Heyo, here's the eleventh chapter.

So, I noticed a couple of mistakes in this chapter that I couldn't correct before now, so I can only apologize for that.

Enjoy!

We spent two days on the train to Los Angeles. Of course, I knew we wouldn't be able to make it to our intended destination because of the fiasco with Echidna and Chimera, but I wanted to relax while I still had the chance.

Medusa had, coincidently, given us exactly 200$ which could only buy us tickets up to Denver. No doubt, the work of the three shriveled hags. The Fates, by the way, not the Furies.

I was probably the most relaxed out of our little trio. I could sense the nervousness radiating out of Grover, who twitched and muttered incoherent words in his sleep. Annabeth, too, was tense, her ADHD acting up more so than usual. She spent most of the trip deep in thought while tapping her feet on the floor, or sleeping.

I felt proud when I noticed that I was the only one collected and confident on the quest. Then I remembered I knew what was going to happen while my friends didn't. I didn't feel proud anymore.

At one point during the journey, while Annabeth and Grover were out cold, I decided to practice my umbrakinesis. I concentrated on a patch of shadows underneath Grover's seat and felt a tiny tug in my gut. It was comically small and I probably wouldn't have noticed it if wasn't as quiet as it was.

I frowned, subconsciously comparing the pull with that of my Hydrokinetic powers. The tug when I would use my inherent water powers was marginally greater than what I felt for the same amount of water. Then again, however great my hydrokinetic abilities were, they would invariably pale in comparison to a blessing from an elder protogenos.

I wasn't sure how I felt about that one. On one hand, I had cool shadow powers rivaling a minor god's, but on the other hand, I wasn't too comfortable with my powers over another domain surpassing my inherent elemental one, seeing I was a prince of the seas, second-in-line to the throne.

I ignored my skepticism and focused on the task at hand. I willed the shadows to turn into a sphere. The umbrae responded to my will almost immediately. I grinned, excited at the prospect of a cool new power, and willed the sphere into a pen, a slightly more complex design. The tug in my gut increased considerably as I gasped from the strain.

For some reason, the clump of shadows seemed to resist me, like they had a mind of their own. I narrowed my eyes in challenge as I increased my efforts, my gut throbbing in pain from the tug, but the stupid patch of Night didn't seem to budge.

Wait. Night.

I groaned audibly as understanding dawned on me and I facepalmed. The shadows flitted around as if mocking me before they turned into a hand and flipped me off.

I huffed and blew a strand of hair over my eyes. "Fuck you too, Nyx," I grumbled.

I heard a faint snicker echo in my mind before a smile tugged on my face.

I sighed and leaned into my seat, absentmindedly making simple shapes from the shadows, which were now free from the control of the annoying deity. I couldn't sense any excess of vapor in my vicinity, so it was evident that the Olympians were not watching over us at the moment.

I glanced towards my napping friends, observing them silently. No, I was not being a creep, I was simply taken aback at how young my companions looked. Of course, years of trauma while being a pawn of the gods would change anyone, but I was still astounded by how much.

I exhaled and gazed out the window. The planes of wheat were racing the past as the train brought us closer to our destination. My stomach growled in hunger as I turned a bit red from embarrassment. Fortunately, the daughter of Athena wasn't awake or she would never have let me live it down.

I really wanted some blue chocolate chip cookies. I missed my mom and this was the only way I could associate something with her. I held out my palm and imagined a plate of melty chocolate-chip cookies, the blue kind, of course.

I felt a weight settle on my hand and grinned when I saw the familiar cobalt color. I eagerly took a bite of one and almost moaned at the taste of the treat. Not only did they taste amazing, they even smelled heavenly.

As I munched on the cookies happily, I noticed Grover twitching and sniffing the air in his sleep. His nose followed the plate of cookies as his eyes fluttered open.

"Food?" He said sleepily.

I laughed. "Yeah, G-man. Blue cookies."

His eyes snapped open as he stared at the cookies. "Where did you get those, Perce? And why are they blue?" He asked warily.

I rubbed the back of my neck sheepishly. "I can summon home-cooked food because of my Hestia. I miss my mortal mother, and this is what she would make for me whenever I was home." I said, ignoring the lump in my throat at the mention of my mom.

Grover smiled sympathetically before frowning. "And you just forgot to mention that you have this power?" He deadpanned.

I grinned and offered him one. "I mean I didn't need to use this power in camp because of the enchanted plates and then I guess I just forgot." I shrugged. "Sorry."

Grover shook his head before hesitantly biting into his cookie. His eyes lit up instantly. "Whoa! This is amazing, Perce! They're almost as good as vegetarian Enchiladas!"

I smirked mischievously and clapped my hands for added effect. A plate of cheese enchiladas appeared in Grover's lap. He yelped first but then his eyes' widened and he gasped. "Enchiladas!"

Tossing his cookie aside, he grabbed the fork and began stuffing his face with the dish like a chipmunk. I burst out laughing at the comical scene before my eyes.

I saw Annabeth stir from the corner of my eye and it wasn't long until she was fully awake too. So, after a lot of explanations and a smack to the head, courtesy of Annabeth, we found ourselves enjoying some Thai food on a train on the way to 'confront' the Silent One.

The rest of the train ride went in relative peace. Annabeth and I talked about my nightmare about Kronos the day prior. Of course, I informed her of the events that happened in my dream the previous time, mainly because I didn't want to explain the loving Grandfather-grandson relationship between Kronos and me.

I could tell she knew who the 'voice in the pit' was when I told her it didn't feel like Hades. Face deathly pale upon realization, she shot down the idea of it being Kronos pretty quickly. I pursed my lips but nodded nonetheless, determined to let her enjoy her ignorance for as long as she could.

She was a bit more open about her family than the last time. Of course, I knew all about that, but it didn't stop me from hugging her in comfort. I tensed immediately when she didn't respond and I had to remind myself that this wasn't my best friend, who I could hug anytime. Thankfully, after an awkward moment, she too wrapped her arms around me for a second before pulling away with a red-face.

I frowned for a moment but then shrugged it off and struck a conversation with Grover about Pan and the wild.

Just like the last time, the train stopped in downtown St. Louis, Missouri. The train had a three-hour layover in the city before it left for Denver. Annabeth suggested sight-seeing at the arch. Percy bit his lip but went on with them without protest.

Yes, he did not want to fight the Chimera and Echidna again, but he needed the pearls from the Nereid. For that, he would have to jump into the Missouri. While he could jump in from the banks like a sane person, but what's the fun in that?

The three made their way to the monument with Annabeth spouting facts about the architecture along the way.

Percy's stomach clenched as he remembered the first time he met the mother of monsters. They made their way into the elevator car which would lead to the observation deck above.

Sure enough, they had to get cramped in it with the old lady and her chihuahua. The mist obscured the chihuahua entirely because none of the guards said anything about it.

The elevator started going upwards, in a curve as Percy stared at Echidna. Annabeth was tracing something on the wall absent-mindedly and Grover was shaking his leg nervously. Echidna, more or less, looked the same as the last time. With her bright floppy hat and dress with a purse, she weirdly looked like the Queen of England.

"No parents?" Echidna asked us.

Percy tensed but answered before Annabeth or Grover could reply. "They're below. Scared of heights."

"Oh, the poor darlings!"

The chimera growled and yapped at us, it's mouth foaming. "Now, sonny. Please behave," Echidna scolded.

"Sonny? Is that his name?" Grover asked hesitantly.

"No," she answered and smiled sweetly as Annabeth frowned.

The observation deck reminded Percy of an underground bunker with small windows at an angle so you had to lean over them to gaze out. The deck was entirely colored silver with some informational boards jutting out at some places. Percy hated cramped spaces, and having the knowledge of the future, he wasn't exactly excited for the coming events.

Annabeth, however, had no such compunctions and babbled on about the various architectural features she could identify and how would she improve upon them. Grover trailed behind her silently, occasionally glancing at the chimera and Echidna.

Soon, the park ranger announced that the observation deck would be closing in a few minutes. Thanking the fates, Percy noticed that the small family that had been stuck with him in the arch the last time was not present.

Grover, Annabeth along with a couple and the park ranger boarded the elevator car. Percy stood there as the ranger said, "Next car, sir."

"We can wait for you if you want, Percy," Annabeth offered as Grover nodded.

Percy shook his head and smiled. "I'll be fine, guys. You go ahead. I'll meet you at the bottom"

Throwing one last concerned glance at him, his friends descended into the elevator car.

Now, the only people left on the observation deck were the park ranger, Chimera, Echidna, and Percy.

Percy sighed before assessing his options. Truthfully, Percy wanted to jump out the window the first chance he got without bothering with the two monsters, but the windows were welded shut. He really didn't want to fight Chimera and Echidna. While he was much stronger than he was before, the Chimera and Echidna were some of the most fearsome monsters to exist. He didn't like his chances, especially in the cramped space, where he would have little to no maneuverability.

The Chimera started growling and barking rapidly. Percy pulled out Maelstrom and keeping his fingers over the cap.

Echidna sighed, "Now now, sonny, does this look like a good time?"

The chimera barked in response. "Well, if you insist," Echidna said with a cruel smile as the two began transforming.

Echidna rolled her shirt sleeves up to reveal the scaly green skin underneath. Her pupils elongated into slits and teeth into fangs. The chihuahua grew with each bark and transformed into the fabled monster.

"Be grateful, Perseus Jackson. Lord Zeus rarely allows my brood to test heroes. For I am the mother of monsters, the terrible Echidna!" She announced.

Percy stared at her and shrugged. "Sure."

"Sure?!" She screeched. "Is that all you have to say to the fearsome Echidna?!"

"Yeah, I mean I'm not intimidated by someone named after an anteater and refers to herself in the third person," He taunted as he uncapped Maelstrom and leveled into stance.

The chimera hissed at the sight of the blade and Echidna howled. "I hate Australia! Curse them, naming the stupid marsupial after me! For that comment, my son will destroy you!" She snarled.

The Chimera lunged at Percy, baring its teeth. He sidestepped, just barely missing the gleaming fangs of the monsters. From the corner of his eyes, he could notice the park ranger petrified in fear, pressed against the wall.

The Chimera opened its maw and shot a column of flames towards Percy.

His eyes widened as he prepared to dive out of the way before he remembered his parentage. The column of fire engulfed him as the mother of monsters laughed in glee. "They don't make heroes like they used, eh sonny?"

The Chimera growled in agreement, the snake tail snapping at the empty air.

Their triumph was short-lived as the fire dissipated, revealing a perfectly unharmed Son of Poseidon with a stupid grin on his face. The fire had melted away a ragged hole in the side of the arch, the metal steaming around the edges, but the demigod looked unharmed, if not invigorated.

Echidna staggered a few steps backward in shock. "I-Impossible! No half-blood can survive the flames of the Chimera."

Percy smirked and readied his trident. "You forget I'm the son of the Last Olympian too, monster. Your son's petty flames do not affect me."

Chimera evidently took offense to that as it swiped its claws towards Percy, while the snake tail lunged in his direction, both hoping to catch the demigod off-guard.

Percy's eyes widened as the Chimera attacked. He had not anticipated the monster to have some kind of strategy. Only years of practiced agility kept him alive. He neatly pirouetted over the swipe, narrowly avoiding the goat-head, simultaneously dodging the tail. Not wasting any time, he twirled the trident downwards and slashed at the venomous snake-headed tail.

The Chimera screeched in anger and pain as the weapon went through the hide, cleaving the tail like it was butter. The snake-head steamed and hissed on the floor before it finally disintegrated into dust. Chimera wailed in outrage as it faced him, snarling furiously.

Percy was pushed against the hole in the arch, facing the two hundred meter drop as Echidna smirked victoriously. "Do you see how meaningless it is, Half-blood? A brave effort but you are no match for my son. Soon, you will meet your end."

While she was monologuing, Percy glanced at the river below. He could see specks of garbage flowing near the banks and red firetrucks converging at the base of the monument. He smirked internally as he thought of a plan.

Echidna saw his eyes flick over to the river and laughed mockingly. "Go on, Son of Poseidon. Jump into the river. Prove that you're not afraid of water and test your parentage." She let out a raspy chuckle.

Percy glanced at the river again, as if he was afraid of jumping. Echidna noticed this and sneered. "You have no faith, coward. I cannot blame you, little Half-blood," She admitted. "The gods are faithless."

Percy brought my hand over Seliniakos and dropped his trident. Echidna saw this as a victory and hissed. "Die, faithless one!"

As fast as a viper, before the Chimera could shoot another column of flame, Percy summoned his bow and notched an arrow at full stretch. He let go of the projectile and watched as it whizzed through the air and struck the Chimera's hide.

The arrow shattered on impact and Echidna laughed. "A valiant effort, Demigod, but the hide of the Chimera is as tough as Nemean Lion's"

Percy smirked, shocking the mother of monsters. "I wasn't aiming to kill your son, bitch. You forget that an angry opponent is a reckless opponent. And now I've gained the upper hand." Percy said, gesturing to the Chimera, quickly willing his bow away and checking his pocket for Maelstrom.

The Chimera was positively seething, growling and snarling as its back legs tensed, poised to lunge.

Percy grinned roguishly and jumped over the edge, turning himself midair to face Echidna, as he showed her the finger.

Echidna could only watch shock and horror as the Chimera, having lost all sense of logic and reasoning in rage, followed Percy and jumped out of the monument. "No! Sonny!" She wailed as she watched Percy summon his trident while falling and throw it with all his might, straight towards the maw of the flailing monster.

Maelstrom, aided by the relative velocity, whistled through the air with frightening speeds and cleanly pierced the roof of Chimera's gorge. The monster went limp and exploded into dust with a screech.

Percy smiled triumphantly as the wind ripped the air around him and he fell into the Missouri with a mighty FLOOM!

I sank into the river through a myriad of bubbles that trailed past my skin. Reinvigorated by the water, the fatigue and soreness washed away from my muscles. A glint in the sand caught my eye as I swam towards Maelstrom lying in the riverbed.

"What do you say, Percy?" A voice to my right said.

I turned and found myself face to face with a Nereid with green eyes and wavey black hair. I smiled at her kind face, remembering her name. After the conclusion of the Titan War, I had asked Poseidon about the Nereid that saved me in the Missouri, out of curiosity.

After learning that I wanted to formally thank her, Poseidon arranged a little meet-up between us, which Amphitrite was not pleased about. Saying the meeting was awkward would be an understatement. It was, at least for me.

Amphinome, the Nereid's name, was painstakingly curious. Of course, serving in Lord Poseidon's court made them unaware of land customs and politics. At the first glance, Amphinome was extremely formal, addressing me with 'Prince' and 'My Lord' as she would address Triton.

So, when I talked with her like I would with any other person and urged her to drop all formalities, her ceremonious frontage crumbled instantly. Immediately, she started fawning over me and my 'accomplishments'. It turned out, the Nereids were informed of the two wars in which I had fought by Poseidon. This meant, my father had seriously overplayed my achievements to make me seem like some kind of mortal god.

Every citizen of Atlantis saw me as some kind of savior and hero, which also extended to all the Nereids.

After an hour of uncomfortable nodding and answering questions like, 'What is your favorite under-sea deity's favorite informal garb', my dad finally arrived to rescue me from the insatiable Nereid. The moment dad entered the room, all semblance of the curious and zealous Nereid vanished as she adopted her stoic-facade again.

"Lady Amphinome," I greeted with a curt bow and a smile.

Amphinome's eyes widened. "You know who I am, Percy." She stated with a tilt of her head. "How?"

I blinked and panicked internally. I wasn't prepared for her to ask how I knew her. I know, pretty stupid of me. "I uh-I don't know, actually," I gulped. "I looked at you and your name popped up in my head, I guess." I lied.

She raised her eyebrow as if to say 'really?' but fortunately dropped the matter. "Go to the beach in Santa Monica, Percy," She whispered, the current already starting to carry her away. "It is your father's will."

I nodded firmly as she smiled. "Your mother's fate is not as hopeless as you think, brave one," She said as she faded completely, but not before giving me a final warning. "Do not trust the gifts, Percy. Your father believes in you."

I dropped my head in gratitude, hoping she could hear me. "I won't!" I assured. "Uh, thank you, Lady Amphinome. It means a lot."

I waded towards Maelstrom and picked it up from the sand. I recapped it and put the ball-point pen in my pocket. I looked around in the murky water around me and puckered my lips.

Bits and pieces of garbage floated around me, discoloring the water. I threw a disgusted sneer at the trash before closing my eyes and concentrating.

I willed the water currents to push all of the rubbish towards a well-accessible part of the river-bank. I figured that if the litter was visible in the most visited part of the river, it would be cleaned up by the authorities.

Once satisfied with my work, I kicked my way through a lot cleaner looking Missouri and broke up the surface. I was greeted by sirens ringing around the monument, with cop cars and fire-trucks surrounding the yellow-taped area.

I climbed out of the bank, not even trying to hide, trusting the mist to do its job. Of course, the cute lil boy pointed out that I was still dry after coming out of the water but his mother paid no mind to him.

Hmmph, terrible parenting.

I looked around, trying to find my friends past all the news reporters and cameras until I heard the bleat of my best friend. "Pe-rrcy!"

I turned around, only to be crushed into a bear-hug by Grover. "Percy!" He said. "We thought you'd gone to Hades the hard way!"

I chuckled. "That would've been the easier way, actually." I pointed out.

Grover shook his head but I could see his relieved smile. "Not funny, man."

"What the Hades, Percy?!" Annabeth whisper-shouted angrily, but I could see the relief in her eyes. "We can't leave you alone for five minutes?1 What happened?"

"I-uh sort of, fell?"

"Fell?!" Annabeth asked incredulously. "Six hundred and thirty feet, Percy? And was that a hellhound?" She demanded.

"Chimera," I corrected absent-mindedly before my ears caught the news reporter's words. "C'mon!" I said, pulling my dumbfounded friends with me. "We've got to go."

"Wait!" Annabeth protested, tugging at my wrists. "What do you mean Chimera?"

"Percy?" Grover started hesitantly. "Did you fight and defeat the Chimera?"

I sighed but started explaining about my battle with the monster and my conversation with Amphinome. By the time, we reached the train, Grover was spluttering and Annabeth was gaping at me in disbelief.

"Percy, you defeated a monster that was undefeated since ancient times!" Grover exclaimed, for what seemed like the ninth time that night.

I sighed in exasperation and climbed up into my seat. "I know, Grover. You've only mentioned it, like, five hundred times."

"But, Percy," Grover insisted before Annabeth cut him off.

"Okay, stop," Annabeth ordered, shooting him a pointed look. "Let's talk about the Nereid-"

"Amphinome"

"Yes, Amphinome." Annabeth glared. "You can't ignore a summons from your father, Percy. We've got to go to Santa Monica"

I nodded. "Yeah, but first, let's get out of town."

The next evening, our train rolled up in Denver. We hadn't eaten anything since St. Louis Arch because I had fallen asleep and we had no other means of food.

The first thing we decided upon disembarking the train, was to go to an empty car parking lot to send an I.M to Chiron. Annabeth and Grover initially wanted to go into the car wash for the spray nozzle, but I told them it wasn't necessary. I could produce light as well as mist to disperse it and form a rainbow.

I had about 20 drachmas from Medusa, so wasn't really a problem. Willing some water out of our flask, I split it into millions of tiny droplets that remained suspended in the air.

Lighting my arm in bright orange flame, I brought it towards the mist. Immediately, the warm light filtered through the cloud and broke into a spectrum of colors.

I tossed a drachma into the rainbow and spoke before Annabeth could say 'Half-blood hill'.

"Oh, goddess of rainbows, accept my offering." I requested. "Show me Chiron, Camp Half-blood."

Annabeth threw me an annoyed glance but I shrugged it off, focusing on the rainbow which began to shimmer before the familiar interior of the big house came into view.

"Chiron!" Annabeth cried, noticing the ancient centaur deep in conversation with some of Apollo campers.

The campers gasped at the Iris message and Chiron smiled kindly. "Percy, Grover, Annabeth. It is great to see you."

"It's good to see you too, Chiron," I said. "But we have to talk."

He nodded and turned towards the campers who were looking at me in bewilderment. "Lee, Michael, and Kayla," He addressed. "We will converse about this at some other time. Meanwhile, you can continue with your activities. And please refrain from cursing the Athena cabin again." He added with a requesting smile.

The three snickered, offering mischievous smirks, and left the room with a nod.

"What happened?" I inquired. "What's up with them?"

Chiron sighed wearily and offered a small smile. "Someone has leaked the feud between Poseidon and Zeus and the campers are picking sides. Apollo, Ares, and Aphrodite are backing Poseidon. Athena is backing Zeus. The tensions are at an all-time high in the camp."

"It's Trojan War all over again," Annabeth breathed out. "But who informed the campers about the war?"

Chiron shook his head. "We don't know, Annabeth."

"Probably the lightning thief," I said, bringing the attention of the three to me.

"Uh... Percy?"

No, think about it," I insisted. "He could be the one to summon a hellhound in the woods, probably to flush me out on a quest, by making everyone believe the camp wasn't safe for me. If he wanted to cause strife between the gods, what better way to inflict more damage than adding their children to the discord."

Chiron stroked his beard thoughtfully. "Hmm... that does seem plausible. But we need more evidence-"

He was cut off by the same Lincoln, which for some reason was in the car-park and not in the carwash like it was supposed to be, its stereo turned on to maximum. Stupid Fates.

"What's that noise?" Chiron yelled.

"We'll get it," Annabeth offered, dragging Grover with her. "C'mon, Grover!"

I waited for my friends to leave before I turned to Chiron. "I've been having dreams about the Crooked One," I said bluntly.

His eyes darkened and he made the three-clawed gesture. "Tell me about them, child," He said stiffly.

I told him about my nightmares, obviously leaving out the fact that I loved to antagonize his father. I filled those holes with what Kronos told me the previous time about bartering my mother and going against the gods.

Chiron remained silent after I was done with my explanation, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "We will have to wait and see what this means, Percy." He said finally after a while.

"But, sir, he could be rising," I protested.

Chiron shook his head. "He could be." He admitted. "But I would advise for you to put this out of your mind, right now. You have enough on your plate, as is. No need to take up another burden. However, I must caution you from the Titan Lord's words. He is incredibly deceptive and would use your flaws against you without hesitation," He warned.

I nodded before hesitating slightly. "Sir, there is another thing," I said, sounding nervous purposefully.

He nodded, gesturing me to continue.

"The aura over Luke's shoes was very similar to his aura in the pit."

After my conversation with Chiron, I led my friends to an empty bench at the edge of the parking lot. Chiron had, surprisingly, thought over my accusation instead of just brushing it off like I thought he would. Luke's views towards the gods weren't helpful to him either.

I had requested Chiron to remain silent and not say anything to Luke just yet. He agreed and we said our farewells.

I summoned some burritos for Annabeth, a plate of Enchiladas for Grover, and a blue pepperoni pizza for myself. We were all pretty hungry so we wolfed down our food quickly. We hadn't showered since we left camp, so we were all pretty filthy and gross.

Though, I did not remain so for long, because I then lit myself on fire to sanitize myself of all the gross bacteria and dirt. This resulted in a squeaky clean Percy Jackson with still dirty clothes and extremely envious looks from my friends.

As I was laughing my butt off from the dumbfounded and slightly jealous facial expressions, I felt something change in the air. The air turned warm and dry like in a desert and the world tinged slightly with crimson. A bright red flash, accompanied by a roar of an engine, brought forth my least favorite Olympian.

I growled when I recognized the aura of bloodlust and war.

Ares was dressed just like when I fought him, in a red muscle shirt and black jeans and a black leather duster, with a hunting knife strapped to his thigh. He wore red wraparound shades, and he had the cruelest, most brutal face I'd ever seen (I seriously wondered what Aphrodite saw in the brute). He had an oily black crew cut, not unlike Hades, and cheeks that were scarred from many, many fights.

I started to get angry, wanting to punch something. I realized it was Ares' aura that was heightening my emotions. I took a deep breath and channeled every heartfelt moment I had experienced into my body as my aura glowed a warm orange.

"So, you're Old Seaweed's kid eh?" Ares sneered.

Instead of getting angry, as he expected, I raised my eyebrow and added calmly, "Also Lady Hestia's"

His sneer faltered at my calm reply but then his eyes glowed a violent red, the aura almost tripling.

It didn't affect me in the slightest but I could see Annabeth scowl and grit her teeth from the corner of my eyes. Even Grover had clenched his fists.

I narrowed my eyes and flared my own calming aura, staring defiantly at Ares. The effect was instantaneous. I saw my friends relax, my aura counteracting Ares'.

"No bad, punk," Ares said gruffly. "Not many can remain calm under my power."

"So, whatcha want?" I asked casually.

Annabeth's eyes widened. "Percy-"

"S-okay," Ares interrupted. "I don't mind a little attitude, as long you know who's the boss."

I shrugged, giving him an unimpressed look. "So... ?" I prompted.

The fire in his eyes glowed a little more, but I could not give less of a shit at that.

"I want you to do me a favor," He said.

"What favor could I possibly do for a god?" I asked, crossing my arms.

"Something a god doesn't have time to do himself. It's nothing much. I left my shield at an abandoned water park here in town. I was going on a little... date with my girl-friend. We were interrupted. I left my shield behind. I want you to fetch it for me."

"And why would I agree to this?"

He narrowed his eyes. "You've got nothing, right now. No money. No wheels. No clue what you're up against. Help me out, and maybe I'll tell you something you need to know. Something about your mom."

"My mom"

"That got your attention, punk," Ares grinned. "So do we have a deal?"

I smirked and leaned forwards. "Now, listen here Lord Ares, I don't need any information about my mom."

His grin faltered.

"I already know she is not dead. She vanished into a golden light. That's metamorphosis or kidnapping, not death. Hades is holding her in ransom for something in return, hoping to control me, like what you're doing. Do you think I'm stupid? Hmm?" I asked rhetorically. "I know that this park is a trap set by Lord Hephaestus to catch you and your girlfriend going at each other. So what makes you think I'll agree to your request?"

Ares growled. "Transport, demigod. You have no means of reaching your destination," He said smugly.

I laughed. "I already have a plan for fast transportation. We have golden drachmas therefore I can always summon the Chariot of Damnation of the grey sisters. It'll probably take thirty minutes for the chariot to reach LA. What transport could you offer that is faster than that?"

Ares bared his teeth. "Watch it, godling. Don't test me. I can turn you into a prairie dog and run you over with my bike." He threatened.

"Oh but you won't," I said innocently. "The reason being my father and mother. Also, I'm on a quest to find your father's bolt. How do you reckon he'll react when he sees you purposefully delaying our quest for a menial task? So, unless you flash us directly to Santa Monica pier after we're done with your side-quest, I don't think we have a deal." I grinned.

"Fine, brat!" Ares snapped, his eyes bursting into flames. "You do my task and I'll flash you there."

Deciding to mess with him a little more, I smiled innocently. "I'm flattered and all, but I didn't think you swung that way."

Ares' small brain took a couple of seconds to comprehend the statement before he snarled and grabbed my shirt. "You're lucky I'm not allowed to kill you, half-blood. But you've made an enemy today. Next time you're in a fight, watch your back."

I pried his fingers off my shirt and stared at him, looking utterly unimpressed. "Sure," I shrugged carelessly, before dragging my friends towards the water-park.

"C'mon, guys! Let's rescue a shield!"

Athena was intrigued by this new Son of Poseidon. No sea-spawn had captured her attention as this boy had since Theseus. While she was certainly not against the boy, Athena also didn't know what to think of him.

On one hand, she wanted to hate his guts for being a Son of Poseidon, and on the other hand, she wanted to know him better. She was already mildly impressed by his quick wit and no-nonsense attitude.

He seemed cocky and over-confident at the first glance, but as she observed him, it dawned on her that it was all was a humorous facade. He was humble, exceptionally so, when she saw him not even accepting gratitude after he saved her wrongdoing from millennia of suffering or even boasting of defeating three kindly-ones, all at once.

Athena prided herself on being able to read everyone at the first glance, but this demigod quickly proved her wrong. His mannerisms were particularly random and his brain worked in strange ways. He was like a puzzle to Athena, a puzzle she was determined to solve.

So, when her father called for a meeting again, she was the first one to flash into the throne room followed by Artemis. Athena narrowed her eyes when she saw a twinkle of excitement in her sister's eyes. It seemed she was not the only one intrigued by Perseus.

One by one, all the remaining Olympians arrived with Zeus and Hera to flash in the latest. Athena noticed a strange gleam in Zeus' eyes and frowned.

The Iris message started with the questers in some sort of elevator car.

"Where are they?" Poseidon questioned.

"In St. Louis Arch," Athena replied, lacking her usually haughty tone.

Poseidon raised an eyebrow but nodded nonetheless.

The following twenty minutes were some of the most boring ones for all of the Olympians except Athena. As Annabeth rambled on and on about architecture, everyone's attention was diverted to the strange fat lady with a chihuahua.

When Annabeth and the satyr left Perseus alone at the top, everyone's spine tingled with warning bells and Athena noticed Poseidon grip his trident tightly.

Gasps of horror and disbelief echoed through the throne room as the monsters were unveiled. Chimera, the fiercest of ancient monsters with the most potent of poisons, defeated only once by Bellerophon and Pegasus. And with it was... Echidna, the mother of monsters. The consort of Typhon, bane of Olympians, and the matriarch of Hydra, Chimera, and hundreds of other foul beasts.

Poseidon just about blew up, and understandably so, when Echidna revealed that they were sent by Zeus. Athena almost bashed her father's skull in herself. The fact that if Perseus was killed, no one would be able to return the bolt to him, did not seem to go through Zeus' head. Yes, Athena told herself, the only reason she worried about the Sea-spawn's health was that he was crucial to return the bolt. She did not have another reason. She didn't.

Her attention was brought to her aunt when the hearth rose in a swirl of deadly embers. No one had ever seen Hestia that mad, though. For the first time in millennia, Hestia assumed her true godly height and identity accompanied by uncharacteristic flaming orbs full of rage and a fire-licked chiton.

Zeus just about shit his pants under the fury of his two elder siblings. Just as they were going to rain on the thunder god (See what I did there? Rain on? hehe), Hera hastily brought their attention to the IM, not wishing her infidel husband to reform in Tartarus.

Poseidon relaxed slightly when Percy taunted the Chimera and lured it into the river below.

The other Olympians, including Athena, raised appraising eyebrows at Perseus' quick thinking and wits to use his father's element to defeat the Chimera.

Imagine their shocks, when they witnessed the Son of Hestia to not only try to defeat the Chimera whilst free-falling but also succeeding.

Many jaws dropped when they saw Perseus pull off the complex maneuver that resulted in the Chimera getting turned into a shish-kebab.

Athena, Artemis, and Hephaestus marveled at his ingenuity in getting the aid of the relative velocity of winds for a short time. The three knew if the Chimera had been a meter farther, the trident would've succumbed under the force of gravity, and tumbled down regardless of the relativity.

The majority of the Olympians, especially Athena, were even more astonished when Perseus seemingly brushed off defeating a Chimera in his nonchalance. Proud glances were exchanged between Poseidon, Artemis, and Hestia.

Athena had expected him to get boastful or arrogant after performing such a feat, but the Sea-spawn proved her wrong once again. Not even sparing a glance, much less basking in glory, at the Satyr's fascinated eyes, Perseus led his friends to their train, seemingly uncomfortable at the attention.

Zeus had to dismiss the rest of the Olympians for the day but gave them instructions to reconvene the evening of the following day.

No one needed any convincing. Everyone was interested in the demigod, one way or another, either it be intrigue or as a source of entertainment.

Athena narrowed her eyes in suspicion as she saw her sister spare a lingering gaze over the sleeping demigod before she flashed away in a blaze of silver.

/\

The council reconvened in the evening of the next day. Under the hateful glares of his siblings, Zeus had sworn on the Styx to not harm the demigod during his quest.

Everyone paled when Perseus described his dreams to Chiron. Of course, Zeus being Zeus, did not even acknowledge the rising of the potential threat, even after Apollo had confirmed Perseus' words to be true.

Athena grit her teeth in annoyance when her father denied the claims. She hated the fact he abused his powers as king and behaved like a child.

The real shock of the meeting was when Ares flashed down and offered them a side-quest. The council watched in amusement as the Son of the Seas mocked Ares by shooting down every 'reward' that Ares put forth.

Athena frowned when she saw Artemis's scowling face. However, this time it wasn't protective towards the Sea-spawn as it usually was, but rather hostile towards Ares, as if he had committed a crime. Athena reminded herself to question Artemis about the relationship between her and Perseus the next time they met.

As Athena watched the scene, she deduced that something was wrong with both Ares and Perseus. Ares was acting far too cooperative for a brute like himself as if he was desperate for a favor, and Perseus seemed to know this and was using it to his advantage. He was strategically making snide quips at Ares that seemed to go over his head but at the same time angering him.

Impressed by Perseus' shrewdness, Athena let a small smile grace her lips when he manipulated Ares into agreeing upon a deal that solely benefitted Perseus.

The council was dismissed after they were sent into boisterous laughter and wheezing when they heard Percy rile up Ares one last time over a comment of 'swinging both ways'.

As much as she tried to, Athena could not keep the smile off her face after hearing Percy's retort.

And it's done... I'm not gonna lie, this chapter might be my favorite one so far. It had everything- some much-needed action, humor, Percy being a smart-ass, Artemis' little tendencies, Athena's observations, and Ares and Zeus bashing. What's not to like? Unless you hate the writing, then there is a lot not to like.

Anyone, who finds it weird for Percy to have more control over shadows than water, I just want to point out that it is a protogenos' blessing. Hades, who doesn't even have shadows as a part of his domain, has tremendous control over them just because he rules Erebos. So imagine how much a protogenos has, who not only has shadows and the dark in her domains but also is the living embodiment of Night and draws power from the dark. I hope I'm making sense.

Also, I didn't want Percy to defeat two of the strongest monsters in an enclosed space via close-ranged battle. That would've been a little too over-powered. Everyone likes when the odds are against Percy. Sure, he could've used his shadow powers, but that would've given him away.

Also, I've always wondered what would the conversation between Chiron and Percy have been, if the IM went to him like it was supposed to. So, instead of being merely curious, I wrote what I think would've happened.

I think I like these gods a lot more. I made them what they're supposed to be like. Athena, actually being wise instead of biased against Percy, Aphrodite, being a true love goddess and not some whore who messes up lives just for fun. Although, ironically, I portrayed Zeus and Ares as the exact opposite of what they should've been. Zeus should be a wise and just king and Ares should be an honorable fighter and not some war-monger who loves war. Does that make me a hypocrite? I don't know.

Although, my favorite part of the last three or so chapters has to be the character development of Athena. I love how she goes from calling him 'sea-spawn' or 'boy' to Perseus. Though she does subconsciously call him sea-spawn in this chapter whenever he proves her wrong or does something that she doesn't like.

Of course, I wouldn't be so stupid to not make Athena suspicious towards how Percy seems to know everything, but that development will take place in the coming chapter(s).

Also, the poll is over. There will be NO third character coming into Pertemis

Anywho, I hope you enjoyed this (new longest) chapter. Please review!

I'll see you guys next time

Byeeeee