Author's Note: I FEEL SO HONORED. GUYS. YOU ARE AMAZING. CAN I HUG YOU?

vball17girl: THANK YOU SO MUCH. Sorry, I'm overreacting aren't I? BUT YOU PEOPLE HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH I APPRECIATE THIS LIKE ARE YOU SERIOUS. OH, AND S'MORES FOR YOU!

malecster: THANK YOU! He he, sorry. I love Leo (You have no idea), but he needs to butt out of my A/Ns.

Leo: Well, too bad!

Me: LEO! *Pushes him away*

AHEM. S'MORES FOR YOU AS WELL! (Love your username by the way ;) )

ShadowandMadonna: Well, Leo's kinda in the story, but not very much. More of a background character more than anything. AND NO SPOILERS. YOU SHUT YOUR FACE. NO ONE LIKES SPOILERS. (AND S'MORES FOR YOU TOO)

Klainelover913: THANK YOU FOR THE FAVE!

S&M Guest: NO, SPOILERS ARE BAD. STOP IT. (Even if it is blatantly obvious...STILL!) Yes, so very predictable... but I've never really been one for subtlety. THANK YOU GEM! S'MORES! S'MORES FOR EVERYONE!

*S'MORES RAIN DOWN UPON ALL REVIEWERS, FAVORITERS, AND FOLLOWERS*

Disclaimer: No, I am not a middle aged man who writes books for a living, I am a sad lonely teenage girl who writes fanfiction in her spare time because I'm lame. Therefore, I am not Rick Riordan.

Chapter 2: Maple's POV

Oh my gods of Olympus, I was so scared.

Of course, I could never show Luke or Becca that. I have a reputation to uphold.

The voice that had spoken wasn't intimidating at all. It was rich, smooth, like a jazz singer's voice, almost. It was the tone that scared me. Dark, cold, like it had just come back from thousands of years of suffering in the pits of Tartarus just to kill us personally. Which, knowing our luck, was probably the case.

"Who's expecting us?" Becca demanded.

"I was..." The voice whispered.

"Well, that tells us a lot, because we totally know who you are!" I yelled sarcastically.

"Would you like to know who I am?" The voice asked.

"Yeah!" Becca and I yelled together.

On my side of the clearing, I heard the crunching of fallen leaves on the ground, but saw no feet crunching them. Becca and Luke turned their heads toward the noise, but never turning their backs in case we were ambushed (Battle Formation #4).

Slowly, a tall, dark, figure faded into existence right in front of my eyes. He had tanned, rough, calloused skin, not wrinkled, just worn. His square face was covered in scars, like he was attacked by a very angry cat whose food had been taken away. The man wore a tight pinstriped dress suit and fancy Italian loafers. I didn't spot any weapons on him, and he didn't seem ready for battle, yet we still didn't lower our weapons.

"Who are you?" Luke shouted, trying to be intimidating. (And failing, I might add.)

"I think you can figure it out, Luke Jackson," the mystery man replied.

"How do you know who I am?" Luke asked, his voice trembling.

I slowly began to piece it together. The scars all over his face, the diplomatic stature, the eyes that seemed deep as wells. I was about to guess, but Becca beat me to it.

"You're Prometheus," she stated, not even questioning him.

"Prometheus?" Luke seemed surprised that Becca knew something he didn't.

"Yeah," I explained. "You know, the Titan, that guy who gave the humans fire, got attacked by a bunch of angry vultures-"

"I know who Prometheus is!" Luke snapped.

"Yes, it's true," the man interrupted. "I am Prometheus," he stated, smirking slightly, as if he was pleased that we recognized him.

"Well, why are you here, Mr. I-can't-defend-myself-from-vultures?" Becca mocked.

"I was chained to a rock!" Prometheus argued. After regaining his composure, he added, "I came here warn you."

"Warn us about what?" I asked.

"About the grave danger you are in."

The three of us looked at each other, still completely confused.

"Could you be a little more specific?" Luke probed.

Prometheus sighed. 'Well, if I must spell everything out for you. See, the Titans are angry at you," he stated, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

We stared at him. "Well, why?" I questioned.

"You see, it's not just you three in particular. It's mostly your parents. The titans are still a bit steamed from that whole 'Second Titan War' spat 20 years ago, and, well, you know the Titans, always wanting vengeance."

"Wait," I interrupted. "Aren't you a Titan?"

"Yes. What's your point?"

"So, you want to kill us, right?"

"Of course I do."

"So... why aren't you?"

"I've been given specific orders not to."

"Um...why?"

"Hyperion has dibs." He muttered ruefully. His stony expression then morphed into a malevolent one. "But, I do have permission to send a pack of hellhounds after you." Prometheus snapped his calloused fingers and 3 hellhounds rode from the ground.

"Have a good day." And with that, Prometheus disappeared. There was a moment of silence before Becca finally spoke.

"Run." And that was what we did.

Yes, of course we had combat training! That was what Camp was for! So, why did we run away? Hey, I panicked!

We didn't have a lot of actual monster-fighting experience, so running away just my first instinct.

I just have to say, thank the gods for the Mist. It would be, uh, messy if you saw three scruffy teenagers with sharp weapons running through New York City being chased by a pack of bloodthirsty dogs. Yup, not good.

Crash!

During all of the confusion, we had managed to ram directly into someone- two someones to be precise- and go sprawling to the ground. We scrambled to our feet, ready to run again, when a familiar voice stopped us.

"Kids? Where have you been?" It was Uncle Percy and Sophie, waiting for us outside the Youth Center. We had somehow managed to run straight toward the building in our haste to escape the hellhounds. Percy seemed to know by the look in our eyes that something was wrong.

Luke managed to pant out something coherent between his gasps for air. "Met... Prometheus...Titans...revenge...hellhounds...mortal danger..."

Percy's eyes widened. "Get in the car," he commanded as he ushered us into his S.U.V.

Soon, we were speeding down the streets of NYC towards Camp Half-Blood at a totally 'safe' speed of 100 MPH.

"Uh, Dad," Sophie stammered," Is this safe?"

"Safer than being chased by hellhounds," he admitted. "So, you guys met Prometheus?" He addressed the three of us in the backseat (Sophie was in the front). "I thought that guy was dead! And what was that bit about revenge?"

Becca explained," Long story short, Prometheus showed up, said the Titans wanted vengeance for the Second Titan War, and then he sent hellhounds after us. Nice guy."

'Well, why didn't he just kill you at the moment?"

"Hyperion has dibs."

"What?"

"Hyperion has dibs." Becca repeated.

Percy thought about it for a moment. "That makes sense."(Which was said sarcastically)"But Hyperion's a tree!"

It was our turn to be surprised. "What?"

"I never told you guys that story?" He looked back at us. "Well, during the Second Titan War, Grover played a song on his pipes that turned Hyperion into a tree."

"Wait," I gasped. "My dad, my uncool, scaredy-cat, goatly dad turned a Titan into a tree? Awesome!"

Percy grinned at me. "I'm gonna tell him you called him a scaredy-cat."

My eyes widened. "Please don't." Even if it was true, I didn't want him to know I said that. He prided himself himself on being a good role model for me, which he was. I was his only child, so he had to make sure I turned out okay. Even so, he didn't have to be overly brave for me to that he's a good dad.

"Where's Mom?" Luke asked out of nowhere.

"She's meeting us at Camp."

'Ooh, is Aunt Thalia gonna be there?" Sophie inquired excitedly.

"Uhhh, yeah.."Percy answered, seeming to be nervous.

"Oh, are all the Huntresses of Artemis going to be there?" Becca asked, rolling her eyes.

"Yes, so behave children, no matter how scary they are." Ha, even Uncle Percy is scared of them!

"Hey Dad," Luke started, "I've always wondered something. Why is it that I have grey eyes like Mom, Rebecca has green eyes like you, but sophie has blue eyes?"

Percy slammed on the brakes, giving all of us a heart attack (and also almost ramming into an eighteen-wheeler), but he quickly regained his composure and sped down Long Island again, even faster than before. "Wh-wha-why would you ask that?" he stammered nervously.

"You know, just...curious."

"Well, it's uh, it's...because of...uh, recessive...uh...genes. Yeah, that's it. Recessive genes," he managed.

Luke leaned across me to whisper something in Becca's ear. "Hey, I think Dad's hiding something from us."

"You think?" she whispered back sarcastically.

"You ask some really random questions dude." I told him. He responded with a glare. "Just sayin'."

"Dad?" Sophie inquired. "What're recessive genes?"

"They're, uh... it's very, uh, scientificy. Ask your mother."

The rest of the car ride to Camp, we talked about what we were gonna do over the summer, what was gonna happen tonight, who was gonna be there. All of the former demigods who used to go to Camp Half-Blood would be there to celebrate the first day of summer with their children, who actually went to Camp.

"-and Piper and Jason will be there-"

"Wait," Luke interrupted his father's listing. "Who are Piper and Jason?"

Percy chuckled. "Oh, that's right, I forgot you guys haven't seen them since you were little."

"Well, where have they been?" I questioned.

"They've been living in the Roman Camp in California."

"Ugh. Romans." Becca spat.

"Becca, how many times have we been over this?"

"A million times," she responded in a monotone.

"And what have I said a million times?"

"Don't treat them badly just because they're Romans, even though they have treated us like scum for centuries because they think we're uncivilized barbarians when really they're just a bunch of stuck-up pretentious military snobs!" Becca ranted, her voice rising with each word.

Percy and Luke sighed, as if saying, 'What are we gonna do with her?'

"But what if we deserve to be treated like scum?" A small voice piped from the passenger seat. When nobody responded, Sophie continued, "I mean, we have treated them pretty badly, too. Mutual respect, you know..."

"Well, they're still jerks," Becca grumbled.

I glanced out the window, noticing the trees start to become more familiar. I could smell the forest I knew so well. "We're almost there guys!" I exclaimed excitedly.

Sure enough, as if on cue, a grassy hill rose up in front of us, indicating the end of the dirt road. On the top of the hill sat a lone pine tree, the ever-so-famous Golden Fleece hanging prominently from the lowest branch, the dragon Peleus curled up soundly underneath. Thalia's Pine.

As I gazed down upon the valley, I saw the buildings I had grown up knowing. I had grown up here, never knowing anything except for this Camp until I was twelve, when I was sent on my first mission as a protector, protecting- who else?- Becca and Luke.

I saw all of the Greek architecture Aunt Annabeth loved so much, the Dining Pavillion which had the BEST enchiladas I had ever tasted, the strawberry fields where my fellow satyrs were practicing their panpipes. There were several campers already flying on their pegasi. One of my good friends, Violet Stoll, waved at me from high atop her chestnut Pegasus.

Violet's brother, Andrew, was already trying- and failing- to conquer the rock wall of doom (He was always the first one on the wall every summer).

Seeing these buildings still there after all these years of being attacked, after all the stories of the Great Wars our parents fought in, I felt a strange sense of pride. Nothing could ever destroy our camp.

"We're home, guys."

OHMYGODSMYFINGERSHURT

Yay, action, woooooooooooooooo

And someone's got a secret! Who is it? What is it? (I feel like some kind of movie preview announcer or something.) AND NO SPOILERS FROM YOU, SHAZER. I WILL MURDER YOU.

Yes, there will be shipping in this story. Yay for shipping! Tell me who you think will be shipped together! AGAIN, NO SPOILERS, SHAZER.

More characters will be introduced next chapter, promise! Next chapter's gonna be fun, guys. Lots and lots of fun. Hehehe.

Again, criticism is appreciated!

Leo: Happy New Year!

Me: LEO. Seriously, stop barging into my A/Ns!

Leo: Aw, come on, you know you love me!

Me: *Pushes into the river*

Leo: HEY! That wasn't nice!

Me: Don't care.