AN: Great news everybody! My copyright finally went through so this mega update is to celebrate! My short story is called 'The Stranger' and you can find it on amazon. There will be a link to it on the Facebook page for my stories. I want to thank everyone for supporting as I write and for anyone who ends up getting my story. This is hopefully the latest step to becoming a full-time writer.

The Silver Hunter

Chapter 9

-Poseidon-

"Of course, Father is to blame," the sea god groaned, running a hand down his face "why am I not surprised that he'd have a new plan prepared for the potential culmination of the great prophecy?"

"He's not back!" Zeus hissed out, the thunder god having always been paranoid about their father being able to return and refusing to ever acknowledge the possibility.

"Kronos returning or not, there is a war coming, I can feel it." Ares spoke before anyone else could respond to Zeus' ostrich imitation. "Not a human war either," that was directed at Zeus before a protest could be raised "one involving us. The great prophecy is at hand, it has to be. If the coming war I can sense isn't from that prophecy, then whatever does cause it will be what destroys us."

"You will speak of this to no one!" Zeus yelled, slamming a fist down upon his throne with the echo of thunder, "Kronos is not returning, and you are mistaken Ares. We are mitigating the prophecy by preventing children of the big three."

"Thalia." Hera deadpanned, the Queen of the gods still miffed about the birth of Zeus' latest daughter.

"That's different." Zeus flushed, the youngest of Rhea's children hating being called out on his transgressions.

"So, what you meant brother, is that you don't think any demigod besides one of your own could, or perhaps should be the one to fulfill the prophecy." Poseidon spoke up, his tone cold as he stared down his younger brother who flushed angrily at the accusation.

"I'll start making weapons for the demigods." Hephaestus grunted, pulling out a scroll and going through what was likely a list of materials and demigods that would need armaments.

"I'll keep an eye out for grandfather's movements." Apollo nodded, grinning smugly at how useful the sun chariot was for intel gathering.

"I'll have my children up their training." Ares nods, the war god taking the situation very seriously.

"Enough!" Zeus thundered out again, "There is no war, Kronos is not rising, and you all are not to speak of this!"

"I'll begin writing up battle strategies." Athena offered, the rest of the council completely ignoring the irate Zeus.

-Percy-

"Hey buddy, find us a place to stop!" he called out to Erabor over the whistling to wind. Letting out a happy woof, the hellhound found a corner of a park in St. Louis. "Come on girls, let's grab some lunch and stretch our legs," he helped Annabeth and Lou down from Erabor's back "anywhere you two want to go while we're here?"

"The Arch!" Annabeth grinned, bouncing up and down like a kid on a sugar high, Erabor picking up on her excitement as he bounced up and down beside her.

"Saw that coming." Lou teased the daughter of Athena who blew a raspberry at them.

"We'll grab some lunch and then see the arch." He promised her as Annabeth lets out a little cheer, pulling him and Lou into a hug as she grins. Finding a small gas station café, they grabbed a quick lunch, Annabeth grabbing a disposable camera, and made their way to the arch.

Winding their way through the underground museum they looked at the various exhibits that were kept on display. Annabeth was fascinated by the various items they saw and rattled off facts, both those on the plaques and those she knew beforehand. Lou half listened to Annabeth and was half focused on trying to catch jelly beans in her mouth. Percy however couldn't keep the frown from his face. He could feel something following them, watching them, hunting them.

"Percy!" feeling a jellybean bounce off his forehead he turned towards the girls who were frowning at him, "I've been trying to get your attention for the past five minutes." Annabeth frowns, "What's wrong?"

"Something's following us." He whispered softly as they continued meandering through the museum, the girls now glancing in the reflection on cases to see if they could spot their follower.

"You sure?" Lou started rolling a jellybean between her fingers, small symbols starting to form on the candy under her ministrations as he watched.

"Positive. They aren't god level but they're stronger than the feminazis of Artemis. A high-class monster or two is the most likely situation."

"Goodie." Annabeth frowned, twirling a pen between her fingers that he knew was the disguised form of her dagger. The eyes followed them to the elevator but given that only three people were allowed in an elevator at a time the feeling of the hungry gaze boring into his back was paused for a spell.

"We have five minutes before they get up here at worst," he said softly as they exited the elevator, having timed the trip up "be ready."

"Take your own advice Jackson." Lou grinned but he could see the slight shake behind it. The girls hadn't even sensed their follower while he had, that alone was enough to put them on edge for the coming fight.

"I'll work on getting the mortals out of here." Annabeth whispered, twirling the pen faster as she manipulated the mist, the few mortals still up in the observation level making their way to the elevators, leaving only a handful that would be able to leave the second their follower got up.

The ticking away of the seconds grated at his nerves, each droplet of sweat that fell from their brows feeling like the footfalls of a giant. The ding of the elevator when it finally returned to their level shuddering down his spine like a banshee's cry. The other mortals quickly left as an old woman with a chihuahua exited the elevator. Her eyes locked onto them, noting the mortals already having left, how the three of them split up and moved to three different places so they didn't present a single target.

"I assume the element of surprise is no longer mine?" she asked, seemingly unconcerned that they knew she was there to attack them.

"Never was to begin with." He smirked her way, wanting to get the monster angry and unthinking, "I sensed you the second you entered the museum."

Her cold sharp laugh stole some of his confidence, despite how much he tried to show that wasn't the case. "Oh, how precious," she laughs "you think I've only been following you since you got here. Son of Poseidon, I've been following you since you slew Medusa. I normally don't do anything for the gods but Zeus himself allowing me to set one of my brood upon a demigod? Especially a quest laden demigod? This was an opportunity too beautiful to pass up."

"Echidna." He hissed out, cursing his luck at the mother of all monsters being sent after him. What made it worse was that he couldn't tell whether or not she was lying about Zeus being the one to send her.

"Not just me dearie." the wife of typhon cackled as she opened her arms, the chihuahua leaping from them and growing with each yip, the yips becoming barks and then roars. The body grew and elongated, horns forcing their way from its skull while the thrashing tail grew scales and eventually the head of a serpent.

"The chimera, brilliant." He groaned out, drawing his pistol scythes "If you guys have any tricks use them now!" in response to his order Lou threw the jellybean she had been rolling between her fingers for the past several minutes. The marks she had put onto is surface glowing with raw magical power as it hit the ground in front of the Chimera and shattered, a bright light blinding the beast as a crystal-like substance bound its limbs, the color matching the candy it was spawned from.

"That won't hold it long." Lou yelled as she drew her murasama as Annabeth turned her pen back into a dagger in a reverse grip and brought out one of the pistols he had given her.

"Then let's make it count!" with a roar, Percy shot forward, the candy crystal already starting to crack under the strength of the Chimera. Lou charged the Chimera from its opposite flank while Annabeth worked on distracting Echidna. There was a roar as the Chimera ripped its forelimb from the crystal bindings and brought it down at him. Reaching up he tried to catch the limb but found it a loosing battle. With each passing moment the clawed limb inched ever closer to his face.

"Hyah!" with a yell Lou brought her blade down on the limb he somewhat held back, the blade he had forged for her cutting through the unarmored limb with ease as the Chimera roared in agony at the loss of flesh.

"My baby!" Echidna seethed at the injury to her child, blasting Annabeth away with a spell after a bullet hit the mother of monster in the arm. A burst of fire from the mouth of the Chimera cauterized the bleeding stump of an arm, its serpent tail hissing in rage at them as Lou stood at his side.

"And of course, it can breathe fire." He groaned, a part of his mind wondering if his own pride at refusing to use a sword that wasn't one of his stolen ones was about to bite him in the ass.

"Don't worry Percy, you're still the hottest to m-" before Lou could finish the Chimera roared, a dragon of fire screeching toward them with murderous intent.

Percy didn't even hesitate.

With a yell he threw Lou across the room, completely clear of the flames, not leaving enough time for him to run as he looked the Chimera dead in the eye, just as the flames engulfed him.