Athena was hard-headed, she was a good listener but bad at following other people's advice and would regret not listening to Fred. The night before Athena had put Annabeth asleep with a bed time story and not just any kind of story a Stephen king novel. Annabeth had paid attention in the beginning as much as a baby could; sometimes turning the pages for Athena but in the end was lulled asleep by Athena's soothing voice.

"You just read my baby one of the scariest books ever like it was a kindergarten picture book." Athena was cradling Annabeth in one arm while supporting the book with the other and looked up from the book to give him a nonchalant expression.

"I wasn't reading to her, sometimes I just like to read aloud and besides even if she is my daughter her advanced memory won't kick in until a few years nor does she comprehend what's happening now.

"Do you really think it's appropriate to read that type of book to her?" Athena contemplated how to answer him.

"Fred, Annabeth is a demigod. She's going to see stuff scarier than this, might as well prepare her for the future." She explained. She hadn't meant for what she said to affect him as it did but his heart froze at the fact that little helpless Annabeth would face monsters and might even die young. Athena didn't look concerned however and Fred wasn't sure if it was because she didn't care enough or perhaps she was used to facing death.

"You're thinking too loudly again." Athena whispered but didn't comment further at his thoughts.

"If she is going to face monsters in the future shouldn't she have some training or protection?"

"That's what camp half-blood is for but she won't go until she's a little older. She's too young for monsters to really sense her, what we really need to watch out for are spiders." That really confused him but he let it go.

- The next day

Fred couldn't help but wonder if he was friends with a sports enthusiastic delinquent. Athena the night before told him, she had to go visit a rival/friend. As usual he had no idea what she was talking about but Nike invited him to go outside window shopping for fun. It was a nice sunny day perfect for such occasion. They pointed to a bunch of clothes he could never afford and laughed at the outrages prices, Annabeth spent most of the time bored or sleeping. Nike seemed to be having a good time and she pulled him into a sports shop, not surprising at all. She grinned coming in like a child at a toy shop and made a beeline for the bats. She inspected it swinging, testing the weight, and its size. Then she grabbed a bowling ball and shifted it in her hands.

"Ha careful don't drop it." Nike rolled her eyes at him and faced the wall.

"Don't panic." She said licking her full lips.

"Huh?" and that was all he managed out, when she twisted her body and threw the bowling ball like some baseball pitcher. The bowling ball slammed into someone a few feet away from them, checking out golf balls, and you could hear the breaking of his bones. He was on his back, dazed and in pain, grunting clutching his right side. Nike grabbed the metal baseball bat, with a serious expression on her face, twirling the bat and approached the fallen man. She only stopped because Fred shocked dropped Annabeth and she barely caught her inches away from the ground.

"Are you out of your mind? Oh man, did you kill him!"

"I wish, no he's still alive but not for long. Hold her." She pushed a now awake wide-eyed Annabeth into his chest.

"What, no you can't kill a mortal!" he was digging into his pocket searching for his phone to call an ambulance.

"I don't think he's mortal." And that's when they both turned to where the man was supposed to be. Except he wasn't there anymore and the bowling ball, Fred now realized had split and cracked from the impact. The shopper was quickly staggering out from the store.

"Shit!" Nike cursed before following him.

They went outside, them and the bat, and the stores employee yelling that they hadn't paid for it. The mystery man turned to an alley and Nike disappeared into it to before Fred could shout wait. The teenage redhead employee had his hand out, demanding the money for the bat and the damaged bowling ball; he reluctantly paid for the expensive items. Annabeth was wide awake curiously waiting for Nike to return with the bad guy like she'd seen in batman. They both waited and Fred debated whether to follow her with Annabeth in his arms or just wait for her.

"She's a goddess; she can take care of herself. But she's also a girl and what if it's a trap. What if she's being tortured?"

"Nice to see how much faith you have in me," A voice came from behind and he whirled relieved.

"Oh thank goodness you're okay." Annabeth smiled a hello, waving her small arms and was disappointed to see no bad guy but got over it.

"No confidence geez. I lost him in the alley and turned to a hawk to scout the area but he got away, I couldn't find him anywhere."
"Was he a monster?"

"I'm not sure, probably. I threw that bowling ball pretty hard, it would have been like getting hit by a bus for any mortal but he just shook it off. He was following us for a while but I didn't want to alarm you." She crossed her arms and Fred thought of what happened.

"I can see through the mist but he looked like an everyday civilian, nothing out the ordinary. Maybe it was powerful glamour?" He suggested.

"What I want to know is what monster, if it is one, would follow us with a goddess here." Nike tapped her chin thinking.

"Monsters are stupid." He said and Nike shook her head.

"Don't underestimate them, monsters can be deceptively clever." She looked around, getting near him and Annabeth in an almost defensive manner, her reddish-brown eyes scanning for danger.

"Maybe it was a robber… a very strong robber." Nike only raised a brow at him.

"Come on let's go, that was enough shopping for today. Athena might want to know about this." She noticed his poker face. "What?"

"…where's the bat?"

"Oh, I let it go when I was in the alley about to transform into a hawk."

"What that cost me money!"

The walk back home wasn't fast; Nike never looked back and had a relaxed posture as if daring karma to just send someone else, Annabeth took after her mother and like a bird guarding her nest, kept an eye out but perhaps she thought it was for a game. She got bored of peekaboo at five months and seemed more entertained at games that you had to be observant, think, and solve puzzles. Athena had smiled proudly when Annabeth took a liking to the Rubik cube.

Athena hadn't arrived yet into his apartment when they came, to get their minds of things they decided to make pasta while Annabeth started coloring in her Dora the explorer book. After an hour Fred started to get worried again. It was getting pretty dark out, was Athena okay?

"Relax, she's a big girl, she'll come soon enough." Nike said cooking the white rice and Fred stammered back.

"You can read minds too!" he wailed and Nike chuckled.

"No, were just thinking the same thing."

"Oh, your worried too." Nike smiled reassuringly, trying to ease his anxiety.

"She's the goddess of war… and wisdom. She must be having a blast with Thoth."

"Thoth? As in Egyptian god Thoth?" just how many myths of gods, heroes, and monsters were actually true? His brain felt like it was processing too much of everything.

"The one and only." A male voice came from the door.

At the door were a smiling exasperated Athena and a man that resembled a young mad scientist. His blond hair was disheveled, he had glasses that only drew someone to his mismatching eyes and wore a punk shirt and worn jeans.

"Hello Nike long time no see, like about three months, you should visit more." He said hugging her. "Sorry to intrude into your home." He told Fred shaking his hand.

"Oh no problem." You couldn't just tell a god to go away.

"Just to make it clear I did not invite him here." Athena clarified, trying to steal some spaghetti when Nike swatted her hand away.

"I wanted to meet your spawn." he made a show of looking for Annabeth. Annabeth was not really apprehensive when Thoth lifted her up comforted with the knowledge of her parents presence. "Can't wait to see what kind of hero she'll end up being he said smiling to which Annabeth smiled back.

"Guys I need to tell you something." Nike said and Athena's eyes went to her immediately. Fred had almost forgotten about it and a dark atmosphere descended into the room.

"It's always something." Thoth said knowingly and both he and Athena sat on the couch for what they knew would be a serious discussion.