I had no idea Leo could be so motivational. Well, I'm the author, so I guess I did, but still... Random thought: what if demigod quests must be taken in groups of prime numbers? 3 and 7. Just a thought.

Annabeth

"This is bad." Annabeth muttered. "Very, very bad."

"Demigods!" a Hyperborian Giant bellowed. "Kill the demigods!"

Percy bit his lip and addressed her. "Got a plan, Wise girl?" He added more pleadingly: "please tell me you've got a plan."

"I have a plan." Annabeth nodded. "But it's not a very good plan."

"We really don't have any other options right now." Percy pointed out. "What do you need me to do?"

"Buy me five minutes." Annabeth asked, and Percy put Riptide into a defensive stance.

"Will do." Annabeth began to scamper away, but Percy's voice stopped her in her tracks. "Oh, and Annabeth?" She turned around. "Love you."

Annabeth blushed, muttering something back that sounded a little like, "I love you too." It was followed by a prompt, more Annabeth-like, "Now get to work, Seaweed Brain!"

Percy smiled at her, advancing upon the horde of monsters, and she ran into the house. As soon as Percy was out of her sight, she got worried. Even when he had been invulnerable, she was still plagued with the incessant thought of Percy getting hurt, or, gods forbid, dying. She remembered what it felt like to touch his Achilles' heel and know that it was the only place that could kill him as she ran into the house – she had to get upstairs.

All of her thoughts blended together as her adrenaline spiked and she ran up the stairs, faster and faster until she ran into something – "Oh, dear."

"Wha?" Annabeth said. She was on the ground, and when she glanced over at her surroundings, she saw the item she had run into – a cell. The girl peering back at her from the bars was definitely human. She was young, seven or eight, with large, imploring eyes and jet black hair covering her ears.

"Are you okay?" The girl asked, blinking.

"I'm fine." Annabeth said, shrugging it off and grabbing her dagger from where it had landed, in between two floorboards.

"Are you one of them?" The girl inquired.

"One of whom?" Annabeth queried.

"You know." The girl's eyes grew, if possible, wider, and she whispered the last word like a child saying a curse word. "Monsters."

"No. I'm a demigod..." It suddenly dawned on Annabeth that they were in a monster's lair, and more importantly, Tartarus. "Why are you here?"

"They kept me locked up here." The girl replied quietly.

"What?" Annabeth asked, incredulous. Someone so young, and a mortal at that, shouldn't have to go through that.

"Annabeth!" Thalia's voice shouted. "Annabeth, help me!"

"Save us!" Luke yelled.

"Don't listen, Annabeth!" Thalia spoke again. "It's a Cyclops!"

Annabeth shook her head, snapping out of the sudden flashback and listening to the girl's story. "They were just about to kill me when you and your boyfriend showed up."

"We're getting you out of here." Annabeth decided. "Do you know where the keys are?"

"Behind you." The girl said while Annabeth retrieved the small pewter key. "Thanks." She said, smiling.

"I'm Annabeth. You're safe now." Annabeth smiled. "What's your name?"

"K-Kendra." She replied. The poor girl looked scared out of her mind. "My name is Kendra."

Annabeth nodded, swinging the door open, leaving the key in the lock. "I hope you don't mind, but we have a couple monsters down there trying to kill us."

Kendra nodded. "I can't fight – that's how they got me." Annabeth accepted her explanation.

"Kendra, are there any windows in here?"

"Yeah, there's one in my cell." Kendra offered, giggling.

Okay, Annabeth thought. This was getting weird. She walked towards Kendra's small cell, explaining her plan on the way. "I can jump down from the window and get onto a monster's ba-"

The door slammed shut. "Kendra?" Annabeth asked. "Kendra, what are you doing? Unlock the door!"

"I can't do that." Kendra replied merrily. She laughed, a high, shrill noise. "Sorry."

"You're not Kendra." Annabeth accused. "You never were. Kendra probably doesn't even exist."

"Well, I supposed you've outsmarted me!" Kendra replied in the same happy tone. "It's called lying, Annabeth. You mortals are such suckers."

"Who are you?" Annabeth asked.

"Why don't you figure it out, Wise Girl?"

"Kobalos." Annabeth whispered. Kobaloi were mischievous sprites, she remembered, shape-shifters.

The young girl's face contorted and she shrunk, down to about two feet high, and her hair shifted back behind her ears so Annabeth could see the small points they came to. Annabeth let out a small giggle. "How dare you laugh at my true form?!" The Kobalos shrieked. Annabeth stifled her laughter, nodding. "I stole from Heracles himself once, you know!" She seemed especially proud of this, her chest puffing up.

Annabeth, resolved to keep the small... Whatever it was... busy, to give Percy a chance. "Oh, yes." She said. The Kobalos brightened. "Children fear the mention of your name, and you are revered by all."

"Really?" Annabeth nodded, and the Kobalos sobered. "I knew that, of course. Not a single one of my kind has been up to the surface in generations. Those monsters locked me up because they thought I fought for Gaea."

"Don't you?"

"Well, yes – Gaea has promised we can wreak as much havoc on the populace as we want once she is ruler. But that's really not the point." The Kobalos rolled her eyes.

"But if you're all on the same side, then why did they lock you up?"

"They're not on our side. Idiots are down here because they refuse to fight for Gaea. Like they've got some kind of moral code." She clapped a hand over her mouth. "I wasn't supposed to tell you that."

Annabeth recognized a silhouette, coming slowly down the hall, utterly silent. The celestial bronze let off its faint glow. Percy. "So what's your plan, Kendra?" She asked the Kobalos. "I notice no one else is here."

"The rest of my brothers and sisters were sent aboveground. I, alone, stand vigil." Twenty meters.

"More like babysitting. It sounds like you got stuck with a bad job." Fifteen.

"It is an honor to serve Gaea. She should strike you down immediately for your insolence." Ten.

"You're right." Annabeth said, trying her best to sound serious. Five meters. "I most sincerely repent for my most grievous error." Closer... closer... Percy lifted his sword, just as the Kobalos began to ask,

"What does grievous mean?"

Well, that was fun to write. I hope you liked it. I have absolutely no idea why I added in the bit about the Kobalos not knowing how to spell. The Kobaloi are from Greek mythology, but all of the stories I've heard about them differ, so if you've heard they act differently, that's why.

- Identity Crisis