I wasn't getting any sleep, I was afraid that if I dream Khione would talk to me again, give me something else that makes me "unique." I looked over at the clock, it said 6:00, I knew I wasn't going to get sleep, so I sat up and got out of bed.

I stood up and stretched my arms in the air, I then stepped out into the main room, I didn't want to wake up Johnny, so I might as well sit on the couch. I stepped out and a blast of air from the vent above the door hit me, it felt good. I then walked to the couch and sat down. But something kept bothering me, it was my tattoo. I then took off my windbreaker, revealing the sword tattoo.

I just looked at my arm, I hadn't taken off my windbreaker since I left Half-blood. To be honest this tattoo scared me. Not like I want to cry, but it just makes feel uncomfortable. But then I reached for the sword. I felt it, then I pulled, a cut appeared in my arm and I pulled it fully and held it in my hands, the blade was made of ice with the white hilt, it felt good in my hand, it was light, but I couldn't use it, I then shoved it back in my arm.

"What is that?" I heard someone say from behind me. Oh no! I thought to myself, I quickly grabbed my windbreaker, but it was to late. I knew who it was, Jason, and I saw walk around the couch sit down next to me. I didn't say anything, I was to scared to say something. But he just held out his arm, and turned it, revealing a tattoo on his forearm, exactly where mine was, but on his right arm instead of his left arm. It was an eagle with its wings spread out, and under it were the letters SPQR, then there were a bunch of lines under that, it looked pretty sick. "Now, tell me where you got that." He said pointing at the sword. His voice, it sounded like a father, someone who was strong willed and who was willing to help. I told him everything, I didn't just tell him about how I got the sword, but I told him everything else. How I was dropped off at the orphanage and how I ran off when I was 13, how the hell hound attacked me, when I woke up in the big house, when I won the games, when I was claimed, when I got my prophecy, then I told him when I got the sword, and then how I got here. I don't know why I was willing to tell him all these things, but I just let it out. But he just sat there and listened, not interrupting or telling me it was to much, just sitting there.

And when I finished, there was silence, but I felt something on my face. It was a single tear, it just fell out. I then wiped it away, I suddenly felt embarrassed. "I'm sorry, I said to much." I said. But he just shook his head. "I'm glad you told me Nick, but always know that you need to stay strong." He told me. I looked at him confused. "What do you mean?" I asked him. "Well, it seems like you don't fully understand your strength, like you think you're weak, like when you backed away from those homeless people, but if you beat an Ares kid, you're top notch." He told me. I never thought about it like that. David was one of the strongest kids, so if I could beat him, wow. Jason could see that I was thinking. "Well, I got up to go for a run, and when I get back I'll wake the other two up, so you can get ready." Jason said. He then stood up and walked to the stairs. I just waved, he gave me a lot of things to think about. But then he came back down. "One more thing, don't be afraid to use that sword either, heck of a weapon." He said, but he left before I could respond.

But I just put my windbreaker back on and walked to the bathroom at the end of the room. I stepped in and turned on the light, then I looked in the mirror, but I almost screamed, it was my hair. It was dirty blond, when I got it dyed it was practically black. This isn't good, at this rate it'll be white soon, I needed to do something, fast. But I had an idea.

I reached in my pocket and pulled out a drachma. I turned on the water, I then looked up and saw one of those small windows that at the bottom of houses, there wasn't much, but there was the sun, I opened the window slightly and let the sun through, it hit the window and made a small rainbow. But what do I say? I couldn't remember, but I could remember a bit, so here goes nothing. "Oh Iris, goddess of the drachma, or rainbow, please do me a favor and let me talk to Lacy." I said. There was a silence. I then put my hands together and looked up and the sun. "Please?" I said.

"Hello?" I heard a girls voice say. "Thank you." I said silently. I then looked at the sink and saw lacy's face, she looked confused, I hope she'll be willing to talk to me. I walked over and looked at her. Her entire face was covered in a rainbow mist, but I could still see her. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and she had on an orange camp shirt, but she looked the same, besides how she looked a little confused. "Hey lacy." I said. Her eyes went wide. 'Hey Nick!" She said loudly. "Hey." I said quietly. "So what do you need, are you feeling lonely?" She asked me. I didn't know how to respond to that, so I ignored it, I needed her help. "It's my hair." I told her. She looked confused. "What about it, because I can't fix it now" She told me jokingly. "I know, but it's turning blond." I told her. "Oh, well I can't do anything while you're there, so you're just gonna have to where a hat or something when it turns white." She told me. "Oh." I said looking down. "Oh I'm sorry Nick, if I could hug you I would!" She said leaning forward. "It's good, but I need to get ready, so see you later." I said. "Okay, bye hugs and kisses!" She said. But before I could say anything back she was gone. "Weird." I said to myself. But I did need a shower. So I stripped down and stepped in the shower.

I was in there for a while, it felt so good. The water nice and cold, and I used conditioner for the first time, felt good. I stepped out and dried myself quickly. I then put on my clothes and stepped out.

I walked to my room, but when I stepped in Johnny wasn't there. Great. But I walked to my bed and picked up my bag, then my walking stick. I then stepped out and walked up the stairs.

They were eating breakfast, I guess I took to long of a shower. Bethany and Johnny were sitting at a big black wood table, but the plates in front of them were empty. "Jeez, took you long enough." Bethany said smiling. "Yeah, sorry, I'm still not used to this whole showering thing." I said sheepishly.

"It's all good Nick, but a unnamed son of Hermes ate your food, so I made you an eggo, I'd make more eggs, but we need to go because I need to get to work." Jason said handing me an eggo, I grabbed it, but I almost laughed when he was done, he was wearing a purple compression shirt and short, with tennis shoes. I would guess that the shirt said SPQR, but I couldn't tell. He had on an apron that said: "Kiss the cook." But I took a breath in, I could not laugh. "Yes sir, thank you." I said trying not to crack a smile. But then Jason clapped his hands together. "Well, let's get you guys to downtown Senoia, it's just a 45 minute drive." Jason said. I rolled back my eyes. "Great, again." I said under my breath.

Then Jason took off the apron and stepped out, we then followed him to the car. He then got in the car. "Shotgun!" Johnny said. He then ran and slid over the hood of the car, but fell to the ground when he went over. I then busted out laughing, Bethany was laughing to, it was the best thing I'd ever seen. "Look, you can have the front seat, but don't try to be a cool guy." I said leaning on my knees laughing. He then stood up, he slicked his hair back and stepped in the car like nothing happened. Me and Bethany then climbed in, and I laid my stick in the floorboards. We then buckled up, another long ride. Jason then looked back at us. "Alright, Bethany, Nick, and James Bond, you ready to go?" he asked us. I laughed a bit, but nodded.

'What about the car?" Johnny asked him. "Oh, yeah, I forgot to call Leo." Jason said as he put the car in reverse. He then backed it out the driveway, and went on the road. "You know what, I'll call him now, he might have some "motivating" words." Jason said with a smile. "Sweet, he sound cool." I said. Jason the pressed a button on the cracked console. Then a beeping noise came on. "Call leo Valdez." Jason said. "Calling Latino Santa Elf." A robot voice said. Jason laughed to himself a bit. Then a picture came on the screen, it was of a skinny guy, he was next to Jason in front of a beach. He had on a pair of flame swim trunks, and Jason was wearing a pair of black swim trunks, it looked like a good picture. It rang, and rang again. But then it hung up. "Oh, normally he picks up, I guess he's busy or something, sorry guys." Jason said. He sounded a little sad, but I didn't want to push it, I was starting to get a headache anyways, so I leaned back and closed my eyes.

"Wake up Jack." I heard. I opened my eyes. Bethany was shaking me awake. We were in front of an old brick building. "Hey." I said. "We're here, come on." Bethany said. I nodded and got out of the car. Johnny was standing there, he looked ready. I was gonna say something to him, but Jason started talking. "So I'm gone, good luck guys, and Nick, don't be afraid." He said. He then backed up the broken car and drove off.

What did he mean by that?" Bethany asked me. "I don't know, but look at this place." I said quickly. It really was nice, there was one big street with different kinds of stores and places to eat, and there were a lot of nice people, but one store stood out to me. It said the walking dead store. I then pointed to it. "That looks like our place." I said. "Yes, finally, let's get this started!" Johnny said super excited.

We then walked down the street, people looked at me kind of weird with my stick, but nothing to bad, but then we walked up the the big store, it was made of brick, just like the rest of the shops and small restaurants. I stepped in, and was disappointed. I half expected to see monsters in here, waiting for us, or a god on a flaming throne, but nope, just two employees. I looked around, but nothing was here, just a lot of stuff from the show. But there were some steel stairs in the corner of the store, it looked open. "Let's go over there." I told Bethany and Johnny quietly. Bethany nodded, but Johnny looked at her weirdly. "Why are we quiet, it's a store, let's just go." Johnny said. He then walked to the steps. I looked at Bethany, she rolled her eyes and followed.

We then walked to the steps and walked down the steps, but nothing was here either. But not gonna lie, it was cool. There was a signed motorcycle, and two jail cells, but then I noticed someone in the room. He was facing the other direction, so I just saw his back, but I could see what he was wearing. He had on a leather jacket and skinny jeans, with really white shoes, he was also pretty tall. But his hair, was long and bright blond, almost white. But then he turned, and I saw that his hair was fully white, and he had piercing light blue eyes like I did, and when he saw me his eyes went wide.

"Baby Nick?" He asked me with his eyes wide, he had a high voice but not to high, but his vice was a little annoying, sounded canadian. "Excuse me?" I asked him. I didn't know what to say, I was feeling mixed feelings. He looked like me, he knew my name, and he called me baby Nick. He then ran up to me, and grabbed me by the shoulders. He then looked down at me. 'It's you." He said. He then pulled me in for a hug. I was so confused, I didn't know what to do. "Umm, hi?" I said confused. He then let go, I turned and looked at Bethany and Johnny were just as confused as I was.

"Look man, I'm sorry, but I have no idea who you are." I told him backing up. I then held my walking stick closely, this guy could attack for all I know. "I forget, the last time you saw me you were but a baby, I am Zethes, your brother." He said.

I then hit him right in the face with my walking stick. There is no way I'm falling for this crap again, he fell to the ground. "Nick!" Bethany said. But Zethes put his hand up. "It's fine, he might be upset of how Khione introduced herself." He said, stumbling off the ground. I was surprised to see he was fine, no bruise or anything. But he brushed himself off and smiled. "Who's Khione?" Johnny asked me. "No one!" I yelled back at him. "Don't want to talk about her, that's good, but for the record you didn't hit me, because then I'd have to kill you." He said, then he gave me a look like he made a joke. He then started laughing at his own joke, no way I was related to this guy, but I had to play along to get answers. So I started to laugh to a bit, I then looked back at Bethany and Nick, and they started to, it was super awkward, Zethes even put his hand on my shoulder for balance He then straightened up and got himself together.

"Well I love that I saw you here, you must come over, we need to talk." He told me. "About what?" I asked him backing up. "Everything!" He said loudly "Okay?" I told him questioning him. "Just follow me." He said walking past me, he then walked past Bethany and johnny, not paying them much attention. But they just looked at me. "Just follow him." I said mad. This guy made me mad for some reason, maybe because I never liked people who acted rich, but I need him, so I followed him.

He walked up the steps and through the store, then held the door open for us. "Thanks." I said awkwardly as I stepped through. Then Bethany and Johnny stepped through. But Zethes looked at Bethany. "So are these two with you?" Zethes asked me. "Umm yeah, this is Bethany and Johnny." I told him. He didn't seem to interested with Johnny though, he was looking at Bethany, with weird eyes. "Hi, you must be a daughter of Aphrodite, correct?" He asked her. Bethany just looked at him. "No, I'm a daughter of Apollo." She told him. Zethes laughed. "Well you certainly shot through my heart." Zethes said with a cheesy voice. Bethany just laughed while gritting her teeth.

"Anyway's, my temporary home is down the road from here, just follow me." He said with a smile. He then crossed the street from where we were, but he stepped in front of car as they were driving, they honked but he didn't seem to care, I hated him. As much as I didn't want to, I knew I had to follow him, so I did, and had to motion the other two to to the same.

So I ran up to catch up with him. "So, you're my brother?" I asked him. "You are, I don't know why your hair is blond though." He told me. "Oh, I did that, it' natural white." I told him. He laughed. "By me you're funny, but I can change that back." He said. He then shot a glowing beam at my hair. I didn't have time to react, it felt like snow hitting my head. But I didn't want to believe it, he didn't just do that. "Better." he said as he smiled, then he kept walking. I turned back, and Bethany just nodded her head. I was gonna kill him. I clenched my fist, I was full of rage, I could feel ice coursing through my veins, I was about to hit him, but right before I did it I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned and saw Bethany, she was just shaking her head. I just nodded and kept walking.

But she was right, I knew he was powerful, so I had to cool off a bit, not literally. But I felt so exposed, even when I was in the orphanage I normally had on some kind of hat, but now I felt so exposed. But I just followed him.

We passed a small pizza joint, and behind that was bunch of trees and a small parking lot for the workers, but behind the parking lot was a small house. It looked like a one story home, and was entirely white, the grass was green and it looked kinda nice. But we then followed Zethes to the front door and he opened it up, and motioned me to come in.

I stepped in and put my walking stick up against the wall, I need to look friendly at least. But then I looked at the house , and I had to give it to him, he made this small house look good. The living room had one couch and a chair with blankets on it, there was also a small fireplace and a TV, then the kitchen was connected to the living room, but something caught my attention, a door in the corner of the room. It was secluded, and the door had scratch marks on it, I knew there was something in there. But then Zethes turned and smiled.

"Welcome to me home, I still can't believe I found you, or you found me." He said happily and laughing a bit. "Umm yeah, thanks for having me." I said. It probably sounded like a question, I didn't know what to say. This whole situation was awkward. But I had an idea. "Well, I need to use the restroom right quick, but while I do that you should talk with Bethany." I said as I put both my hands on Bethany's shoulders moving her in front of Zethes. She looked back at me like a demon, but I winked at her, she then got the idea. Zethes then grabbed her hand and held it up. "That would be a great idea, let me show you my collection Bethany, the washroom is down the hall." He said Bethany as he kissed her hand. He then led her to a big case, Bethany looked like she hated life, but she'll live.

But I knew how to sneak, so I walked down the hall and opened the door, I then locked the door from the inside. I then snuck back into the main room. He was talking about something, and Bethany was just nodding, and Johnny was awkwardly standing next to them. I then carefully walked to the door, slowly stepping to feel creeks in the hardwood floor. I slowly opened the handle, and then let the door open just a bit and I slipped in and carefully shut the door. I then pressed my ear against the door, but nothing seemed different, I was good, I then turned and looked in the room.

To my disappointment, it was nothing special, it looked like a crowded office. It was a desk with a computer and a lot of papers on it, and it the size of a closet. I looked around for something, anything, and I looked in the corner of the room and saw an oddly placed rug, I think I found the weird factor. I walked over and took the rug off, and I saw a trap door in the floor, but I touched it, and a feeling of dread came over me. It was dark and looked like it was one hundred years old, with a rope to lift it up, but I knew I needed to look in there. I pulled up and opened the door, I saw a lighted room in the bottom, and a ladder going down. "Here goes nothing." I told myself. I then got in and climbed down.

The walls were made of dirt, like it was dug recently, and it was pretty deep, but as I got deeper the walls looked like they were made of old stone, but then I reached the bottom, and I was in a small room with a lamp, and a door. I walked over and put my hand on the handle, I didn't know what to expect. But I opened the door, and what I saw shocked me.

There were four people against the wall, their arms were in the air being held by iron shackles and they were sitting on the floor. It was three guys and one girl. One guy was big, he had curly brown hair that wasn't in any good style, had a ruff beard and a lot of arm hair, and he was kind of ugly, he had a lot of warts on his face and he looked disabled, with a giant steel brace on his leg. And he had on a jumpsuit that was smeared with grime and oil, it also had the name "Hephaestus" embroidered over the chest pocket, but it was all torn up with tears and hole in it. Next to him was a woman, she had dark hair a gray eyes, a lot like Annabeth's, her outfit was much simpler. She had on a flannel shirt with jeans and hiking boots, but her jeans and shirt had holes in them and was just filthy. The guy next to her looked like a supermodel, he had curly blond hair and bright blue eyes, and a very "punchable" face if (if you catch my meaning), he was just wearing jeans, no shirt, revealing he was totally jacked.

But the guy at the end, he had almost a dark aroma around him, he was wearing a black shirt and black jeans, but something about him. Maybe his hair, he had shoulder length black hair and gleaming black eyes, like black metal, he was also very intimidating, even though he was extremely pale.

But I realized I was staring, these people needed my help. "Do you guys need help?" I asked them. "I wonder, do we need your help." The big guy asked me. "Quiet Hephaestus, yes, please help us get out of here." The girl told me. I walked over and stood in front of her, then squated down to be eye level with her. "Anything." I told her. "Then get my phone, I've probably lost so many streaks in snapchat!" The blond said with tears. "Quiet you dumb idiot, I've probably lost to godly brain cells by being here with you for so damn long!" The big guy yelled at him. But the girl seemed to ignore both of them. "There's a key in the drawer of the desk upstairs, that will unlock these shackles, then I can kill that pig." She said, but that last part sounded like anger, so I just nodded, but I were still confused. "Who are you?" I asked her.

"I am Athena, goddess of wisdom." She said. " I am Hephaestus, god of the forge." The big guy said. "Apollo, god of the sun." The supermodel said. I couldn't believe it, I was talking to actual gods. "Oh." I said, it's all I could say. I then stood up straight and backed up, nearly tripping. "Well I am Nick Snow, and I will help get you out." I said.

"I know who you are." The guy at the end said. "Ignore him." Athena said. But I walked over to him, and stood in front of him. "Who are you?" I asked him, something about him, he was like a black sheep. "I'm Hades, but they don't like me to much." He said motioning to the other three. "Oh shut it, you of all people deserve this, not me!" Apollo yelled at him. "Quiet, you're worse than when we were children!" Athena yelled at Apollo. "Look, I'll get the key, okay?" I asked them. "Please hurry." Athena told me. I nodded and walked to the door. 'Hey Kid." I heard Hades say. I turned and looked at him. "Yeah?" I asked him. "Please let me out, not a lot of people help me, I know you know that feeling, so do me a favor, okay?" He asked me. I didn't know what to say,I knew what it was like for people not to like you, so I just nodded and walked out.

I walked out the small room and to the ladder. I then climbed up, I needed to get them out. Then I reached the office and stood up, but then I stood face to face with Zethes. "Mistakes were made." He said. He then grabbed me by the collar of my windbreaker and lifts me in the air. "Sorry baby brother." He said with a wicked smile.