Percy is not having a great time in this chapter.
Replies:
The Official Clarisse: I shall count your vote as Pipercy- at this stage it may even make the most sense since Piper will be coming into it earlier than in canon- though not quite yet. And yeah, Percy knows what's going on- she's smart and she's obviously got a lot more knowledge about this stuff so she can figure it out based on what she knows.
Jubby1905: I mean, at least he'll have more help this time.
Mithraxs: Your vote's been counted!
Noir Nyan: Not a bad suggestion, I shall count your vote and we shall see.
Elifad18: Hah, I love that I make people nervous! and I've counted the votes.
Dante: I shall count your vote for you!
Guest: I mean, if she was focusing she could stay dry, but that would look kinda weird to Sadie and Carter. With the Piper thing- no matter what happens with the poll, Piper will be coming into it a lot earlier than canon- all I'll say about the why of that is- they meet because of their parents. Make of that what you will. And no there will be no Percy/Luke I promise.
PJFan285: I'm glad that you're enjoying!
Guest: I shall count your votes!
Big 3: your vote has been counted
Percabeth: 2
Pipercabeth: 2
Pereynabeth: 2
Pipercy: 2
Perlianca: 1
Pereyna: 1
Percy/Apollo: 1
Perlia: 1
Pereyna: 1
Percy/Bianca: 1
Perachel: 0
Other: (Say who)

Percy stayed close to Julius- while Carter and Sadie followed a few steps behind- she could hear them whispering, trying to figure out what was going on.

Percy couldn't blame them- it must be pretty confusing, but Percy didn't get involved, she just grabbed her dads hand tightly, forcing herself not to panic as they walked through the museum, glancing around nervously- she knew her dad was doing the same thing- if people from the House of Life even suspected what was going to happen- they'd interfere, and all the security in the world wouldn't stop that.

They turned left into the Egyptian wing. The walls were lined with massive statues of the pharaohs and gods, but they dad bypassed them all and went straight for the main attraction in the middle of the room.

Percy pressed into his side slightly as Julius sucked in a sharp little breath, "Beautiful." his voice was barely more than a murmur, "And it's not a replica?"

"No, no," the curator promised. "We don't always keep the actual stone on display, but for you—this is quite real."

And Percy focused on the stone itself, it was a slab of dark gray rock about three feet tall and two feet wide. It sat on a pedestal, encased in a glass box. The flat surface of the stone was chiseled with three distinct bands of writing. The top part was Ancient Egyptian picture writing: hieroglyphics. The middle section... was Demotic, a kind of writing from the period when the Greeks controlled Egypt and a lot of Greek words got mixed into Egyptian- Percy could read the Greek easier than anything else- and the. The last lines were in Greek- and her eyes were drawn to them even as she heard Carter whispering.

"The Rosetta stone." from behind her.

Then Sadie spoke, "Isn't that a computer program." and Percy's attention was drawn away from the Greek when the curator let out a nervous laugh.

"Young lady, the Rosetta Stone was the key to deciphering hieroglyphics! It was discovered by Napoleon's army in 1799 and—"

"Oh, right," Sadie said. "I remember now."

But of course their dad wasn't going to let it go, "Sadie," he said, "until this stone was discovered, regular mortals...er, I mean, no one had been able to read hieroglyphics for centuries. The written language of Egypt had been completely forgotten. Then an Englishman named Thomas Young proved that the Rosetta Stone's three languages all conveyed the same message. A Frenchman named Champollion took up the work and cracked the code of hieroglyphics."

Sadie chewed some gum, looking unimpressed, "What's it say then?"

Julius shrugged, "Nothing important. It's basically a thank-you letter from some priests to King Ptolemy V. When it was first carved, the stone was no big deal. But over the centuries...over the centuries it has become a powerful symbol. Perhaps the most important connection between Ancient Egypt and the modern world. I was a fool not to realize its potential sooner."

That made Carter and Sadie look even more confuse, and the Curator looked worried, "Dr. Kane?" he asked. "Are you quite all right?"

And Julius stopped, breathing deeply. "My apologies, Dr. Martin. I was just...thinking aloud. If I could have the glass removed? And if you could bring me the papers I asked for from your archives."

Dr. Martin nodded. He pressed a code into a small remote control, and the front of the glass box clicked open.

"It will take a few minutes to retrieve the notes," Dr. Martin said. "For anyone else, I would hesitate to grant unguarded access to the stone, as you've requested. I trust you'll be careful."

He glanced at Sadie and Carter as if they were likely to cause trouble- clearly he didn't think that Percy was- maybe it was because of how she was clinging to her dads hand, or the way she'd stared at the stone when she'd first seen it- but then, she knew what her dad would use it for. She knew what he was planning. She couldn't help but stare.

"We'll be careful." Julius' voice was firm, "Percy and Carter are used to dealing with things like this and Sadie's a smart girl."

As soon as Dr. Martin was gone Julius turned to Carter and Sadie, still holding Percy's hand, and there was a frantic look in his eyes. "Carter, Sadie, this is very important. You need to stay out of this room."

"What-" Sadie's eyes widened, "But-"

But Julius was already moving, slipping his workbag off his shoulder and unzipping it just enough to pull out a bike chain and a padlock. "Follow Dr. Martin. You'll find his office at the end of the Great Court on the left. There's only one entrance. Once he's inside, wrap this around the door handles and lock it tight. We need to delay him."

"You want us to lock him in?" Sadie lit up, "Brilliant!"

"Dad-" Carter's voice was horrified, "What's going on."

"We don't have time for explanations, this will be our only chance. They're coming."

"Who's coming?" Sadie almost demanded.

Julius shook his head as he took Sadie by the shoulders, "Sweetheart, I love you. And I'm sorry...I'm sorry for many things, but there's no time now. If this works, I promise I'll- things will be different. Carter, you're my brave man. You have to trust me. Remember, lock up Dr. Martin. Then stay out of this room!"

"But what about Percy-"

"I need her to help me with something and then she'll be joining you."

"She's a little kid-" Sadie protested, her eyes wide- and was it just Percy or did she look almost concerned at that, "If whatever's going on is so important-"

"Just go!" the words were sharp, and after glancing at one another Carter and Sadie rushed off to go and lock the curator in his office, taking the bike chain and padlock with them.

"Dad-" Percy swallowed hard as soon as Carter and Sadie were gone, "Is it Osiris?"

"Yes." Julius nodded, cupping Percy's face in the palms of his hands, "Sweetheart you know it has to be done- your dream Ruby's vision- Apophis-" he shook his head, "We cannot face him without the gods and he will rise, soon I fear. Your dream was a warning."

"Daddy-"

"I will become Osiris' host. It will give us a chance Percy. I have no choice. I need you to help me set everything up and then I want you to go and look after your brother and Sadie." Julius brushed Percy's hair out of her face, "You're the only one of them who knows how to use magic. If people from the House come don't let them take any of you." he closed his eyes, a strained look on his face. "It's cruel of me to ask this of you- you're the youngest but-"

"I know daddy." Percy swallowed hard before leaning forward and pressing her lips to her dads cheek, "Does mom know?"

"She knows. She doesn't like it but she knows, though you weren't supposed to be with me- I should expect quite the telling off when this is over. I told her about your dream. Now come on." he opened his workbag- and together they quickly set things up for the spell before Percy headed out of the room, even as Julius began his work, the room lighting up blue from the magic as she rushed back out into the Great Court- she quickly spotted Carter and Sadie making their way back towards the room and she rushed up the hall towards them, and as she did she felt a tremor running through the floor.

"Carter, Sadie-"

"I want to know what's going on!" Sadie sprinted towards her- and she knocked Percy over before the younger girl could even try to stop her.

Carter reached her a moment later, grabbing Percy's arm and helping her to her feet, "Sorry-"

"Dad told us to stay out-"

"Tell Sadie that!" and Percy and Carter had no choice but to rush after Sadie, who skidded to a halt in front of the entrance to the Egyptian gallery.

Percy's breath caught when she looked inside, their dad was stood in front of the Rosetta stone, a blue circle glowing on the floor around him, the spell had started.

"What's he holding?" Sadie's voice was a hissed whisper, "Is that a boomerang?" because Julius had raised a hand, and he was holding his wand, which he touched to the stone, and Percy watched as he started writing on the artefact- familiar Heiroglyphs.

"Open-" Sadie murmured the word, and Percy winced- she could understand some Hieroglyphs, and she knew Carter could understand more than her, but it seemed that Sadie had an innate gift for the language.

Then their dad raised his arms and started to chant, "Woo-seer, i-ei-" and two more hieroglyphic symbols burned blue against the surface of the Rosetta Stone.

Percy swallowed hard, fingers curling into fists, "Come on dad." she couldn't help but whisper the words.

"Woo-seer." Carter's voice was a whisper, "Osiris-"

"Osiris, come." Sadie almost sounded like she was in a trance, and then her eyes widened, "No! D-" Percy launched herself at Sadie, clapping her hand over the over girls mouth to stop her as they hit the ground, but it was too late, their dad turned around, a surprised look on his face, even as Percy's every instinct screamed at her and she thrust her free hand to the side and into the Duat, yanking it back out with her wand, scraping it in a wide curved line in front of the three of them, a blue glow forming where the wand touched the ground as she focused and a shield shot up from the line. And she'd never ever put so much focus, pushed so much of her magic into a simple shield before.

"Children-" Julius started, but it was to late. The ground rumbled. The blue light turned to searing white and the Rosetta stone exploded.

If it wasn't for the shield they'd have probably gotten battered by the debris- as it was the shield wasn't strong enough to shop the shock wave, which knocked Carter off his feet- and it would have knocked Percy and Sadie down if they weren't already on the ground.

When Percy managed to pull herself together she lifted her head, the sound of a horrible gleeful laughter mixing deafeningly with the museums security alarms going off.

She swallowed hard as she blinked rapidly and looked around.

The gallery was in ruins. Waves of fire rippled in pools along the floor. Giant statues had toppled. Sarcophagi had been knocked off their pedestals. Pieces of the Rosetta Stone had exploded outward with such force that they'd embedded themselves in the columns, the walls, the other exhibits.

Percy could hear Carter and Sadie dragging themselves up but she didn't focus on them, she focused on their father.

He was stood where the Rosetta stone had been, the blood was blackened in a starburst pattern except for the glowing circle around the man. He was facing towards them, but he wasn't looking at them. A bloody cut ran across his scalp. He gripped his wand tightly and Percy felt a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach as the horrible laughter filled the room again- and she could see something between them and their father- a firey outline of a man- taller than their father.

"Very well done." the man laughed, "Very well done Julius-" and Percy's mind was racing because it wasn't Osiris stood in front of them.

"You were not summoned!" Julius' voice trembled. He held up the wand, but the fiery man flicked one finger, and the stick flew from his hand, shattering against the wall.

"I am never summoned, Julius," the man purred. "But when you open a door, you must be prepared for guests to walk through."

"Back to the Duat!" Their dad roared the words, "I have the power of the Great King!"

"Oh, scary," the fiery man said with amusement. "And even if you knew how to use that power, which you do not, he was never my match. I am the strongest. Now you will share his fate."

And Percy felt a flood of terror when she realised what had happened, when she realised just who their father had accidentally summoned.
It was Set.