Hey everybody! I am actually on time today, shockingly. This isn't my favorite chapter, so maybe one day I'll come back to these early chapters and edit them again.

Anywho, welcome to chapter four! We shall finally get some angst and action, as well as *some* reveals about the actual plot (yes, I do actually have a plan.) Today Cat has...an issue, Nico is being secretive, Percy gets angry, Chiron does his usual cryptic answer thing, Leo tries his best, Annabeth is just awesome, andddd one of our favorite campers (at least I think he's a favorite,) gets a cameo! Also, warning, another evil cliffhanger ahead!

Without further ado, strap in and enjoy the chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Percy Jackson universe, sadly. I'm merely borrowing them to play in my sandbox for a bit! Cat is my very special OC, however, as is Quentin, Episis, and any other odd names you don't remember. Alex and Jane are OC's created by some talented friends of mine.

Leo Valdez

It's amazing how much can change in a minute. Barely sixty seconds ago, Leo's arms were wrapped around Cat as they gazed out over Long Island Sound. Now, Leo couldn't tell up from down and left from right. Cat let out a blood-curdling scream, jerking away from him like he was on fire (he double checked to make sure he wasn't.) She clutched her head between her hands, trembling and screaming till her lungs gave out. He reached for her arm but as soon as he touched her, she flinched and pulled away.

"Cat!" he shouted, jumping to his feet. "What's wrong? What happened?"

She didn't respond, only giving another agonized cry, her eyes squeezed shut. Leo could do nothing but stare helplessly, his mind trying to find the solution to an unknown problem. Footsteps interrupted his thoughts, and a strong arm shoved him aside. Leo stumbled back as Percy dropped to his sister's side, Annabeth on his heels, her sharp grey eyes scanning the beach around them. Getting no response from Cat, Percy turned and glared at Leo, crouching protectively in front of his sister.

"Valdez." Percy growled, his voice low and dangerous, and Leo immediately backed up with his hands in the air. Man, Percy can be downright terrifying when he wants to be.

Leo met Percy's gaze with the calmest expression he could muster. "I didn't do anything, I swear. I have no idea what happened, Percy, one minute she was fine and the next…" Leo gestured helplessly at her, and Percy nodded, turning back to his sister.

Cat's eyes shot open, searching frantically until they met her brother's. "Percy- it- it hurts…" she gasped. "Why does it hurt?" she whispered, her bright eyes shining with unshed tears. She buried her head in her knees and rocked back and forth on the sand.

Leo had never seen Percy look so helpless and scared. The older boy ripped his hand through his hair, his other hand half extended towards his sister, like he wanted to touch her but was afraid to. "I don't know…just breathe, it'll be fine, Cat…just breathe." he murmured frantically.

Annabeth brushed past Leo and dropped to her knees next to Cat. "What hurts, Cat?" She asked gently.

Cat didn't answer, and Leo looked away, squeezing his eyes shut in a futile attempt to block out the memory of her screams. He didn't think any sound could scare him as much as that, but he was wrong.

"Make it stop..." It was barely more than a whimper, but so not Cat that Leo froze instantly, his eyes snapping open. If he hadn't seen her lips form the last word, he would have never believed Cat had spoken. But she had, and that terrified him.

Percy turned his head towards Leo, clearly sharing his feelings, and Leo nodded instantly, knowing what Percy was asking before he spoke.

"I'll get Chiron." Leo glanced back at Cat, breathing a sigh of relief when he saw that Annabeth had managed to pull her into her lap and was gently stroking her hair. Annabeth met his gaze, the worry in her eyes startling Leo. She had been the backbone of their quest, the one who was steady under pressure and held them all together. But now she looked just as worried and lost as Leo felt, and without any more thought he turned and ran towards the big house, the memory of Cat's screams spurring him on.

Percy Jackson

Percy had felt helpless before. He wasn't a stranger to it, not by any standard. He'd watched his girlfriend follow the Mark of Athena into a dark and creepy tunnel with no backup. He'd been unable to do anything but watch as Frank held his burning lifeline to the chains of Death. He had stood helpless on the ground as Jason, Piper, and Leo shot into the air for the final battle. He'd had no choice but to let go of the rock and hold her as they'd fallen into the depths of Tartarus. But despite all of that, he had never felt more helpless in his entire life than he did now, helplessly watching his little sister scream in pain. He couldn't even hug her, much less answer her questions or stop whatever was hurting her.

He punched the dock, hating himself for his uselessness and earning himself a few splinters. Annabeth caught his raised hand before he could punch again, gently running her fingers over his scraped knuckles. He met her eyes, seeing his own worry reflected in hers.

Footsteps caught his attention and he turned, hoping Leo was back with Chiron, but instead found Will Solace running up the beach towards them. He slid to a stop, panting, and gestured for the campers who had followed him to keep their distance. Taking a deep breath, he knelt beside Cat and fixed Percy with a stern gaze, wordlessly telling him to calm down. He dug through his bag, then shook his head and turned back to her, closing his eyes and muttering under his breath. With a slight flash of golden light, Cat sighed and passed out, slumping into Annabeth's lap.

"That should help her some." Will said, giving Percy a weak smile.

Percy shot him a grateful look, and hearing horse hooves, he glanced up. His gaze landed on Nico, who was standing near the front of the group of campers. Percy was surprised to notice the lack of concern in his expression, especially since he and Cat were close friends. Nico looked away as the sound of horse hoofs came nearer, and Percy turned to see Leo dumped rather unceremoniously off Chiron's back as the two arrived. The campers gathered around hurriedly moved aside as Chiron trotted to Cat's side. He kneeled, examining her, then carefully clambered back to his feet, somehow looking both more and less worried at the same time.

"Chiron? What's happening? What can we do?" Percy asked, watching his mentor anxiously.

Chiron shook his head. "There is nothing to be done. She must simply wait it out."

"Wait what out? What's happening to my sister?" Percy asked, his voice rising as he stood. He felt a tug in his gut and the ocean waves behind him washed further and further up the shore, responding to his unchecked emotions. Annabeth gently slid Cat into Will's arms and stood, squeezing Percy's shoulder in warning. The campers surrounding them suddenly became very interested in other things and slowly backed away from the conflict.

Chiron sighed. "I understand you're worried, Percy, but you must trust me."

Percy took a deep breath, knowing he wouldn't help anything by getting angry, "Tell me what's wrong with my sister." He responded as calmly as he could, and Annabeth's grip loosened as the ocean returned to normal. "Please," he added belatedly.

Chiron sighed again. "Not here, Percy, not here. Come with me."

Percy shook his head firmly. "I'm staying with her."

"Percy. I would not ask you to leave her if it weren't important. She is in good hands." Percy clenched his fists, ready to argue, but Will cut him off.

"I'll take care of her, Percy. Go with Chiron and don't worry about your sister, I've got this." Percy hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

"Good. Thank you, Will." Chiron said, and turned to face the crowd. "Jane, Leo, Alex, Nico, and Annabeth. You five come as well. The rest of you, back to your cabins." Chiron ordered, trotting off towards the main area of camp without waiting for confirmation.

Jane and a black-haired girl, both seeming surprised, slipped out of the crowd and followed the centaur. Nico, on the other hand, looked nowhere near surprised, like he had known for ages this was coming. Percy narrowed his eyes at him as he and Annabeth followed the rest of the group, Leo trailing behind them. They had barely gotten ten steps away when Will shouted, and Percy whipped around, his eyes widening. A glowing light began shining over his sister's head, first faintly, then brighter and brighter. Slowly a multi-faceted jewel appeared and hung suspended in the air, shining with a thousand colors, reminding Percy of Cat's eyes. Percy turned a questioning gaze to Chiron, whose lips parted slightly in surprise.

"Interesting..." He murmured, seeming not to notice Percy.

"Chiron? What. is. going. on," Percy asked, his eyes flicking back and forth between the centaur and his sister.

Chiron shook his head, staring at the symbol floating over Cat's head. "It was only a myth…an impossible and faint one at that…" Nico bit his lip and glanced away, and Percy nearly lost it, knowing Nico could hide massive secrets for ages and not feel an ounce of remorse.

"That's it! Spill, Nico. What are you hiding?" Percy snapped, barely stopping himself from shouting.

Nico jumped a little and shook his head, not meeting Percy's eyes. "Nothing." Percy sucked in a deep breath, trying to calm his roiling emotions.

"Nico, something is happening to my little sister and I don't even know why or how to help. If you know something, please, just tell me." Nico opened and closed his mouth, but couldn't seem to find the words. Percy hesitated, debating whether or not to push him. Before he could decide, a collective murmur rose from the group. Percy turned around immediately, releasing Nico, and saw Cat's eyes flicker open.

"Cat? Thank the gods…are you alright?" Percy asked, hurrying to her side.

She blinked a couple times and looked up, her eyes widening when she saw the symbol over her head. "What- did I just get claimed?"

Percy nodded slowly. "I think so…but that was the weirdest claiming I've ever seen."

"By who? And why did it hurt? And who in Hades claimed me?" She asked, her voice rising. Percy couldn't even begin to imagine how frustrating this must be. She'd waited years for someone to finally claim her, and now that it had finally happened, it had raised more questions than answers. Percy could only shrug sympathetically, wishing he could help more.

Her gaze turned to Chiron as he came beside them, confused and searching for answers. Chiron sighed. "I wish I could explain more, but I know only myths, and barely that. When we can be alone," he said pointedly, glancing at the other campers, "I will explain what little I know."

Nico finally spoke up. "I can explain some as well." he said, meeting Percy's eyes at last. "But Cat should explain most of it herself."

Percy stared at him, then turned to Cat, who shook her head, confused. "What? She doesn't know any more than the rest of us do." Percy said, looking back at Nico.

Nico shook his head. "Just wait, Percy." He responded simply, and Percy ground his teeth in frustration. Had everyone been jinxed to speak like an oracle? He hadn't gotten a straight answer from a single person this entire night, and it was starting to get on his nerves. Percy looked back at his sister with a sigh, his confusion and frustration mirrored in her. She shrugged and stood up, ignoring Will's disapproving frown.

"Well, despite that crazy shiny thingamabob, this has been a wonderful party, everyone. Thank you all, and sleep well!" She smiled at everyone, then turned to Chiron. "Shall we talk tomorrow? Everyone you asked to come with you-" she yawned, blinking several times before she continued. "-can come to the big house tomorrow?"

Chiron nodded, looking considerably more relaxed, but still worried. "Alright, Catalia." Cat scrunched her nose up at his use of her full name, but let it pass without a comment. "Alex, Jane, Nico, Percy, and Annabeth, come to the big house tomorrow instead of your usual activities."

The seven demigods nodded or mumbled their agreement, and Chiron, satisfied, made his way back to the camp, gesturing for all of them to do the same.

"We won't get any further tonight. Might as well get some sleep and pretend this was a normal, amazing night, yeah?" Percy turned back to his sister, unsure how to respond to the abrupt change of pace. He'd resigned himself to spending the night worrying and searching for answers, but it seemed life had other plans.

"Okay, I guess. You sure you're okay?" he asked, trying to push away all of his questions and convince himself it was just a weird claiming and not a huge, world-ending problem. His sister obviously wanted to pretend that the whole thing hadn't happened, but he was having more than a little trouble setting aside the memory of her screams.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I screamed more out of surprise than pain, I mean it hurt, but it was... a weird hurt." she trailed off with a frown, but quickly shook it off and hugged him. "'Night, Perce. Don't think about it too hard, your water clogged brain might leak." Percy started to elbow her, but she danced out of his reach, laughing.

"Hey, don't hit the birthday girl!"

Percy rolled his eyes at her retreating back, laughing. Annabeth, who was still standing next to him, smiled as he turned to face her.

"This is nice," she murmured, watching the last dregs of people leave. "It almost feels like everything is normal, just a nice evening after a party."

Percy smiled and took her hand, leading her up the beach and towards the cabins. "That's exactly what it is. A tiny little accident doesn't ruin a party. We'll figure everything out tomorrow, alright?" he didn't fully believe the words he was saying, but for her sake, he said them anyway. Annabeth smiled at him again, and took his hand as he walked her back to her cabin.

She turned to go inside, but Percy grabbed her arm and pulled her into him, burying his face in her hair and wrapping his arms around her. She relaxed into him, sliding her arms gently around his waist.

"I love you." he murmured the words into her hair, trying to put all the things he wanted to say into those small three words.

"I love you too." she whispered.

Annabeth Chase

Annabeth rolled out of bed with a yawn, looking sleepily around her cabin. She stretched her arms and made her way through the neat cabin to the bathroom. Glancing down, she realized she'd slept in her clothes, and last night's events flooded her mind. Wide awake now, she hurriedly dressed and collected her stuff, wondering if she'd slept in.

Malcolm, her second-in-command, greeted her as she exited the bathroom, smiling grimly. "Morning, Annabeth." he paused for a second, but continued before she could speak. "What do you suppose happened last night? Do you think she was faking it?"

Annabeth turned to her half-brother, startled. "What? Cat wouldn't do that, Malcolm. Why would you even ask?"

Malcolm shrugged unapologetically. "It's always a possibility. I'm just considering all the angles. Plus, that's a better alternative than this being the start of another big quest or such."

Annabeth considered his words, shaking her head. "I really don't know what to think, honestly. I'm just going to the meeting and hopefully we can figure it out."

He nodded, following her as she headed for the door. "If you want to know my theory, I think there's already a prophecy. Otherwise Chiron wouldn't have called the two new girls as well. He would have just gotten all the head campers together instead."

Annabeth looked at him, a little surprised. "Huh... I hadn't thought about that. I bet you're right. Anyway," she stopped by the door and grabbed a piece of paper from the stack she carried, "here's the schedule for today. Make sure everything goes smoothly, will you? I have a feeling I won't be back for a while."

Malcolm nodded again and took the paper from her. "Sure thing, boss. Good luck, and make sure to tell me that I'm right." He gave her a mock salute and sent her on her way.

Annabeth rolled her eyes and pushed the door open, blinking a little in the bright sunlight. Percy, surprisingly, was pacing back and forth in front of her cabin, evidently waiting for her.

"I'm surprised you're ready already." she said, taking his hand and leading the way to the big house. "I thought for sure I'd have to come and wake you up."

Percy shrugged, looking tired and stressed, but he smiled nonetheless. "Jane's an early riser...so I didn't exactly have a choice."

She laughed slightly, thanking him as he opened the door to the big house for her. He guided her to the game room and the two squeezed through the small doorway into the impromptu meeting room. Chiron turned from where he sat, in wheelchair form, at the ping-pong table.

"Ah, there you are. We're just waiting on Catalia, then." Chiron said, gesturing for them to take a seat.

Annabeth slid into one of the hastily arranged chairs, eyeing the various stacks of paper and maps spread across the table. Leo was engrossed in some sort of tinkering project, as usual, but Jane smiled at Percy and her as they sat down. Nico passed a piece of paper across the table to Annabeth, then reclined back in his chair next to his half-sister.

"What's this?" Annabeth asked curiously, examining it.

"From a book of ancient myths. It mentions a primordial goddess with that jewel symbol." Jane answered, her blue eyes sparkling as she leaned forward.

Percy looked over Annabeth's shoulder as she read the paper, her eyes widening as she took in the information. When she reached the bottom of the page, she handed it to Percy and looked back at Nico. "Where'd you find this? I've never heard about any of this."

Nico shrugged, gesturing to Chiron. "I don't know, Chiron found it."

Fascinated by the idea of unknown knowledge, Annabeth started to ask another question, but the door opened again, cutting off her train of thought as Cat came in. Her colorful eyes, unusually wide, snapped straight to Nico, who hesitated before giving her a slight nod.

"Is something wrong?" Annabeth asked, eyeing the younger girl's rushed appearance and the emotions flashing across her face.

Cat paused for a second, then shook her head and said the last words Annabeth had expected.

"I remember."

Credit: A massive thank you to my wonderful beta, StarOfOlympus for the help and encouragement on this entire story. I couldn't have done this without you!

*cue dramatic duh dun duhhhh music*

Well, there ya have it, folks! I don't have much to say today (another shocking event,) but please leave me a review and let me know what you thought! Reviews mean the world to me, even if they are super short (yes, I am shamelessly begging.) Have a wonderful day, and prepare yourselves, the next chapter is chock full of feels and reveals!