind of sets the tone. Forgive me, I lost my manuscript with the plot so I had to write it back up from scratch, but I hope you all enjoy and get ready for the ride! Hope you all enjoy, Read and Review!

Review goal: 5 (You guys make it all worth it!)