Louisa aimed her paintball gun at the door of the Hermes cabin. Travis and Connor Stoll strolled out, holding a white bed sheet on a thin branch between them. Louisa didn't lower her weapon.

"What's goin' on, you two?"

"There were these kids on the hill-" Travis started.

"Again?"

"Again," Connor nodded. Louisa sighed, rolling her hand for them to carry on. "Here's the thing though- they just appeared."

"Really now?"

"Yeah. Well, kinda, out of a sandy vortex thing."

"Yeah and I'm the tooth fairy." Louisa said, tone dripping with sarcasm. Travis and Connor looked at each other, the same thought passing between them. "Guys? If you do anything-"

"The kids are in there." Travis jerked his thumb in his cabin's direction. Louisa regarded them and the situation for a minute. She hadn't seen this two act so serious ever.

"Alright, fine. But any funny business..." Louisa let the threat hang in the air. Never get on Louisa's bad side. She was part Roman after all.

Louisa forged ahead, paintball gun at the ready. As much as she found the Hermes lot a laugh, they were so annoying. Tied up on the floor were two kids- a girl and a boy. She was younger than him, with blonde hair with blue highlights, sharp blue eyes and dressed in linen pyjamas and combat boots. He was mixed race with a bit of a 'fro. He too was in linen pyjamas and trainers. Standing around them were all the Hermes children. Two of them, Joe and Mark, had taken the kids' belongings. Mark held a strange curved sword, a staff and an ivory boomerang. Joe also held a similar boomerang and a staff and both of them had satchels slung over their shoulders.

"Please tell me you're the 'big three' kid they've been going on about." The girl complained. Louisa blinked blankly before glaring round at the Hermes cabin. They all suddenly found their trainers interesting. Louisa looked back at the two kids.

"Yeah. And why are they tied up?"

"Well, they were doing... magic? With these." Joe and Mark held up the staffs and boomerangs. Louisa raised her eyebrows disbelievingly. "It's true." Joe insisted.

"Doin' magic... with a stick 'n' a boomerang?" They all nodded. "Right, 'n' how come none of the other campers saw that?" The Hermes children shied away and shuffled their feet nervously. Louisa sighed, draped the strap of her paintball gun over her head and drew her knife. The boy tensed. "Easy, bud. I'm just gonna cut ya lose." Louisa did as she promised and the two scrambled to their feet.

"Thanks." The boy said gruffly. Louisa noticed specks of sand in his hair.

"Ya didn't happen to come through a 'sandy vortex', did ya?"

"'Sandy vortex'?" The girl repeated, dazed. "Oh that! That's a portal. I managed to get one open just before Face of Horror could-" Her eyes widened and she grabbed the boy's arm. "Oh the gods! The initiates! Carter, we have to get back!"

"I know, Sadie, but being stuck here isn't going to help." Carter looked at Mark. "Can I have my khopesh back now?"

"You're what?" Mark asked, dumbfounded.

"The sword. And the rest of my stuff." The girl elbowed him. "And Sadie's stuff." Mark and Joe looked at Louisa who nodded. They handed the kids' belongings over. "Thanks. Err... where's the nearest Egyptian relic?"

"Hold on... Egyptian?" Louisa frowned. "Dude, ya just happen to be in the middle of Camp Half Blood. A camp full of Greek demigods." Sadie and Carter looked at each other. Then they started laughing. Louisa bristled. "What'd ya think's so funny?"

"Not you, don't worry. But it does explain that weird dragon thing by that pine tree."

"Yeah, I didn't recognise it as any Egyptian demon." Carter agreed. Louisa studied the two, hands on her hips, for once, absolutely lost for words. "Anyway, what's this 'big three' thing, anyway?" Louisa bit her lip thoughtfully.

"Hold on, I'm gonna go get ma brother."

Percy stared at his sister, as if she had gone mad. Well, even more mad. Louisa sighed. "Yes, the Hermes cabin appeared with a white flag. Yes, there are Egyptian... whatevers in the Hermes cabin. And yes, I'm going mad." Percy laughed and got to his feet.

At the Hermes cabin, Carter and Sadie had settled in well. Sadie was very confident- maybe slightly over-confident. Carter seemed to be formulating some sort of plan.

"Hey, Carter, she's back." Sadie said, locking eyes momentarily with Louisa. Carter looked round. "That you're brother?" Sadie asked.

"Yeah. Percy, Sadie and Carter. Sadie and Carter, Percy."

"Hi," they said at the same time. Percy grinned. "So, what's with the boomerangs and the pyjamas and so on?" Sadie scowled at him.

"They're not boomerangs. All Egyptian magicians have them and they're wands." When she said 'wands', the twins both instantly thought of Harry Potter. "Our wands and staffs help us channel our magic."

"Erm... right. And the sword?"

"I'm studying the path of Horus." Carter said.

"Of who?"

"Horus." Carter looked round at the entire cabin full's worth of blank and confused expressions. "Egyptian god of war and hunting? Conqueror of Set? Falcon headed god? Any of it ringing a bell?"

"Nope." The twins smiled sweetly.

"What are you two up to?" Annabeth walked into the Hermes cabin. She saw Carter and Sadie.

"Twins, what have you done?"

"Nothing. It was the Hermes lot who had found them. And-"

"They tied 'em up 'n' took away their stuff." Louisa finished. Annabeth narrowed her eyes suspiciously at the twins. Sometimes, they could be worse than the Hermes lot.

"We're completely innocent." They said at the same time.

"Just this once, I take it?" The twins nodded. Annabeth sighed and walked forward, stopping when she stood between the twins. "Do you two mind explaining this... Egyptian stuff?" Carter and Sadie sighed, but briefly described to their audience, what had been happening in their lives for the past few months. "And there's this giant snake, Apophis-" Louisa interrupted Sadie.

"Wait. Did ya say 'snake'?"

"Yeah, why?" Louisa looked like she was going to be sick. "You OK?" She nodded and mumbled something about getting some air. Percy watched his sister leave, curiosity and worry on his features. "Erm..."

"Carry on. Percy, go check on her." Annabeth said firmly. Percy was about to protest, but there was a steely gleam in her stormy grey eyes, so he obeyed.

Percy found his younger sister sitting by the stream, her knees drawn up to her chest, her arms around her stomach and her chin on her knees.

"You alright, Lou?" Louisa didn't answer for a while, so Percy repeated his question, with more firmness in his tone and speaking up.

"Mm-hm." She nodded slightly.

"Then why did you-?"

"Don't like snakes." She mumbled.

"You don't like snakes?" She shook her head, a strand of thick black hair falling lose from behind her ear. "Lou, what's up with snakes?"

"I dunno... they're... creepy. Don't like 'em." Percy would have laughed if he hadn't seen how distressed his sister was. Percy sighed and sat next to her.

"So, just snakes?" He asked after a few minutes of silence.

"Huh?" Percy gave her that big-brother Look. "Oh, erm..." Louisa bit her lip, thinking.

"C'mon, sis. You don't need to think about what you're scared off." Louisa raised her head and stared at the creek. Percy waited patiently.

"Needles." Louisa looked at him, half-expecting her brother to laugh. But he didn't. He smiled kindly. "What are you scared of?" Percy faltered at the unexpected question. Normally, he could tell what his twin was thinking and vice-a-versa.

"Er... losing someone close." Louisa was still watching him. "Like, family, friends-"

"Annabeth?"

"Yeah, her too."

"Everything, alright?" The twins looked up. Annabeth was towering over them, smiling kindly. Sadie and Carter stood behind her.

"Yup. Lovely twin heart-to-heart." The twins got to their feet, brushing the seat of their slightly baggy jeans down. Annabeth's smile broadened, with her hands on her hips.