Author's Note: Chapter 9 is here, all right. By the by, the reason it took me three days is beceause each time I tried to upload the doc, it was somewhy filled with codes and all that nonsense. Well, here we go.

*Percy.*

Percy focused on his hands, and a lightning bolt sprang to life. He placed it very carefully between his feet grounding it, and slammed the chain holding his two hands tied on its tip. The celestial bronze chains gave in with a feeble sound, and Percy rubbed his wrists. He then lifted the bolt from the ground and proceeded to untie his friends. "Let's go, guys. I think I have a stupid plan." A voice boomed loudly in the distance;"WHO WANTS TO SEE DEMIGOD BLOOD?" echoed the giant's voice, followed by the spectators' wild yells and cheers. "You are seriously going to fight that?" asked Nico, looking slightly impressed.

"I hope he's gonna accept," replied Percy, and pushed open the doors revealing the Arena in all its glory. Instantly, every single noise died down, and Percy could feel the stares directed toward them. He waited for somehing to happen, but the awkward silence was too much for him to handle. He walked forward to the center of the Arena, and a part of him thanked the gods the battles hadn't started yet; he would have hated to find himself in between a fight opposing a cyclope and a hellhound or something like that. He took a deep breath, raised his head and stared directly at the giant, who was sitting on his throne, looking slightly intersted and surprised.

"I challenge you in a battle to the death, right here and right now," Percy proclaimed loudly, hoping he sounded just as confident as he wanted to. "You... challenge ME?" sneered the giant, getting up from his throne. He had barely finished his sentence when all the spectators erupted in very loud laughter. The giant raised his hand, and it was as if he turned a switch off. "Well, hear me, half-blood. Since you willingly came into our Arena, and had the skill to escape our prison," he stopped and glared at the guards behind him, who seemed to turn into ants under his stare, "Well, sons of Zeus are very hard to find, and often provide the best entertainment." Percy gritted his teeth and glared at him; being continually mistaken for a 'son of Zeus' had really started to get on his nerves. And he was anything BUT an 'entertainment'.

"I will consider your offer. But first of all, a little warm up." The giant clapped his hands, and the door before Percy opened. When his soon-to-be opponent got out, Percy's jaw dropped. "I have a soldier who wants to get revenge on you and your little group," said the giant with an evil smile. The demon they'd met right before the flood in the Labyrinth marched forward, glaring murderously at the demigod. His left arm below the mid-forearm had been amputated, courtesey of Percy but it didn't make him look less dangerous.

"Oh man, you again?!" moaned Percy. He didn't expect that at all, and from what he remembered they had nearly no chance to defeat this guy. "Yes, me again," growled the monster, and Percy noticed that he had Piper's dagger in his right palm. "I believe this is yours," he added, and before Percy could process what his foe had said, the monster threw the dagger at him with deadly accuracy. He couldn't react, didn't even have time to scream. At the last moment, he felt something collide with him, and he was sent to the ground. Percy turned his head and saw it was Piper who had thrown him out of the way, now laying on top of him. He opened his mouth to thank her, but he was interrupted by the monster.

"Do you know how painful it is, to have your arm cut off?" asked the monster calmly, quietly, sounding like a godsdamned psycopath. "It's would painful, I guess," replied Percy through gritted teeth. "Yes. I hope you will enjoy the pain, because your friends won't be allowed to help you; it's a one on one battle," said the giant,grinning at them all gleefully. Percy did his best to hide his fear, and gently pushed Piper aside. He glared up at the giant and got up.

"Well, if I win, you have to agree to give me back Hades's Helm of Darkness and free Nico's sister," he said defiantly. The giant seemed to ponder for a second, then answered with a wicked expression: "That is "if" you win. Take his friends away from him, help isn't allowed. And bring me the daughter of Hades." Piper, who had gotten up, looked at Percy, and he squeezed her shoulder reassuringly. She didn't look convinced, and he leaned forward. "Look, if I'm about to lose, throw me the Master Bolt. You use the sword. For now, keep it and the sword. Go!" he whispered in her ear. She nodded sharply, and right before following the guards leading her away, she kissed him; "Be safe,okay?"

"How touching," snorted the monster, not looking the slightest bit worried. Percy smiled and nodded at Piper, and she followed Nico and Gleeson Hedge through a set of stairs that led them to the thrones. After a few moments, they were standing next to the giant, surrounded by three cyclope guards. Two more of the monsters came back, dragging an unconscious girl. Percy was too far to make out a detailed description of her, but when the two monsters dropped her on the grounds, he saw Nico jump forward and catch her. The giant didn't even seem to acknowledge what was happening before him,and he raised his hand.

"Now, let the fight... BEGIN!" The huge hand came down and the battle was on!

Percy summoned a bolt; he had insisted Piper keep the sword and the bag, and instructed her to throw him the Bolt if things went downhill, but wondered if it was a good choice. He was starting to think that he should have brought out the big gun for this particular monster. Big... and FAST!? Piper was watching him with a worried expression from the steps in front of the thrones. He mouthed an 'It's okay' at her, then returned his attention to his enemy. Regrettably, he felt a slight pain in his back coming back again. The Master Bolt hadn't completely healed it, but it was bearable.

"Come here, little godling. Show me what little skills you have!" said the monster softly. Percy gripped his bolt, and approached slowly. When he was close to his opponent, he feinted to the left, then went to the other direction, thrusting his weapon forward, all within a few seconds. The monster hadn't caught up with the ruse, and Percy saw his opening; he STRUCK hard and fast and deep! The result was a deep wound in the monster's stomach, making him groan loudly. He recovered enough to lash out at Percy, who dodged the strike, and backed away fast! He was faster than the monster in combat, but inflicting small wounds wouldn't get him anywhere, he decided. The strike he got in wasn't deep enough. Percy realized he was going to have to end this quick. Going around his foe, who was watching closely he picked a sprint, and when he was less than six feet away, he leaped in the air using the air to boost himself, and thrust his bolt in mid air aiming at the hideous face of the monster.

The material of the lightning burned through the monster's cheek, leaving him howling in pain. Percy landed on the ground and rolled under the monster's legs; he jumped back up on his feet and spun around wildly, tracing a blue-white arc across the height of the huge beast, slashing through the back of a large ankle. He heard the spectators let out loud cheers, while the giant shouted: "Not bad, not bad! ButI will crush you, demigod!" snarled the hideous thing, and threw a vertical punch at Percy. The half-blood jumped away clumsily, not having expected the hit, and his left arm was caught under the mighty fist.

Percy's scream of pain tore through the air, and he felt the bones in his arms snap in several spots. His vision blurred and feeling weakened by the pain, Percy didn't even try to move out of the way when the monster's foot connected with his chest, sending him flying away and landing brutally on the ground. The world around him spun, and Percy vaguely heard someone screaming: "No!" His bolt had slipped away from his hand, but he couldn't care less; since the moment the monster broke his arm bones, there was no Arena, no fight, no stupid Helm, nothing...just him, and the unbearable pain in his arm. And to make it worse, the pain in his back was starting to grow and grow...

"Is that all you can do?" laughed a voice, while a scream of horror that wasn't his was lost under the shouts of the spectators. "PERCY! THE MASTER BOLT!" This seemed to wake him up; no, he didn't need help to finish this monster. He didn't want help. He somehow felt pure anger toward that smug bastard, and it gave him enough strength to temporarily ignore the pain. He slowly stood up, every single move a torture for him, but he held his grounds. The spectators held their collective breath, while Percy shook his head at Piper, and spoke, grinning stupidly at his foe: "I'm just getting warmed up." Cheers erupted from the crowd, most of them encouraging the monster to finish Percy off.

"Good. Me too," snarled the monster.

Percy squeezed his eyes, and coughed in his hand. The monster snorted and marched forward, cracking his knuckles. "It doesn't matter what you do, only an immortal can kill me." He grinned wildly, and godsdammit but Percy wanted to punch that smile off his face. A very high-pitched whistle echoed in the air, and Percy gripped his ears. "Well, it's a good thing I am tasked to help him, then," said a raspy, tortured but feminine voice. Percy jumped in surprise, and his head snapped up. When he recognized this...being who appeared out of nowhere, he gaped at the unexpected ally. From the corner of his eyes, he saw the monster back up slightly, just as shocked as everyone else was.

There stood, in all her terrifying glory, his algebra teacher who tried to murder him: Mrs. Dodds!

She was just like Percy remembered her: same clothes,same gray hair same permanent scowl, like she was going to yell at him over a mistake he made. "This is not just about the valor of some otherwise useless boy! It's about the symbol of power of my Master, Lord Hades!" Tghe Immortal Torturer of the Damned snarled and spit out her message to th now quaking giant. The only thing changed about her was...the two large, parchment-like wings on her back. "A-a...Fury!" stuttered the monster at Percy's side. "Why, yes. Alecto, myself!" snarled Mrs. Dodds back, but with a savage smirk. "Lord Hades sent me to watch over you boy, and with the only condition not to kill you." She pouted. "But this damned labyrinth made that a bit hard, and since I just found who the thief is, I will be happy to help anyone kill him. Even a half-blood."

Percy was at loss for words; at first, he wanted to yell at her: "Oh, f*ck you!" She had tried to murder him for the gods' sake! But remembering that he could use some help, he kept his mouth shut. "I-I...I am not afraid of you," claimed the monster, his pompous tone not hiding the fear in his voice, while the giant was looking at them nervously, his skin as pale as death warmed over. Mrs. Dodds grinned, and started to tremble. A second later, her bat-monster form had taken the place of her schoolteacher form, except much larger than the last time Percy saw her. She was HUGE!

"You say only an immortal can kill you? Well, I am an immortal!" She spat, then glared at Percy. "Unless you can still fight, I suggest you step aside, mortal boy," she sneered. Percy closed his gaping mouth, and putting aside his anger and hatred for her, he grinned. The monster standing next to Percy swallowed thickly, probably realizing he didn't have much of a chance to make it. He looked back fearfully, and a large mass landed next to him, provoking a mini earthquake. It was the giant.

"You can say whatever you want, Alecto, I have the symbol of your master!" He bellowed. Mrs. Dodds didn't seem to take that last comment nicely, and faster than any of the two massive opponents, she attacked. The Fury deserved her name, Percy thought. His old algebra teacher ripped the monster to shreds, clinging on him and always moving, like a spider. In a few seconds, the monster Percy had barely managed to wound was dead, the bat-like monster standing over what was left of him, just a few pieces of flesh and skin. The Fury let out a growl, a bloody bone in her mouth as she chewed and chewed. She spat out splinters and chunks of gore, all while grinning madly at the crowd.

The giant lifted his abnormally large sword, the crown over his head radiating more fear than ever. Alecto dodged a mighty slash, and flew a few feet away, apparently not completely immune to the Helm's power. "Are you going to stand their dumbly, or do something?" she snarled at Percy. The demigod rubbed his eyes with his good hand, and the bolt he had dropped on the ground when he got hit by the monster disappeared. As if put back in his good hand by magic, it reappeared just when he needed it the most! "Well,all right Mrs. Dodds," he said with a smirk. "If you're just as good in fighting as in being a bossy teacher, I think we can take this moron down!"

The Fury was pretty much the only reason Percy could keep up his end with a broken arm. The giant actually didn't seem to be worried about Percy. He hadn't even managed to land a hit on the algebra teacher, and the demigod could see he was panicking. It was the Fury he was worried about! Percy dodged a foot that almost crushed him, and he jumped away, throwing his weapon at the same time. The projectile released an electric discharge on its target, and the giant dropped his sword, looking slightly dazed, not noticing Mrs. Dodds leaping at him until it was too late.

The Fury threw the other immortal to the ground, pinning him and she looked back to glare at Percy with her monstrous face. Percy got the message and a lightning bolt appeared in his hand. He approached the struggling giant, ready to

plunge it in his heart, but a scream pierced the air. "Help me!" cried the huge "Master of the Arena", desperately trying to escape Alecto's grip. A second passed, then another, and nobody seemed to want answer the giant's call, but then... one cyclope landed brutally on the grounds, followed qhickly by another. Soon, all the spectators got up and jumped out of the stands and into the main arena. "Um... oh,shit?" It was more a statement than a question, but Percy couldn't see how they could win. He dodged a spear aimed at him, and slashed a cyclope's arm off.

The son of Ouranos shook his head, and turned his head to where his friends and Bianca were held. They hadn't even had the chance to move, and if they did they would have been swarmed by the sea of attackers. Percy didn't blame them. "Piper!" He yelled, and thankfully, she got the message. She took the bag hanging on her back, opened it, ...and accidentally dropped it. She looked at Percy, horrified, and he mouthed 'It's okay' at her. But it was not okay. A few feet ahead of him, the Fury was tearing through the attackers, but even she couldn't overpower the large mass. Either Percy got that damned Bolt, or it was Game OVER.

Percy dodged and slashed, dodged again, and he was tiring quickly, rendered almost paralyzed by the pain in his arm and back. He looked to the side and saw that monsters were backing away from him, and he felt a pang of relief...Only to realize they were doing so beceause the giant was running toward him like a furious elephant. Percy swallowed and fell to

his knees, closing his eyes. He turned, his back facing the giant, looking for the godsforsaken bag, but he knew it was lost. A stupid idea came to him, and he decided he had nothing to lose.

Time seemed to slow down as his right arm shot to the side, awaiting while Percy was concentrating all he could to try and influence the weapon of Absolute Lightning to make it reach out to him. At first, nothing happened. He could feel the giant was a few feet away, and was going to crush him in a split second, but he waited...and it paid off. Something went right through the monsters, going in a straight line and landed in Percy's waiting hand. The small cylinder grew to the five foot long godly spear of pure power, radiating raw electricity at the level of a nuclear weapon, a Weapon of Mass Destruction!

Percy could even feel, hear(!?eee) a small, vibrating sound, as the weapon seemed to shake in his hand and in his very senses, and he spun wildly just in time to hurl a powerful kick to the giant's stomach, sending him flying away from them at a tremendous speed. Percy raised the bolt, and slammed it on the ground with all his might. The loud noise of rumbling thunder echoed in the cavern, and the grounds shook. Power flooded through him, and Percy's arm stopped throbbing so very painfully. He looked up with a grin matching Alecto's, and pointed the weapon at the horde of monsters who backed up, obviously startled to see their leader so easily beaten, and by a... boy?

"You're not the only one with a godly weapon, bitch. Too bad I'm the only one who can actually do something else than look scary," he snarled, his voice ringing throughout the entire arena while the giant was just getting up. The giant was bleeding, bleeding golden blood and looking like he just got hit by an InterContinental Ballistic Missile to the face! The giant took an unsteady step back. Obviously, it couldn't be mistaken for a normal bolt. Then he blurted out. "You can take whatever you want-"

"Of course I will," snapped the Fury, appearing at Percy's side. "You'll give my Master's Helm back to me, and do whatever you promised the boy. I have no orders regarding the twins, but it would be wise to surrender them as well, idiot, as my Lord will think well of you for it. But only if they are unharmed." Percy shot a huge lightning blast, barely a few inches away from the giant, who cowed away. "Take the boy and the girl," the badly injured immortal beast groaned, then took off the Helm of Darkness and threw it on the ground. "Here, take this. Just leave." Percy smiled, and Alecto literally jumped on the Helm of Darkness. Grabbing it, she turned to him. "If you succeed in bringing his children to safety and keep their identity a secret," she pressed the world 'secret' threatningly, "Lord Hades will owe you a favor, demigod. Swear to me that you will do that, and I will bring you back to your beloved city." Percy replied, "I swear it."

Percy was jolted awake. He was laying on bare ground. His hands instinctively went to his eyes and squeezed them. He laid there for a few seconds, until he got up to a sitting position. Almost instantly, he felt a sharp pain in his back and in his left arm. "You're in New York," said a voice in condescending tone. Percy looked up and saw Mrs. Dodds standing before him, the Helm of Darkness tucked under her arm. His head turned to each side, looking for his friends, and he saw Piper laying on the ground next to him, but no trace of Nico, his sister or Hedge.

"They are at your camp," said the Fury to Percy's alarmed look. She then leaned and pointed a very sharp finger; "I have an order for you. You keep the twins' identy a secret, just say they are two demigods you rescued on your way."

He nodded, and she started to walk away, but stopped. "One more thing. I'll let you go this time Jackson, but if I ever catch you wrong, even a toe..." "Gotcha," replied Percy, nodding again equally solemn. The Fury scowled and then disapeared in thin air.

The demigod turned to Piper and shook her lightly. "Hey...Piper...wake up." In response, she turned and let out a soft: "Not now." Percy shook her harder, and she yawned, stretching like a cat. The daughter of Aphrodite opened her eyes and stared at Percy confusedly. "We're in the Big Apple," he said weakly, "thanks to Mrs. Dodds." "Where are the others?!" asked Piper; clearly, the beautiful and muzzy daughter of the goddess of love was very alarmed. Percy smiled faintly and explained to her what happened. She seemed to calm down when she knew that the others were okay, and she curiously looked around. "We're in New York City...but where, exactly?"

Percy hadn't noticed, but the place was familiar. He looked up, and saw right before him the door he closed behind him the last time just several months ago. He was standing right before his mom's apartment! "That's...my home." He said, surprised. "You mean...that's the apartment you and your mom live in?" asked Piper, now almost completely in shock. "Me, my mom and my...'stepfather'." The word 'stepfather' wasn't anywheres near accurate.'Useless-detestable-and-douchy-guy- I-have-no-idea-why-I'm-related-to-him' was a far more fitting description of Gabe Ugliano.

"Why didn't the Fury send us to camp?" wondered Piper, but Percy merely shrugged in response; which instantly caused him to wince. "I think you should...rest a bit inside. At least until you can walk." "Or fly," joked Percy, earning a smile from his girlfriend. The major-league beautiful daughter of Aphrodite got up, and helped him up. Sadly, his knees gave in, and she passed an arm around his waist to support him.

"Sorry," muttered Percy. "Don't be stupid," replied Piper. She then kissed his cheek, and knocked on the door.A second passed, then another...and Percy heard his mom's voice, the seetest voice Percy thought there ever could be, saying "I'm coming!" His heart started to beat faster against his rib-cage, and in spite of himself, he started to wonder anxiously, "What if she was mad that I didn't contact her? What if she...?" But all those doubts were brushed aside when he saw her, swinging the door open, the usual warm smile on her face, wearing the apron she always put on to make her signature blue chocolate chip cookies when he was a kid. He stared at her, a half-smile on his face, and he saw the spark of recognition in her eyes.

"Oh my God! Percy!" She cried as she flung her arms around him. Piper gently let go of him and smiled, while Percy wrapped his good arm around his mom. "Yeah, it's me," he said, and she took a step back cupping his face and examining him with a mother's eyes for her only child. "Oh my God, you've grown since last time...! What are you doing, where were you; are you hurt? And who might this be?" she added with a smile directed to Piper. "That's Piper...She's a ...friend," said Percy guardedly. Sally extended her arm and shook Piper's hand. "Hello! It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Percy's mother, Sally Jackson. Thank you for helping Percy get home".

"Umm...mom, could we...come in? I'm a bit...tired," coughed Percy. He was glad to see his mom, but there was one tiny detail...and it was that his fractures were on fire. And there were a few of them now. "Of course, of course!" said his mom hurriedly, opening the door completely. Percy walked clumsily inside, and fell on the closest thing that wasn't the floor, namely the couch. Piper sat next to him obviously worried, and Sally went to the kitchen, oblivious to it all.

"How do you feel?" whispered Piper. "Do you want something to eat? Or some lemonade?" called Sally from the kitchen.

"Um...some lemonade please," asked Percy. He shifted position, and took off the back pack containing Zeus's symbol of power. It didn't ease up the pain. "Percy, I think we should get you to the hospital-" urged Piper, but she

was cut off by Sally, who arrived holding a plate with three glasses full of lemonade. "Here, have some," said Sally. Percy forced himself to sit and took a sip of the drink. MMmmmm! Cold and delicious! Better than nectar or ambrosia!

"So, Percy, where have you been?" asked Sally, her happy face changing to a serious one. "I was worried, all that I got as a confirmation that you arrived at Camp safely was a call from this 'camp director' who gave his name as Chiron or something, and who told me you were okay, but you didn't actually get there!" "Mom, I...I was..." stammered Percy, but every single bit of him wanted to roll over and sleep. He had experienced fear, shock, pain, all of them in a row, and he was utterly exhausted. He got up shakily, and tried to blurt an excuse. "I'm tired...I'll explain later. I just have to-"

But he didn't get to finish his sentence. The tiredness of his battles finally caught him up, and he collapsed then and there. He didn't even hear both his mom and Piper screaming his name. When Percy woke up, he was laying on his stomach. Something very cold was pressed to his back, and he felt a slight shudder. "Where am I?" He wondered out loud, and it was a familiar voice that answered, making him jump in surprise. "You collapsed about a half hour ago. That's an ice pack on your back," said Piper, sitting on his bed. She ran a hand on his back, and he turned slowly.

For what felt like the first time, he caught a glimpse of Piper. She was there, looking worriedly at him, and he got in a sitting position and hugged her. He didn't know why he felt so relieved to see her, but he guessed it was the shock coming after all that he'd lived through, or an effect of the lack of sleep. Or a combination of them.

"Your stepdad's here," Piper told Percy. "Your mom asked me to stay with you. She wanted to get you to the hospital, but, well he came in at the wrong moment. He said something about delinquency... they're shouting at each other right now." Percy broke the hug and winced, but it wasn't because of his wounds. He wasn't quite sure of whether he was dreaming or not, but he was sure of one thing: he would give almost anything to get up and beat the Hades out of Gabe!

"Maybe we should get back to camp and be done with the quest," suggested Piper. "Or I could...I don't know... charmspeak your stepdad to..." "No. I just...don't know what to do," muttered Percy, sitting next to her. His back felt better, but his arm still tortured him. "I'm just...sick of him, I guess. I want to tell him to get the hell away,but..."

He caught his face in his hands. Then, making a sudden decision, he looked around for the bag. He spotted it right beside his bed and grabbed it.

Not answering Piper's questioning look, his fingers brushed against the godly weapon inside, and he felt his pain go away again. It wasn't completely healing him, but it was enough to make him able to move again, and comfortably. He got up, walked to his room's door and opened it. Just like Piper said, Gabe was there, his arms bumped by his large belly, glaring at the woman on the other side of the room, the same woman who looked terrified and hurt. That woman was Percy's mom. And at that moment, the half-blood knew his stepfather had hit her.

And not for the first time, either. But the latest out of many times. He did it without even Percy noticing, and it explained why she didn't leave this douchebag already; she was afraid of him. Feeling the pure fury taking him over, Percy had to restrain himself from punching this guy and sending him through the roof. He had originally planned to just physically break them apart and stop the quarrel. But now he wanted one thing, and one thing ONLY, and Gabe wouldn't stop him from accomplishing that thing. Ohhh, NOooooooo...!

The son of Ouranos had faced a lot of things in the last few days: monsters of all sorts, demons, tight situations, and even a god! And now, he didn't feel the slightest ounce of fear as he stalked toward Gabe, glared at him and said in a very calm, but strong voice: "Gabe, get out of this house." A silence followed those noble words, and Percy waited. It didn't matter what Gabe's reaction was; today was the last day Sally would have to endure his bullshit.

"What did you just say to me?" asked the obese moron, looking positively gleeful to have a reason to hit Percy. "Percy, please, stay out of this-" started Sally, looking worried, but Percy cut her off. "No," he said simply. "Mom, this bastard doesn't respect you. Heck, he doesn't even support you! He just hits you! And now, he's gonna leave, because he doesn't deserve you." Gabe cracked his knuckles, and Sally took a step forward, but one glare from Smelly Ugly Gabe made her sit down and swallow thickly. This only angered Percy even more, but he waited. He steeled himself, and felt the raw strength the bolt channeled into him, in addition to the one extra power he'd learned to use at desperate times.

"You're gonna learn to talk polite to me. I'll give you a lesson, you little punk," sneered Percy's slovenly, obese, good-for-less-than-nothing so-called step...whatEVER he was, and backing up he threw a punch at Percy's face. Percy just couldn't wait for THIS! The demigod saw it coming and waited, waited...until it connected to his jaw, and Gabe's greasy paw bounced off with a wet crack that certainly wasn't Percy's bones. Gabe's eyes widened in surprise to nearly the size of teacup saucers, and then the pain REALLY registered, and he jumped away a good ten feet, holding his hand and gritting his teeth, his eyes watering like twin rheumy waterfalls!

"AARGH! YOU LITTLE-!" He didn't seem to find the words and stood there, whimpering and moaning in pain. Percy crossed his arms over his chest, and repeated: "First shot's for free, you fat sack of shit. Get the fuck out of here. Or I'll hit YOU. And remember; if you're best shot only got you a broken hand, then just imagine what MY Best Shot will get you." Gabe looked torn between trying to puch him again and running away. He gritted his teeth, and took a few steps back, and, throwing one last glare at Percy, he went to hide in the kitchen. Sally was the first to react; she leaped at Percy and examined his face, looking extremly worried.

"Percy, what was that? How...?" She asked in a whisper, brushing her fingers against his cheeks, looking for any bruise. "It has something to do with dad," replied Percy softly, and she froze. "I'll explain later on but trust me, you don't have to listen to him or even stay with him anymore. And if he tries anything, I'll personally kick him out."

"Oh really? Think you'll do that, do you?" snarled a familiar voice, and they both turned to see Gabe, an icepack on his hand. "Listen to me, punk. I don't know what just happened, but what I DO know is that when my friends come here, you'll wish you were never born."

Percy felt Sally grip his arm, but he had all his attention on Gabe. "I'd like to see them try," Percy sneered. "A bunch of jobless poker players. What a nightmare." Gabe glared at him, and took out a knife from the kitchen. It was long

and sharp, and handled by a shaking hand. "Yeah, show me what you're gonna do with that thing," said Percy, carelessly stepping forward. "But, uhm, do you mind if I take out my own weapon?" He pointed a finger at his stepfather, a small spark shot through it to hit the knife. A moment later, Gabe dropped it, screaming in surprise. The blade was scorched and cracked where the little shot had hit. But Percy wasn't done. Oh, no. Not-By-A-Mile.

He grabbed Gabe by the collar of his shirt, oblivious to his struggle to run away, and dragged him to the manhandled the larger male almost as easily as if he were a child. He glared one last time at the fat bastard, and threw him out, watching him sail down the twenty feet or so to the pavement below. A small feeling of satisfaction flowed through him, and he restrained himself from laughing; he had just done what he metaphorically wanted to do with his problems: throw them out of the window. Of course, he hadn't killed Gabe. Simply willed the winds to slow down his fall until he landed in the trash right behind the bulding. An absolutely appropriate way to deal with trash like Gabe; throw the trash out with the rest of the trash!

"Percy, did you just..." started his mom, but he shook his head. "Relax, mom, he's fine. He just landed in the trash right where he belongs," he said with a smile. Sally seemed to be astonished, and she hurried to the window, looking

around, when she spotted Gabe, deposited squarely in the large green bin directly below the window. "How is he still alive? And how did you do that thing earlier? How...?" Questions came flooding from her mouth, but Percy went to the couch and sat down, smiling at her.

"I guess it's time to catch up, huh?"

It had taken some time to convince his mom, but in the end, she accepted the truth: that her boyfriend had actually been Ouranos,the Primordial god of the skies and that her son was a half-blood; that he was on a quest to stop a civil war between the Olympians. Percy felt relieved now that his mom knew everything and she agreed to let him go to Camp Half-Blood. But it felt a little difficult to tell her about their quest, espescially with her worrying every time they mentioned a fight. Piper had joined them, and they were now sitting in the kitchen, eating blue chocolate chip cookies made a week earlier by Sally and forgotten in the fridge since then. Piper marvelled at the amazing flavor, and to Percy they were better than anything else he'd ever had. They still tasted as good as the day they were made!

Despite the last few stressful days, Percy felt like he'd never left his mom. It felt so natural and happy to sit at the table, laughing, eating cookies and talking about his and his friends' adventures. But all good things come to an end and this did, too."Well, I have to go get dressed for a little leftover paperwork at the bank, and if I don't go now, I'll be too late to get any of it done," Sally said, getting up. "Enjoy the cookies, and don't be afraid to have some more."

She exited the kitchen and Percy heard her close her room door a few seconds later. "You're lucky. Your mom is great," commented Piper, biting into her cookie. Percy smiled at her then said: "Yeah, I guess. I think we should get to Camp now. I don't want to keep the Master Bolt anymore." Piper merely shrugged. "A few minutes either way won't make a difference. We're ahead of the last day by a lot." Percy grinned. "Well, didn't I say we'd do it in less than ten days, back when we were still at Camp?"

Piper swallowed, looked at him,and then leaned over and kissed him. It was probably what Percy would call a perfect moment; no monster, no quest, no bullshit, but actually in the middle of his own kitchen, safe from any threat, kissing Piper. He didn't know how much time they stayed like that, but it probably wasn't more than few seconds, and definitely not enough.

"Ahem." Percy jumped in surprise: he backed away in the same time as Piper did, looking around alarmingly, only to spot his mom leaning against the wall of the kitchen. "Really? How long have you two known each other? And what exactly does the word 'friend' mean?" Sally queried, looking amused. "Um...we were just- I mean, sorry, I didn't-ugh- we...errr..." stammered Piper repeatedly, blushing at least as much as Percy, as she struggled to say something, but Sally finally cut her off after letting them struggle for several minutes. Sometimes being a parent had it's rewards!

"It's okay. You look like a nice girl, Piper. And I guess going on a quest can create a bond between two people," Sally mused, thinking hard about this last part. While Percy wanted to die there and then. "But, at least, answer my two questions?" Percy rubbed his neck, and replied sheepishly, "Um, it's been over a year since we met at school...I guess ...you could say we're not just... well... 'friends', anymore." Sally nodded, still smiling, and opened the front door. "All right, I'll go now; watch over the house for me. And don't try anything I might regret!" she added mock-warningly, closing the door behind her. Percy wanted to slap himself for her last sentence, but at least he could say that Piper didn't take it too badly. She was pretty much like him, looking embarassed and...well, flustered. "So...there goes nothing..." muttered Percy, mostly to himself.

"C'mon Percy, if you feel well enough, I think we'd better get back to Camp," Piper said quietly, getting up, and Percy was quick to follow her. "I think I should meet your dad someday," he said absently. Piper made a face and shrugged. "Yeah, I guess...Well, if you can find the right moment for that. He's always busy," she said. Percy smiled and walked to his room to retrieve the bag. "Hey, Piper, could you leave a note for my mom, please," he called. "Just to say we're back at Camp?" "Sure," she called back. Percy put the bag on his shoulder and closed the door. He found Piper struggling with her dyslexia, writing the note on a piece of paper with the pen sword. "I didn't know you could write with that thing," he said with interest. Piper finished writing and put the pen in her pocket. "It was easy. I just had to put the cap on the handle," she shrugged. Percy rubbed the back of his neck, then said. "Are we going to fly or...?" Piper laughed, then replied, "Your choice, Superman." "You know, Superman isn't a very creative name," he commented, eyebrows raised. Piper pouted, saying "How about Airehead?"

Percy snorted and walked to the window. He looked at Piper expectantly, and she seemed perplexed. "Well come on, Beauty Queen, we'd better get going," he said, rolling his eyes. "Oh, yeah. Right. But don't call me that," she said, still smiling and closing the distance between them. "Well, I need something to call you when you call me Airehead,"said Percy wryly. smiled at him, and by the gods, but her smile was beautiful. "Well, I guess," she replied softly, then leaned over and kissed him on the lips. He felt her lips tug to a smile, and they deepened the kiss until they broke apart, breathless.

Percy was about to say something, but he saw something unusual in the air behind Piper. It was as if the air itself was trembling, and soon, a smoke-screen formed out of thin air. It was...Annabeth, realized Percy, recognizing the blonde

hair and startling grey eyes of the daughter of Athena. "Percy! Piper!" she said, making Piper jump in surprise, looking around her, only to see Annabeth's image floating in mid air! "We need you guys here! At Camp!" she said urgently.

Percy exchanged a weird look with Piper, but before he could ask what was it, somebody knocked on the door. He went to open it, but apparently, the person knocking wasn't that patient. The door was violently flung aside, letting in...a tall beefy man, wearing a grey sweater, who Percy recognized as John Black, a neighbor and one of Gabe's friends. Right next to him was...well, Smelly Gabe himself.

"It's this punk right there," sneered his stepdad, and Percy sighed. Well, he was still under the effect of the Master Bolt, and besides, boost of energy or not, he was positive could take this guy. "Percy, you don't have time to screw around with mortals," Annabeth scolded them from her smoke screen. "Well, I have to do something about them, or else who will?" asked Percy, rolling his eyes at her, while Piper sat on the couch and crossed her legs, looking mildly interested, and ready to jump in and punch somebody if needed.

"Me." Said a voice coming from the smoke screen, and Annabeth disappeared, Chiron taking her place. The centaur didn't explain himself further; he recited a few words in ancient Greek, too fast for Percy to clearly understand, and waved his hand. Almost instantly, both Gabe and John passed out on the carpet. "The mist," said the centaur. "Now hurry and get yourself here, Percy. The gods cannot help us beceause of the ancient laws, but Gleeson Hedge told me the Master Bolt is in your possession. I believe Lord Zeus will not mind if it is used to save the Camp." "Wait, save the Camp? What do you mean 'Save the Camp'," asked Percy, bewildered. Chiron nodded gravely in the smoke screen. "I mean exactly that, Percy".

"The Camp is under attack as we speak."