A/N: Hey guys. Two chapters in one night again… If I can get this one finished tonight… bronchitis sucks, guys. Stay healthy.

Oh, this chapter is Percy's Point of view. I don't own Percy Jackson and the Olympians (thank God, I'd screw it up sooooo much) and I don't own Maximum Ride. (Yeah, JP has been screwing up those books lately, so I will never incorporate The Final Warning, MAX, or FANG, in this story, okay?)

Oh, and some of this chapter is copied out of the book. Paperback edition The Titan's Curse: page 208-209

I strongly suggest you read The Titan's Curse before reading this chapter, because I don't really care to explain in a story what is going on. You should have read the first three books at least. However, if anybody does need me to explain, review and/or pm me.

"Individually, we are a drop. Together, we are an ocean." – Ryunosuke Satora

"Moooo."

The smile melted off my face. I wondered if the noise was just in my head, but Grover had stopped laughing, too. He looked around confused. "Did I just hear a cow?"

"A dam cow?" Thalia laughed.

"No," Grover said. "I'm serious."

Zoë listened. "I hear nothing."

Thalia was looking at me. "Percy are you okay?"

"Yeah," I said. "I… I just need a minute. To think."

They hesitated, but I guess I must've looked upset, because they finally went into the visitor center without me. As soon as they were gone, I jogged to the north edge of the dam and looked over.

"Moo."

She was about thirty feet below in the lake, but I could see her clearly: my friend from the Long Island Sound, Bessie the cow serpent.

I looked around. There were groups of kids running along the dam. A lot of senior citizens. Some families. But nobody seemed to be paying Bessie any attention yet. Except one girl. She had brown hair with lighter streaks from the sun and dark skin. She looked about my age. She was wearing ripped jeans that were stained with dirt and splattered with… was that blood? Her windbreaker was torn and her face was scratched. Despite looking like she had rolled down a mountain covered with spikes and pine needles, she didn't seem in pain… well, not physically, anyway. There's an air about her that was haunted… like she was missing someone important to her.

I blinked, realizing I just basically psychoanalyzed this girl with one look. That was a lot for someone I just met.

The girl seemed to sense I was watching her. She stiffened and turned to face me with a sharp look. Her dark brown eyes glared at me.

"Please tell me I'm not the only person who sees a cow with a serpent's tail."

She could see Bessie? So she was a half-blood… or a goddess in disguise, which I doubt because she looked completely confused. She must not know who she is.

"You're not the only one. I can see her too. I named her Bessie."

She scrutinized me. "Bessie? You named a cow with a serpent's tail, Bessie?"

"Yeah, why?"

"It seems too… normal."

I shrugged. "Yeah, but with my life, I could use something normal in my life, even if it is just a name.'

"Tell me about it."

"You too, huh?"

"You have no idea."

I smiled. "I'm Percy," I said, sticking my hand out.

"Max. And no offense, but I don't shake hands." I raised my eyebrows. That seemed odd, but I shrugged it off and let my hand fall to my side.

"Nice name. It suits you, somehow."

"You don't even know me," she said skeptically.

I shrugged. "Maybe. But I guess you just give off that vibe."

"What vibe?" She asked curiously.

"You know, the one that says 'back off or I'll kick your but'."

"Well, thanks, I guess. Now will you tell me why the Hell we're the only ones who can see Bessie?"

"It might take a while." I motioned toward an open table nearby. "Care to sit?"

"Sure."

When we had sat down she looked at me. "Alright, explain."

"Well, first off, what do you know about Greek mythology?"

She shrugged. "The basics. The movie stuff. I didn't have much schooling, so what I know I get from TV. I know about the gods, the goddesses, the Olympians, the heroes, the three divisions, the monsters, and everything else that movies can twist into a plotline."

"Yeah, that's the basics, I guess. You're going to need to know more about them if you want to survive in this world. Long story, short: the myths are real. All the gods, the goddesses, the heroes, the monsters… they exist."

I paused to see her reaction, fearing that she would freak out, call me crazy, and run away. It would cause her to be in danger, not knowing how to protect herself, and I didn't want that. In all honesty, I liked this girl. I felt a pull that kept me near her, screaming at me to keep her safe. So far she didn't look like she thought I was insane, so I took it as a good sign and continued.

"The gods still come down and have kids with mortals. Those kids- demigods or half-bloods- they see things differently than regular mortals do. There's a layer of mist clouding the mortals' visions that protect the secret."

She regarded me with a look I couldn't decipher. "So basically you're saying we're able to see 'Bessie,'" she said mockingly, "Because we're the children of gods."

I nodded. "I know it's a lot to take in. I went crazy at first, denying everything. The fact that I had just lost my mother in a fight with a monster didn't help either."

"Well, that sucks." She looked at me. Not with pity, but with understanding.

"Yup. But it's alright now," I said, shrugging. "I got her back, and now she's safe and happy… well, when I'm not almost dying on her… which is often."

She nodded. " I believe you, Percy. There's something about you… Well, it makes me think you're telling the truth, whatever it is."

"You feel that, too?" I asked, startled, because I had felt that way since we first started talking.

"Yeah, what is that?"

"I don't know… Pure instinct, I guess."

"So who's your father… at least, I assume it's your father, because the way you described your mother made her seem… normal."

"No, you're right. My father is Poseidon."

"The god of the seas? No offense or anything, Percy, but wasn't he supposed to be kind of a dick in the stories? I mean, I do know the story of Odysseus, believe it or not."

I shrugged. "Yeah, maybe… I don't know. I've only met him once, and he seemed nice enough, but I know the myths… I guess it's just… he's my father, you know? I don't want to believe that stuff about him."

"I understand. Now, on a more fun topic, do you have any kick ass water powers?"

I grinned. "Duh! Max, I'm the son of one of the three most powerful gods. I'm pretty powerful in that I kick butt wherever I go with water on my side."

She smirked, teasingly. "Maybe that's true, but I bet you I could still kick your ass in hand-to-hand combat."

I snorted. "I doubt that."

"Oh yeah? Want to bet on that?"

"We will definitely have to settle this soon."

"Hell, yeah."

We glared in the face of a challenge soon to come. I had a feeling this would be one of the pleasurable ones though.

For whatever we lose (like a you or a me) it's always ourselves we find in the sea." –e. e. Cummings

"So, from what I remember," Max said, "The Greek myths had a whole bunch of sweet little monsters that just love to eat people, right?"

I smiled. "Yeah, you're right. Those are still alive, too. And every time I'm around them, they tend to try to kill me. It's odd… it's like they really do want to eat me… I wonder why that is… It must be because I'm so tasty."

She grinned. "No, you're not tasty. They just want to rid the world of such torture. They're really nice."

I put on a hurt face. "Maxine, I'm hurt!"

She glared at me. Not just any glare, but a Hades-worthy glare. "My name is Max not Maxine. My name has never been Maxine. My full name, if you must know, is Maximum."

"Your name is Maximum?" I asked, shocked. It wasn't like I thought it was a bad name, it fit her in a way, but what mother looks at their child at birth and says, 'Oh isn't she adorable! Let's name her Maximum!'

"Yeah, why?"

"Well, it's just… what kind of mother names their daughter that? It's not exactly a common name."

I knew I had said something wrong when her face hardened into a mask of coldness that wasn't there before.

"Percy, I wasn't just kidding when I said I had a hard life. I don't know either of my parents. I was- let's just say 'adopted'- at birth. The people who adopted me… weren't exactly nice. I ran away three years ago with a few of my friends. I named myself… I chose Maximum. My best friend shortened it to Max." She spoke in a hard tone that let me know what she was talking about wasn't what she wanted too. I had a feeling she hadn't exactly been adopted, but that there was something… sinister behind it. I had unintentionally crossed a line.

"Max… I'm sorry. I didn't know." I felt horrible for bringing up such a sensitive subject. Her childhood… I felt bad for her… not exactly out of pity, but I couldn't be sorry for her if it wasn't my fault… but someone this incredible shouldn't have been raised without a family.

"How could you have?" She still had the bitter tone.

I wanted to ask more about her childhood, but I knew it was a hard subject for her and didn't want to obtrude on her. Even though it somehow felt connected to her, I had just met this girl about thirty minutes ago. She's not my best friend, or even a friend I've known for a while. We didn't know each other's secrets and it would be rude to ask about them when we just me.

"Your best friend?" I remembered, trying to lighten the conversation. It didn't work, however, and I saw it when she stiffened.

She nodded. "Yeah," she said, saddened. "He's actually the reason why I'm here. We got in a fight and now I'm avoiding him."

"You came all the way to the Hoover Dam just because you got in a fight with your best friend?" I asked incredulously.

She nodded and smiled a small, sad smile. "I never said how far I had to come. Besides, being on the run… well, it's not exactly like I can just storm away and hide in my bedroom."

"On the run from what?" My ADHD let the question slip past my lips before common sense could kick in and stop it.

Max regarded me coldly. "It doesn't matter."

I doubted that, but let it slide anyway.

She looked away for a moment then met my eyes again. "So… if all these monsters come after you, how do you fight them off?"

"Um… we train with swords. There's a camp I go to… a place for people like us where we learn to fight battles."

"So that way, when Medusa comes to paralyze you for all eternity, you can kill her like… it was Perseus who did that, right? Or was it Theseus?"

Thunder rumbled overhead, though the sky was clear. "Um… yes, exactly, and that's who I'm named after actually, but if you don't mind, could you please not say their names?"

She grinned, a teasing glint in her eye. "'Fear of the name only increases fear of the thing itself.' Haven't you ever seen Harry Potter, Percy?"

"Fear is not the only thing that keeps people from saying names, Maximum. And who hasn't seen Harry Potter?"

She shrugged. "So what's the problem?"

"Well, saying the names of monster or gods is dangerous."

"Dangerous how?"

"Let's just say it's like sending a message to them that says, 'come smite me.'"

She blinked and looked at me oddly. "'Come smite me?' Really? Smite?"

I grinned. "Something like that, yeah."

"What does smite even mean?"

I shrugged, thinking about it. "Um… I don't know… Something to do with killing… or torture… at least, that's what I get out of it."

She grinned. "Killing and torture… Good to know."

"Point is, it's bad."

"So how do I know whose daughter I am?" She asked, curiously.

"Well, you don't really, until you're claimed by your mother or father. Some remain unclaimed and don't know who their parents are."

"So how did you find out?"

"Well, we were playing capture the flag at camp-"

She cut me off. "The one for demigods?"

"Yes, so our capture the flag is different. We have swords… and vicious children of Ares…"

"The war god?"

"That's the one, yeah." I shivered, thinking about the last time I had met him. It made my blood boil, something Max obviously caught, because she snorted.

"Unhappy memories?" she asked.

I breathed in. "Yeah. The last time I met him, he tried to kill me and cause a war that could pretty much be the apocalypse."

"Well, he sounds like a very charming man." She grinned at me.

I scoffed. "Oh, yes. Definitely a true prince."

She laughed.

"Anyway, his daughter, Clarisse, had beaten be up pretty bad. I fell into the creek and the water began to heal me. There was a hologram of a trident above my head."

"That's cool."

I shrugged. "Yeah, I guess."

"So what's your dad like?"

I stiffened. "I've only met him once, and when I did, he called me a mistake, but… I got the feeling that he was nice, I suppose, for a god that has many things on his plate, he probably doesn't want to have to worry about a stupid kid that was made by accident."

She shifted, clearly uncomfortable. I don't know what about, but it probably had something to do with being close to a freak like me. She seemed to be deciding on something before she leaned forward across the small table where we were sitting and rested her hand on my shoulder.

"Percy," she hesitated. "You're not- you're not a mistake. I mean, I don't know you, and I'm not going to pass judgment over you, good or bad, mostly because I don't know you, but no kid is a mistake. Trust me, I've been called that plenty, but… well, it's not true, okay?"

"Thank you. But other than that, I don't know him well, so I wouldn't know how he views me."

"I'm sure as any good father would look at their son- with pride and a little love."

I smiled at her. "You're really big on the whole 'believe-in-yourself' thing, huh?"

She grinned. "You know it."

I looked at her curiously. "You're not freaking out on me. Why?"

She shifted. "I guess… I've always been a freak. I guess this is partly why."

"What happened to believing in yourself?" I asked her. "Being different doesn't make us freaks."

She rolled her eyes. "I'm not like you, Percy. Maybe I'm a demigod, but there are other things about me, things you don't know. I am a freak. That's not a negative thing to be. Being a freak is pretty cool."

Update- I altered some things in this chapter, like Max's appearance.