There is a small - somewhat unnoticeable - reference here to my one-shot, Killing Over Shoes or Lack Thereof. It isn't necessary to read it first, but I'd appreciate it if you did!

Disclaimer: I do not own the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. I do own Jade, Grant, and any other characters that you don't recognize from the series, as well as the story plot.

When Luck is All You Have – 10 – Truth and Vision

If Admiral Ackbar were here, I was sure he'd give me an earful. I knew full well I was walking into a trap. I also knew full well that this was a 'damned if you do, damned if you don't' situation. I was long past the point of tears and I was numb to the ache in my feet from walking without stopping for a rest. I was sure the man who was currently grumbling in my head was leading me along toward the place where Krios and his lackeys worked.

Most of the time I ignored him and listened only when he'd drop hints about the fate of my friends (which were few and far between). Then he muttered something along the lines of: Why her?

"I'd like the answer to that question too. And can I get the name of the guy possessing me?"

If you want to survive until the next day you should stop asking me questions! He demanded, then sighed in frustration. I'm not possessing you, per se, simply controlling from a distance.

"How? What's the difference?"

What did I say about questions? I found myself in desperate need of an Aspirin. I waited for him to calm down. If I were possessing you, my soul would entirely inhabit your body and you would have no control over yourself. But only a small portion of my essence is dwelling within you, so I can only influence your actions. While you're unconscious however, that part of me has complete control over you.

"Okay, so we're back to 'why.'" I tried not to dwell on the fact that he had to be pretty powerful to do what he said he could.

Why indeed. I believe it's one of those 'wrong place, wrong time' instances.

"So, when?"

Demigods…too curious for your own good – you are starting to get on my nerves!

"Can I risk getting even more irritating by asking, what nerves?"

He ignored me. If you really want to know, it was sometime last year – I believe you were in Detroit. You were the perfect candidate. You became angry enough for me to use my influence on you.

I thought back to when the guys and I were in Michigan. That was where we tricked the Cercopes after they stole our weapons and Grants' car.

"Oh." Of course, I had been furious. I had even started get violent on the walls. But I had gotten that angry before at camp, why didn't he start controlling me then?

You just answered your own question. Those damned borders around it protected you then.

"Hey, I just thought of something. If I technically haven't been sleeping, how am I not tired?" Again, there was no reply. "What? Do you not know?"

It isn't important, just a side effect. I let that one slide. It really wasn't important in the long run.

"Why did you capture them anyway? I figured you people would just kill us and be done with it."

Will you stop?

"Doubt it."

He sighed again in annoyance. Take a wild guess.

I thought back to the battle at Knapp's Castle last year. Krios, Perses, and Dunstan said something along the lines of killing to gather pieces of something. Were they using souls to resurrect someone? Not as dumb as you appear, are you? Now if you don't mind, I'm going to step out to get a reprieve from your endless questioning. Set up camp. I'm not going to waste my own energy tonight.

"Wait!" I heard him groan at the back of my mind, "You never answered me before. What's your name?"

Let me rephrase: I'm not going to waste my own energy on you tonight. Figure it out yourself.

I felt him leave my mind as I started to fall asleep from lack of my own energy. Name… name…Fred? Harvey? Engelbert? No. It only made sense that this guy would have an ancient Greek name. After all, my life now revolved around it. It hit me just as I fell into unconsciousness – a name that I had heard last year, but didn't understand until now.

Menoitios.

Titan of violent anger and rash action, not at your service. Now leave me be!

XxXxX

I was getting tired of these dreams. This white-haired guy, whoever he was, was going to get a piece of my mind whenever I found him – and I was sure as hell going to! He talked to me again, but like the first time, I completely forgot what it was about as soon as he said it, but I remembered what his voice sounded like. It was light and whispery and it rolled off his tongue like silk. The only problem was that what he said had chilled me to the core, filling me with a sense of foreboding stronger than any I had felt before.

Then the dream shifted and I could feel a warm presence. Not like the burning pain Menoitios caused, but a feeling of safety.

"Sorry to interrupt your regular broadcasting, but there's something you need to see. Oh, and don't worry, 'Menny' can't hear you here." I frowned and tried to put my finger on his voice but I was drawing blanks.

Again, my dream shifted. This time I saw myself, walking up to some sort of makeshift altar in what looked like…Waverly Hills Sanitarium? Okay, that was weird. What was I doing back in Louisville? But I saw my friends tied up and Krios and Dunstan welcoming me. The 'why' kept eluding me until I had laid down on that altar. Krios spoke a few words while he held up a jar. It jogged my memory. I had seen it before! It was back in California, I remembered Dunstan being thrown against the wall next to it.

My mind returned to the dream at hand as something happened. The jar was opened and something was being drawn out of me. The answer came as soon as I had thought as such: my soul. My soul was being sucked into that damned jar! It must have been the channel they were using to resurrect whoever-it-was. And then it was over.

My body stood, but I knew that wasn't me in control. Menoitios was just using my shell until he could find one better suited to him. Part of me had just realized that this guy was probably watching my every move for the past few months and I felt nauseous at the thought. But I was even more nauseous when Krios turned the jar's power on my friends.

This wasn't just a dream – this was a vision of the future. A very near future at that. Why was I being shown this? What effect could this have on me? I tried to focus on the driving force behind this power to ask the person that sent me here about these things. But I found that the basis of this power was my own, my ability to see opportunities. It frightened me that I didn't recognize the feel of it sooner. But if this was my power, then was this simply a possible future? Then it clicked.

I made my plan, placing the bet on my soul.