Leo asked some great questions. Piper found herself fantasizing about her own future. They were demigods, but if things worked out between the two camps, would they be able to live in New Rome? The apple pie life of a white picket fence and 2.5 kids was a whimsical dream for the Greek demigods, but in New Rome, that dream could be made a reality.

Then Will asked the questions no one wanted to know the answers to, but at the same time wanted them desperately. Piper felt her hope sink as she waited to know the names of the dead and the reason the time travel had occurred.

"We didn't try to time travel," Annabeth said, avoiding the topic of death.

Piper felt her stomach clench. So some of the Seven were dead then. She could see it in the faces of Percy and Annabeth. They couldn't meet anyone's eyes.

"We don't know how or why it happened, just that we're going to make things better," Annabeth finished.

"Please, Annabeth," Piper pleaded. "We have to know. How bad was it?"

"Bad," Percy said with a grimace. "We… we got back to Camp Half-Blood in time. Reyna and Nico arrived with the Athena Parthenos in time to stop the Romans from attacking, but when we were in Greece… the blood of Olympus was spilled. Gaea woke up and the gods slingshot us to Camp to fight her. Leo, Jason, and Piper had a plan, but… I don't know, I guess it failed or something."

"The tide just turned to hard against us all of a sudden," Annabeth continued. "Then the gods were there and they started taking as many demigods as they could to Olympus. It's out of Gaea's reach. We… we waited there for a month before the giants came to attack us. For every giant we killed, Gaea would just create another. It was two weeks of constant fighting before the giants retreated. We won eventually, but not for another three months. The cost… the cost was high."

Hazel stared at the ground. "Who died?"

"At least half the demigods died because the gods couldn't get us out quick enough," Percy answered. "Pretty much all the mortal world, so those of us with parents… they all…" he trailed off, upset. "Uh, anyway, after that. I guess the next loss would be…" he couldn't say it.

Piper bit her lip. It's one of us, she thought. Hazel or Frank or even Will. People Percy knows. Oh gods, how can he stand to see them alive?

"Jason," Annabeth blurted. She had tears in her eyes. "Nico and Jason went to get food. That was the day the giants attacked Olympus. Nico never said what happened. He won't talk about it."

Piper's heart stopped. Jason.

For his part, Jason seemed relatively accepting of his impending doom. He squeezed Piper's hand as soon as Annabeth said his name.

"Jason… Jason's dead?" Piper whispered. She clutched her boyfriend's hand like a lifeline. "Is it because of the prophecy? An oath to keep with a final breath?"

"We never really figured that out," Percy answered quietly. "I mean, Leo… like the day Gaea turned the tides there was a huge explosion involving Leo and Festus. We thought he was dead. Nico and Hazel swore they felt his death, but three weeks after the giants attacked Olympus, Leo appeared. He said he did die, but the physician's cure brought him back. He came back with Calypso."

"Calypso as in the titan Odysseus runs into?" Piper asked in confusion.

Percy nodded. "He swore on the Styx he'd go back and get her. No one's ever been to Ogygia, her island, more than once. Anyway, we thought that might be it, but Jason also promised Piper stuff before he left. And Nico promised stuff too. We all promised stuff. It could be anything really." He coughed. "Uh, we lost like another half in that battle. Which sucked." His face brightened. "On the plus side, Octavian didn't survive."

Piper tried not to smile. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Jason suppressing a grin and his shoulders were shaking.

"Good riddance," Frank grumbled. "I hate Octavian."

"But would you wish death on him?" Hazel asked hesitantly. Her golden eyes turned towards Percy and Annabeth. "Please continue. I… I can sense there's more you haven't told us."

"When we took the fight to Gaea," Annabeth started, "we… we knew a lot of people were going to die, but I guess I never anticipated gods dying, you know? The biggest blow was Hecate. Clytius was meant to oppose her and he hadn't been defeated yet. She would have used her torches to aid Hazel, but…" Annabeth's face clouded over. "Frank, you helped Hazel."

"How?" Frank asked in confusion. "I thought you needed a god and a demigod."

"Juno," Annabeth said quietly. "She… she's the one that helped you. It's through her that your wood piece can be ignited by a single thought."

Wood piece? Piper wondered, but a look at Frank's pale white face told her it was bad.

"I'm sorry, Frank," Annabeth said miserably.

Piper swallowed. "Jason and Frank. Gods, please tell me that's it!" she begged.

"Alcyoneus came back," Percy said looking at Hazel. "You and your dad took care of it. Of course, he had to announce his presence like right after Frank died and none of us were really thinking rationally. Hazel, you like, totally flipped."

Piper's stomach started sinking. Jason, Frank, and now Hazel? If Percy and Annabeth were the only ones of the Seven to do this whole time travel thing, did that mean they were the only ones of the Seven to survive?

"It was like an explosion," Percy said almost reverently. He seemed in awe, like how the other campers had spoken about him in his absence. "Gold, diamonds, rubies, pretty much any precious metal nearby. Hazel, you pulled them all up and they turned into liquid and just pulled him back into the pit via Pluto's powers," Percy waved his hands around. "It took too much out of you."

"Oh gods," Piper sobbed, burying her face into Jason's chest. "Are we all dead?"

"No," Annabeth sighed. "But I wish it was that way. Some things are worse than death, you know? Pretty much all the Apollo kids died. Not you, Will, but… you were a rare survivor. Gaea sent a small army to attack Olympus. That's where we kept the healers. Apollo volunteered to transport the injured there throughout the battle. Anyone injured never stood a chance, so they died too." Her breath hitched. "Leo… Leo wanted to try the plan again, so he got Piper and flew Gaea up. Piper charmspoke Gaea to become drowsy. Aphrodite caught Piper when Leo let her go. Thalia… gods, Percy, please?"

Percy took over. "Thalia summoned a storm and blasted Gaea the same time Leo blasted Gaea with fire. They got her, but… there wasn't a physician's cure this time, and a lot of the lightning rebound back at Thalia."

"The three of us are the only ones left?" Piper heard herself ask. Her own voice seemed far away.

Will looked stunned. "There's a reason only three go on a quest," he pointed out quietly. "Do you think you can stop this?"

"Gaea has to die the first time," Annabeth said desperately. "When Leo blows her up. He'll take the physician's cure, and rescue Calypso. That's our only shot at saving lives."

"I'll make it happen," Leo promised, who, in Piper's opinion, looked oddly cheerful for a guy who learned that the fate of the world literally depends on his death. "I'm Leo Valdez, Bad Boy Supreme, the Super Sized McShizzle." He clapped his hands. "Right. Now, we have a freaky Hades kid to save and a giant Athena statue to find. No time to waste. Let's get a move on!"

A/N: I promised you some insight on the future didn't I? I also promise some insight on the future via flashback, but you'll have to keep reading to find that out.

Totally did not plan to have that whole "three per quest" thing, but I realized that after I killed off Jason, Frank, Hazel, and Leo, that left Percy, Annabeth, and Piper which totals three. Huh. Must have been the Fates.