-All violations of essential privacy are brutalizing-

Katherine Fullerton Gerould

Percy was bored. He was idly spinning in his chair, trying to stay awake while Annabeth argued with a hunter about when they would have their monthly capture the flag game. He leaned his face on his hands, letting out a sigh of impatience. His eyes wandered the room aimlessly, glancing ever so often at his girlfriend. Hey, it was hard to focus when she looked that cute alright? Lost in his thoughts, he jumped as the door of the big house swung open, and Ben marched in.

Percy raised an eyebrow at Annabeth, who gave him a shrug. Percy was confused by the older demigod, whatever connection he had with Thalia was obviously making her uncomfortable, but Ben seemed normal enough to him, cool, even.

Ben sauntered into the room casually, with one of his hands in his pockets. He took a seat at the end of the table, and obnoxiously put his muddy feet up on the table, nobody moved to stop him, too shocked at his appearance. Slowly, he took his hand out of his pocket, bringing out an orb the size of a man's fist. The rooms gaze shifted to stare at the orb, it was beautiful, the electric blue mixing with the swirls of black, making it almost hypnotizing, but he was still confused as to what it was.

"You don't know what this is, do you?" Ben smile quirked up at their expressions, which ranged from utterly bewildered to utterly scandalized, "the hunters should know."

"How should we know?" a blonde girl with a distinct australian accent stepped forward, scowling "Where's the lieutenant?"

He waved off the question, raising an eyebrow insolently as the hunters gave him a dubious look

"Where is Thalia?" Annabeth asked suspiciously, as she stood up, Percy made a move to stop her, grabbing her arm, but Ben just sighed heavily as if he didn't notice.

"Do you remember, hunters, when you traveled into the labyrinth? You got lost, and Thalia was separated from you in a cave in. You eventually found her outside the labyrinth, and like the stupid, trusting little girls you are, you didn't ask her where she had been, or how she got out."

Ben stopped a moment, looking around at all of them, letting them take it in, a rather dangerous glint of mockery in his eye. Percy was confused, he knew Thalia was secretive, but he didn't think she would ever do something to hurt them. Then again, why was she so secretive, what could she possibly have to hide? Was their trust in Thalia misplaced? Percy shook these thoughts from his head, Thalia was their friend, and Percy always trusted his friends.

"She was trapped in Mnemosyne's cave. The Goddess sampled her memory, much to Thalia's displeasure, and created an orb full of Thalia's most treasured memories" Ben drawled out treasured like it was a diseased word, rolling his eyes as he continued, "Some of you are in these memories, most of you aren't. But that doesn't really matter to me either way."

Percy looked worriedly at Annabeth, whose face looked torn between curiosity and a horror. She bit her lip, looking like she was about to say something, but before either of them could do anything, the orb crashed on the floor, washing the room in mist, before Thalia's memories swept into the room.

ew.

filler chapters suck.

I dont really know what Ben's motives are.

he'll have to tell me soon though, because he's getting hard to write :$

OK! review and you will be my favourite ;)