Author's Note: Okay, I am literally freaking out so much right now! I'm just so happy! :) I received seven review since the last update, four for this chapter, and three for others, and I simply can't express my gratitude for all of you who have reviewed, followed, added this story as a favorite, or even just read it. It means so much to me!

Replies:

Guest (reviewed on 1/27/13): Yeah, I realized that people might be confused, but then I thought you'd all figure it out when you read the chapter. Thanks for reading and reviewing!

Lady Kid: Even though you reviewed other chapters, I'll put the replies here. Thank you so much for reading and reviewing. It means a lot that you took the time to tell me what you think of it. Glad you like it! :)

Guest: So, I'm not sure if this was one person reviewing thrice, or different people, but since they all basically say the same thing, this is a reply to all of them. Thanks for reading and reviewing! Even a simple 'update' encourages me to actually write and update.

Chapter 25

PERCY

"You'll never learn, will you?" said a mocking voice.

Percy cracked an eye open to see who was talking, and saw the back of a teenager about his height, facing the other way, presumably speaking to Jason or Piper.

He sat up, wincing slightly at the dull, throbbing pain persisting in the back of his head, as well as his ribs, which were most likely bruised.

"Trenton," came a harsh whisper from the corner. "He's up." Percy recognized the one in the shadows from earlier, as the brown-haired boy who, along with another girl, had been fighting Jason.

Trenton turned around to face Percy, a sneer still plastered on his face.

"Ah, you're all up now. Come, Percy, join the party. Whoops, my mistake; you can't. You've been captured. So much for the best heroes of our time," he said, approaching Percy.

He could barely see Piper at the other end of the room, but she and Jason didn't seem to be majorly injured—just a couple shallow cuts and undoubtedly, there would be bruises from the fight.

"Guess your daddy isn't going to be helping you now," Trenton said, grinning wildly. "But then again, he's never been that helpful, has he?"

Percy bit his lip and turned his head to the side, refusing to answer.

"Ah, denial. But you know it's true, don't you? Luke knew it's true. I know it's true. We all know it's true, even if some don't like to admit it," he taunted.

Percy shifted his gaze to the floor. He was searching for signs of water. Usually, his body recognized the presence of water within a certain range, he just had to tune into it. He screwed his eyes shut, but nothing came. Either there was simply no water around, or something was severing his connection with it.

"That won't work," Trenton advised. "You'll find that your powers have become very… limited, I guess. But, I'm not the person to tell you about that. You'll figure out soon enough."

Something about what Trenton was saying and how Percy had been feeling earlier, even though he'd been in the river, made everything start piecing together.

He looked up at Trenton with narrowed eyes, but couldn't mask the curiosity in his expression.

"I suppose it's time," he smiled. "I don't see why it has to be explained. Apparently, your little girlfriend has already found out about it."

"Where's Annabeth?" Percy snapped.

"Oh, so he speaks," Trenton mocked. "I don't see why I should tell you where she is, if you don't already know, but I shall. She's in Rome, where she expects to meet up with you."

"How do you know that?" Percy demanded.

Trenton waved off his question like an annoying fly, and stepped closer to Percy. "Now, don't hit me, I'm just going to unlock the cuffs."

"You're letting him go?" Piper asked.

Trenton rolled his eyes. "No, he's being taken somewhere else."

"Why?" she inquired.

"You all ask too many questions," Trenton grumbled. "Someone just wants to talk to him."

"Who?" Jason asked.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Trenton said.

"Then take us too," Piper said.

"No," he replied, swiftly unlocking the manacles around Percy's wrists and ankles. Before Percy could make a break for it, as he had planned to do originally, Trenton twisted his arms behind his back, so he couldn't run, and a couple of the teens that had been standing in the corner flanked them both.

Percy rolled his eyes at his captors.

The remaining teenagers stayed to watch Piper and Jason, warily keeping an eye on them as Percy left, just in case they tried anything while their Trenton, who appeared to be their leader, was gone.

"Where are we going?" Percy sighed.

"So impatient," Trenton noticed. "Why ask? You'll be there soon enough."

"You sound like my mother," Percy said. "Well, actually, you don't. She's way nicer."

"Just because I'm a teenager doesn't mean I have to act immature like you and your friends," Trenton retorted.

Percy sighed. "It's easier when we're captured by monsters. They're so stupid that they make escaping easy. We must be number-one priority or something. I mean, really, handcuffs? It's not like we'd be able to get out of that room anyway."

"Don't even try. We know what you all are capable of," Trenton replied.

"Thought I'd give it a try," Percy said, shrugging.

Percy thought he saw a smile creep onto his captor's face, but it was wiped away so quickly Percy thought he might have imagined it.

That was an advantage, though, about having demigod captors. Underneath it all, they were still teenagers, they were still young and confused and doubting themselves and their choices, and if worst came to worst, that indecision could be used, and Percy could try to appeal to their better nature, and maybe, just maybe, they'd change their minds.

"What are you doing? Keep walking," said Trenton, and as he shoved Percy forward, Percy realized that he'd been slowing down as he thought.

"Are we there yet?" Percy whined, purposefully trying to sound like an irritating child.

"Shut up," Trenton said.

"Someone's in a bad mood," said Percy.

"I said shut up. You should be glad we're being so nice to you," Trenton informed.

"Yeah, thanks so much, Trenton. We're so very honored," Percy said, sarcasm dripping from his every word.

"They told me you'd be annoying. I didn't think that it'd be possible for you to be this infuriating, though," Trenton grumbled.

Percy smirked to himself. If Trenton was already becoming annoyed with him, it showed he wasn't completely hardcore.

"Listen, can I call you Trent? Trenton's too long," Percy asked.

"No, you cannot," he said.

"Cannot? Who says that? I mean, I know I've been asleep for a while, but I'm pretty sure that most normal people say 'can't'," Percy said.

"Can you just be quiet? We'll be there in a couple of minutes," he said.

Percy rolled his eyes. "Just trying to make small talk. You're rude."

"Be quiet! You don't need to have this much freedom. We could—we could blindfold you and knock you out and carry you, and handcuff you," Trenton threatened.

"Go ahead," Percy shrugged. "I don't care."

Trenton just shoved him to move faster. "Hurry up."

"Pushy, pushy," he whined.

"We're here," Trenton announced after a few minutes. "Go inside. She's waiting."

"So this mysterious person's a she? Are you allowed to tell me that?" Percy asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You would've found out in a minute, you idiot," Trenton snapped.

"Hey, only Annabeth can call me an idiot," Percy protested.

Trenton rolled his eyes, and opened the enormous doors in front of them, shoving Percy inside.

After stumbling inside, Percy heard the door lock behind him. He'd been teasing Trenton just because of his nervousness. He had a suspicion about whom they had brought him here to talk with.

The door being locked just brought reality crashing down on him. He had been captured, he was in the enemy's hands, the only people who could save him, Jason, and Piper didn't have a clue about where they were or that they had even been captured by the enemy side.

He replaced his insecurity with a calm façade, but couldn't stop his foot from tapping impatiently on the ground.

"Ah," an earthy chuckle echoed around the room Percy was in. It was dimly lit, so all he could make out were dark walls and foreboding flickering torches.

"You're here. I must say, I was rather disappointed, Perseus. It took you quite some time to get here. And not even on your own. We had to capture you, for you to arrive. You heroes are getting lazy," the soft voice of Gaea said, her voice rumbling around the room, so Percy couldn't pinpoint if she was inside the room with him, in a solidified form, or merely an echo of her voice was in the earth around him.

"I blame it on the gods," she added. "We need a new golden age, without those foolish young ones in charge and messing things up."

"You're talking like Kronos did. We beat him," Percy said.

She chuckled. It was a horrifying sound that just sounded so wrong. Something so pure evil shouldn't be able to laugh so amiably.

"Ah, yes, he gave a rather… admiral effort, though he didn't have the plans that I do, or the resources, or the information. Though, I suppose you will realize that soon enough," Gaea materialized in the room with Percy, with vine-covered thick jail bars in between them, separating the room in half.

When gods assumed their true forms, demigods, being part mortal as well, had to turn away or (at least most of the time) die from seeing the divine presences. Gaea was on a whole new level, which only discouraged Percy more about their upcoming war.

She wasn't even fully awake yet, but was able to muster enough power to appear in a form, and that presence alone nearly overwhelmed Percy.

Looking at the goddess for too long hurt, and even being in the same room was tiring; he could feel his strength disappearing fast, which was bad, if he needed to fight his way out and run.

If Percy tried to focus on her face, or really any part of her, she'd disappear into the darkness behind her, and Percy would only be able to hear her voice, not actually see her.

Her clothes seemed to be woven from earth, moving and flowing with her like molten lava from a volcano.

Basically, it made Percy's head spin.

"What is this mysterious plan you have? It has something to do with me, right? That guy Trenton said something about it; he said you'd probably tell me," Percy said.

"That other one, the daughter of Athena—she figured it out. But, she will be out of the picture for a while, won't she? Yes, yes, we'll make sure of that," Gaea assured.

"What are you talking about now?" Percy demanded.

"Oh, but they told me you've already received your little prophecy. Does it not mention the Mark of Athena? Yes, she will have a hard time here in Rome, young hero. And you won't be able to help, now will you?" the earth goddess taunted.

"What are you going to do to her?" he asked.

"Oh, me? Why, nothing, foolish demigod. That is something else entirely, but it does work in my favor, so I will let it be," she said.

"What's this plan, then?" Percy asked, figuring that she wouldn't give anything more away about Annabeth's situation aside from vague details.

"Haven't you noticed already? What about the river? Use your father's power, silly hero. Can you sense any water nearby?" Gaea asked.

"Well, no," Percy admitted. "But, water isn't everywhere."

"But it's here," she said softly. As she waved her hand, a small hole opened up in the wall to Percy's left, and a small stream of water came out, pooling onto the floor.

Gaea made a motion with her hand, like she was pushing the air down, and the floor underneath the water hole sank down, creating a small pool.

The water collected in the depression until it was full, at which point Gaea waved her hand, causing the hold in the wall to close.

"Go on," the earth goddess encouraged. She was smiling, making Percy even more nervous as he approached the pool of water.

He held his hand out and concentrated, waiting for that familiar tugging sensation in his gut that would start even as he got close to water.

Sweat started forming on his forehead. His eyebrows squeezed together and his jaw clenched as he imagined the water in the pool moving, swirling lifting up because of his will. He was the son of Poseidon, and this was his element, and he could control the water. He could imagine it, see it all in his head, the water rising up from the ground, forming into a blob in midai

Satisfied, even though it had taken more effort than usual, Percy opened his eyes.

The sight before him was slightly startling. The water, which Percy had expected to be floating at about his eye level, was still sitting in the pool, as still as a rock.

"What…" he trailed off. "But," he pointed to the water, "I told it to move. It should've moved. Why didn't it move?"

Gaea produced a horrible laugh once again.

"Have you not figured it out still? This is quite amusing, I must say."

"What?" Percy asked, "Did you, like, steal my water powers or something? Was that your big scary plan?"

Gaea cocked her head to the side a little, a smirk plastered on her face.

Percy rolled his eyes. "Well, if that was your plan, I'm afraid it's not much."

"Oh, don't worry," Gaea assured, "you've only discovered a small part of it. The other part, which is much more important, is still in the process of happening."

"What other part?" Percy inquired, his curiosity getting the better of him.

"Well," Gaea said. "I won't tell you all of it—that would just ruin the fun, now wouldn't it? But, know this. Your powers can't just disappear. Something, or someone will gain the power."

Percy snorted. "Yeah, right. You can't do that. You're making this up."

"My dear misguided hero," Gaea said softly. "Why would I make this up?"

Percy seemed to be at a loss for words. For once, he had no quick comeback ready to roll off his tongue.

"You see? You may deny it all you want, foolish demigod, but that still will not change anything," said Gaea. "But you have been brought here for a reason."

"Other than messing with my head?" Percy asked.

Gaea sighed, and walked to the opposite wall of the earthen room, her billowing robes puffing out behind her.

"Not only that," she snapped, her previously decent disposition worsening by the second. "There's something else, concerning your curse."

"My curse?" Percy asked, bewildered.

"Your curse of Achilles, you stupid boy," the goddess steamed.

"I don't have it," Percy said, knowing it was bad to give something like that away, but if her plans had something to do with it, he might as well thwart them by telling her the curse washed away in New Rome.

"I know that. I know everything," she sneered. "All your little precious 'secrets,' well they're not very secret anymore. Your old mortal spot—that is no longer secret, either."

"What—but that doesn't even matter anymore," Percy said, still obviously confused.

Gaea dramatically sighed, a look of pure evil determination coating her face.

Before Percy could protest or try to back away and fight the goddess, she strode forward confidently, passed right through the seemingly solid bars, and pressed her hand against the small of his back, his old anchor to the mortal world and life.

Her hand wasn't solid though, Percy realized. This was merely a fraction of her essence, and she was merely an illusion, a ghost.

It was no longer painful, but Percy felt a spark of electricity jolt through his back, as the tip of her fingertips, which was really just a cold gust of air, brushed against his back. She retracted her hand away, and stood back with a smile on her face.

Percy suddenly felt bone-tired, like Gaea's gentle tap on his back had drained all of his energy out of him. His vision started blurring, and everything in his head seemed muddled, and Percy couldn't seem to control his body anymore.

He commanded his arm to move up, but just like the water had disobeyed, his arm did the same and remained limp at his side.

Percy didn't even have any time or the ability to ask Gaea what she had done—why he couldn't move or think properly—why he seemed like a stranger in his own body, and why he just felt so tired all of a sudden.

Percy fell to the ground, or at least he assumed he did, because of the dull ache that spread from his arms. The world turned gray, darkening and darkening, until the shadows seemed to stretch across the room, and Percy's vision turned black.

THIRD PERSON

Laughing, the boy strode into the room. He looked to be approximately sixteen, maybe seventeen, with coal-black hair, and bright green eyes that took in the whole room at once.

He stretched his arms and back, yawning. His laughter, the cause of it unknown, had ended. The boy sat down at the long table in the room, flexing his fingers and watching them as he did so.

He kicked his feet up onto the table, folding his hands behind his head, and then leaning back in the chair.

A voice spoke from the opposite side of the room.

The boy nodded in agreement, confirming whatever the voice was saying.

Whoever was sitting in the shadows laughed and laughed, obviously confusing the teenager, who seemed to be a little out of it.

Seemingly dismissed, the black-haired boy stood up from his seat and left the room, walking a little unsurely, like a toddler who had just learned to walk and was prone to falling.

He exited the room.

PERCY

Percy woke up, surrounded by darkness, and listening to the hushed and worried voices of Piper and Jason.

A/N: Please disregard what I said in the last chapter about the number of chapters remaining. I forgot and left something out of my outline. I edited the outline now, and there should be approximately nine or ten chapters left. Thanks for reading, and please review and tell me what you think! :)

-smileyface9 :)