Chiron sighed as he stood in front to the door of Cabin Three, his tail swishing anxiously in the dim light. He wasn't looking forward to sending the boys back to Manhattan. He had seen the look in their eyes, the frustration and desire to do something, not sit around. He had seen that look so many times on the faces of so many young men in his thousands of years of training. Especially when women were involved. Chiron shook his head. So much was happening. Luke's betrayal, this new ploy by Kronos, Gohan's arrival, Annabeth's capture, the prophecy in motion, these new foes that seemed to replicate the abilities of the gods… yes, Chiron had much to worry about these days. Admittingly, Chiron had thought at first that he was being too protective of the boys given everything that was going on. They were heroes, after all. They needed to be strong to face the horrors of the world, and coddling them could backfire in that regard. However, after what had just happened to Pheobe and Katie, he was much more confident in his choice to keep them from joining the quest.

Chiron reached out and knocked on the door.

"Percy? Gohan?" Chiron was met with silence. He knocked again, but was still met no response. A sudden chill came over him. Perhaps they were just sleeping. But…

Chiron puled the door open and stepped in. Unfortunately, his fears were confirmed, as the cabin was deserted. It looked like Percy had left in a hurry, and Gohan's bed was still made. He hadn't slept in it at all.

"No…" Chiron shook his head. Still, why wasn't he surprised?

"Hmph. It seems that heroes are always reckless." Chiron whirled to see Mr. D, a smug expression on his face.

"Mr. D..." the wine god simply shook his head.

"When will you learn, Chiron? These heroes are nothing more than selfish, careless fools who want to die. And… my oh my. This day just got interesting." Chiron was puzzled for a moment, before following Mr. D's gaze to see what looked like empty courtyard. However, Chiron's trained eyes could see the shimmer, the key that something invisible was there. Chiron had an arrow notched instantly.

"Reveal yourself!" As if by cue, a figure materialized. Chiron was so stunned that he lowered his bow. Out of all the ways he envisioned this day playing out, this was the farthest thought possible.

It was the figure from Westover Hall, the humanoid figure completely covered in a bright silver metallic armor, with pulsing blue lines all across its body. Its head was covered as well, save for a large X on its face. To top it all off, a dark blue cloak fluttered on its back, a stark contrast to the surrounding landscape. The figure didn't speak, merely looking at them like a scientist studying his latest experiment.

"It can't be… he hasn't been here since… since..." Chiron breathed in stunned shock, a feeling of cold fear dropping on him like water. It was like the universe was taunting him. This was an omen.

"Apparently, it is. It seems that this day is full of surprises." Mr. D stroked his chin. Chiron shook his head,

"Dionysus… if The Observer is here, then things are truly more grim than we thought."

"WOOOOO!" Gohan laughed as he flew through the air. He felt great, the best he had been in days. It was like an uplifting feeling in his chest, purging away the darkness. He could finally fix his mistakes and save Annabeth from Luke. Even better, he was going to prove Mr. D and Zoe wrong. Meanwhile, Percy trailed behind him on Blackjack. Percy… was not having as much fun as Gohan was. Percy watched Gohan streak in front him.

"Is he challenging me? Because I am way faster than-"

"No, Blackjack. He's just having fun." Percy sighed in exasperation. Though he wouldn't say it out loud, Percy was pretty sure that Gohan would win in a race against Blackjack hands down. He was just that fast.

The thing about flying on a Pegasus, or just plain flying during the daytime is that if you're not careful, one can cause a serious traffic accident on the Long Island Expressway. After all, Gohan wasn't a monster. So… if someone were to look up and see him, they would actually see him flying, which would likely cause a bit of chaos. So, the boys stayed up in the clouds, which were, fortunately, pretty low in the winter. Thankfully, they were able to keep pace with the van. Thanks in large part to Gohan's sharp vision and speed, he was able to keep steady track on the white Camp Half-Blood van in sight. And if it was cold on the ground, it was seriously cold in the air, with icy rain stinging Percy's skin. Gohan felt the rain as well, but to a much lesser extent, as the aura he was emitting generated an aura of heat that made the water evaporate before it could touch him. Mentally, Gohan made a mental promise to thank Piccolo and his dad(in spirit) for those three years of training him in the mountains while waiting for the androids.

Meanwhile, Percy was wishing he'd brought some of that Camp Half-Blood orange thermal underwear they sold in the camp store, but after the story about Phoebe and the centaur-blood T-shirt, Percy wasn't sure he trusted their products anymore. It was mid-morning before they reached Manhattan. Gohan dropped back, floating next to Percy.

"Man, traffic is horrible down there." Gohan observed

"It's the holidays. Everyone comes into the city for the holidays. And then there's the tourists. I hate going outside this time of year. Cold and crowded."

They landed near the top of the Chrysler Building and watched the white camp van weave through traffic.

"I never get tired of looking at it."

"What?"

"The city. All of it. Just… the sheer scale of it. I mean, we have cities back home, but not on this scale. Not even the city where the King of Earth lives is this big." Percy blinked at that.

"Wait… seriously? You have a King of Earth? Like, your entire Earth is ruled by a king? A single guy?"

"Ummm… yeah. King Furry." Percy boggled at that. However, before Percy could continue asking Gohan about his global government, they were distracted by the Camp Half-Blood van. Instead of pulling into the bus station, but it just kept driving.

"Where's Argus taking them?" Percy muttered. Oh, Argus ain't driving, boss, Blackjack told Percy. That girl is. "Which girl?" The Hunter girl. With the silver crown thing in her hair.

"What's he saying? I don't speak horse." Gohan asked. Percy sighed, and then repeated Blackjack's message.

"Is he talking about Zoe? She can drive?"

"That's the one. Hey, look! There's a donut shop. Can we get something to go?"

"Now he wants donuts."

"I wouldn't mind donuts too."

"You'd eat the entire shop and still be hungry afterwards!"

Meanwhile, the van kept snaking its way toward the Lincoln Tunnel.

"Well," Percy said. "Let's get after them." Gohan nodded, taking off into the air. Percy took after him, but was… interrupted.

"What the?" Something was curling around his leg like a snake. Percy yelped as he reached for his sword, but when he looked down, there was no snake. Vines—grape vines—had sprouted from the cracks between the stones of the building. They were wrapping around Blackjack's legs, lashing down his ankles so he couldn't move.

"Hey!" Percy yelled, loud enough that Gohan managed to hear him and turn to see Percy tangled in the vines. He whirled ahd zoomed back, but Percy waved him off.

"Don't touch it or you'll get tangled too!"

"Percy! What's going on?"

"So… going somewhere?" Mr. D asked.

He was leaning against the building with his feet levitating in the air, his leopard-skin warm-up suit and black hair whipping around in the wind.

God alert! Blackjack yelled. It's the wine dude! Mr. D sighed in exasperation. "The next person, or horse, who calls me the 'wine dude' will end up in a bottle of Merlot!"

"Hey, what do you think you're doing?!" Gohan demanded, turning on Mr. D.

"I wouldn't press me today, punk. I'm not in the mood."

"Mr. D." Percy tried to keep his voice calm as the grape vines continued to wrap around his legs. "What do you want?"

"Oh, what do I want? You thought, perhaps, that the immortal, all-powerful director of camp would not notice you leaving without permission?"

"Well… we figured you'd say no." Gohan shrugged.

"I should throw you off this building, Jefferson, minus the flying horse, and see how heroic you sound on the way down."

Gohan snarled in frustration. He was REALLY starting to lose his temper. He didn't want to pick a fight with Mr. D. Granted, he could catch Percy long before he hit the ground, but the way Mr. D was acting was pissing him off. "Why do you hate us so much? What did we ever do to you? The field thing was over TWO YEARS AGO! Which you fixed in less than a half hour with a wave of your freaking hand!"

Purple flames flickered in his eyes. "You're a hero, boy. I need no other reason. Ever since you arrived here, you've done nothing but flaunt about and boast about how powerful and strong you are, basking and feasting like a king while women throw themselves at you! You are arrogant!"

Gohan was literally starting to shake with rage, his teeth clenched so hard that it was a miracle Gohan didn't shatter them.

"You don't get it! We have to go on this quest! I've got to help my friends. That's something you wouldn't understand!" Percy butted in

Um, boss, Blackjack said nervously. Seeing as how we're wrapped in vines nine hundred feet in the air, you might want to talk nice.

The grape vines coiled tighter around Percy. Below them, the white van was getting farther and farther away. Soon it would be out of sight.

"Did I ever tell you about Ariadne?" Mr. D asked. "Beautiful young princess of Crete? She liked helping her friends, too. In fact, she helped a young hero named Theseus, also a son of Poseidon. She gave him a ball of magical yarn that let him find his way out of the Labyrinth. And do you know how Theseus rewarded her?"

"They got married," Percy said. "Happily ever after. The end."

Mr. D sneered. "Not quite. Theseus said he would marry her. He took her aboard his ship and sailed for Athens. Halfway back, on a little island called Naxos, he... What's the word you mortals use today?... he dumped her. I found her there, you know. Alone. Heartbroken. Crying her eyes out. She had given up everything, left everything she knew behind, to help a dashing young hero who tossed her away like a broken sandal."

"That's wrong," Percy said. "But that was thousands of years ago. What's that got to do with me?"

Mr. D regarded him coldly. "I fell in love with Ariadne, boy. I healed her broken heart. And when she died, I made her my immortal wife on Olympus. She waits for me even now. I shall go back to her when I am done with this infernal century of punishment at your ridiculous camp." Then, a peal of cold laughter erupted from Gohan.

"You have a wife?! And here I thought you got in trouble for chasing a wood nymph— some love and loyalty there." Percy groaned as he covered his face. He knew that normally, Gohan would never say that: but when he got angry… he turned into a completely different person.

"Watch your mouth, boy. Or I'll shatter your mind so thoroughly that you'll be a vegetable for the rest of your existence." Mr. D raised his hand, clearly indicating he meant business.

"Nice bluff. Too bad I know that your magic doesn't work on me. Did you think I wouldn't figure that out by now?" Mr. D snorted.

"Even if I can't hurt you magically, there's other ways of inflicting pain. My point is you heroes never change. And you Otherworlders are no different. You just go about it in different ways. You accuse us gods of being vain. You should look at yourselves. You take what you want, use whoever you have to, and then you betray everyone around you. You suck them up for everything and toss them aside when you're done. Just ask that Annie-bell girl-"

That did it. An animalistic scream erupted from behind Percy as a golden blur shot past him and slammed into the god of wine, sending them both flying straight into the adjacent building, showering a shocked Percy and Backjack in plaster and dust. The vines uncurled around their legs, freeing the pegasus.

"He's mad!" Blackjack said.

"Oh, he definitely is. You really, really don't want to get on his bad side." Percy then had a horrible realization. The white truck was moving away fast. He couldn't help Gohan and keep track of the truck. So… Percy had to make a choice.

"Blackjack, follow the truck. Gohan will catch up." Percy wasn't too surprised that Blackjack didn't protest at all with his decision.

"Man… I do not want to be Dionysus right about now."

The world seemed to blur past Gohan's eyes as he smashed through the building, seeing only blurbs of startled and shocked faces of the people within. Gohan was so angry that he didn't notice the scratches or stings that going through a building would leave. They flew through the other end of the building in a shower of glass and rubble, free-falling over traffic. Gohan stopped in mid-air, but the god of wine wasn't so lucky. He slammed into an 18-wheeler, spraying glass and metal in every direction as the god crashed onto the sidewalk, sending people running off screaming in every direction. Gohan hovered over the ground, his eyes shimmering with rage.

"HAVE YOU LOST ALL SENSES, BOY?!" Dionysus roared as a purple fire danced in his eyes. The ground rumbled around the god. Then, massive grapevines shot out of the ground, arching like tendrils towards the saiyan warrior. Gohan narrowed his eyes as he held up his arms. Then, bright energy formed around his arms, creating a shimmering energy blade. He brought his hands down, slicing through the vines like butter. Dionysus grunted as a sword appeared in his hands, raising it to meet Gohan's attack.

Gohan roared as a golden aura enveloped him, spinning in a golden tornado that reduced the tendrils to shreds. He shot down like a comet, deflecting the god's sword strike with his energy blades, and slamming his feet into the god's chest, slamming him into the ground so hard that the sidewalk shattered around him. He gripped the god's shirt and yanked him up.

"SAY HER NAME!" Gohan smashed Dionysus across the face, sending him flying into a parked car. He then grabbed the car and raised it over his head.

"SAY HER NAME! GET IT RIGHT!" He brought it down in a massive screech of grinding metal. Gohan then tossed the car aside, and smashed the god across the face, before hoisting the god of wine up by one hand, sma. He had looked better, to say the least. His shirt had been torn to ribbons, and golden ichtor leaked out of a dozen different cuts across his body. His eyes were still gleaming purple.

"Fine. Annabeth." He spat her name out like a stale cracker. Gohan let go, dropping the god to the ground with a loud crunch. The god looked up at him, venomous fire dancing in his eyes.

"I could destroy you, boy. I should for the insult you've just delivered me. But I won't. After all, at least half the group is going to die on this quest. I hope you're among them." Gohan didn't respond.

"Know today that you've made an enemy of Dionysus. You think your cause is so noble. But, you're a fool if you think you'll get everything you desire. Remember that the next time you seek aid from the gods." Then, his body began to shimmer. Gohan looked away as the god transformed into his true form, leaving him standing in a wrecked street.