Leo burst out laughing when he read the chapter title.
"What is it?" Piper asked
"I wrestle Santa's evil twin." Leo choked out
Everybody burst out laughing.
"Nereus?" Apollo asked
Percy nodded.
"Tell me when it's over," Thalia said…San Francisco in a few hours."
"That's fast." Beckendorf said
"Hey, hey, Frisco!" our angel said…marble lady statues, see. And—"
"Whoa whoa whoa." The demigods said
"Kids guys." Leo said
"Guys we're here with gods and some are married, let's just not go into the details." Percy said
Everybody burst out laughing.
The gods without spouses or godly partners joined in and the ones with spouses blushed and held on to the girls' hands.
Nico, Clarisse, Piper, Silena, Frank and Triton gagged.
Hazel and Percy turned pale.
"Hank!" the other statue Chuck cut in. "They're kids, man."
"Thank you." The demigods sighed together.
"Oh, right." If bronze statues could blush, I swear Hank did.
Everybody snickered.
"Back to flying"… hundred miles an hour.
"Nicee." Lee grinned
Zoe smirked.
"That's so cool." Frank said
This time Artemis smirked.
Thalia kept her eyes closed the whole way…Mist even better than I did.
"You realized that now?" Nico asked
"I just thought about it now." Percy said
"Well, the girl was annoying," I said.
"Hey!" Rachel protested, indignantly
"You're getting better." Percy teased
Rachel pouted.
"But I'm glad I didn't vaporize her…she'd given it a lot of thought.
"Rachel is far from what you call regular." Will joked
"That's true." Nico laughed.
"Where you guys want to land?" Hank asked…Haven't Died Yet. Wish You Were Here.
Everybody laughed.
"We should all do that. You know whenever we visit a place so that when we die, people who care about us can see us again." Pollux suggested
The demigods nodded.
Dionysus flinched and the other gods winced. They were getting really comfortable with their kids and now to hear them talk so casually about their death was unnerving.
"There," Zoë suggested…metal angels from Mars.
Everybody laughed.
"He saw through the mist?" Travis asked
"I think even the mist doesn't disguise everything." Hazel said
We said our good-byes to the angels…"I will show thee."
"The smell was horrible." Percy gagged.
"I swear." Thalia agreed
I knew I was in trouble…floppy rainbow hat.
"I would pay to see Percy like that." Connor laughed
"Not happening." Percy said
Connor pouted.
Oh, yeah," Grover said…"I told thee. To blend in."
Everybody snickered.
"Good job Zoe." Chris said, nodding his head
Zoe smirked.
She led the way back down to the waterfront…He will smell…different."
"Correction: he will smell horrible." Percy grumbled
"Great." I didn't want to ask for particulars…Grover gave me a big thumbs-up.
Everybody burst out laughing.
"You know my reaction would be similar to Thalia's." Nico laughed
"Gee thanks." Percy said
I grumbled how nice it was to have…about the metal angels from Mars
"From Mars." Frank snickered
Ares chuckled.
"Poor guy." Rachel said, though she was laughing.
He didn't smell good…Like hot seaweed and dead fish and brine.
The sea gang turned green.
"That is horribly descriptive." Poseidon said
Triton and Tyson were very dark shades of green.
If the ocean had an ugly side…Santa Claus went back to sleep.
Everybody roared with laughter.
"Can you not call him Santa Claus?" Rachel gagged
I tensed…But I jumped Santa Claus.
Everybody snickered.
"Ahhhhh!" he screamed…he squeezed me to death.
Poseidon choked.
Percy became alert at once.
He looked at Triton and the two of them nodded. They rubbed Poseidon's back. It did make him feel better.
"That's a crime!"… tackled him from behind.
Poseidon held his head in his hands.
I was dazed for a second... "Not the water!"
"Isn't that going to make you stronger?" Katie asked
"Exactly." Percy grinned
"But that would make him stronger too." She winced
"Yeah." Percy sighed
The plan worked…holding a sleek black seal.
"He's going to be really difficult to hold on to." Triton winced
I've heard people make jokes…day here in San Francisco
Everybody laughed.
"They would have definitely been surprised to see a kid like that." Apollo laughed
Nereus plunged into the water…changed back to human form.
"Getting tied into a knot would hurt." Tyson said
"Yeah big guy." Percy said
"Why won't you drown?"… I was here first!"
Poseidon snickered.
Finally he collapsed on the edge…put up a good fight.
"That's good otherwise he would try to fight again." Hermes nodded
My friends ran down the steps…That's what I cared about most
Annabeth and Percy smiled at each other.
The demigods Ooh'ed and the pair blushed.
But then I imagined what Annabeth…didn't save Olympus
Annabeth nodded.
Zoë would want me to ask about…even more important
Chiron and Zoe sighed.
I sighed…He says they are close."
"How did you get that out of a single moo?" Leo asked
"I thought the same thing." Percy grinned
"Great minds think alike." Leo grinned
"Animal speech is special." Grover said
"A little odd though." Leo said
Grover shrugged.
I was wondering…He must be sacrificed."
"It won't like that word." Ares said
"MMMM," Bessie lowed…but he was trembling.
Aphrodite aww'ed.
"How could anyone hurt him?" I said… talking about entrails, too."
A few chuckles.
Thalia stared at the cow serpent…the Ophiotaurus is reborn."
"Poor Ophiotaurus." Silena said
"Killing such an innocent creature is a pure crime." Grover shook his head
Thalia sat down on the dock…She almost looked…hungry.
Zeus frowned.
"See she cannot be trusted." Hera screeched
"Don't." Percy warned
"Or what?" she scoffed
"You don't want to know." Percy growled
Hera kept her mouth shut due to the threat and because Zeus was glaring at her.
"Luke wouldn't hesitate," Thalia muttered…the Manticore gloated.
"Hey Pipes, how do you pronounce this?" Leo asked
Piper went over to Leo and read the word. She managed it perfectly. Aphrodite looked proud.
"Cool thanks." Leo grinned
He was wearing a ratty black trench coat…flesh of half-bloods!"
The demigods and gods growled.
"Gee I wonder why they banished him." Reyna said sarcastically
A few snickers.
On either side of him stood two armed…when I defeat you myself!"
"Over confidence." Artemis sneered
"At least the skeletons aren't there." Nico said
I needed time to think…There will be no help for you now."
"Well he was wrong." Percy grinned
Zoë notched an arrow and aimed it…you will overthrow Olympus
Thalia closed her eyes, remembering how close she had come to agreeing with the other side.
No one spoke…Doomsday was happening right now
"Well, I was the prophecy kid." Percy sighed
"It's better that it was you than any of us." Thalia said, gesturing to her and Nico
"She's right, our fatal flaws could have been bent but yours being loyalty can't be bent towards the enemy. They can't use your fatal flaw against you no matter how hard they try. They can take somebody you love but you do get them back. If the titans would've tried using your flaw against you for them then they would have wrecked hell on themselves." Nico said
Percy gave him a smile.
I waited for Thalia to tell the Manticore off…He cares nothing for you.
Zeus flinched.
And now you shall gain…"I…I don't—"
Hera glared at Thalia
Jason sensed that Thalia was uncomfortable and guilty so he squeezed her hand.
Zeus was looking at his daughter.
"Your father helped you," I said…tree to preserve you."
Zeus nodded.
He was grateful to the boy for trying to convince her daughter but he would never tell him that.
Her hand tightened…but they ricocheted off my lion's coat
Poseidon took a deep breath.
"So much happened so fast." He said
"Grover," I said…"We fight together."
"Always." Zoe, Thalia and Grover chorused
Percy smiled softly.
"You have to get word to camp!" Grover said…"Are you crazy?" she asked.
"Thanks Percy." Thalia said to him.
"Don't mention it." Percy said
"No seriously, I don't know what I might have done." Thalia said
"It's okay Thalia. If you need somebody to splash you with water, I'm your person." Percy grinned
But Grover understood…through the refrigerator.
"Chiron would be better at giving advice, yes but dad is more likely to be help in such a situation." Castor said
He looked up lazily…"Is that how you say hello?"
"They're about to die and you want them to say hello?" Hermes asked
"It's okay Hermes." Percy said
Hermes blinked but didn't say anything.
"Hello," I amended.
Everybody managed a laugh.
"We're about to die!"… "We're dead."
A few snickers.
Thalia gripped her spear…"You could say please."
"Oh come on D. They're about to die, you can ask them to say thank you later." Apollo said, throwing his hands in the air
"Hey he needs respect too." Pollux defended his father
"Fair point, though maybe after the act." Apollo said, tilting his head
"Oh come on, at least he will help after a please." Pollux said
"True." Apollo sighed.
When wild boars fly, I thought…as we all got gunned down.
"Slob?" Dionysus asked angrily
Percy winced.
"I was annoyed." He said
Zoë readied her arrows…running down her cheek
Annabeth sighed.
Jason and Zeus looked at her in worry.
Suddenly it occurred to me…"Please, Mr. D," I muttered. "Help."
Silence.
Thalia looked at Percy with wide eyes. She knew he was very loyal but despite their rivalry and his dislike for the camp director, he swallowed his pride and asked the camp director for help. He was looking out for her even though she was elder to him. Her eyes felt a little watery at this thought and she realized again how lucky she was to have a friend like Percy.
"Th-Thank you Percy." She choked out
"I don't want to put you through that again Thals." Percy said gently
Dionysus' eyes widened. His thought about being wrong about the boy just went down a little more. Maybe he was different than the other but he would still have to wait. He would think for final once all the books were done.
Of course, nothing happened…something more sour—wine.
The Dionysus kids grinned.
SNAP!... "That was fun.
Silence again.
Everybody turned to look at Dionysus who looked smug.
"You just… you just." Leo stuttered, not able to complete the sentence or form the words.
"He did." Castor grinned
"Tha-that guy… that-" Chris said, in shock
Dionysus looked extremely smug.
"You just drove those guys insane." Frank managed
"Utter insanity." Hazel said
"That's scary yet kind of awesome." Connor shuddered.
The demigods all gave a shudder at the power except the Dionysus kids who were hugging their dad.
"Thank you so much Mr.D. I couldn't say it before, I was in too much shock. I know it might just have been a quick snap for you when I said please but a person once told me that a kind act can sometimes be as powerful as a sword though our relation is still going to be as casual as it is." Percy said while grinning, recalling what Dionysus had told him after the labyrinth quest.
Everybody's eyes widened but they weren't as wide as Dionysus'.
"You know normally this would be very weird but Percy always thanks the people who help him and his friends out except if he really really hates that person." Nico said
The demigods nodded.
The sea gang, Zeus, Jason, Hermes and Artemis gave Dionysus grateful looks.
I stared at him, horrified. "How could you…How did you—"
"Precisely our reaction." Leo said, shuddering
"I mean I'm not scared of Mr.D really because I know he's not going to kill me or anything but hearing about that display of power is… just that he showed just a part of his power. I mean my hands are still shaking." Katie said
Dionysus smirked.
"Such gratitude," he muttered…I've bought you a few hours at most."
"He said the right name!" Percy whooped, standing up
Everybody laughed or chuckled.
"The Ophiotaurus," I said…That's your problem."
A few snickers.
Dionysus looked at Zoë…Now off with you!"
Everybody laughed.
He waved his hand…trying to steal their shoes.
They snickered.
"That's a little funny now. I mean not the before part but this one." Travis sniggered
I looked at Zoë…"I must go home."
"Done." Leo said
"I'll read." Chiron said
Leo gave the centaur the book with a grin. Chiron gave him a smile in return.