Wow! Third chapter today! Told you I was on a roll! Trying to get far enough that my conscience won't bother me tonight, so I can start working on "Of Southern Bells and Silver Swords" and "I'm Still Trying" and doing more research for my "House of Hades" (which will have no relation to this story). Here comes a plot twist!

Percy was kind of freaked out when he found out that his girlfriend had just died and come back through the Doors of Death, but he had no idea just how freaked out he would be this day. The seven all got back into the convertible, where Raven and Ryan were still sitting, seeming as if they hadn't just seen the battle. Percy was grateful for that. He didn't' need to do more explaining than he already would have to do when he saw his mom again.

The sun was going down as they continued on their way to the Coliseum. He held Annabeth's hand the entire time, scared of losing her again. Ryan stopped the car a few feet away from the exit to get on the road that would take them there.

"Why are we stopping?" He asked.

"Get out of the car." Was Ryan's monotonous reply.

Percy got out of the car, looking around; ready for a fight. The rest of the seven followed, and Percy was glad they were there to back him up in case Raven and Ryan turned into maniac monsters or something.

"Now Percy," Raven said smiling, "You wouldn't want to hurt your sister. Even if she was working for Gaea."

The words hit Percy full on; he'd never have thought he'd had a sister. Poseidon had promised to send him some siblings, but maybe he was waiting until after the war…

"Don't you get it?" Raven asked her glare still on the seven. "Gaea's been the only parent who cared about me. Your so called loyal father didn't even show up. He knows that's because, if he claims me, he dies. Breaking an oath on the river Styx twice in a row is dangerous if you're a god…very dangerous, and for Neptune, unlike Poseidon, it's even more dangerous, being a Roman. You all thought it would be Annabeth, didn't you. Perseus is loyal to his family; he's not going to give up on his sister after all this time, even if she is fighting against him."

All eyes were on Percy. He himself knew that it was true; he couldn't help but feel sorry for this poor girl who had lost her family and was under the influence of Gaea. Still, she seemed…devious. She was a couple years younger than him. At most fourteen. Her hair was covered in dark blue streaks and was uneven. Not like Piper's where it actually looked beautiful, on Raven it looked…evil.

"You guys want to know something? I had a twin brother. His name was Blake. He fell. From this. From this platform. It was strangely covered in ice. He told me to run from Gaea. He tried, and fell. That was what that prophecy meant. Neptune didn't even save him. From then on I knew who was really on my side. Gaea let me hold him in my arms as he died even though he betrayed her. Now that is a loyal parent."

There was an awkward silence. They had to admit, Gaea wasn't all evil. She might even be a good mother if she wasn't trying to kill all her grandchildren. Percy almost gave in to Raven, but one glance from Annabeth, and he knew the plan.

"Fine." He grumbled. "What does Gaea want from me?"

Raven smiled, her dark blue eyes glinting mischievously. "Oh Perseus Jackson, she wants you to have a front row seat in the destruction of everything you stand for." Her tone suddenly changed as she handed him a blue tuxedo. "Now seriously, get in the tux." Raven turned to Annabeth, handing her a black and white dress with black armbands. "Gaea's very excited to have you in the audience. As for the rest of you…" Formal wear was handed out. Each of the girls receiving armbands and the guys receiving ties. "Change." Raven commanded them, shoving them toward the Coliseum. "Now." Raven paused before turning away from them. "Oh, and by the way, we have Nico. Gaea made him older, taught him how to drive, possessed him and basically turned into Ryan, so you won't win this thing." Percy looked towards the car where Ryan/Nico was sitting, and saw a green flash of light, he blinked, thinking it was just his imagination, and turned toward the dressing rooms.

Percy had to admit. They all looked amazing. Except for the fact that the cuffs of his tuxedo's sleeves were restricting him from reaching his pocket where Riptide was located. The other guys seemed to be having that problem too. For the girls it was that the armbands that were keeping them from moving that far.

Piper was looking uncomfortable in her really short pink dress as her armbands handcuffed her to Jason who was wearing a white tuxedo. They both were struggling to free themselves. As Percy examined the room, he noticed other couples having the same problem. Frank in a black tuxedo was handcuffed to Hazel who was wearing a black and yellow dress. The funniest part was that it had backfired on Raven too. Her blue armbands that matched her dark blue and white dress had handcuffed her to Leo, who was in a purple tuxedo and who looked pretty happy about the arrangement.

Then Annabeth came over in her black and white dress. Her armbands were encircling her arms like vines. "Whatever you do, do not grab hands. Link arms, or something, but do not grab hands." She muttered to him.

As soon as they entered the bright lights of the Coliseum, Annabeth knew something was wrong. For one thing, Raven was having way too much fun with Leo…and he was having way too much fun with her. "Leo!" She wanted to shout. "Remember T-H-A-L-I-A! The girl who actually might date you now!" Annabeth had to admit, Raven looked like a darker, younger, more evil, sadder version of Thalia. With the blue eyes and dark makeup, it was a close call. But she knew that Raven was just manipulating one of Leo's weaknesses…as she would soon do to the rest of them.

Raven led them all out to the photo booth. "Just so that we can remember this happy, happy day." Was her excuse, but Annabeth didn't buy it for a minute. She slipped Leo a screwdriver before he went in with Raven (they were the first couple), hoping that he could do something to make Raven let them go. Instead, Leo walked out smiling and giggling… GIGGLING!

Annabeth was so mad that she was pretty sure Percy's arm was losing circulation, but when they went into the photo booth, she saw that Leo actually had been doing something other than flirting with Raven: in the short time he was in there, he had found a device to unclip their handcuffs.

Annabeth and Percy smiled for the camera and had their handcuffs removed, but kept linking arms so Raven wouldn't suspect anything. Raven led them to a set of eight seats that were floating above the mortals' heads, and then she dragged Leo down the steps to the stage where Nek was supposed to be playing that night. A thousand Italian girls were surrounding the stage wearing t-shirts and holding up signs that said Vi Vogliamo Bene Nek! All those girls were chanting "Vogliamo Nek! Dacci Nek! Dove si trova Nek?" Raven walked onto the stage, ignoring all the screaming girls, and pulling Leo onstage.

All the fangirls obviously thought that Leo was Nek, and started screaming. "Who will be the sacrifice to wake Gaea?" Raven asked, and then repeated it in Italian, "Chi sarà il sacrificio di svegliarsi Terra?" The girls must've thought that it was part of the concert, because they screamed loudly. The ground wrapped around three girls' feet and shot them like a cannon onto the stage, where they were trapped in earthen cages, yet they still screamed, overjoyed, and reached their eager little hands over to Leo who seemed to be enjoying the attention.

Raven turned to Leo. "Who do you want to be the sacrifice?" She asked him, then whispered something into his ear. Leo had obviously never had a girl this close to him before, so he seemed to be hyperventilating. Leo looked at all the mortals who were trapped in the cages, they hadn't done anything, and Annabeth hoped that Leo would spare all of them, there'd been enough mortal casualties in the last war.

"Umm. Uh…" Leo stuttered, and Annabeth rolled her eyes, she couldn't believe she was counting on Leo to save those mortals!