We were just outside of the tunnel that led into Manhattan. Percy pulled over to the side, putting the car in park. "Why are we stopping?" I asked. "We have less than an hour or we're out." Percy unbuckled his seat belt, turning to me.

"You're gonna drive." Percy said.

"I'm gonna die." Bobby mumbled.

"I am? I thought I couldn't drive your car?" I asked.

"Come on, bring us home." Percy said.

"No time to make love in the front seat, switch and drive." Mathew exclaimed. We quickly switch.

I haven't gotten a chance to practice since I was home during the spring. And when I wasn't studying for the DTSOMPS, or the Demigod Standard Tests of Mad Power, and the SATs

Wait a minute. There is a test that I have to take for being a Demigod? Along with the SATs?

Yes.

I'm never getting into college.

So when I'm not studying, I'm usually boosting my after school activities. So driving isn't somethings do often. I looked over at Percy, who was wishing he didn't have a convertible so there was something for him to hold on to. "You know the basics, right?" Percy asked, slightly nervous.

"You guys need to relax, geez." I said, gripping the steering wheel. I switch the car to drive, made sure it was clear enough and then merged back onto the road. "You can speed up." Percy informed me.

"I'm about to enter the city, so I'm not changing my speed," I said.

"But—"

"Do not tell me how to drive, I'm the driver now." I exclaimed, interrupting him.

I am still pretty bad with directions around these parts, so Percy did have to help me out. I parked along the cub, and Percy let out a berth he'd been holding. He looked up at the sky. "Thank you, thank all the gods. I'm alive!" I shot him a look and he paled. "Not for long." he added quietly.

The four of us got out, then walked quickly to the entrance. "So how do we get up there?" Bobby asked. "And if it's magical, is it gonna take more than eleven minutes cause that's how long we have."

"Can they even come up?" Percy asked.

"We just have to grant the, permission. Like how I let Tyson into camp, and how Rachel got up with the help of Chiron." I explained. I turned to my brothers, taking a deep breath. It's not likes she's gonna kill them. We're running out of time.

"I, Annabeth Chase, grant you two permission to enter Mount Olympus."

"I don't feel any different." Mathew said.

"Come on." Percy said, pushing us into the elevator. He slipped a gold drachma into the new coin slot, which sent us rocketing up to the 600th floor.

"Woah." Mathew said.

"Zeus is usually in the Throne Room. Come on!" I said, then started running down the paths. For someone who was electrocuted a few days ago, she's sure energetic.

They were right behind me as we ran past temples, deities, and sacred beings. I knew this place, and it's short cuts, like the back of my hand, since I rebuilt it. We had to duck through the aquarium, where Poseidon was lounging around. Strange. I know right. Then we went past the sun chariot, which was recharging not I guess. There was the library, which Percy had to drag me out of before we lost time. Then finally, we got to the Throne Room.

"We got the lightning!" Percy and I yelled, just as the bell rung, signaling midnight.

Zeus looked up at us and sighed, rolling his eyes. "I guess since you technically got here before midnight, I'll have to except it." he said.

"This place is huge!" Bobby yelled, his voice echoing.

"Mortals," Zeus muttered rather loudly. "Go and find Demeter. And leave the lightning."

Where do we find Demeter?

I know. She'll most likely be in the garden or Cereal Museum.

There's a Cereal Museum?

Yea. That was a requirement from Demeter.

Let's check the garden.

I started leading them to the garden. We'd been awake in a car all day, so getting there was a very slow trip. Mostly Percy, since he was the one driving most of the way and he had to drive at night, in the dark when it's harder to see the signs; especially with dyslexia. At one point, the three of us had to drag Percy to the garden. Surely enough, Demeter was there.

"The first one's here." Demeter said. "On your last challenge. It's more like a questionnaire than a challenge, but still."

"Can we get some sleep first? I don't have the mental stability to answer questions." Percy said, then yawned.

"No." Demeter said. "First question." I'm not prepared for a quiz!

Classic Athenian kid.

"Percy, why are you a greater hero than Hercules?" Demeter asked.

"I did everything he did way younger than he was when he did, and I'm not a jerk." Percy said.

"Why are you greater than the original Perseus?"

"Same thing with Hercules, and he was with a mortal princess. I'm with a Demi-Goddess." Demeter actually chuckled.

"Why are you better than Annabeth?"

Crap on a cracker.

"Uh...I...I'm not." Percy said.

"What?" Demeter asked.

"I'm not better than Annabeth. If anything, she's better than me." Percy said. "It wasn't my knife that saved Olympus, it was hers. The only reason I wanted to live was because of her. She's smarter, stronger, faster, and everything better than me."

I am not.

Yes you are. Trust me.

You're the Hero. I'm the smart side-kick you makes sure you don't die. Your title is literally the Hero of Olympus.

"Annabeth, why do you think Athena chose you to find the Parthenon?"

Because she wanted to kill me. "She believed I was smart enough to do what no other child of Athena did."

"Why did you chose your brothers to come with you?"

"They were the first clear-sighted mortals we thought of."

"Do you think you're better than Percy?"

"Never in a million years." I said without a thought. "He's done many great things. Greater than I've ever done."

"But I did them because you helped me." Percy argued.

"Are we seriously arguing about this?" I asked. It's kind of a stupid fight.

And pointless.

So we're in an agreement?

Absolutely.

"This is getting boring." Demeter said. "Let's do something more...fun." She clapped her hands twice, and instantly we were in a different area.

Where are we, Wise Girl?

It's like, a fighting arena. There were stands all around, and Percy and I were in the middle, on opposite sides of the sandy pit. There were four posts around the arena, and tied across were Bobby and Mathew, both on different posts. The stands were filled with a bunch of people; deities, nature spirits, water spirits, etcetera. They were all rowdy and cheering. In a little box between two posts were the Olympians.

If you're confused: the Olympians can take on multiple forms at once. So they might be giving someone their next clue as we speak, but still have a form here.

Demeter stood up, smiling proudly. "For your final challenge, you must prove you're the best."

Two steel gates rose, and you could see two pairs of red eyes light up in the darkness. "Fight the Hercules and Perseus androids, and win!" Demeter concluded.

Holy shit.

Crap on a cracker.


A/N: So...the crap on a cracker line I got from this tv show: The Middle. Yea, love that show.

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo