Hey guys I know I haven't updated since September. I'm sorry, it took awhile for me to get the time to write this and for this chapter to come into my head. I hope you guys enjoy. It may be a little slow because I wanted to explain the 'game' to you or at least major stuff before I just throw you into its chapter. And then I had to address some sad things...but it is not all sad and well...I'll let you guys read...and one more thing...PLEASE REVIEW, GIVE ME FEEDBACK, SUGGESTIONS. I want to know what you guys are thinking. And I will try to answer you questions as well. I will say that Percy's father will be revealed to the others soon.

Disclaimer, I do not own Percy Jackson all rights belong to Rick Riordan

After she had cleaned and mended his wounds, Annabeth told Percy that she was going to skip the training for the day because of his match with Clairesse. He followed her to yet another room, it was almost as large as Beckendorf's forge. There were many tables scattered around, each set up with its own miniature field of trees and rivers and tiny fort replicas. The blond teen led him to one of the nearest tables.

"I guess you will have enough skills not to get killed in the game." Annabeth gave him a know it all smile and pressed a button on the table side. "And after shocking Clairesse enough to drop her own sword, everyone is going to be after you. They will want you on their team."

Percy smirked, "Would everyone include you?"

"Maybe."

The table began to fill up with a whole horde of monsters, Percy wondered if the it was a demigod's version of Dungeons and Dragons. One was obviously Medusa, or at least a miniature version of her. There was also a Minotaur, a dragon like creature, a large spider, a Cyclopes, and other creatures that he couldn't hope to identify. For a long moment he noticed Annabeth staring at the spider and she tried to nudge it farther away from her with one of the pine trees on the replica. It was the first girly act he had seen from her since he met her.

Once Annabeth was satisfied with the little arachnid's distance she looked up at Percy as if daring him to say something. He decided it was best he didn't upset her. Maybe she was like most girls and they grossed her out. Percy had seen tons of girls at his school freak out even when the tiniest of spiders crossed their paths. Some 'brave' girls would squirt half a bottle of their fruity perfume on it until it drown. He personally would just crush the thing and be done with it.

"So is this some kind of board game or something?" He asked her as he poked the Minotaur with his finger, the tiny half man simply tumbled over with a squeak of indignation.

Annabeth slapped his hand away, "This is serious Percy. You are going to be facing the life sized versions on Friday."

"So what happens at the game anyway?"

"We've kind of mixed the Greek's capture the flag with the Roman's war games and made it so it applies to the impending war." She began. Percy blinked, impending war? "I told you before, the bad guys took our homes and we want them back."

Percy thought back to the name that Slate had said the day he arrived at Olympus, "Who is Kronos?"

Every muscle in Annabeth's body went ridged as if she had been electrocuted, "Names have power Percy, be careful what you say."

"Well who is he?" Percy pressed on feeling unable to stop himself. "Those monsters the other day were talking about taking me to him."

"He's the lord of time, he's cruel, and he's evil. He will use your deepest and darkest thoughts, your desires to lure you in." Annabeth told him. "He used to eat mortals, force them to entertain him and his titan buddies, and many other things that would probably make you sick if I told you."

"He sounds like my step-father." Percy shrugged. Annabeth smiled slightly and relaxed.

"Now that we have gone off of that tangent, how about we focus on preparing you for the games?" The daughter of Athena returned her gaze to the field. "We have multiple teams, all with a mixture of Greek and Roman demigods, only two teams preform each Friday, one team is for the gods and the other the titans. It alternates often so everyone can experience each side and grow. The ones on the titan's side have an advantage…"

"The big monsters?"

"Yup." Annabeth agreed. "And each monster has its own ability that makes it dangerous. Some of them even eat campers."

A red alarm seemed to go off in Percy's mind. Who the heck would want to risk being eaten during a training game? He must have had a stupid look on his face because Annabeth started laughing at his reaction. Her laugh was actually kind of cute, like a puppy sneezing. Percy felt his face turn scarlet, though he didn't know why.

"What's so funny?" He demanded.

"I-It's j-just. I'm sorry P-percy, but your face was just priceless." Slowly she quelled her giggles and finally cleared her throat. "There's nothing to worry about, if you are eaten, the monster will hold you in its 'stomach' with other campers it caught until the game is over."

Percy crossed his arms, "And I'm sure it will happily regurgitate its meal when the game is over."

"You could come out the other end." Annabeth quirked an eyebrow, obviously enjoying his confusion. "They're just animatronics created by Hephaestus to give us more experience fighting monsters without the risk of actually being killed. Besides only two types can eat campers."

"That's just messed up." Percy shook his head in disbelief. "Have you been eaten before?"

Annabeth shrugged, "Once when I was twelve, but that was because the Stoll brothers had knocked me over while running away from the Draken."

Percy remembered the Stoll brothers, they had dragged him off the night before and had been really friendly to him. Though he could only imagine what Annabeth had done for revenge. He knew that retribution had been sought for their crime of making her 'die'. Annabeth went on to explain the abilities each monster had. If you looked at the gorgon's eyes she'd send a light ray to paralyze you until the game was over, the Minotaur was a fearsome foe who carried around a club and tended to knock the living daylights out of campers, Draken spewed fire and if a camper was unlucky it would eat them (according to Annabeth the max it could eat was ten), Cyclopes were the largest animatronics that also ate campers and swung a club around, Hellhounds ran in a pack and would mostly cause cuts and bruises to the campers, and Emposa would capture campers using hypnosis which also made it possible to save them if someone killed the Emposa in time.

It was randomized each new game and you only had to face four types of monsters per game. Though you don't really know what you'll be faceing

"What about the spider?" The son of Poseidon asked and pointed his finger at it. The tiny arachnid shot a web that made a direct line from his finger and the board. It hissed and clamored up the line, intent on wrapping the rest of his hand. The daughter of Athena pulled his hand away and broke the connection, making it fall back onto the board.

"It was just some joke by Hephaestus." Annabeth scowled. Her nose scrunched up as if she were smelling something really disgusting. "He made them to tease Athena and Aphrodite's children. They make webs on the field and if you get caught by one you're wrapped up in webbing until you are either saved or the game is over."

"Gross."

"You could say that." Percy heard a voice behind them. "And the game is only over if you capture the 'Titan army's' flag or the 'God's army' runs out of campers."

Both Chiron and Grover came walking into the room. Chiron was in his horse form, yet he still wore his tweed jacket and a tie. Percy was pretty much over the half animal concept. And then he looked at Grover who stood off nervously wearing a peculiar pair of shaggy pants. It was odd, but then Percy noticed that the 'pants' were accompanied by hooves. Grover blushed and hid farther behind Chiron. Percy blinked and finally understood why Grover walked with a limp.

He was half goat, or was it half donkey?

"Morning Chiron." Annabeth greeted as she ran up and hugged the centaur. "I was just telling Percy about some of the hazards of the game."

"I can see that, but I'm afraid that I'm going to have to steal the boy from you for a bit." Chiron told her. "Don't worry, I will return him to you shortly."

"I'm not worried about that." She said. Percy could see her blush slightly and return to the table. "I'll just be here planning my team's strategy."

Chiron nodded at her and motioned Percy forward, "We haven't had a proper moment to catch up, my boy. I'd like to speak with you."

"If it's about the fight with Clariesse, she started it." The teen told his former teacher as the three of them left the room.

"You certainly finished it." Chiron chuckled fondly. "Tell me, Mr. Jackson, how have you been the last few years?"

Percy wasn't sure he really wanted to talk about all of the schools he had gotten kicked out of. Nor did he want to describe his mother's murder. If he talked about Paul, he was sure that guilt would sneak up and punch him in the stomach. No one really needed to know the number of bruises and injuries Gabe had given him over the years either. After a long moment the teen shrugged,

"Same old, same old."

"I truly am sorry that we hadn't brought you in sooner Percy, it may have saved you a lot of grief." The older man placed his hand on the teen's shoulder. "Hopefully we'll get you settled in your proper wing of Olympus with your siblings."

"Huh?" Percy was positive that everyone else was telling him there were no demigod children of the sea, but then he remembered that he was the only one who knew his godly parent. "Oh right, so how does the whole thing work."

Grover spoke for the first time, "There is going to be a meeting, there you can state your godly parent if you know who they are or they will claim you if you don't. Though there may be a chance that he might not claim you, if that is the case then you will be put into the Hermes wing with his children."

Percy looked down, he really wanted to see if Poseidon would claim him on his own. If he did that meant he cared about him and Gabe hadn't been right. Though his father claiming him would only be the beginning of regaining Percy's trust. But what if his dad didn't claim him, Percy didn't mind the idea of rooming with Travis and Connor, they were cool. Percy didn't know what to hope for, the idea of his dad rejecting him mad his heart seem to race faster.

The son of Poseidon mentally shook his head, if he doesn't want me it's his problem, I haven't needed him for fourteen years. What's it matter if he isn't a part of it for the rest of my life?

"Are you alright Percy?" Grover asked his eyes did the goat like thing. "You seem worried."

"I'm fine." Percy sighed. "Is there anything else you guys wanted to talk to me about?"

Chiron's face turned grim as he stopped in the center of the hall. A sinking feeling came into Percy's gut. He suspected what had been so upsetting as to change the centaur's mood. Though, Percy hoped that he was wrong. Unfortunately he wasn't.

"I wanted to discuss the matter of your mother's untimely end." Percy glued his eyes to the marble floor. "According to my sources, you teacher Mr. Blofits, is trying to stall the funeral until you are found."

"A…and?" the teen could feel his whole body begin to tremble. His knees felt as if they would give out at any second.

Chiron sighed and again laid a hand on Percy's shoulder, "I was wondering if you wish for me to get in touch with him, discuss you going to say goodbye to her."

The son of Poseidon felt as if the weight he held had become three times heavier. He had been doing his best to keep himself under control, but Chiron's well-meant offer was like getting wacked with a metal tipped whip. Could he even manage to stand at the funeral? His mom was murdered, right in front of him. And he was nearly killed with her.

"Perce?" Grover also placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Give me some time." Percy's voice almost sounded like air rushing from a broken squeaky toy. "I need some time. Can I go back to Annabeth now?"

Chiron nodded released his shoulder. Percy tried not to run back to the planning room where Annabeth was. It seemed like each step he took dragged him back to another moment with his mom. He felt warm all over yet cold at the same time. His mom, the best person in the world, the one person who loved him no matter what, and she was gone forever.

The walk back to the room seemed to take forever, but when he finally reached it he saw that Annabeth was still at the table. Her fingers were twisting the beads on her neckless and she bit her lip as her eyes scanned the replica field, as if she were watching over many miniature campers simulating a battle. For a long moment, she hadn't noticed him and he couldn't bring himself to break her concentration. Then she paused and her eyes slowly came up to him, her steal hard concentration face melted into mild concern.

"Are you alright?" She asked as she walked to him. "You look as if someone kicked a three legged puppy."

"I'm alright," He managed to tell her, but she didn't look convinced.

"I know something that might cheer you up." Annabeth grabbed his hand and pulled him over to the table. Percy had been too upset to really notice the contact as he walked with her.

"What would that be?" He asked. She grinned brightly like the sun,

"I want you on my team, considering we won't know who you godly parent is until after the games and stuff."

"I'm not going to be bait for a monster or something?" Percy inquired and watched the miniature Draken try to bite Madusa's head off.

Annabeth shook her head, "Na, the game is too fast pace for something like that. I want you to be on my flank."

"You know you might end up getting eaten again." Percy smirked. It almost felt as if Annabeth's bright smile was chasing away his sorrow.

"I would like to take my chances. I've seen what you can do and I know you have good instincts and reflexes." She told him and then cocked her head to the side. "So are you in?"

Please tell me what you guys think. Pretty please. Also, do you want me to make a list of the 'monsters' and their abilities in the next chapter?