I'm a nice author, so another update! Plus review responses, I missed them last chapter since I was in a rush to update.

Cheetah2613- I'm following TLO timeline for this so far, trying to be as true to the real series as possible, just as if Rick added a son for Paul. (I promise I'm not Rick though!). So right now, it's August fifth, approximately ten days before the battle. It starts on the fifteenth or fourteenth, right?

XxAbyssalDragonxX- I'm glad I did too!

FateOfChaos- Thank you!

Caskett100fan- Thanks! Mark is a bit of a jerk, I agree. Of course, he starts out being quite sweet and respectful, but he becomes envious very quickly, obviously, and without any true reason.

Goddess of Sea-Wisdom- Thank you! The first chapter was the same year as BotL but now it's the TLO book time, yes. If that made any sense at all… I'm probably going to continue it through BOO, but I've yet to determine when Mark will learn about the demigods; maybe he won't! Muhaha. Maybe I am more like Rick than I thought.

Bbb- Wow, thank you! For ideas, I have a list on my phone in Notes of every single thing I want to write about, so I add as I read stories. I mean, here's an example of some of the stuff I may or may not write in the future, directly from my notes on my phone-

Paul and Sally have a kid who hates Percy and doesn't know who he actually is (That'd be this story, with a few minor changes!)

Leo fixes some mortal's stuff and makes it all Leo-y

Will Solace plays doctor (Don't even ask where this came from, I don't know)

Percy washes Arion's mouth out with soap (Again, see above)

All in all, I'm a quite odd child, to say the least. Not that I am a child, but you get the point.

Stephane- Maybe, maybe not. I've got several versions of that situation written actually, but I won't tell you which I like best! They range from the gods announcing themselves on mortal news to Mark never finding out to Mark finding weapons somewhere…but I'm not telling!

Hercule- This will be through BOO

On with the show!

Mark's POV

I was still confused nine days later about the whole Percy-Mt. St. Helens thing, but no one else said anything, so I'd given it up. It was a normal day, I guess, until she showed up. I got up, ate Ms. Sally's delicious food, went back to bed, ate, finally actually got up, and so on. I sat down on the couch with my Xbox controller when Percy sprinted in.

"Hey! No! Don't play video games!" he shouted, practically ripping my controller away.

I made a grab for it, but he tossed it back in the bin. "What the heck do you think you're doing?"

He scratched the back of his neck nervously. "Well, um, you see, electronics, um, aren't healthy?" Just then, I saw a redhead walk in.

"Really, Percy? I see why you're called Kelp Head. And Seaweed Brain. Honestly. Anyway, I just got off my street art project, let's go to the beach, please?" Hold the parade. Percy had a girlfriend? And he was leading Annabeth on? Not cool!

"Percy, why are you flirting with Annabeth all the time if this is your girlfriend? Annabeth deserves better than a cheating, lying jerk!" Rachel looked a bit pensive, but Percy was furious.

"Neither of them are my girlfriend, Mark! Friends! P-h-r-e-n-d-s!" Rachel burst into laughter.

"Perce, it's f-r-i-e-n-d-s, not whatever you just spelled. I mean, I know your issues, but honestly!" She tugged on the hem of a paint splattered shirt, that action uncovering her slight insecurity at being called just a friend. Or that's what I assumed.

"Rachel, you should have heard Annabeth try to spell Cyclops our second qu- year at camp!" he defended himself.

"Annabeth's a genius. Not a good comparison, Kelp Head. Let's go." Rachel yanked on his arm. "Hey, you're Mark, right?" I nodded, still laughing internally at the fact Percy couldn't spell friends. "Tell Paul and Sally we'll be back and Percy's taking Paul's car. It's fine, trust me." Like I could trust this weirdo, but I nodded anyway. Rachel yanked Percy out the door, swiping the keys on the way. I noticed a blue plastic hairbrush sticking out of her pocket. Who carries around a hairbrush? I settled back in to play my Xbox until they came back, when I could question Rachel further.

Five hours later, a frantic Rachel came back, alone, and rushed Ms. Sally and Dad into a spare room to talk. I pressed my ear against the crack in the doorframe.

"Gone. With Beckendorf," Rachel said shortly.

I heard Ms. Sally gulp slightly. "To- to do the mission?" I assumed Rachel had nodded, because I heard a soft sigh, then what sounded like crying. "I'm just so worried- so worried he won't come back!"

"Same," Rachel replied quietly. "Paul, Blackjack kinda landed on your hood, so…" Dad sighed.

"So long as he makes it back, Rachel. As long as he makes it back, I don't care if I have to buy a whole dealership worth of cars," Dad told her. I heard a chair slide back and shot into my room just as the door opened. Rachel hugged Ms. Sally and left, while Dad and Ms. Sally settled on the couch with a box of tissues. I decided there was no way I could eavesdrop safely, so I sat in my room in the new apartment. I'd painted it the day we moved in, from lurid pink to a green the same color as my favorite football team. I covered it in posters and had stuff everywhere, but I liked it. It was a home for me.

I woke up the next to Percy and that goth boy, Nico, sleeping in the living room. How they got there, I had no idea. Ms. Sally and Dad came out of their room, eyes ringed red. Ms. Sally saw Percy, though, and almost screamed. She ran over and hugged him.

"Percy, Percy," she cried softly. Percy woke up and smiled, then hugged her back.

"Hey, Mom, I'm alive," he joked. Not exactly something to joke about, if you ask me. Ms. Sally laughed through the tears and Percy sat up, leaving space for his mom to sit. "What time is it?"

"Percy, nice to see you again, though we'll have to discuss car usage rules," Dad teased him. Percy groaned. "Anyway, it' s nine in the morning ."

"No, no, no, no, Hades, someone get me a glass of water to wake up Nico please?" Percy said in one breath. Dad quickly poured a cup of water and handed it to Percy, who tilted a small amount onto Nico's back. He jolted up and smacked Percy, nearly sending the cup flying.

"Perseus Jackson, I'm gonna kill you." The sight of the damp Goth glaring at Percy almost made me laugh. "But Aunt Sally, if you could get Mark to leave please, we need to talk." I took that as my cue and went back to my room. Why wasn't I ever included in anything? Why was I the extra? As I had the day before, I pressed my ear to the door to listen to the conversation.

"I need your blessing, Mom."

"Oh, Percy. It's the Styx, it's the Achilles' Curse. What if you die? I can't lose you!"

"Sally, it sounds like Percy is doing something brave and noble. I wish I had the courage to do that," my dad said, almost so quiet I couldn't hear him. They went back and forth for about five more minutes until Ms. Sally agreed.

"Percy, I give you my blessing. But please come back to me."

"I promise, Mom. Goodbye." With that, footsteps retreated to the door. Percy was gone.

Short, I know, but I needed a bit of a filler.