Sooooooooooo sorry for the delay. Busy, busy, busy and I've kinda had writer's block and no imagination. I beg forgiveness. You learn stuff in this chapter, so yay for you. reviews would be lovely! Enjoy, mes amis!


Early the next morning, Chiron moved Percy into cabin three.

To say that Percy, standing alone in his new cabin, with only a few belongings to fill the whole space, and several beds for just one person, was a sad sight, would be an understatement.

Quickly, Percy became isolated from the rest of the camp. Everyone was talking about the hellhound incident behind his back, and the other campers avoided him as much as they possibly could. Hermes' cabin refused to have sword class with him, after what had happened with the Ares kids, so instead Luke, and I on occasion, worked with him. Luke worked harder with him than he had with anyone else, and wasn't afraid to send Percy away with a few cuts and bruises.

Annabeth's animosity towards Percy had grown, all because of that stupid grudge Athena held towards Poseidon. Well, not stupid, but passing it on to their children seemed a bit much. For Annabeth, a quest with Percy was her worst nightmare.

"He's a son of Poseidon, Skylar!" Annabeth exclaimed one night, in the Big House.

"I know."

"How am I meant to work with him, go on a quest with him!" She was like a hurricane. An angry one.

"You don't even know if this quest is still happening, Annabeth, calm down." She didn't, and continued to pace a hole in the rug.

"Sit." I said, forcefully. "Now, look, if you want this quest to happen, you'll just have to suck it up and get on with it, because I doubt Chiron is going to let you if you keep this up."

"Ugh." She facepalmed. "I've got to make a plan."

After everything that happened, I still talked to Percy. I knew what it was like to have people question you and judge you, because of power. Percy needed a friend, and I was determined to be one. Now, really, I see myself as quite a calm person, just with a quick temper. So if anyone did anything to hurt one of my friends, well, that just pushes me over the edge. When that happens, people can end up with black eyes, curses inflicted upon them and sometimes spiders in their beds. So when a copy of the New York Daily News,opened to the Metro page, detailing Percy and his mother's disappearance, was left outside Poseidon's cabin, there was war. I went to every single cabin and spoke to them all calmly. "He's different, yes, but so is everyone here. I don't care who did it. Just be aware that if something like it happens again, the culprit will have me to answer to, and let me tell you, I am not above hanging you up by your collar to the top of your cabin with an arrow." See, that was calm.

During the night, Grover came to see me in Hera's cabin. Wait, hold it, I hear you say. Hera's cabin? But she's-. Yes, I know. Listen. I suppose I'd better explain myself.

Alright, here goes. I'm not really a demigod, because I don't have a godly parent. But, I am a demigod, technically. Gods, confusing much?

Anyway, I wasn't…conceived, so much as created. You see, there was this prophecy, that a child of the Big Three would be, like the end of the world or the saviour of the world. So, Zeus, Poseidon and Hades aren't allowed kids. (Seeing how Percy exists, you can see how well that went.) This kinda annoyed Poseidon and Hades. So, to appease them, and to unify all the gods in a way, Zeus did a thing. A big thing.

He asked each Olympian to give a bit of their essence, and combined them in this big jar, like he was making a cake mixture. Then Hermes went to Earth, and chose a woman to place this…cake mixture into. Which then, after nine months, became me. I know, confusing.

Completely unbelievable. But true. So I have no godly parent, really, because they're all my godly parents. This way, all the Olympians have one child, sort of. Even more confusing. Huh. This means that I've got these weird powers, like staying dry in water and being able to shoot an arrow straight with my eyes closed. All this, on top of the fact that I turned out to be a wizard.

I'm not perfect, though, if that's what you think. I have a quick temper. I'm not dyslexic, but I do have ADHD which means I can't sit still. Like ever. I just fidget. I'm good at most of my classes, except History of Magic, during which I nap. I can be sarcastic and rude when I want to be. And the thing with my eyes, well, I'm a Metamorphmagus. I don't really ever bother changing my appearance, but I'm emotional (really emotional), so when ever I get cross or sad, boom, bye-bye brown eyes.

It's annoying. I can never hide what I'm feeling, not if you really know me. I can't really control my powers, not yet, anyway. Basically, I suck.

Back to Grover. When he came to me, he asked me to come see Percy with him. When we arrived, Percy had just woken up from a nightmare. Later on, he described it to me.

It started off Percy was running along the beach in a storm.

About a hundred yards down the surf, two men were fighting. They looked like WWE wrestlers, muscular, but with beards and long hair. Both wore flowing Greek tunics, one trimmed in blue, the other in green. They grappled with each other, wrestled, kicked and head-butted, and every time they connected, lightning flashed, the sky grew darker, and the wind rose.

Percy knew he had to stop them, but the harder he tried to run, the more the wind blew him back, until he was running in place, treading sand.

They were fighting over something that had gone missing, that had been taken, and were blaming each other. The storm grew worse and worse and the ground shook. Laughter emitted from somewhere below him, and a voice so deep and evil it turned Percy's blood cold .

"Come down, little hero", the voice coaxed. "Come down!"

The sand split up beneath him, and he fell into the crack, down towards the centre of the earth.

Mr. D wanted to see Percy, and this had Grover worried.

We all walked up to the Big House. Grover was anxious, Percy was nervous, and I just missed my bed.

The sky above looked like was dark as heck, and a big bunch of rain clouds were coming in our direction. Percy asked Grover if we needed an umbrella.

"No," he said. "It never rains here unless we want it to."

The storm loomed. "What the heck is that, then?"

He glanced uneasily at the sky. "It'll pass around us. Bad weather always does."

We walked up to the front porch of the Big House. Mr. D sat at the pinochle table in his tiger-striped Hawaiian shirt with his Diet Coke. Chiron sat across the table in his fake wheel-chair. They were playing imaginary opponents, the cards enchanted to act themselves.

"Well, well," Mr. D said without looking up. "Our little celebrity."

"Come closer," Mr. D said. "And don't expect me to kowtow to you, mortal, just because old Barnacle-Beard is your father."

Lightning flashed across the clouds and the windows shook with the force of the thunder.

"Blah, blah, blah," Dionysus said.

Chiron feigned interest in his pinochle cards. Grover cowered by the railing, his hooves clopping back and forth.

"If I had my way," Dionysus said, "I would cause your molecules to erupt in flames. We'd sweep up the ashes and be done with a lot of trouble. But Chiron seems to feel this would be against my mission at this cursed camp: to keep you little brats safe from harm."

"Spontaneous combustion is a form of harm, Mr. D," Chiron put in.

"Nonsense," Dionysus said. "Boy wouldn't feel a thing. Nevertheless, I've agreed to restrain myself I'm thinking of turning you into a dolphin instead, sending you back to your father."

"Mr. D—" Chiron warned.

"Oh, all right," Dionysus relented. "There's one more option. But it's deadly foolishness." He rose, and the enchanted cards fell to the table. "I'm off to Olympus for the emergency meeting. If the boy is still here when I get back, I'll turn him into an Atlantic bottlenose. Do you understand? And Perseus Jackson, if you're at all smart, you'll see that's a much more sensible choice than what Chiron feels you must do."

Dionysus picked up a playing card, twisted it, and it became a security pass.

He snapped his fingers, and Apparated, leaving nothing but the smell of freshly-pressed grapes.

Chiron smiled at Percy, but he looked tired and strained. "Sit, Percy, please. And Grover and Skylar."

We did.

Chiron laid his cards on the table, a winning hand he hadn't gotten to use.

"Tell me, Percy," he said. "What did you make of the hellhound?"

I groaned inwardly. Annabeth was going to be delighted.

"It scared me," Percy admitted. "If you hadn't shot it, I'd be dead."

"You'll meet worse, Percy. Far worse, before you're done."

"Done ... with what?"

"Your quest, of course. Will you accept it?"

Percy looked to Grover, who was crossing his fingers.

"Um, sir," Percy said, "you haven't told me what it is yet."

Chiron grimaced. "Well, that's the hard part, the details."

All I could feel was the thunder pulsing through my blood and lightning flashed like strobe lights. I was now fully awake. Gods and their tantrums.

"Poseidon and Zeus," Percy said. "They're fighting over something valuable ... something that was stolen, aren't

they?"

Chiron and Grover paused, and looked at each other.

Chiron sat forward in his wheelchair. "How did you know that?"

"Most likely the usual way." I murmured. Chiron nodded.

"The weather since Christmas has been weird, like the sea and the sky are fighting. Then I talked to Annabeth, and she'd overheard something about a theft. And ... I've also been having these dreams." Percy confessed, cautiously.

"I knew it," Grover said.

"Hush, satyr," Chiron ordered.

"But it is his quest!" Grover's eyes were bright with excitement. "It must be!"

"Only the Oracle can determine." Chiron stroked his bristly beard. "Nevertheless, Percy, you are correct. Your father and Zeus are having their worst quarrel in centuries. They are fighting over something valuable that was stolen. To be precise: a lightning bolt."

Percy laughed, almost hysterically. "A what?"

"Do not take this lightly," Chiron warned. "I'm not talking about some tinfoil-covered zigzag you'd see in a second-grade play. I'm talking about a two-foot-long cylin-der of high-grade celestial bronze, capped on both ends with god-level explosives."

"Oh."

"Zeus's master bolt," Chiron said, getting worked up now. "The symbol of his power, from which all other light-ning bolts are patterned. The first weapon made by the Cyclopes for the war against the Titans, the bolt that sheered the top off Mount Etna and hurled Kronos from his throne; the master bolt, which packs enough power to make mortal hydrogen bombs look like firecrackers."

"And it's missing?"

"Stolen," Chiron said.

"By who?"

"By whom," Chiron corrected. Someone loves their grammar a bit too much. "By you."

My brain broke. Percy steal…Zeus' bolt? The god has seriously lost it.

"At least"—Chiron held up a hand—"that's what Zeus thinks. During the winter solstice, at the last council of the gods, Zeus and Poseidon had an argument. The usual nonsense: 'Mother Rhea always liked you best,' Air disasters are more spectacular than sea disasters,' et cetera. Afterward, Zeus realized his master bolt was missing, taken from the throne room under his very nose. He immediately blamed Poseidon. Now, a god cannot usurp another god's symbol of power directly—that is forbidden by the most ancient of divine laws. But Zeus believes your father convinced a human hero to take it."

"But I didn't—"

"Patience and listen, child," Chiron said. "Zeus has good reason to be suspicious. The forges of the Cyclopes are under the ocean, which gives Poseidon some influence over the makers of his brother's lightning. Zeus believes Poseidon has taken the master bolt, and is now secretly having the Cyclopes build an arsenal of illegal copies, which might be used to topple Zeus from his throne. The only thing Zeus wasn't sure about was which hero Poseidon used to steal the bolt. Now Poseidon has openly claimed you as his son. You were in New York over the winter holidays. You could easily have snuck into Olympus. Zeus believes he has found his thief."

"But I've never even been to Olympus! Zeus is crazy!"

Chiron and Grover glanced nervously at the sky. The clouds all converged above us, resembling the lid of a boiling pot. Metaphorically speaking, we were now lobsters.

"Er, Percy ...?" Grover said. "We don't use the c -word to describe the Lord of the Sky."

"Perhaps paranoid,"Chiron suggested. "Then again, Poseidon has tried to unseat Zeus before. I believe that was question thirty-eight on your final exam..."

Chiron was waiting for an answer.

"Something about a golden net?" Percy asked. "Poseidon and Hera and a few other gods ... they, like, trapped Zeus and wouldn't let him out until he promised to be a better ruler, right?"

"Correct," Chiron said. "And Zeus has never trusted Poseidon since. Of course, Poseidon denies stealing the master bolt. He took great offense at the accusation. The two have been arguing back and forth for months, threatening war. And now, you've come along—the proverbial last straw."

"But I'm just a kid!"

"Percy," Grover intoned, "if you were Zeus, and you already thought your brother was plotting to overthrow you, then your brother suddenly admitted he had broken the sacred oath he took after World War II, that he's fathered a new mortal hero who might be used as a weapon against you... Wouldn't that put a twist in your toga?"

"But I didn't do anything. Poseidon—my dad—he didn't really have this master bolt stolen, did he?"

Chiron sighed. "Most thinking observers would agree that thievery is not Poseidon's style. But the Sea God is too proud to try convincing Zeus of that. Zeus has demanded that Poseidon return the bolt by the summer solstice. That's June 21st, ten days from now. Poseidon wants an apology for being called a thief by the same date. I hoped that diplomacy might prevail, that Hera or Demeter or Hestia would make the two brothers see sense. But your arrival has inflamed Zeus's temper. Now neither god will back down. Unless someone intervenes, unless the master bolt is found and returned to Zeus before the solstice, there will be war. And do you know what a full-fledged war would look like, Percy?"

"Bad?"

"Imagine the world in chaos. Nature at war with itself. Olympians forced to choose sides between Zeus and Poseidon. Destruction. Carnage. Millions dead. Western civilization turned into a battleground so big it will make the Trojan War look like a water-balloon fight."

"Very bad." I agreed.

"And you, Percy Jackson, would be the first to feel Zeus's wrath."

And the it started to rain. Volleyball players stopped their game and stared in stunned silence at the sky.

"So I have to find the stupid bolt," Percy said. "And return it to Zeus."

"What better peace offering," Chiron said, "than to have the son of Poseidon return Zeus's property?"

"If Poseidon doesn't have it, where is the thing?"

"I believe I know." Chiron's expression was grim. "Part of a prophecy I had years ago ... well, some of the lines make sense to me, now. But before I can say more, you must officially take up the quest. You must seek the counsel of the Oracle."

"Why can't you tell me where the bolt is beforehand?"

"Because if I did, you would be too afraid to accept the challenge."

"Good reason."

"You agree then?"

Percy looked to Grover and me, and we nodded encouragingly.

"All right," Percy sighed "It's better than being turned into a dolphin."

"Then it's time you consulted the Oracle," Chiron said. "Go upstairs, Percy Jackson, to the attic. When you come back down, assuming you're still sane, we will talk more."

All was quiet while Percy was gone. I was still in my pyjamas, and it was cold. The heavy rain made the air moist and clammy.

"Well?" Chiron asked Percy, as he sat down again at the table.

"She said I would retrieve what was stolen."

Grover sat forward, gnawing on the Diet Coke can. "That's great!"

"What did the Oracle say exactly?"Chiron pressed. "This is important."

"She . .. she said I would go west and face a god who had turned. I would retrieve what was stolen and see it safely returned."

"I knew it," Grover said.

Chiron wasn't letting it go so easily. "Anything else?"

Percy paused. "No, that's about it."

Chiron analysed him. "Very well, Percy. But know this: the Oracle's words often have double meanings. Don't dwell on them too much. The truth is not always clear until events come to pass."

"Okay," Percy said. "So where do I go? Who's this god in the west?"

"Ah, think, Percy," Chiron said. "If Zeus and Poseidon weaken each other in a war, who stands to gain?"

"Somebody else who wants to take over?"

"Yes, quite. Someone who harbours a grudge, who has been unhappy with his lot since the world was divided eons ago, whose kingdom would grow powerful with the deaths of millions. Someone who hates his brothers for forcing him into an oath to have no more children, an oath that both of them have now broken."

"Hades."

Chiron nodded. "The Lord of the Dead is the only possibility."

The can fell out of Grover's mouth. "Whoa, wait. Wh-what?"

"A Fury came after Percy," Chiron reminded him. "She watched the young man until she was sure of his iden-tity, then tried to kill him. Furies obey only one lord: Hades."

"Yes, but—but Hades hates all heroes," Grover protested.

"Except his own children." I added.

"Especially if he has found out Percy is a son of Poseidon... ."

"A hellhound got into the forest," Chiron continued. "Those can only be summoned from the Fields of Punishment, and it had to be summoned by someone within the camp. Hades must have a spy here. He must suspect Poseidon will try to use Percy to clear his name. Hades would very much like to kill this young half-blood before he can take on the quest."

"Great, that's two major gods who want to kill me." Percy cried, exasperated.

"But a quest to ..." Grover swallowed. "I mean, couldn't the master bolt be in some place like Maine? Maine's very nice this time of year."

"Hades sent a minion to steal the master bolt," Chiron insisted. "He hid it in the Underworld, knowing full well that Zeus would blame Poseidon. I don't pretend to understand the Lord of the Dead's motives perfectly, or why he chose this time to start a war, but one thing is certain. Percy must go to the Underworld, find the master bolt, and reveal the truth."

Grover shook, and had devoured half of the pinochle cards already.

"Look, if we know it's Hades," Percy said, finally, "why can't we just tell the other gods? Zeus or Poseidon could go down to the Underworld and bust some heads."

"Suspecting and knowing are not the same," Chiron said.

"Besides, even if the other gods suspect Hades—and I imagine Poseidon does—they couldn't retrieve the bolt themselves. Gods cannot cross each other's territories except by invitation. That is another ancient rule. Heroes, on the otherhand, have certain privileges. They can go anywhere, challenge anyone, as long as they're bold enough and strong enough to do it. No god can be held responsible for a hero's actions. Why do you think the gods always operate through humans?"

"You're saying I'm being used."

"I'm saying it's no accident Poseidon has claimed you now. It's a very risky gamble, but he's in a desperate situation. He needs you."

Percy looked at Chiron, and then at me. "You've known I was Poseidon's son all along, haven't you?"

"I had my suspicions. As I said ... I've spoken to the Oracle, too." Chiron said.

"Yes, at least, I had a hunch." I admitted.

"So let me get this straight. I'm supposed go to the Underworld and confront the Lord of the Dead." Percy listed.

"Check," Chiron said.

"Find the most powerful weapon in the universe."

"Check."

"And get it back to Olympus before the summer solstice, in ten days."

"That's about right."

"Did I mention that Maine is very nice this time of year?" Grover asked with a trembling mouth.

"You don't have to go," Percy told him. "I can't ask that of you.

"Oh ..." He shifted his hooves. "No ... it's just that satyrs and underground places ... well..."

He took a deep breath, then stood, brushing the shredded cards and aluminum bits off his T-shirt.

"You saved my life, Percy. If ... if you're serious about wanting me along, I won't let you down." My little Grover, all grown up.

"All the way, G-man." Percy turned to Chiron. "So where do we go? The Oracle just said to go west."

"The entrance to the Underworld is always in the west. It moves from age to age, just like Olympus. Right now, of course, it's in America."

"Where?"

Chiron looked surprised. "I thought that would be obvious enough. The entrance to the Underworld is in Los Angeles."

"Oh, naturally. So we just get on a plane—"

"No!" Grover and I exclaimed at once. "Percy, what are you thinking? Have you ever been on a plane in your life?"

He shook his head, feeling embarrassed.

"Percy, think," Chiron said. "You are the son of the Sea God. Your father's bitterest rival is Zeus, Lord of the Sky. Your mother knew better than to trust you in an airplane. You would be in Zeus's domain. You would never come down again alive."

"Okay, so, I'll travel overland."

"That's right," Chiron said. "Two companions may accompany you, usually. Grover is one. The other has already volunteered, if you will accept her help."

"Gee," Percy said, sarcastically. "Who else would be stupid enough to volunteer for a quest like this?"

Annabeth became visible behind Chiron, stuffing her Yankees cap into her back pocket. Who else. My little Annabeth, off to fight monsters.

"I've been waiting a long time for a quest, seaweed brain," she said. "Athena is no fan of Poseidon, but if you're going to save the world, I'm the best person to keep you from messing up."

"If you do say so yourself," Percy said "I suppose you have a plan, wise girl?"

She flushed. "Do you want my help or not?"

"A trio," I said. "That'll work."

"Except," Chiron said. "Breaking with tradition, I was hoping that a more experienced camper would also accompany you three."

"Do you think Luke would really go on another quest?" I asked sceptically.

"I wasn't talking about Luke." Oh. Right. So much for having a break from danger, then.

"Me? Okay, I guess. Making it four" Except I have no clue how I can help. Annabeth, Grover and Percy all looked a little bit relieved that I was coming. Damn.

"Excellent. This afternoon, we can take you as far as the bus terminal in Manhattan. After that, you are on your own."

"No time to waste," Chiron reminded. "I think you should all get packing."

Only a couple of days into camp, and I'm already off on an adventure. Oh, joy.


I hope you understood everything. If not, Im stupid and apologise. i will answer any questions. Ok, love ye!

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CaChrisSo