The title to this chapter makes me think of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer Stone even though I know it's Philosopher's Stone. I know it's dumb but that's all I can think of now. Anyway, like aways, thanks for the reviews, all rights to Rick Riordan, and hope you enjoy the story!

Annabeth

Annabeth easily paired Piper's strike and sent an easy lunge towards her legs. Piper jumped to avoid it and tried to cut into Annabeth's arm. Almost on autopilot, she stopped it, throwing Piper's sword back. Piper had asked Annabeth to help her with her sword work and she jumped at the chance. Anything was better than just standing by the railing straining her eyes to see if maybe a monster was sneaking up.

It was supposed to be her, Piper and Frank on guard duty, but everyone was there. There was an attack by some harpies a little while ago, and no one felt tired. So now they were having a "midnight party" in Leo's words. Only that "midnight party" had stretched for hours. It was dawn now. The sun creeping up over the rolling hills they were flying over, the sky a brilliant orange.

Piper's forehead gleamed with sweat. Normally when people sweated, their hair stuck to the side of their faces, their cheeks a bright red, but Piper looked like she was dipped in shimmering glitter. An input from her mother Annabeth supposed. She didn't dare tell Piper though. Her kaleidoscope eyes were narrowed in frustration. It had been hours and all she had managed to do was tire herself. Annabeth didn't want to tell her she was barely trying.

Annabeth specialized with the knife, but ever since that disappeared, she had to drudge up her old sword fighting skills. It wasn't the worst fight in the world though. She didn't go to camp every day since she was seven to not know how to fight with a sword. Plus, her sparring partner was always Percy and he was considered the best at camp. Percy.

She faltered and Piper got a lot closer than usual. Annabeth scrambled to blocked her strike and barely managed it. Piper's face lit up. It was the first time she'd come close the whole lesson. Annabeth decided not to tell her why she was so distracted.

"Did you guys see that? I almost got her!" Piper put her sword over her shoulder like a baseball player would with a bat. Their friends nodded and murmured compliments.

"Way to go Beauty Queen." Leo toasted her with his solo cup filled with orange juice. Jason and Annabeth locked eyes. Jason knew Annabeth wasn't even trying, but they played along. Jason and Annabeth were by far the most experienced on the team. They were the only two, as of now, who had been training for over a year. Leo and Piper found out about it six months ago, Frank eight months ago, and Hazel technically seventy years, but she had only been training ten months. Jason and Annabeth knew what "going easy" looked like.

"Alright. Let's go again." Piper got her stance ready.

"Should we be taking bets?" Leo hoped down from his seat on the railing.

"Oh come on everyone knows Annabeth is gonna win." Frank rolled his eyes.

"I don't know. I think Piper has a chance." Hazel shrugged.

"Anyone can tell Annabeth was going easy." Jason was filling up his cup.

"Well go hard!" Piper grinned at Annabeth. "I can take it!"

Annabeth just rolled her eyes. "Alright. I'll go hard." She got ready. Anything to keep them all up here. Everything was so much easier when they were all around and doing things like this. It was when she was alone Annabeth struggled. Now she felt almost like a normal teenager. Joking with her friends, doing dumb things for entertainment. Sometimes she wondered what they would all be like if greek mythology wasn't still around.

Piper took the first strike and Annabeth blocked easily. She pushed back walking towards Piper, forcing her to stumble back. She started striking on every side, confusing Piper, making her panic. Then, Piper was against the railing and Annabeth had her sword at her throat. The whole fight lasted less than twenty seconds.

"I lied. That was medium." Annabeth grinned. She had made a joke for the first time in a long time. It felt odd. A nice odd. She stepped back and walked towards the water cooler Frank had dragged up stairs.

"Wow. I'm impressed." Frank was applauding.

"Dang she never stood a chance." Leo shook his head in mock awe.

"Don't beat yourself up Pipes." Jason grinned and threw his arm around her shoulder. They were talking adamantly about the fight.

"I think the real fight should be Annabeth and Jason." Hazel laughed. They all switched targets and started talking about that and who would win. Annabeth laughed to herself slightly and started drinking a cup of water. Suddenly everything went silent. She turned around and everyone was frozen in place, mouths open in still grins. Words formed in their mouths, never leaving.

Standing in the middle of the deck was a man. He had very short back hair and was wearing a flowing robe. His head was tilted slightly in a small curious way as if wondering what would happen. Annabeth turned away from him and finished her cup of water.

"Your back is to me." He noted.

"That it is." She tossed the cup into the trash can and turned back around. "And now it's not. What do you want?" He grinned at her.

"Your sword is over there. Why don't you go get it?" His tilted his head like a small child. Annabeth knew his kind. He wanted something and was just playing around until he got it.

"If you wanted me dead you would have frozen me like them. You want to talk. So? What is it? Spill." She crossed her arms.

"I'm Darren." He stuck out his hand as if he honestly expected her to shake it.

"And you clearly know who I am, so let's skip the pleasantries, shall we?"

"Oh I like you. Tea?" He waved his hand and a small circular table appeared with two chairs. Annabeth decided to pick her battles, so she sat. She picked up the tea cup, but didn't drink it. She wasn't that stupid. If he wanted her dead, she would be frozen, but poison wasn't the only thing that could be held in a cup.

"Funny thing about magic, they can see and hear everything we're saying. Say hi." Darren waved at them.

"Hi." Annabeth said in a false cheery voice. Why was he here?

"Alright, let's get down to business. As you said before, we can skip the pleasantries. So I'll tell you what I want, and you give it to me deal?"

"Depends." Annabeth set down her cup.

"I want the map of where you're going. Your course route." He set down his cup as well, all business now. Something in Annabeth's mind flickered. "Or what?" She asked.

"Or they stay frozen." He gestured to her friends. A plan formed in her brain. It was probably going to backfire, but she decided to give it a shot anyway.

"Oh no they wont." She fake laughed.

"Excuse me?" His eyes narrowed.

"Please you think they'll stay that way? With all the gods on our side. They'd be frozen in less than five minutes after you left. So go. Leave."

He was silent for a second, then leaned in. "The gods are suffering from split personality. They are in no condition to help."

"Didn't stop them from helping with the giants." She noticed his confusion with satisfaction. "Oh you didn't know. Yeah Dionysus helped with the twins, and Hecate with Clytius. You think they wouldn't help if I asked them right now?" Bluffing. She hoped it was good enough. He didn't say anything. She had him pinned.

"I'll tell you what. You really want those maps? I'll make a deal for you." She tried to make it sound like she was doing him a favor and not the other way around. "You tell me something, and I'll give them to you."

"What do you want to know?" She got him hook, line and sinker. She internally smirked. She wondered what to ask him. The first thing that came to mind was what happened with Percy. It would give her peace of mind finally knowing what happened. Maybe halt the dreams. But, did she really want to know? Did she really want to know actually how Percy Jackson finally fell. A lump formed in her throat.

"I want to know where the giants are. They aren't in Olympus are they?" Gaea's army had been throwing the information around a lot, almost carelessly. All of them were suspicious. Darren's eyes flickered.

"If I promise on the River Styx I'm telling you the truth, you get me the map?"

"Deal."

"Go get it." Annabeth stood and and walked though the door. When she made it through the doorway, she took off into a run, praying. She started tearing through the doors of the common room, silently begging that it was still there. Finally she found it and ran back upstairs.

"I swear on the River of Styx this is a map." She handed him it. "Now you tell me where they are."

"Certainly." He rifled through the papers. "Athens." He started to walk away.

"Wait aren't you going to unfreeze them?" She took a step forward.

"Aren't your god friends going to do it for you?" He said casually. Annabeth pressed down her panic. Focus.

"I mean I could, but I didn't think you would want the gods down here. When they come down to unfreeze them, they might look around, decide to come after you." She watched him process this information. She got him. He snapped his fingers. Everyone unfroze, wide eyed and scared.

"It's been a pleasure talking Annabeth Chase." He stepped off the railing and disappeared.

"And to you." She said more to herself than anyone.

"Hey. Nice of you to unfreeze us." Leo rubbed his head.

"Athens. Hmm. Interesting." Piper pondered the new information.

"Sucks we have to redo the map though." Jason shrugged.

"No we don't. I gave him the old map. Gaea has to be pretty happy thinking we're about to head into an ambush." Annabeth was still staring where Darren disappeared. She eventually turned to Jason. A slow smile was spreading across his face.

"Well done." He sounded like he sincerely meant it. She nodded.

"Alright now what about that fight between Annabeth and Jason, hm?" Leo stepped between the two of them.