DISCLAIMER: All the characters except OC's belong to Rick Riordan.


Chapter 12: I make a Long, Irritating trip to the camp.

Percy dreamt about Artemis. A bunch of hunters in winter camouflage outfits followed her into some forest reserve. Dark clouds hung above them, while they searched for the stolen master bolt. A gust of blistering wind blew out causing the hunters to sweat profusely followed by a bright light near them.

A youth with blonde hair came out of the sunny light. He wore jeans and cut-offs shirt; tall and lean. He could be considered handsome if not for the grim expression hung on his face.

"Arty, I've searched the other side." he drawled, intentionally trying to infuriate the moon goddess.

"Shut up! Don't call me Arty! It's not here either, move out!" Artemis gave out the order for the hunters to pack their stuff and relocate. Percy tried to get a better look at the surroundings, wondering if he had been there before, but the dream scene was already fading into the mist.

It reformed into a familiar place, though it was one he hadn't seen for years. A woman came out of the building; tall and regal looking. Her body was slender and graceful with dark hair and calculating eyes. From her appearance, she was an extremely resolute and an opinionated woman; the kind who was extremely unwilling to submit.

She stepped out of the Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan, and approached a pick-up truck. From her hiking outfit to her choice of transport, one would assume her as a regular adventurer.

"Bah! I told ya it's not going to be here. Only a bookworm like you would come here." a large, bulky man sat on a motorcycle beside the pick-up. He wore large shades, covering most of his expression. He had been sneering before the lady settled her hard stare on him. "Oh, why do you say that? Do you know something I don't?" there was a challenge and thirst for answers in her eyes.

The beef guy scratched his greasy hair awkwardly and grumbled a Nothin' before the scene faded into mist.

He reappeared in a large hall filled with a cacophony of orders and barks. The outer walls were of rough gray stone instead of concrete and the ceiling was studded with night stones for light. There are all kinds of people in armor milling around the hall urgently; he couldn't identify their features exactly. Metal chinks clicked and bodies collided as they milled through the hall out into the open.

"Quick! We have no time to spare. War is upon us." barked one of them, standing on a pedestal.

The fully armored commanding officer turned to him, "What're you dawdling for? Your time is up. Wake." his impatient voice echoed over the halls: wake, wake, wake...

"Wake up!" Percy opened his eyes to find his mom shaking him. He was in his room. "Today's your school field trip, remember." he sat up groggily.

Memories flooded once he reached the Metropolitan Arts Museum. The Obelisk behind the museum, where he had his stand-off with Artemis. Percy stood to the side as the students filed down the bus.

"Perce, you better hold back while speaking to lady Artemis in the future," Piper warned him.

"Hey, it's not always my fault when she picks a fight." he defended.

"Whatever, she's a goddess. We should speak politely to her. No matter, she was the one who taught me things." she pleaded towards the end. Percy realized that Piper has been stuck between the two of them. She couldn't simply choose one among the two. He had thought she took Artemis' side before when dealing with him, but only now did he realize how awkward her place had become.

He promised to not speak out of turn with Artemis, at least for now. Just as the mood calmed down, Grover hobbled down with his crutches, his goat half disguised with baggy jeans and loose shoes. One of the students, the redheaded kleptomaniac, Nancy Bobofit, stuck her leg out as he came down the steps.

Grover tripped and his crutches went flying. His shoe came half off, revealing a section of the hoof. He panicked, flailing his arms and landing on his butt. He looked around wildly as he forcefully shoved his foot back on. The mist—the substance that obscured anything mystical to mortal eyes—was working properly, since no one noticed anything different.

"Leave him be, Nancy." Percy stood before the befuddled Grover, while Piper picked up his crutches and helped him up.

"Or what? Jackson, you better—" Nancy sneered. She probably would've said more, but the teacher came down and stared at them.

Mrs. Dodds gave them the evil eye before sauntering ahead. Grover hung his head in horror as usual. Percy wondered what his story might've been. Mrs. Dodds had been teaching at their school since the new term. She was a monster; a Fury, to be precise, disguised as their math teacher to attend the school.

One day, he had discerned her identity from her conversation with Mr. Brunner in his office. According to the ancient rules, the Underworld and the mortal species are not to cross paths, so they maintained their thin-veiled cooperation intact. She had come to the school to discern Percy's identity under her master's orders. Since it was only like that, Chiron, a.k.a, Mr. Brunner could only let her be.

But to incorporate into her identity as an exchange teacher from Georgia, she spoke with a weird lisp in her speech. She would always point her crooked finger at him and say, "Now, honey," real sweet, and send him to detention room for every trouble at school.

"Alright people. We're going to be here for the next four hours. We have the Greek exhibits first on the list, then Latin. We'll take a break for lunch and take a vote for the final section of the museum. Now, come on. Let's see what this place has to teach." Chiron was quite the character. He definitely cared about what he taught but pushed his students a little too hard for the stuff that wasn't really useful in the real world for anyone other than Percy and Piper.

The class followed the disabled teacher around, some barely able to keep up with the wily old man's speed on the wheelchair

Mr. Brunner rode upfront in his wheelchair, guiding them through the big galleries, past marble statues and glass cases of ancient pottery works. He gathered them around a thirteen-foot-tall stone column with a big sphinx on the top. From the carvings on the sides, it seemed to be a stele—a grave marker—for a girl. A few students, interested in history were listening while the others were talking to themselves.

Mr. Brunner pointed at one of the pictures on the stele and asked him. "Mr. Jackson, can you tell what this picture represents?" Percy observed the carvings and recognized a few of them. It looked like a big black figure eating a black misshapen blob. "The titan king Kronos swallowing his children, right?"

"Yes," Mr. Brunner said, obviously not satisfied. "And he did this because.." he directed the question to Piper.

"Well..." she tried to remember. "Kronos didn't trust his kids and feared them. So, he swallowed them one after another. But Rhea hid the last one, I mean, Zeus," she said Zeus like it was a huge insult. "and gave him a rock to swallow instead. Later, Zeus tricked Kronos into barfing the remaining gods—"

"Eew!" gagged one of the girls.

"The gods fought in a war and dethroned the titans to establish their rule. The remaining Olympians later came to be." a few snickers rang in the group.

"Good work, Ms. McLean." Mr. Brunner carefully watched his reaction. "Zeus indeed fed Kronos a mixture of mustard and wine, which made him disgorge his other five children, who, being immortals, had been growing up completely undigested in Kronos' stomach." Percy wondered about the real-life application of the combination of wine and mustard.

Like, why do we need to know what caused Kronos to barf his children? How does that relate to real life, well, mortal life? he glanced around the moral kids, their expressions revealed the same inner questions.

"The gods waged war and defeated their father, sliced him to pieces with his scythe, and scattered his remains in Tartarus, the darkest part of the Underworld." there was a twinkle in his eyes. "Now, why should this matter nowadays?" he glanced around the crowd—where the kids avoided his eyes—and settled on Percy again.

Percy thought for a second and answered the one at the top of his head. "We should care because we don't want our parents to swallow us, preferably." Despite his slight cold attitude at school, the kids all laughed at his joke. Chiron chuckled a little.

[Chiron compliments him and turns to Grover for an answer. his face scrunched up. He glanced at Percy, who only gave him a shrug and an apologetic smile.

Well, it's a myth.." he drawled. "And myths are supposed to be...hidden lessons or something, right?"

"Allegories, but yes." "Close enough. A bit roundabout, but the idea is clear. Actions have consequences, and I imagine you know that, right Percy?]

"Well, half points, Mr. Jackson. Not the exact answer I was hoping, but an appropriate one, nonetheless." Chiron went on. "On that happy note, it's time for lunch. Mrs. Dodds, would lead us back outside?" he cheerfully directed them out.

The class gathered at the front steps of the museum for lunch. Overhead, a storm was brewing across the entire mainland. There had been no changes in the deteriorating weather since Christmas. They'd had heavy snowstorms, massive floods, and searing sunstrokes. It wouldn't be a surprise for a hurricane to blow in.

Piper sat with other girls from their class while Percy sat at the fountain with Grover. They unwrapped their sandwiches when Nancy Bobofit appeared in front of them with her ugly friends and pelted Grover with wads of sandwiches that stuck in his curly hair.

"Oops!" she grinned with her crooked teeth. Percy watched Piper shaking her head from across them. "Nancy, leave him be..."

"Or what..? What are you going to do?" she challenged. Percy eyed the half-filled water bottle in her backpack. A cruel smile spread on his face.

"Oh, nothing. What can I do when you're already like this..." her friends laughed while Nancy took her time to get what he meant. Her face turned red, just like her hair, and lunged at him.

BANG!

Just as she neared him, her water bottle exploded, sending the stuff she had stolen from the tourists flying over the fountain. She landed in the fountain on her butt, screaming, "Percy pushed me!" he rolled his eyes.

Mrs. Dodds materialized next to them. The kids whispered among them. As soon as Mrs. Dodds was sure poor little Nancy was okay, promising to get her a new shirt at the museum gift shop, etc., etc., she turned on him. There was a triumphant fire in her eyes like she was waiting for this moment. "Now, honey—"

Percy smacked his lips for his lack of control. "I know," he grumbled. "Another detention."

"Come with me!" she turned to the museum and marched forward.

"Percy, I—" Grover yelped and tried to pull him back. His chin trembled in trepidation.

"It's fine, Grover. Wait here." he turned to Piper and nodded to her.

"Honey," Mrs. Dodds barked from the museum entrance. "Come with me!" he followed her deeper into the museum. She stopped at the Greek and Roman section. it was lunch break; the gallery was empty, save for the two.

"You've hidden well, honey." she tugged on her jacket cuffs lightly. "Did you really think you would get away after what you've done?"

Not this again!

"How exactly did you find me in this school?" that was what he was worried about. An open spear is easy to dodge. The hidden arrow is hard to predict.

"We are not fools, Percy Jackson." Mrs. Dodds snarled. "It was only a matter of time before we found you out. Confess, and you will suffer less pain."

"Confess what? The Olympus already knows the real culprit behind the theft. I didn't steal the Master Bolt!" he snarked. It seems it was easy for just about anybody to steal the master bolt from Zeus like stealing candy from a toddler. He snorted at the mental image.

"I'm not here for the Bolt!" she screeched. Her eyes began to glow like street lamps. Her fingers grew into curved talons, and her jacket melted into leathery bat wings. She turned into a gray withered old hag with bat wings and a mouth full of yellow fangs.

She flapped her wings and hovered in the air. "Where's my master's Helm of Darkness?" she growled.

Percy's eyes turned the size of saucers. He was floored by the sudden change of direction. "Wait! Hold up, what Helm of Darkness?" She responded with a lunge, diving with her claws facing him. Percy was still reeling from the shock and dodged her claws by the skin of his teeth.

"The helm of Darkness that you stole on the Solstice meeting on Olympus. Don't play the fool with me, Percy Jackson. My master knew your cursed father's intentions. That will never happen. The Underworld doesn't submit to anyone!" Mrs. Dodds spun towards him with a murderous look.

"Hand over the Helm and you will suffer less pain." A game of cat and mouse ensued as a result with Percy dodging her on the ground while the old bat lady hovered and sliced at him with her talons.

"Hand over, your ass!" he raged. "I took neither the Bolt nor the Helm. Luke Castellan was convicted of the theft at the Solstice meeting. He's your primary suspect. Go chase after him!" he was still trying to resolve the things peacefully, but the Fury seemed to have none of it.

"Lies! You're just like your father. I shall hand over you to my master for a soul search for the truth then. Be wise in your next life, Half-Blood!" she snarled and flew straight at him.

He sighed in resignation and took out a ball-point pen from his pocket. Riptide sprang into a three-foot bronze sword and Percy parried the fury's talons and sidestepped. He immediately followed with a counter-attack on her back. His blade hit her shoulder, slicing her wings, and passed cleanly through her body.

The Fury exploded into yellow dust, leaving behind the smell of sulfur and a dying screech, chilling the air.

"And here I thought she was more than meets the eye!" he muttered to himself, but shook the feeling immediately.

His mind was in chaos. There was no glee from his victory over one of the rarer supernatural beings. Instead, he felt like being sucked into a huge quagmire and began to suspect a huge conspiracy over the theft.

Two of the Big Three have lost their divine weapons, and an illegitimate son of the third was discovered simultaneously. He could not fault them for blaming him for the actions, but to make everyone arrive at the same conclusion, something big is about to go down...

He paused when turned around to find a wide-eyed Chiron gaping at him. The look on the always-calm teacher was priceless. From his calm demeanor, Chiron had by now guessed his identity and expertise, so Percy wasn't surprised by the question.

"So you know everything then? Your origin? The theft?" he nodded for the Centaur to ask something important. As expected of an immortal teacher.

"You wouldn't have stolen the Bolt..." he mused to himself. "That's unlikely. You know about the incident then?" the Centaur asked. Percy nodded and narrated his side of the story with Artemis.

"Then why didn't you come to the camp early? Why wait till you were in danger?" there was a deep yearning in his tone.

"I don't want to leave my mom alone." Percy shrugged nonchalantly. Despite the positive endorsement everyone gave about the camp, he still had his misgivings about it.

"I see," Chiron sighed. It had probably become a routine answer to him, by now. "What do you intend to do now, since you've been exposed?" his eyes rested on his sword. Percy thumbed the sword knob and pocketed the pen.

Ever since he decided to hide hurricane and use riptide for most of his tasks, his style has changed too. He had been wilder and domineering with hurricane and attacked with the intent to kill the enemy, disregarding the origin and race. Whereas riptide made him more steady and balanced. His attacks leaned more towards disarming and turned a little conservative and less arrogant.

"What else can I do? I'll follow the flow. I plan to visit the camp in the summer if that's okay with you?" Seeing him nod, he went on. "I'll deal with the situation as it evolves. You know the inside info better than me." he didn't forget to butter up the immortal teacher.

Since Percy smelled a brewing storm on the horizon, he has even fewer misgivings. As no one can be safe in such times, he'd mess up the situation more and throw his enemy's plans into even more chaos, given the chance.

Chiron seemed like he still has more questions, but seemed hesitant to ask him. So Percy cleared any misgivings the Centaur might have.

"Chiron, I don't hold any grudge against the Olympians for suspecting me. I don't have the qualification to do so. Put your mind at ease. I'll let Grover escort me to camp in summer." Chiron shook his head as his thoughts were seen thorough by a kid not even a fraction of his age.

I'll just vent my frustration whenever I find a chance! Percy added to himself.

"Chiron, I've got a small favor to ask?" he asked.

"And what is it, child?"

Child? Well, considering his age, I'll always be a child.

"Please erase all records relating to Piper and I's mortal world connection. Old school records, parents, home addresses, contact numbers, and e-mails in this school. I don't want to drag our parents into this. I believe you have the ability, considering you've snuck into the school unannounced." he requested. "Our parents have finally settled in for a peaceful time. I don't want to spoil it." he really didn't want his mom to worry over him again.

"Of course, child. I'll temporarily alter everything regarding the both of you," Chiron promised and smiled kindly.

"I guess I don't need to mention Mrs. Dodds then. See you back at school." with that, he walked out of the museum.

"The things I've to do.." he heard Chiron mutter in resignation and prepare a large-scale mist manipulation.

When he arrived outside, he found Grover arguing with Nancy; his scowl made it easy to see. They immediately circled him.

"I hope Mrs. Kerr whooped your butt!" Nancy smirked.

"Who?" Percy blurted out.

"Our teacher, duh." Nancy rolled her eyes.

"Buzz off, Nancy!" Grover said.

"Whatever losers." Nancy stalked off.

He played along with Grover when the latter acted like Mrs. Dodds never existed. He had to perform an act of suspicion until the latter strongly convinced him about their missing algebra teacher. Grover couldn't lie—at all—to anyone. He always blinked animatedly and his eyes got shifty whenever he tried to lie his way out. A person with pea-sized brain would figure out he was lying through his teeth.

The students acted as if they were completely convinced that Mrs. Kerr—a perky blond woman whom he had never seen in his life until she got on the bus at the end of the field trip—had been their pre-algebra teacher since Christmas.

The wonders of the Mist!

The days passed uneventfully. Percy had once stumbled on Grover talking to a small, petite girl with wispy amber hair and elfish features in an Iris Message. Though his interest had been piqued and felt a little bad about intruding on their time, Percy had eavesdropped on their conversation without much hesitation.

From their conversation, he picked that the girl—Juniper—was a dryad at camp Half-Blood and from the way of things, Grover liked this dryad since forever but was unable to muster up the courage to ask her out. He was still very much on the fence. Grover had poured out all his grievances on her and the dryad seemed not too bad. She'd listen to his rants patiently, cheering him up occasionally.

Since Grover was undercover and Percy was acting innocent regarding his background, he didn't know much about the satyr. All the bits and pieces he had gathered made him presume that the satyrs at camp take on assignments as half-blood protectors to escort them to camp safely to earn credits.

With enough credits, they could apply for a searcher's license, which was some kind of official approval to spend their lives searching for Pan, the lost and the last God of the Wild. From Grover's nervousness and speech, Percy inferred Grover had taken an escort mission before and it hadn't gone well, so he was striving to complete his task without errors and was thus cautious.

"I think he's someone big," he had said to Juniper, but Percy was non-committal. He had kept the little strange satyr in the dark and made him believe Percy doesn't know a thing about the mythical world. Though the hunters were aware of his status, no one would be foolish enough to ask them about a male.

To keep his disguise intact, Grover abstained from other students in his class. He was never around others on purpose and never really talked to anyone except the duo and Chiron. But he usually lost his mind and came close to revealing his disguise when it was an enchilada day in the cafeteria, despite claiming himself to be a vegan. As a result, he was the constant target for bullying; he cried a lot. Despite the fact Grover can run like nobody's business, he had a doctor's note excusing him from P.E for the rest of his life.

Lucky satyr!

Percy briefed Piper about the Fury and the missing Helm. He left her to do the information passing to Artemis, but she took none of it. Even if she was the one updating the goddess, he has to be present as goodwill.

He raised his hand to make a fountain out of the lake and created a rainbow in the sunlight. Piper tossed a golden drachma into the swirling mist and prayed. "O Iris, goddess of rainbows, please accept my offering and show me Lady Artemis, goddess of the hunt."

The mist shimmered in the rainbow until a twelve-year-old auburn-haired girl appeared before them. They both bowed.

"Piper, Perseus. What is it?" she directly cut to the chase. Piper took a breath and began.

"Yes, m'lady. We have news regarding the theft." she nudged him to start. Percy sighed and glanced at the curious goddess.

"Lord Hades has lost his Helm of Darkness on the solstice meeting on Olympus." he went on with his run-in with the Fury Alecto. Though Artemis was surprised about the missing Helm, she didn't show much concern over it.

"I understand. I will report it to my father immediately. Perhaps he wouldn't be able to find his weapon unless he issues a quest." she spoke to her herself. "Thank you for your cooperation, demigods. I wish you good luck."

"Thank you, m'lady." The conversation got cut off. Percy turned to the naiad in the lake.

"You heard her. The situation is likely going to turn ugly. Abandon this lake and come with me to the camp. You'll have many companions." he said sternly.

"Sis, Bill couldn't visit us anymore. You could meet him at camp, don't you think? Please, let's relocate to the camp." Piper implored while the naiad, Elaine, glanced at the lake longingly. She sighed and agreed.

"Alright. It's been my home for so many centuries, but it's also true I'm alone most of the time. It's time to change. Let's go." she said bitterly.

"Excellent. What do you need me to do? Do you need some kind of blessing to relocate? Permission from camp? I'll arrange it immediately." he decided to strike while the iron is hot. With the imminent war, Percy knew Elaine was worried about Bill, but she couldn't do anything from her position.

"That's not necessary, Perce. We, naiads survive by claiming a water body and protecting them. I only need to release my claim on this lake and I can survive for a short period without any source. Can you shift me to the camp's lake or the beach at least? I can reach freshwater myself."

"Oh, that's easy, hold onto me whenever you're ready." He extended his hand.

The naiad glanced one sad look at the lake before wiping her eyes and taking his hand, ready to shift to a new source. She released her claim on the lake and it instantly turned dull and lifeless. The years of divine protection left the lake at once, making it degrade at a faster pace.

Percy closed his eyes and extended his area of calculation onto the naiad and decomposed them into fine mist particles in front of an amazed Piper. He traveled at a break-neck speed towards Long Island Sound, to the beach. He materialized them on the shores, little farther from the camp.

A fine of sweat broke out on his forehead. Elaine looked a little squeezed out at traveling long distances.

"Thank you, Perce. I'll see you at the camp then." she planted a kiss on his forehead once she regained her balance.

"Goodbye, sis. I'll see you soon." the naiad stepped into the water and dissolved into tiny water droplets.

Percy turned around to find a cab back home.

oOo

"These are for you." Bill tossed two parcels at the godlings. The duo exchanged a look, opened the packages, and pulled out two black arm guards each. The arm gauntlets were sleek, slim, and inconspicuous. They were made from some tough beast hide with a soft interior. Percy's gauntlets were designed to house his feather-light flying daggers while Piper's ones extended to cover her three arrow fingers and hide a pair of daggers.

"These toys are my thanks for Elaine's situation, though it makes our meetings even more difficult." he sighed.

The rest of the term and the exams went without any major incidents. Chiron left the school once he made sure everything was settled and warned Grover to bring the duo to the camp in two days.

The duo packed their weapons and extra clothes into their travel bags. They dressed lightly for the travel in a t-shirt, jeans, and thin jackets. Piper had packed and arrived early for their departure together. She had partially lied to her dad about attending a summer camp about self-defense and personal development with Percy in the countryside.

"Percy, I really don't like this idea. Must you go to the camp?" his mom asked. She wringed a cleaning rag in trepidation.

"There's no other way, mom. I'll cause you problems, otherwise. It's only going to be for the summer, remember." he reassured her. Sally opened her mouth to speak, but thought otherwise and remained silent.

"I don't care what you do, but stay away from dangers and take care of yourself." she adjusted his jacket while reprimanding him.

"Okay, mom. I won't be reckless," he promised. The bell rang out and a nervous-looking Grover appeared in their doorway to pick them up. He reassured Sally to safely escort them to the camp by nightfall. He had scheduled the route by taking a bus partway and hailing a cab for the rest of the forested part of the route.

They arrived at the nearest Greyhound station and boarded a bus. During the whole ride, Grover kept glancing nervously down the aisle, observing the passengers. Percy didn't know whether it was his keeper's job that made him nervous and fidgety as if expecting things to go down south, or something else. He had always assumed Grover was worried about getting teased.

There was a huge grinding noise under the bus. Black smoke poured from the dashboard and filled the whole bus with a smell like rotten eggs. The driver cursed and hobbled the Greyhound over to the side of the highway. He announced they'd all have to get off to replace the wheel. The trio filed outside with everybody else.

They pulled up on a country road with maple trees on one side. Across the four lanes filled with passing cars was an old-fashioned fruit stand with boxes full of apples, apricots, and cherries. There were no customers, just three old ladies in rocking chairs under the shade of a maple tree, knitting a quilt.

All three women looked ancient, with wrinkled pale faces like fruit leather, silver hair tied back in white bandannas, and bony arms sticking out of bleached cotton dresses. The lady on the right knitted one end of the quilt while the lady on the left knitted the other. The lady in the middle held an enormous basket full of yarns, the colors he couldn't pinpoint.

The weirdest thing was, that they seemed to be looking right at him. Percy glanced at Piper, but Grover had his blood drained from his face. His nose twitched wildly.

Unbeknownst to Percy, each individual will perceive the three old ladies differently. The fates would normally never reveal themselves to others and they absolutely won't let others disrupt their woven tapestry.

Percy couldn't make out the tapestry at the beginning, nor the number of yarns in the fruit basket. Slowly, the tapestry grew out of size and revealed to be the Greek symbol alpha, and the only strings he managed to pick out were white, grey, blue, and green.

Their expressions were carefree and relaxed until the middle one scowled. The other two tensed and pulled one of the strings tightly. Then the middle one took out a huge pair of scissors—long-bladed garden shears—and snapped a string in two. Percy couldn't make out the color either; it could be either blue or green. The granny trio stared at him intensely while balling up the tapestry, making him sick and nauseous.

"Guys, come on. We're leaving." Grover caught his breath and urged them to move away from the bus. He walked forward and hailed a cab urgently. He looked like he'd seen something deadly; he trembled and his teeth chattered. He shut his eyes, crossed his fingers, and muttered a prayer.

Only after they left the fruit stand far off did he relax slightly, but none amongst them dropped any hints to talk about it. Silence enveloped the car, save for the light music from the radio. Piper opened her mouth to speak, but Grover beat her to the chase.

The car jostled, passing over a bump. The driver swore, but Grover didn't pay it any mind and told him to take the upcoming left into a narrow roadway. The driver exposed his doubts, but Grover assured him with extra bucks. They entered a forested part of Long Island, passing the wooded hills and fences that read: Delphi service, Pick your own strawberries, nearing the camp location with each passing tree.

Percy opened his mouth to assuage the satyr before his hair stood on end. A blinding flash of light surrounded the car, filling the air with ozone.

"Lookout—" the car swerved off the road just as a lightning bolt crashed down in front of them. It flipped over once it left the pavement. Once the grinding and jostling died down, it took another minute for Percy to right himself and get moving. The driver's side was wedged in the mud. The roof had cracked open with rain pouring in.

"Piper!" he cried out, but no response came. He shook off his daze and looked around the taxi. She had remained in her seat next to him throughout the crash. He froze when he saw blood seeping from a cut on her temple, but relaxed slightly once he confirmed her pulse as unconscious.

Another motionless lump lay on her other side. Grover was slumped over, his face plastered to the driver's seat. Percy moved over to peel off his forehead and blood trickled out of his mouth.

"Grover!" he called out.

An indistinct groan came as a response. Percy sighed in relief. He wouldn't be able to do much from his position though, so he quickly unbuckled his seatbelt and kicked open the door.

Outside, nothing but rain and darkness enveloped him, and he was thankful for the thunderclaps, constantly lightening up the sky. That deep in the woods, with no street lamps, even with his good eyesight—much less dizzy spell right now—he would've been blind if not for the constant flashes of light and the cab's busted headlights.

The car had swerved into a ditch, in the secluded part of the woods. Nothing but trees and a slipshod road as far as the eye could see. In the distance, he could make out a tall hill with a familiar large Christmas pine tree at its top. He sighed in relief.

For some unknown reason, he felt like the tree was calling him.

Regardless, he ignored the call and made his way back on the left side of the car, and dragged Piper out. While pulling Grover—who was surprisingly light for his size—he heard a noise from the woods. It was loud and beastly, something between a roar and—oddly enough—the moo of a cow. Percy paused and looked in the direction it came from.

He saw a dark silhouette lumbering towards them from the forest. As it got closer, his pulse began to quicken when he heard hooves clopping loudly against the asphalt. He quickly pulled Grover out of the car and shook his furry hindquarters.

"Percy," Grover wheezed, "we have to..." his voice faltered and fainted again. Percy glanced back again. In the darkness, under the rumbling thunder, he saw a dark figure. It was seven feet tall, maybe more, with severely ripped arms. Two large horns grew out either side of his head, easily adding another half foot onto his already impressive stature.

He scrambled towards Piper and lifted her onto his shoulders. He then picked Grover and draped his arm over his free shoulder and stumbled towards the pine tree, through the wet waist-high grass.

"Percy," Grover panted. "The tree. The property line..." he managed to get out while dragging his body uphill. Halfway through, Percy glanced back to get a clear look at the monster. The big guy hunched over the car and sniffed and nuzzled at the window.

Percy had recognized the monster by then. He didn't expect his half-brother's greatest exploit would visit him at this hour of the day. He wasn't sure why the Minotaur bothered with the car since they were only fifty yards away, still struggling before he realized the facts about the Minotaur's terrible sight and hearing.

The beast bellowed in rage after finding no one in the car and kicked its roof. The chassis creaked and groaned, skidding on the wet asphalt, away from them.

Percy picked up his pace and lugged Grover along with him. The rainwater provided some boost, but he was slowly starting to reach his limit. His vision turned blurry and his head throbbed painfully.

Another bellow of rage, and the Minotaur started tromping uphill. He'd probably smelled them, but Percy wasn't sure. The rain should cover up their scent.

"Percy," Grover managed. "Leave me here. I'll distract him. Cross the property line and run till you find a farmhouse down the valley." he panted. "Yell for help. Don't stop until you reach the door." he struggled out of his grip and tried to pull back.

"Don't spout nonsense now. It's not that hard. Come on." Percy tried to sound upbeat and lugged him along. Their scuffle worked like a lighthouse in a stormy night for the behemoth. He stopped sniffing around and turned in their direction.

Percy reined his nerves and tried to assess the situation. He still couldn't make out the beast coming his way, but a bead of sweat rolled down his neck as it got closer. He readjusted Piper and set her on the thick grass, trying his best to make her pass on as vegetation. He then instructed Grover to play dead and made a run in the opposite direction quickly, away from the camp entrance.

Once he made sure they weren't going to end up as collateral damage and stepped out of the battle zone, he pulled at the small trident around his neck. Hurricane sprung open into a three-foot Celestial bronze sword. Its aura, vast as an ocean, erupted in the rainy night, dropping the temperature past the freezing point. Ever since his last operation, he had kept it under wraps. With nerves now steeled, he readjusted his grip on the sword and waited for the beast to approach.

No matter how bad his sense had been, the Minotaur couldn't simply ignore the telltale signs—the bronze glow and his scent—and wheeled toward him. Hurricane glowed from the frequent thunderclaps, its blade thrummed with a hunger for the behemoth's blood. The beast followed his instincts and approached him, heavy footsteps echoing the shrouded forest.

He had a snout on his face, dripping nostrils with a gleaming brass ring, cruel big black eyes with enormous pointed horns on his head. He was covered in coarse black fur that Percy assumed had been glossy once, but was now covered in dirt and muck. Oddly, the white briefs he'd chosen to wear into the battle were pristinely clean.

Percy couldn't help but weakly chuckle at that. The sight of an oversized hulk lugging at you in vengeance would've been intimidating, but the briefs had ruined the image. Either the bull-man didn't take kindly to his laugh or the sword had reminded him of his unfair loss, he let out a beastly roar from his bull-shaped head. Strangely, however, rather than being intimidated by the tough opponent, facing the Minotaur filled Percy with an odd sense of comfort.

It was his real fight in half a year. He was born to face this ugly side of the world. A crazy grin spread on his face as he painfully rolled his shoulder.

Thunder roared once more. Taking it as a signal, the bull pawed at the ground and sprinted towards him. Percy ran forward to meet him head-on. Halfway through, the bull bowed his head, fully committed to running him down with his horns. Just as his horns lined up to skewer Percy's torso, he pushed off the ground, landing a foot on the bullhead. Using his huge body as a springboard, Percy leaped off into the air, vaulted over the beast into a roll.

His sword came in contact with the right horn of the beast, and as easy as a knife slicing through butter, it severed the dark horn with a shrink!

Blood splashed. The beast howled in pain but his weight on its head had sent him off balance and careening dangerously forward. His own weight and angle did the rest of the trick, sending the Minotaur crash into the ground. It let out something between a roar and a groan whilst struggling to get up.

Percy wasn't merciful either.

He cracked the Minotaur's head loudly, with a nearby dried tree trunk, sending him back down to the ground in a dazed mess. The beast's cry of rage turned into a groan of pain. Once he realized that he was still in a daze, Percy immediately jumped on his back and pierced his chest with his sword.

The bull roared in agony and flailed on the ground, trying to crawl away but the sword lodged into the ground through his chest, rendering him immobile. The roars of agony turned into pathetic moans of a dying animal. Then...

Pasiphae's son burst into Tartarus dust.

Percy stood amidst the golden dust, his sword still sticking into the ground. His knees shook, and his head felt like it was splitting open. Whatever adrenaline he had while fighting the beast had abandoned him. Disregarding the rotten smell around him, Percy arrived at Piper and Grover, hauled them, and staggered down the valley towards the farmhouse.

He flung open the main door and stepped into the hallway, carrying two bedraggled bodies still dripping down. From the interiors rooms, he picked up the sounds of hooves clopping calmly against the wooden floorboards until a familiar-looking bearded man stood before him. When he turned to see the carrier, he wasn't even surprised to see Mr. Brunner—Chiron—standing before him.

Yes. Standing.

Though his upper body remained as proper and dignified as ever—as dignified as you get with a pastel nightshirt on—from the waist down, he had a beautiful, strong, and powerful equine body. He was half-man, half-horse.

A Centaur.

Currently, Chiron had been roused from his sleep. He wore a pastel nightshirt and a dozen green curlers on his horsetail. The sleep from his eyes vanished once the Centaur took in their condition. Before he could speak, Percy laid Grover on the floor and settled Piper on the nearby couch. Then he rounded the Centaur with a cold look.

To say the events of the day had left him exhausted would be an understatement. He'd been thrown in unavoidable circumstances—like consoling his mom, quelling Grover's agitation—and looking over his shoulders since he'd taken the cab ride. His stomach felt hollow, a byproduct of the fact he hadn't eaten since morning. He was still dizzy from the crash. The lightning bolt...

"The Gods..." he breathed in ragged gasps. "Do they control this camp?"

Chiron looked at him with an urgent look. "Percy, it's very late at night and you three have suffered major injuries. It's better to recuperate first..." he tried to move toward Piper, but Percy rounded him once more, waiting for an answer.

The attack near the campgrounds had made him consider a terrible possibility and doubt the camp's veracity about protecting the demigods it housed. He could only agree to stay after the confirmation.

Chiron's urgency turned into hesitance. "There's very little in this world not controlled by the Gods, Percy. With that being said, the camp has genuinely been given its autonomy for its operation," he went on. "Though we've accepted the God's generous protection for ages."

"Nothing will happen to the campers within the borders," he assured the demigod.

Percy collapsed on the floor, his vision turning dark. The nerves that had stretched taut during the journey relaxed at once. Only after obtaining Chiron's words did he let go of his concerns. He didn't know what he would've done otherwise.

The last thing he remembered was a flash of gold and a familiar but commanding tone of a girl, "Well, he sure is pessimistic and paranoid."

xXx

A/N: This chapter converges with the canon. I wonder who it was at the end? Reviews are much appreciated.