Chapter 1

On a deserted warehouse roof in the middle of Queens, NY. A man in his mid-twenties looked at his watch for the twelve time. He swept a hand through his black hair and started pacing the length of the roof again. He was wearing a black jacket on top of navy shirt and pair of shorts and sandals. His skin was tanned from spending too much time in the sun and his sea-green eyes track the shadows as if expecting something to jump from them at any moment.

Below him he could hear the East River churning and the moonlight reflected on the water. He could be home at this moment snuggling with his fiancé by the fire but no, he had to come here at the dead of night because the world was ending…again.

"I'm too old for this crap."

A bird screeched broke the silence of the night. The man turned towards the sound and rolled his eyes. "About fricking time."

A black and gold falcon swoop in from the air and landed three feet away from the man. The falcon ruffled his feathers.

"Really man? Cut the chicken routine." The man tapped his foot impatiently.

The falcon screeched indignantly before it morphed and changed into the form of an African American man in his mid-twenties with short brown hair, he was wearing a button-down shirt and khakis.

"You're about as Sadie. Have you ever seen a chicken fly, Percy? Ma'at help me."

Percy shook his head and clamp the other man into a hug. "It's good to see you too Carter though you look like crap."

There were bags under Carter's eyes and his hair was rumple not to mention he had missed a button or three. In all the years Percy had known the Egyptian magician, he had never seen the man so unkempt.

Carter shook his head. "Not yet."

Percy frowned but nodded they were still missing a member from their party.

After about ten minutes of waiting the door to the rooftop opened and a sixteen-year-old blonde kid holding a tray with three coffee cups that read 'Hotel Valhalla'

"Really? You guys couldn't find a creepier place to meet up? I swear to Odin, if I wasn't dead already my soul would've left my body after the rat I just saw." The teenager said as he handed the coffee to both Percy and Carter.

Percy rolled his eyes at him. "Magnus, you die every in ways I can't even imagine, and a rat scares you?"

Carter took a sip from his drink. "Not to mentioned you have killed monsters and faced gods; a rat should be the least of your worries."

Magnus tapped a pendant on his necklace that had a rune carved into it. "Yeah, but I can cut a monster or god with Jack, but he refuses to cut rats." He took a sip from his drink. "Don't ask me why. He refuses to say."

Percy arched an eyebrow but didn't comment, the lippy sword was annoying enough as it is trying to hook up with his own sword without having rats into the discussion. He looked at Carter. "Okay, Carter we're all here what did you call us for."

Carter grimaced finishing his drink. "Three weeks ago, someone broke into my study and stole Setne's prison, a week after that something attacked me, almost killed me actually." He opened his button-down shirt to reveal a nasty burn mark that was in the process of healing. "It wasn't a demon of the Duat it was something else. A giant made of fire." Magnus frowned but didn't interrupt Carter. "And two days ago, before I contacted you guys, I received a communication from one our diviners." Carter's eyes harden. "They couldn't make much sense of it but what little words they could it wasn't good.

Powers long gone will return,

And make their enemies mourn.

When the bloodline of rivals is born,

The Hegemon shall rise on the morn.

United the powers of the West must rise,

Or see the world's demise.

Percy groan out loud and stomped his foot, yes it was a little childish, but he didn't care. "I hate fucking prophecies." He raised his hands in the air and glared at the sky. "The subject of not one but two big prophecies and you decided to go for broke. Are you kidding me?"

Thunder rumbled in the sky.

Magnus shook his head. "Ease up Percy you know how they're like when you mouth off to them, you still haven't gotten back on Hecate's good side."

Percy snorted. "Don't remind me." He then turned to Carter. "I see why you're concern Carter but what does this have to do with us or why we couldn't do this over the phone."

Carter started to close his shirt, but Magnus stopped him. "Here, let me help."

Magnus laid his hands over Carter's wounds and light shone from the space between them. The burn mark soon began to rapidly heal in a matter of seconds.

Carter looked at the wound with a surprised look. "That's some powerful magic you got there; our best healers could only do a little at a time."

"That's because fire from Muspelheim is a little trickier to heal than regular or spell fire. You have to both purified the demonic essence in them as well as the burns." Magnus said as he finished healing Carter.

Carter nodded. "Thanks." Then he turned to Percy. "Because I wanted you guys to be careful, especially you Percy."

Percy shifted his weight from foot to foot. "Why me? I mean sure, I've made plenty of enemies during my youth but so did you, Magnus and hell every other demigod and magician in existence. Comes with the job."

Carter closed his shirt and crossed his arms, his eyes looked uncertain before firm determination filled them. "Tell me something Percy, how's Annabeth been this past couple of days."

Percy frowned. "What do you mean? She's fine."

Carter sighed. "Has she been feeling lightheaded, maybe a dizzy spell here or there. Can't keep her food down."

Percy tense. "Yeah, she caught a stomach bug a couple of days ago while we went sailing. She said she was feeling much better."

"A demigod catching a bug?" Carter shook his head. "You know for a genius warrior and marine biologist; you can be as dense as my sister sometimes. I asked because the other thing my diviner managed to figure out was that the second part of the prophecy had to do with the hero who turned down the divine. Now that could mean either you or me since you turned down godhood and I turned down being Horus's permanent host. But don't Zia and I don't have rival bloodlines."

Magnus frowned. "But everyone knows Poseidon and Athena have been rivals for ages...oh gods!" He then went and hugged Percy.

Percy looked between the two of them and pushed Magnus away, it still freaked him out a little that Magnus would never grow old since he was you know dead. "What in Hades are you two talking about?"

Carter turned to him. "Percy the second part is about you and Annabeth, you're going to be a father."

Percy stood there stunned but before he could say anything a loud explosion rang below them and the warehouse roof fell from underneath their feet.