Arkham Asylum
June 30
14:09

Another laugh escaped and echoed through his palace. Another shiver ran through Percy's skin, and the familiar colony of ants crawled around his back. The interviewers stood still, insensitive to the scratching-on-the-black-board kind of laugh of the mad man. An hour slowly and painfully went by and all the Joker could do was laugh. If Annabeth were here she would have heated up like the forges of Hephaestus, or be creeped out by the Joker's gruesome appearance. He was skinny, paler than a dead man. Green hair hung from his triangular shaped head, and a pointy nose to match. He would have looked like any of the other hideous monsters Percy had faced, if not for the frightening grin as a permanent expression. What horrified him most was that the Joker's face almost looked like it was going off like a mask. He could almost spot the muscles on the corners of the smile as the Joker tried to hold his face together.

"The crowbar would be an excellent approach in gaining information," Damian suggested.

"Not this time, D," Dick responded with a sigh.

Percy didn't really get most of the words shared between the two, but if physical stimulation was needed to get the job done, now was the time. And Percy had been wanting to beat this mad man ever since a chuckle came out of his smiling mouth.

"I don't think this is working," Frank whispered.

"Nothing ever works with these guys!" The Joker…well joked, Percy didn't know whom he was referring to. "And soon they'll abandon you to spread their wings at night."

Percy was told not to believe this man no matter what he spits up, but that didn't stop him to thinking about what he said. He looked at the faces of his quest leaders, something about their faces didn't scream the usual expression they usually wore. Something the Joker said seemed to have bothered them. He quickly set the thought aside and nudged Piper in the arm, as if telling her it was her turn. She nodded and turned to face the green haired man.

"Who is your partner?" she demanded with the strongest charmspeak Percy heard her do. He even felt his own heart longing to answer the question yet his mind was blank. Dick's mouth opened like it had a mind of its own, but he quickly closed it. They all watched as a wave of laughter passed the Joker's lips, completely oblivious to the charmspeak.

"It feels like a feather's tickling my chest, oh stop it!" the Joker made an action to look like he was really getting tickled and laughed some more. Piper moved back in shock and that's when Damian lunged forward.

The knife he was carrying stopped right at the Joker's neck, its tip slowly deepening the small bleeding wound he made.
"You're lucky I don't have the crowbar this time to wipe that pathetic grin of your face!" Damian snarled. "Or would you rather I peel that already falling face of yours?"

"Boy blunder, you shouldn't have! I love surprises, and how kind of you to notice my face, I have been wearing it for a long time you know!"

"Damian, stop," Dick ordered, but the little boy refused to listen and continued holding his knife at the mad man's neck.

"Don't worry, I'll make it slow and agonizing."

The five of them had but little refuge as an explosion blasted the right wall of the small room. Percy felt Riptide in his pocket as the three of them ducked and covered themselves to face the future debris. Smoke engulfed the room and Percy heard sounds of punching and people being punched. He quickly stood up and readied himself for anything that could pop out of the wading smoke, it looked like something you would see in cartoons only… much weirder.

Percy felt the tips of his hair burn as a fireball was hurled to the spot next to him. Slowly the lights dimmed and only his now in sword mode Riptide glowed. He stuck to where he was in fear of losing Frank and Piper, who were now standing.
The first baddie that came to appear was a pale faced lady with a black tight suit and a blue cape. She had sharp nails and black eyeballs with white pupils and according to his glowing sword, her feet were off the ground. A swirl of black smoke seemed to have formed a shape around her and Percy took that as an action of attack. He tried driving his sword towards her but her cloud deflected it, it was rock solid.

"Piper, now!" he shouted.

He changed positions with his sword as Piper swiped her knife to the monster's arm. The monster writhed in pain and the lights brightened the room, giving Percy a clear view of the battle. The explosion made a hole in the wall and a funny looking portal right in front of it. The Joker stepped out, still in cuffs, and cried out.

"That's right, I found out your little army, Batsy or should I say circus boy blunder! When I get back, we're gonna have so much fun!" Then the Joker stepped in the portal and disappeared. All the rescuers glanced at the portal and Percy dove for the kill.

The celestial bronze cut through the monster's flesh and bone… if there was any. The monster screamed and before Percy could enjoy a little victory, a pair of arms grabbed him by the shoulders and hauled him up into the air. His vision went upside down as the arms continuously turned him around, he only saw bits and pieces of Frank and Piper rushing to his aid.
Just when Percy thought he was going to puke, a small object flew from the already rising mist and pinned itself in one of the arms that was holding him. It exploded before Percy could take in the shape, and he found himself back in the ground.

As he slowly tried to regain his sight, the monsters were already starting to regroup to where they first came in, the portal still swirling out of nothing. And before Percy and his friends could reach them, the biggest of the monsters punched the already crumbling wall, which sent the whole wall crashing down. More smoke filled the room as Percy and the rest covered themselves from the falling debris.

"Knew it wasn't just a walk in the park," Damian grumbled as he tried cleaning himself from the dust.

"It never is with the Joker," Dick sighed.

"And what's worse, he knows our identities, Grayson! We're a walking target even during the day."

"Enough, I've had it with your secrecy," Piper spoke in. "Was that a bomb shaped like a bat? And I know you threw that, Damian… who are you?"

Dick glanced at his little brother first before explaining everything.


Big House, CHB
June 29
18:01

"We have a dungeon?" Leo asked as they set down who they're starting to call Maxie down in the Big House. The campers survived the battle and luckily the monsters didn't reform like they used to, though some of them still made sure by stabbing their swords on the beats multiple times. They barely made it out and fortunately it wasn't as big as the other forces that once attacked the camp. Some of the counselors grinned at Leo's question and he was just grateful they still had the strength to smile.
As soon as Maxie was set down he smirked and gave another evil laugh, the campers rolled their eyes. He started to speak even before the interrogation could even begin.

"Fools, all of you! You are fortunate my Olympians are not here or you would have been crushed by their might. Enjoy your small victory for now for this skirmish isn't even near to what my mistress has in store."

"Not with the mistress biz again," Travis whined.

"She has promised me Olympus, and this small encampment is little of my reward," Maxie continued.

Clarisse pushed her way and stood towering over their prisoner, "who is your mistress?!"

"Something far greater than the giants, the mother of Fates herself!"

The leaders shifted at his answer. They all casted worried glances and Leo was left clueless. Since when did the Fates have a mother? He thought they just appeared or something. He looked at his friends for some answers, as usual, Annabeth was thinking about it most. But something felt really scary from her face, an expression of pure horror, which she tries to hide with every dilemma. Some other counselor whom Leo couldn't address spoke in almost a whisper.

"You monster"

"No, you have brought the monster and I believe he will do more harm to you as help."


TERRIBLY TERRIBLY SORRY FOR THE LONG UPDATE. I've had the bad case of writer's block plus laziness plus busy-ness so it was kinda hard for me to write this one. I'll try as hard as I can to continue this fic as well as my other fic. Again, I apologize for letting you suffer painfully, thank you for waiting!

P.S. Maxie Zeus is really a villain from DC, Batman's villain. Actually he's dead but he came back somehow I don't really know. You could just research on him as I tell the story.