Hey Guys.

So, it's been awhile... I did a bunch of stuff, really. I had some crisises over the last few weeks, and a strange work schedule, and really just a tiring experience... Went River Rafting in Wyoming. That was kind of fun... Okay, SUPER FUN. Anyways, I'm kinda getting pumped up for Suicide Squad, and getting ready for college, and basically just trying to be ready for life in general. 'Adulting' is kind of hard, to be honest. Or maybe I'm just lazy.

Either way, I've been writting this mini-series about Percabeth playing Dungeons and Dragons. I have a little experience in playing, but I want to know about you guys. Any of my fans play D&D? comment below.

I want to quickly address the fact that I love you guys. I know I've said it before, but some days I just don't get up until I remember that you guys are patiently waiting for a chapter (except Dagger. Whoever you are, I worry for you). Really, thanks for being the best people ever. I get minimal hate and you guys offer some good advice. Really, thanks guys.

Disclaimer: I am not Rick, Marvel, or anyone you might know. If you recognize a name, it isn't mine.


Rachel:

Ketchikan was beautiful.

Let it be know that, at the very least, her kidnapped experience was to a pretty cool place. It was costal, though quite rocky. The Ferry wrapped around the southern corner of the island, from where Rachel had seen just pure green. You couldn't tell a single tree apart from the one beside it, and from her position at the front of the ship she found her breath being sucked from her lungs.

'How could Dad ever want to destroy this?' She thought, thinking of her copper-haired father. She hadn't really heard from him in months, but she felt a sudden stab of guilt. She could've been closer to him, trying to stop him… She'd been feeling a lot of guilt lately. She might as well add the destruction of acres of wild to her conscience.

Rachel shook her head, removing those thoughts. She'd done a lot in order to preserve the wild where she could. Rallies for endangered animals, wildlife sanctuaries in the northwest, a few protests against park removals… She'd done a lot.

'But you could always do more.'

Rachel didn't let her thoughts dictate who she was. She was very keen on trying to avoid any negative thoughts, but… She'd been a downer lately. She couldn't stop the guilt. Even as they started their approach to the docks, Rachel stood at the front of the ship, watching the water and wondering if the Hudson or East rivers' had ever looked so clean.

She sighed, putting a hand on her head. She was sounding more like a satyr every day. At least, since Percy…

Rachel's knuckles gripped the railing, her teeth gritting. The beginning of a headache was starting to shape at the base of her skull, shooting sparks of irritation along her head. The back of her eyes felt like they were enduring some sort of war. Everything just felt… sparky.

It'd been like that, on and off, since the plane ride. Since… since whatever had happened. Rachel hadn't been able to see anything since, well, years. She hadn't felt that feeling, hadn't had so much as a flashback since Apollo had told her she'd needed to tell the Camps that Percy was dead. She had long ago prepared to be dismissed from the Camps. To be declared that she was just a mortal girl and didn't need to be there.

But that feeling on the plane had been it. It had been real. She had felt the spirit of the Oracle, or at least something of the sort. The rush of something else inside her, or the power she felt. She knew those gryphons were about to die. She could tell that something was about to happen.

Five years, and now she was being pulled out of the dark.

Rachel let go of the railing and began walking back towards the doors. She'd need to find the others before they started unloading the ship.

"Jason, if you check that stupid map one more time, I'm afraid I'll have to be a single mother."

"Well, that's a bit harsh."

"Shut up, both of you! Honey, if I don't check the map, we might not find the Pizza place."

Rachel kept an even pace with her friends, trying not to fall off of the sidewalk and into the water twenty feet below. Usually, and as many other tourists were doing, Rachel would be admiring the beautiful beachfront properties and shops built on stilts that went into the water. She would've arched her neck in the opposite directions and seen homes built on the hill parallel to the ocean. She would've maybe visit that thrift shop across from her, or taken in the warm weather, or something.

But no. They had a twelve hour layover for the next ferry and Jason was certain he had found their lunch spot. Inevitably, arguments ensue.

Piper was breathing deeply, sweat appearing on the back of her neck (the only place Rachel could see). Although they hadn't even walked three blocks, Rachel could see that Piper was struggling. And she didn't want to deal with a grumpy, charmspeaking, daughter of Aphrodite. Who knows what the girl could make Rachel do.

The thought spurred Rachel to stop the group. "Let's sit down for a minute or two. Catch our breaths." She suggested, sitting on the nearest bench. Piper immediately threw herself onto the same bench beside her, huffing out a sigh and spreading her whole body out on the sun-heated wood.

"But, we're like, two blocks-" Jason began, but Piper immediately cast him a glare. He paled, leaning against the railing behind him stiffly, as if his life depended on it. Grover followed Jason's lead, his satyr-senses probably kicking in.

"Ten minutes." Rachel said, leaning against the wood. "Then, we eat." Piper nodded, leaning back again.

Jason began to grumble. "We could be there right now, you know, if we just walked-"

"You could be replaced, Jason." Piper said, her glare intensifying. "Give me ten minutes."

He mumbled something, but quickly shut up. Rachel was glad she didn't have to see the son of Zeus die that day.

Rachel watched as the obvious tourist-rich community went about it's day. Full size Disney cruise ships moored themselves to the harbor, with flocking tourists immediately moving towards the dozens of shops before them. Rachel watched a guy, no older than herself, biking shirtless the long docks ahead of them.

It wasn't even four minutes in before she saw the monster.

"Guys." Rachel said, bumping Piper's shoulder. She nodded towards the creature lumbering towards them, walking right down Main Street. "Hyperborean inbound." She muttered.

He was huge. As tall as the ferry they had arrived in at least. His sheer size made Rachel question, as she had on multiple occasions, how anyone could overlook such a huge… Creature. His frosty blue skin was thick and blubbery, like a walrus. His hair was a smooth, light blue ice, which made his hair look slicked back with too much gel.

But what really caught Rachel's attention was the outfit. Unlike the loin cloth clothed brutes she'd watched the Demigods face during the battle of Manhattan, this one looked… Well, semi-formal. He wore a dark green, short sleeve button up shirt the collar open on one side. His legs were covered with khaki shorts that must've taken enough fabric from three sailboats to make.

Even as he got closer to the Demigods, Rachel could feel something strange taking form, like… Her eyes started hurting. She blinked a few times, trying to relieve the pressure that had started building, but when she did the Hyperborean was gone.

"Where did it go?" Rachel asked, shocked. She turned to Piper and Jason only to see them both looking at her.

"Are you okay?" Jason asked. "Because I didn't see any 'Hyper-what's-it'." He said.

Piper shook her head, but still scanned the road. After a few seconds, she shook her head. "I didn't see-"

"I smell it." Grover said nervously, nose twitching like a rabbit. He looked wide-eyed in the direction of the giant's last appearance. "I don't see it, but I can smell it. It smells just like…"

"Manhattan." Rachel finished, nodding in confirmation and biting her lip. "Kronos had a few dozen of them during the battle."

Piper and Jason exchanged a look out of the corner of Rachel's eye. Neither of them had been there, but they'd heard stories. Jason spoke up. "Frank and Hazel mentioned them a little. But I didn't think they'd be this far south in the summer." He said.

Grover shook his head. "They aren't, usually. But I smell them."

"And I saw one, but it just- vanished." Rachel said, fluttering a hand in front of herself in exasperation. "That doesn't happen to me."

"There peaceful though, right?" Piper asked, sitting up. "Percy told me once they were harmless."

"Unless someone trains them not to be." Grover said nervously, still sniffing around. "If Kronos could, maybe someone else could."

"But it disappeared." Rachel said again.

"It has to be the Mist." Jason said, but even he was looking around now. Piper shook her head.

"No, Rachel would still be able to see it, right? You see through the Mist." Piper said.

Jason shook his head. "What about Mist Illusions? Like Hazel's magic? Even sometimes Rachel is blind."

She rolled her eyes. "Glad you think so highly of me." She said dryly. "But you aren't wrong. I can't just see through extremely manipulated Mist. Me and Hazel tested that a bit." She said. "I need to focus hard… Know what I'm looking for." Rachel said.

"You're looking for a Hyperborean giant." Grover said helpfully, still twitching. "Big, blue, not too bright…"

Rachel rolled her eyes again, but looked towards the road again-

-and yelped when she saw a giant blue nose taking up most of her vision.

He was squatting. Right in front of them, looking over his big, bulbous nose at Rachel and her friends. His head was as big as a Mini Cooper, and his giant eyes stared directly at Rachel.

And then, suddenly, he was gone again. Rachel blinked a few times, turning to look at her friends and explain the situation, but they were already staring directly ahead.

There was a man standing in front of them. A tall, wiry man with slicked back hair and kindly eyes. His mouth was set in a content smile, and his clothes- a green button up with khaki shorts. The collar was even pushed up.

They all stared. He regarded them with tired eyes, looking awestruck at the buildings and people around him.

Piper, ever the social one, spoke up first. "Excuse me? Can we help you?"

He looked directly at Rachel. His form kept flickering between Hyperborean and human. Finally, he spoke. His voice was deep and rich, and the words sounded rehearsed, like he'd spent hours in front of a mirror, trying to say the words.

"Movie theater is open." He said, smile wide.

Then he immediately turned back into a giant and hurtled over the three Demigods and their Oracle.

"It's the only movie theater in town." Jason said, checking over his travel map for the third time. "And there's supposed to be this world-famous food to go with it. Has anyone here ever heard of Orca-corn?"

"I'm sorry, what?" Grover asked indignantly, huffing. "What's Orca-corn?"

"I was asking you." Jason said distractedly, still going over the map. Rachel saw him biting down on his tongue, trying to focus. And maybe she saw Piper's lips twitch when he flipped the map around and made a face. "Okay, so we might be further from it than I thought." He admitted, doing a full 180 turn and walking on the opposite direction. All three 'passengers' on this sick walk Jason was leading them on groaned in frustration.

"Orca-corn is probably just popcorn. Let's be realistic here." Piper reasoned, though she seemed a bit angry while she said it. Grover continued to grumble to himself.

And so, ten minutes of walking through Main Street (and Jason having to be dragged out of a fur shop while stopping Grover from spitting on the rabbit and badger pelts), the four of them finally reached one of the most old-timey cinemas ever constructed. Rachel whistled in admiration when she saw it.

Inside wasn't as old fashioned. Low-budget carpet, dark colored walls, and overpriced food. A big, rather plump teenager stood at the counter, offering a small smile when he saw them.

"What's playing next?" Piper asked, looking on the walls for some sort of directory. Rachel couldn't seem to find one, but the teen was already on top of it.

"It's Throwback Thursday, which is something we try to do around here normally, but it's mostly a summer thing." He supplied helpfully. "Today, we've got a showing for Jumanji in twenty minutes, and in five we have a showing of the Count of Monte Cristo."

Grover didn't miss a beat, walking straight up to the counter and thrusting a finger in the guy's (who was much taller than him) face. "Orca-corn. Is it made from real Orcas?"

The guy shrugged. "No idea. It tastes like regular popcorn though, so I'd assume it's just tourist food." The teen turned to the popcorn machine (labeled Orca-corn) and produced a baggy of the stuff. "Try some."

Grover tentatively took the bag, then threw a kernel in his mouth. He chewed slowly, his eyes going wide.

Meanwhile, Rachel payed closer attention to Piper and Jason. "He knew Jumanji was my favorite movie with Robin Williams- may he rest in peace -so he knows we need to pick that."

Piper shook her head, arms crossed. "Monte Cristo was the movie Annabeth and I made him watch when we visited his apartment the first time since the war. He wants us to pick that."

"Jumanji is an amazing movie! Percy appreciated fine quality!" He whisper yelled.

"And Monte Cristo wasn't?"

Rachel continued to half listen to Piper and Jason, while also half listening to Grover buying four jumbo bins of Orca-corn. She didn't really see the point, currently.

What she did know was what she felt.

That spine tingling feeling that has been a dull ache before was now throbbing painfully, like a muscle being woken up after it's dormancy. Her fingers, her lips, behind her eyes- all she was missing was green smoke and serpents hissing.

Rachel turned to the teenager. "Four for The Count of Monte Cristo, please." She said, much to the astonishment of Jason and Piper. The teen didn't bat an eye, pulling out four and letting Rachel scan her credit card for them. Grover followed her towards the theater doors with all four Orca-corn tubs in hand.

"How do you know this is the one Percy wants us to pick?" Jason asked as they entered. Rachel scanned the seats, finding the theater almost completely empty. The lights were already off, so she couldn't tell who, but three people sat in the back. A family, maybe, or some teens sitting in the back. Either way, when they sat Rachel whispered quietly to the four of them.

"The Count of Monte Cristo is about a man being betrayed by his friends, his family dying, and being thrown into prison to die. Sounds familiar?"

The screen lit up, and the title sequence began. No other credits.

Piper, who sat right beside Rachel whispered back, only letting Rachel hear. "It's also about the main character breaking out and seeking revenge on everyone who did him wrong." She said. Rachel shivered.

"I know."

"Okay. It wasn't that bad of a movie." Jason conceded, scratching at the bottom of his Orca-corn tub. He still looked a bit confused, but Rachel guessed it wasn't just the plot doing this to him.

"But why did Percy send us here?" Piper whispered so as not to disturb the people behind them. They seemed to be getting up to leave. "What was the point of all this?"

"Hey everybody."

Rachel's head snapped forwards, eyes glued to the screen, because there was no way-

Her breath caught in her throat.

Percy Jackson's head occupied the entire screen, staring back at the seats in front of him. And- gods -it was still him. Five years didn't seem to phase the boy that sat in front of them. His face, his ears, his hair, his eyes- nothing was changed.

"I chose to show this after the movie, mainly because… Well, it's a good movie, I guess?"

'Oh my gosh, he's still an idiot.' Rachel thought, relieved.

"Um, not much to tell you. I'm not entirely sure why I'm making this… Maybe just to let you know I am at the end of this. This isn't a trap… Wait, that sounds like you're walking into a trap…"

Rachel heard a snort, and it wasn't from her row.

"Okay, this ISN'T a trap, I swear. On the Styx. Okay, clapping thunder if you couldn't hear through this stupid camera… What else? Oh! So, just so no one is surprised, your next stop is your last one. I'll be meeting you on Prince of Wales Island, which your ferry should be leaving to in about nine hours. Sucky layover, but I can't stop that. What I wanted to do was this."

If this was a trap, Rachel doesn't think Percy would have directed the video so poorly. I mean, his hair was a mess, the camera was blurry, and the lighting was horribly blinding one moment and then too dull the next. Even as he spoke, his hand covered the lens.

"Okay… Gimme a second… There are a few really cool places worth visiting in Ketchikan, and you've got nine hours… So why not? There's a reservation under 'Grace' at Annabelle's, which is this great restaurant… Which should be in, like, an hour. Two streets over is a free entry history museum… Orca-corn, which I'm sure Grover will like… Gift shops… uh, you get the point."

Suddenly, there was a map on screen, with little pins all over it. The camera was wobbly, constantly moving.

"Uh… Not sure how you'll mark it…"

The camera returned to Percy's face, which was entirely too blurry to see him clearly, which was suddenly very frustrating for Rachel, and probably the rest of them. In fact, Jason's hands were clutched to the armrests of his chair.

"Anyways, I hope you enjoy your time here, and, again, I promise a the meeting on the next island." A sudden look, crooked by the camera angle, appeared on his face. "And when you see who else is in the theater, don't kill me. Bye!"

With that, the video ended. The lights flickered on and Rachel blinked the spots out of her eyes.

"Well, what do you know."

Rachel, Jason, Grover, and Piper all turned towards the familiar voice, and Rachel didn't even have the energy be surprised anymore.

Reyna, Nico, and Thalia all sat behind them, four rows back and just below the projector window. They had their feet propped on the seats above them, with Thalia surrounded by empty snack packages and a Mega-Big Gulp perched between her and Reyna.

She had been the one to speak. Her smile was just a bit too wide. She raised her hand up, waving frantically and accidentally showering her two companions with Orca-Corn. "Hi baby brother! Where's my niece?"

Tony:

The workshop was dark. Darker than it had been since… since every other bad time Tony had gone through during his life. The workshop, the tinkering… it was all he had, even when he had nothing. He had his hands, and he had his mind, and he had control. He could fix everything if he put it on his table and looked over it enough times.

He was the master of whatever situation he could look over. And he'd looked over the current 'Percy Situation' over a hundred times now. Probably closer to two hundred, if he was honest with himself. Sometimes he even had trouble being honest with himself.

But no matter how he tried to wrap his way around with what to do to regain Percy's forgiveness for his most current blunder, he couldn't find an answer.

Percy could say it a thousand times, but Tony knew that Percy was a horrible liar. And far from perfect, Percy hadn't forgiven him or Steve. He'd yelled at the two of them until his throat had been hoarse, and then completely avoided the entire team. And then he'd just forgive them?

No.

He knew Percy didn't care about gifts, or money, or anything else Tony used for the big businessmen who he needed to sway (not that he ever just straight up bribed big business). He didn't need any of that stuff. Tony tried to make Percy a new gadget or something, but every idea he had seemed too overused, or too cliche (He was Tony Stark still, sue him).

He'd written his situation out on paper. He never did that.

Man, he wished Bruce were here. Bruce would be able to help him. Bruce would be able to help him through this.

Okay, Bruce would've been able to distract Tony. And probably call Pepper and get her to talk him out of it. Out of letting Annabeth get the best of him.

The Blonde was gonna get a piece of his mind when they found her next. He was already looking for her. But then again, so was the entire team. Heck, so was Fury. She had nowhere to run.

Tony was currently furiously repairing the coffee maker that Thor had accidentally blasted earlier this morning. It was so hard with a kid living in your home? Try living with an Asgardian. Turn on the garbage disposal for half a second, and suddenly you're dodging lightning bolts.

Really though, Tony was distracting himself. Putting off the mission Percy had given him.

But really, all this talk about wanting forgiveness from the kid and he was doing was avoiding the answer that sat opened in his inbox.

Yeah, Percy had asked Tony for something. A 'fail safe' plan, in case he couldn't get what he wanted his way. A curveball that he could throw at his gods, monsters… 'Government' Tony's mind screamed. It wasn't safe. It wasn't safe for anyone. It wasn't to be trusted, even in Tony's hands.

He could say 'no'. He was given that option. Percy said he wouldn't think less of any of them. That he would understand.

Tony tossed the coffee maker aside, not even caring when it crashed to the floor. He turned back to his computer, looking over the email for the hundredth time. It's light was the only illumination in the workshop, making him look ghastly and pale.

Everyone else might have a choice in what they do, but Tony certain felt trapped.

He couldn't. He wouldn't. This was against what Tony believed in. Against what he knew was right. The safest hands were his own right now. Percy was powerful enough. Tony wouldn't hand the kid any more.

But this was suicide. And Tony couldn't let Percy throw his life away.

And Percy knew that.

Tony shut the computer down completely this time. His hands were shaking as he sat in the dark, all alone with his thoughts. If he looked closely enough, and listened to the stillness, he could remember the cave in Afghanistan, so long ago. He could feel the cot he slept on. The complete despair and fear. The fear of being powerless.

He couldn't. Didn't the kid see that he couldn't? Everything was just so… Messed up. Ever since he'd revealed he was a demigod to them. It's like… Percy was trying to cut himself away. From all of it. The gods, demigods, the country… The Avengers.

He stayed in the darkness of his workshop until Pepper found him asleep in the chair the next afternoon.


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