Re-Reading The Ever Twisting Winds: The Lightning Thief

by BonesBoy15

In a twist of events, The Seer gives the Gods and Heroes of Olympus (Plus Nico and Thalia) a familiar book with a different story.

5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson or Harry Potter.

The Ever Twisting Wind: The Lightning Thief

Chapter Five: I get a Montage and an Errand

"Here, you read." Nico mumbled, plopping the book in Leo's lap before he could argue.

"Gee, Thanks." Leo drawled. "Just what I wanted..."

After the chapter title was read Hermes and Apollo grinned.

"Gonna need a montage..."

"For the love of-Leo Valdez, if you don't start reading I will put an arrow between your legs!" Artemis warned severely, a glare locked on both her twin and brother, both of whom clammed up immediately.

"Y-Yes, ma'am!"

Percy's POV

The next morning, Chiron moved me into Cabin Three.

I didn't have to share with anybody. I had plenty of room for all my stuff: the Minotaur's horn, one set of spare clothes, and a toiletry bag. I got to sit at my own dinner table, pick all my own activities, call "lights out" whenever I felt like it, and not listen to anybody else.

And I was absolutely miserable.

"Poor baby." Annabeth cooed while she pinched her boyfriend's cheek.

"Stop it!" Percy groaned.

Just when I started to feel accepted, to feel I had a home in Cabin Eleven and I might be a normal kid -or as normal as you can be when you're a half-blood- I'd been cut out as if I had some rare disease.

Nobody mentioned the hellhound, but I got the feeling they were all talking about it behind my back. The attack had scared everybody. It sent two messages: one, that I was the son of the Sea God; and two, monsters would stop at nothing to kill me, just like with Andi. They would and could even invade a camp that had always been considered safe.

For the first few days with Andi, nothing had happened, so everyone thought it was okay, but with that Hellhound, everything had changed. At least my cousin, yes, I had a cousin now, had a few people like Katie from Demeter, Will from Apollo along with some of his siblings, and Annabeth.

I had only one, since the other campers steered clear of me as much as possible.

"I heard he smells like the stables." Jason stage whispered to his girlfriend.

"Eww!"

"Oh, you two think you're a couple of comedians, huh?" Percy asked dryly.

"We don't think," they said, smiles on their faces. "We know."

Annabeth still taught me Greek in the mornings, but she seemed distracted. Every time I said something wrong, she scowled at me, like I just poked her between the eyes.

"Such a seaweed brain," Annabeth said with a sigh.

"And it had nothing to do with the crush she had clashing with the rivalry between their parents," Piper said with a nod.

Annabeth turned a bright cherry red. "W-What?!"

"You heard me." Piper smirked. "Wise Girl."

"I-You...Stop smirking, Percy, or I'll judo flip you again."

"Only if I get a kiss first."

Honestly, I was a little put out by the fact that the blonde was more accepting of Andi, but shrugged it off as maybe a girl bonding thing since they hung out.

After lessons, she would walk away muttering to herself: "Quest...Poseidon? .. Dirty rotte .. But Zeus! …Got to make a plan ..."

Cabin Eleven was too nervous to have sword class with me after what I did to the Ares kids in the woods, so my lessons became Luke teaching just me and Andi who now joined us. He pushed me harder than ever and was pretty tough on Andi too even though she was a complete newbie, and he wasn't afraid to bruise us up in the process.

"You're going to need all the training you can get," he promised. "First things first, let's begin with some warm-ups before we really get down to business. Percy let's try that viper-beheading strike again. Fifty repetitions. Andi, let's work on the basics. Percy, once you're done come over and join us and we'll spar."

So I got to work on my reps and peered to the side to see that Luke had placed Andi in front of a set of straw-stuffed dummies in Greek armor. He got her started with practicing some basic stabbing and slashing. She looked a lot like how I started...but maybe more wild. She was swinging her blade around like an axe instead of a sword as she performed a strawman massacre.

"I'm terrified." Hades deadpanned.

"Note to self, don't let any of Zeus' demigods have axes..." Poseidon mumbled.

"You're both a riot." Zeus grumbled.

Saturday night slasher much? I took a wild guess and assumed she was thinking about her mortal relatives, or the things as she liked to call them.

I couldn't really judge her on that one, I'd done something similar; imagining wapping Smelly Gabe in the head with a sword a few times during practice. It was a nice motivator.

"..."

Percy blinked and shifted uneasily at the looks sent his way.

"What?" He finally asked.

"...You don't...still...do you?" Annabeth asked after a moment.

"...Um...I plead the fifth?"

"Huh, maybe there's hope for Prissy after all," Ares said with a smirk.

From the looks of things she was having the same problem with finding the right blade like me. The magical demigod liked short swords that were super quick, and was looking to dual wield with her dagger or wand. I found that to be sorta cool. Luke tried to help her as best as he could like he had with me, but just like my own case it looked like little good happened. I was just finishing my repetitions when Andi got a pretty cool idea that the two of us could try to get some help from Cabin Nine during arts and crafts. I seriously considered the idea as I joined Luke and the girl by the dummies like our trainer had instructed.

"That's a good idea Andi. You and Percy should look into that." Luke commented as I neared the duo. As the child of Hermes spotted me, he turned to me and continued, "Ok, now that Percy has joined us, we can move onto light sparring. Now give me a minute to work out in what order we're going to go at it."

Luke eventually decided to take Andi first, wanting to see how good she was without any training.

"Oh my!"

"Aphrodite, please!" Hera groaned into her hand while Zeus glared at the tittering goddess.

They had two fast matches, and were on their third one. The first was fast since Andi used magic to disarm Luke of his sword, making him surrender. Luke went vice-principal on her for using magic, but Andi just gave a sneaky smirk and pointed out that he never said she couldn't. He conceded that and they had another round with no magic, this time he whopped her in seconds, and from what I could tell, it pissed her off if that kick up of dust she created at the end of the match was anything to go by.

Why though? I mean losing to Luke was to be expected, right? The guy had the advantage of years of training. I got the feeling that Andi was the competitive sort, which, if that kick up suggested anything, I might have to run for a bunker.

Did we have bunkers at camp?

"Yes." The Seven answered.

Thalia blinked and looked at Nico. "We do?"

"I dunno. Maybe." Nico shrugged.

Still, was she going to be that childish about it?

I got my answer in the next round.

As they sparred, Luke wasn't giving it his all like before, but was still going at her hard. Despite her size, Andi was pretty fast, way faster than me. She was trying to sneak into Luke's guard for quick attacks and pulled back whenever Luke started swinging his sword back.

But still, it looked like Luke was playing with her, since he was in control of the fight. He was blocking all her attacks without a sweat, and even hit her with the flat of his blade, repeatedly. After the first few hits, Andi was doing her best to avoid those. I don't blame her. Good thing I had that weird water healing power. Luke's hits hurt. A lot.

The whole time, Luke just had this smug smile on his face that I was sure was adding fuel to the fire of Andi's budding temper.

"...Luke's an idiot." Hermes noted.

"You only just now realize this?" Athena asked dryly.

"Hey, don't get me wrong, I love him to bits, but...damn, he's playing with fire."

She went in for a low attack, aiming for Luke's ankle, but the son of Hermes just dodged back easily.

Andi let out a growl, like a baby tiger,

"Oh, how adorable!" Rhea cooed.

Zeus clapped a hand over his eyes while his brothers smirked.

but the winds picking up made a sound that matched a grown one. Now, I could feel some sweat trickled down my neck. If last time was any indication, well, I really was wondering where those bunkers were.

"You're doing good." Luke told the girl, even as he casually went on the offensive to keep her dancing on her toes, "But going in and out may not always work." He said, pressing his attack as she tried to avoid and block as best she could, getting some small nicks on her arms as Luke easily slipped through her sloppy guard, "Raise your arms higher." He said, going for a slash, making Andi block as fast as she could, "widen your feet some." He said next, giving a whap to her side, "Keep moving."

Andi was jogging backwards but crouched and shot forward like a bullet, slashing at Luke's elbow, but was deflected. Something that really didn't help the budding tornado warning if the swirling winds that whipped my hair was broadcasting Andi's mood.

I had to question why I was even still standing there. I guess I was too curious about the match, I know, stupid reason.

"Not really, son. Watching Zeus throw a fit is entertaining."

"Poseidon, shut up."

Thankfully, Luke ended it after the next exchange.

Andi ducked under Luke's swing, which managed to slash off a few strains of her short hair, and pushed off the ground like a rocket. Her swing missed by a solid foot, but something weird happened. The wind acted up again, and no, not the building twister. I'm talking about how it rippled off her blade, almost like water. It was like a visible piece of wind, that looked like a dagger.

It sliced through the air, nailing Luke on his arm, leaving a nasty gash.

Luke looked shocked, so did I. But Luke recovered real quick and just like he taught me in my first lesson, he disarmed Andi like 1, 2, 3, sending her blade clattering to the ground a few feet away. The son of Hermes then checked Andi to the ground with his hip, sending her sprawling onto her butt with a thud.

"It's all in the hip."

"Leo, really?" Piper asked dryly.

"What? I can't comment when I'm reading?"

"You really shouldn't, dear," Rhea said.

"Fine..." Leo sighed.

The forming twister died down, settling into a strong then a gentle breeze before the sky finally decided to calm down.

And I was really happy about that. I didn't need another lightshow thank you very much.

Andi went to push herself up, but Luke held out his hand, "That was good Andi, you really took me by surprise there." He complimented as Andi accepted the hand and he pulled her up like she was feather light.

"Um, thanks." She said, looking confused about what to say.

"It really was Andi," I pitched in, giving my own two cents as I finally found my voice. "I don't think I did that well on my first try."

"Really?" Andi said skeptically, her eyebrow arched up, "Then what's this I hear about you disarming him with some beginner's luck?"

"My left cheek," Poseidon said under his breath, sending Hermes a sour look.

Hermes laughed nervously. So Luke had his pride...didn't they all, though? Why's everyone gotta get on him for what his son did?

"That was a onetime thing!" I embarrassingly explained myself. "Luke, help me here." I asked the older camper.

Smiling at my expense Luke chimed in, "You're selling yourself short, Percy."

"See, even Luke agrees with me." Andi said with a smug smirk.

"That said, Andi," Luke looked at her with a frown, "Mind explaining why you decided to go tornado warning on us? I really don't need to see another Mount Zeusette eruption."

"Is everyone calling it that?" Andi said with a groan.

"Yes." The room drawled.

"I'd start using it on Thalia, but I feel it isn't spectacular enough."

"Screw you, Kelp Head."

"Yes." I answered at the same time Luke did.

"So what's up?"

I could see Andi flush, like a kid with her hand caught in the cookie jar, "I just don't like to lose."

Luke heaved a tired sigh, like he had seen this too many times, "Trust me, you should see Nike's kids, they're the best example why you should ease off that. Out in the real world, kicking up a fuss over something like a loss? It's not going to fly well, you hear me?"

Andi found her hi-tops interesting as she mustered out a, "Yeah, got it." Though she still had a pouty frown on her face

Luke gave a satisfied nod, "Good." He then set his eyes on me, making my palms feel a bit sweaty, "Now Percy, it's time for us to spar."

"Oh...Joy," Percy groaned. He got to see newbie him in action. Again.

I gulped at that. Sparring with Luke was fun and educational and all, but it still hurt a lot. The guy didn't hold back. Despite that, I nodded and got ready to be beaten into a whole body bruise.

At least the water cooler was nearby.

"Hax powers. Hax." Nico drawled.

"Big time." Jason grumbled. He still had a slight throb in his head from that damn brick.

0 Andi's POV 0

Andi wiped her brow, "Are you sure we can't eat any?" she asked Castor, one of the Dionysus twins, as she picked strawberries with them.

"No." Dionysus scoffed.

Percy frowned. "How come my point of view is first person and Andi's is third?"

"Because we don't care what Andi's thinking." Annabeth countered swiftly.

"...Yeah, but-!"

"And this way we can rag on you for your personal thoughts," Thalia said with a smirk.

"So not fair." Percy pouted.

It was a nice change of pace from all the hard training that was being thrown her way. As a gentle breeze swept past her short locks, Pollux answered her.

"Well, we could sneak one or two." He smiled softly and waved his hand. Another vine sprouted from the ground, "But we try not to overindulge ourselves."

"Says you!" Castor shot back with a laugh, earning a mock glare from his younger brother.

Andi laughed a bit, the twins were funny kids. Just like how she and Percy were outcasts right now, the twins got that same 'warm' reception from the other campers when they were claimed since their dad worked at the camp and was almost universally disliked. Which was understandable since he was sorta a jerk to the campers. It wasn't everyone that treated them like that, they said, just a few of the more "opinionated" people. They were just idiots and bullies in her view.

"Still, being awesome like that should be rewarded." Andi told them with a sagely nod, "I mean, sure, there are only two of you, but the camp just seems to overlook your cabin. It doesn't seem fair ya know?"

"...I like this Annie girl."

"Andi, Dionysus," Demeter corrected.

"Yes, yes. I like him, too." Dionysus waved her off.

The twins shared a look and then turned to Andi, Pollux shrugging, "We just don't care really."

Andi frowned, "But you guys have party powers and stuff, that's awesome."

"What's so good about attention?" Castor asked in a curious manner.

"Well duh! You stand out," Andi beamed, "People look up to you, and finally see just what you're made of! People who doubted you shut up and the look they have when you look their way after proving them wrong is just satisfying."

"This scene is different," Annabeth said, her eyes narrowed. "Like it's...a glimpse into her psyche..."

"So soon." Athena agreed, her brow furrowed.

"We've lost them." Percy smiled at his girlfriend's thoughtful face.

"Yep. Enjoy the peace while it lasts, Percy." Poseidon agreed with a smirk aimed at his oblivious rival.

"Like your lightshow?" Pollux asked, plucking three more strawberries and dumping them in his bucket.

Andi gave a sheepish look, "That was more a fit than a 'Hey! Look at me!' thing.'" she explained as she held up her hands, "Won't happen again."

"...Causing a freak windstorm and summoning lightning is a fit?" Castor asked with disbelief written all over his face.

"Happens all the time, Castor." Dionysus nodded.

Zeus glared at his son. "Would you like those fifty years back? With interest?"

"Oh, don't be mad at him for telling it like it is." Hera huffed.

Zeus gave her a look. "You still need to face punishment, too."

"Not in front of the children, Zeus." Hades drawled.

"HADES!" Rhea glared at her eldest while her youngest son and daughter flushed.

Andi offered an awkward chuckle, "Yeah, not my best moment. But whatever, it's in the past! Over and done with." she brushed it off like it was nothing, getting frowns from the twins.

As children of Dionysus, the twins were somewhat empathic. It's what helped their dad with party moods and with his madness powers.

And while they didn't like to speak ill of people, they could tell Andi...wasn't altogether right in the head so to say.

"I think you should be careful about that, Andi." Pollux warned, "Sure, getting some attention may be nice, but it can get you in trouble too."

"I mean not all attention is good, right?" Castor asked Andi.

"Sure it is. So long as it's about stuff you really did." Andi said without a hint of embarrassment. The twins exchanged a look at this.

"Ok…" Castor began hesitatingly. "But surely doing some things like, say, your fit, isn't a good idea, right?"

Andi hummed in thought at this for a moment, before replying, "Well… I guess. But like I said, the attention was all good. I mean, after that, no one tried to kick up dirt with me. Not even that Clarisse girl."

"...Yeah, messin' with Zeus' brats isn't smart..." Ares smirked.

"You realize you called yourself and us 'brats', right?" Athena asked.

"Welcome back to the world, Owl Head."

"Andi that fit put you in the infirmary for a week!" Pollux replied, shocked by Andi's lack of concern about what happened.

"So? I did say I wouldn't do it again, didn't I?" The child of Zeus shot back defensively.

"Right. Right. And we believe you." Castor said soothingly as Pollux nodded in agreement. "It's just that we're worried you might do something similar in the future. Will you?"

"I won't make any promises." Andi hedged, causing the twins to exchange another worried look with each other.

"Just say you won't do stuff like that just for attention ok?" Pollux pleaded. "It's not worth it."

The daughter of Zeus just shrugged, "I'll keep that in mind, I guess." she said and looked around, "Hey, what time is it?"

"Almost ten thirty." Caster said, checking his watch.

The girl's face lit up, "Hey, uh, I'll carry this back to the Big House, I gotta go to my magic lesson." she said, gushing with excitement.

"I sense a small crush on her magic teacher," Aphrodite said thoughtfully.

Apollo frowned. "Aw, but Will's willing to share!"

"Seriously, stop with the puns. They're horrible." Artemis drawled.

"I promise nothing. Do I look like Helios to you?"

"Thankfully, no."

"Shame, too." Aphrodite sighed sadly. "He was so good looking."

Andi learned magic from Alabaster and the other Hecate kids. She was the only magical demigod receiving lessons from them though. There were a handful of others in camp, so she'd heard, but they received their magical training elsewhere, usually a magical school of some sort or as an apprentice of an older magic user, and only joined the class once in a while when a topic they were interested in came up. So far Andi hadn't had the chance to meet any of them.

Alabaster was a tall kid, with short brown hair and calculating emerald green eyes. Their lessons talked about theory, basic magicks, and basic control of the mist, the veil that separates mortals from seeing their world that Hecate controls. As someone connected to magic, Andi had the ability to manipulate it with proper training.

Alabaster also told the newly learned demigoddess that Hecate could be a tough parent, and as her children, and as her children, he and his siblings must prove their worth and study hard to master their skills in magic, as magic has a way of twisting around the user. So if a child of Hecate isn't careful, their spells can do more harm than good. The same applied to other magic users, like Andi, too.

"Use power well, or we'll punish you," Hermes said, simplifying it.

"Dark." Frank mumbled.

"Truth, though," Apollo shrugged.

She had asked him about light and dark magic, making the older boy and the others laugh. Andi was rather upset by this but calmed down after he explained, after he'd finally stopped laughing, that he wasn't laughing at her but rather at how silly the wand weavers are and how corrupting their teachings were. He told her magic was neither good nor evil. Magic was a tool, like a knife. Was a knife evil? Only if the wielder is evil.

"The foolish minds of mortals," Rhea said with a scoff. "The only true evil was my late husband...and mother's...decisions later in life."

"Understatement," the elder Olympians mumbled.

Andi was highly skeptical on that. She'd run across some pretty wickedly dark magic in her two years as a witch. Alabaster had however said that it wasn't the magic that was evil, but rather the way it was worked. Basically, according to him, while magic itself had no light or dark, there were certainly light or dark spells as magic users twisted neutral magic to do both good and bad things. This Andi could believe, though her new magical instructor didn't seem satisfied with that though and pushed on, determined to get the child of Zeus to overcome the silly misconceptions about magic, his words, that the wand wavers had taught her.

"Those bastards, waving their wands in her face!"

"Ares!" Hera hissed.

"What? ...Oh! Wow, Ma, gutter minded much?"

"Silence, fool!" Hera snapped. She glared at Zeus, who rubbed his face with one hand.

At this rate, he was going to have to banish Ares just to keep his wife – not to mention his mother – appeased with how he raises his sons.

He had further explained that though there were dark and light spells, things still wasn't clear cut as there were plenty of ways that light spells could be used for evil and dark ones for good. Andi didn't really believe that. But Alabaster was undaunted and begun listing examples of such, a seemingly unending list of such (Hell, he even came up with ways to use the Unforgivables for a good cause!), and in the end Andi had to grudgingly admit he was probably right.

With that out of the way, Alabaster finally got to, in Andi's opinion, the good part, actually learning magic. Though she was somewhat disappointed by what they actually covered. Alabaster started off with working on her learning how to cast the spells she already knew from Hogwarts without a wand. It was slow going, but by the end of the lesson she had starting getting the hang of it, even successfully casting a few first-year spells (they were going through the spells she'd learned on a year by year basis) wandlessly, which according to Alabaster was pretty impressive. So as a reward he'd loaned her a couple of books on elemental magic so she could try some basic elemental spells and if she was lucky work out her magical affinity, something that if she managed would greatly speed up her training.

"Because that was always important," Artemis said with a roll of her eyes. "Honestly, training should take the time that is needed, it shouldn't be rushed."

"She's only got four years, Arte," Apollo said.

"...And?"

"She's mortal. Not one of your Hunters."

"...Ah." Artemis had the decency to look abashed. "Carry on, Leo Valdez."

Andi was very excited at the prospect of learning elemental magic. It was something she'd always wanted to try and had been badly disappointed when she discovered that wizarding magic didn't really have much elemental magic. Now though? She could finally learn how to fight like a proper magical girl!

"I sense a reoccurring theme here," Hermes said thoughtfully. He shrugged it off.

0 Percy's POV 0

So I was sent to get Andi from her sprinting practice with the nymphs. Now, these forest ladies were super quick. You had to be if you wanted to run away from love struck gods. They left me in the dust my first time, and the next, and the next, well, you get it. It was kind of embarrassing being slower than a tree. So when I got there, I wasn't surprised to see Andi getting left in the afterburn too. But unlike me, she was actually really fast, like she had been in our sword training session. She was like a middle school track star with how fast she was running.

I could hear some nymphs comment she was a natural with her form and all that technical sports stuff. When I asked her how she got so good, Andi just grinned that loony grin of hers and said she was used to outrunning bullies back in England.

Zeus' eye twitched and Hera rolled her eyes at the sight of it.

Still, Andi was looking at the nymphs like she wanted to race them again, her competitive spirit rearing its ugly head.

I had to drag her off before she went double or nothing with the wood nymphs.

"I'd do it." Thalia and Jason agreed.

"You two don't know when to accept defeat, do you?" Nico asked.

"Not the Roman way," Jason said while Thalia smirked.

"I don't lose." She bragged.

"Except when you got turned into a tree, knocked in a stream, pinned by a statue..." Percy trailed off with a grin. "Need I say more?"

"You might have pushed your luck," Jason said dryly while his sister's eyes sparked.

"I regret nothing!"

"Children, behave." Rhea warned her grandchildren.

Thalia sent a heated glare over at her cousin as she sat back down.

Percy silently thanked his father for his luck, and Poseidon sent a quick look over at Hermes, who grinned in return.

Wrestling was as usual a pain. Literally. After cleaning her behind the ears in toilet water and breaking her spear, Clarisse was doing her best to pound me into the mat as we practiced -beat the tar out of me- on the mat. It was even worse as every time with practiced she would whisper that there was more where that came from, and maybe added something about skinning me here or there. I wanted to brush it off since she and the rest of Ares cabin were avoiding me as if I had a major flu like the rest of the camp.

But what she said wasn't really fun to hear, and Clarisse wouldn't stop saying it after leaving me with bruises on my bruises.

Andi got lucky in my opinion by having to train with Annabeth.

"I'm a fool. Even today she doesn't go easy on me." Percy pouted.

Annabeth patted his cheek. "How will you learn if I don't teach you?"

"If you turn out to be a sadist, we might break up."

"That says more about you than it does about her, Percy," Piper said with a snicker.

Percy just turned red in embarrassment.

Of course Annabeth was schooling Andi, who looked irked as she continued to lose. I was praying to any and all deities up there that might be willing to listen that there wasn't going to be any Hurricane Andi this time around.

We finally switched dance partners and I watched Andi get snarled at by Clarisse. Andi looked sort of freaked out by it, and I don't blame her. With no weapons or powers, it was open season for the daughter of Ares.

"Hehehehe, the cabin could always use a new throw rug." Ares grinned.

"...That is...so disturbing..." Percy mumbled.

"It wouldn't be the first time. Back in the sixties one of Apollo's really pissed off Ares and...well, they kept him in the cabin for a few weeks before he started to smell." Dionysus explained nonchalantly.

"...Oh...lovely..." Percy paled rapidly.

Clarisse's stomps thundered towards Andi as she yelped in surprise, throwing her hand up, a spray of something kind of like faint mist erupting from her palm as she shouted some word I've never heard before. When Clarisse ran into the stuff she locked up like a statue, standing straight with her hands to her sides and fell over with a thud.

"Sweet hell." Andi breathed out in relief.

I was so caught up in Andi's fight, I didn't even notice Annabeth hip toss me into the mat. She looked over me with her steel greys and said, "Pay attention, Jackson." Her tone cool as ice.

"Uh, yeah." I mustered out.

"Aw, trying to hide those feelings, are you?"

"McLean, I swear to the Gods..."

"Ladies, play nice. I'm trying to read," Leo said. He turned the page and grinned. "Wait until someone else starts reading so I can get a camera set up."

Whack.

"I deserved that." Leo mumbled while Piper and Nico shook out their hands.

"Yes. Yes you did." The rest of the demigods agreed.

0 Andi's POV 0

I had lessons with Grover too, though I still sorta called him Clover. He could do a really good deadpan look whenever I did that though. I just couldn't stop myself, it was fun to mess with people, or satyrs in this case. Besides that the stuff he actually taught was pretty cool too, he covered all kinds of thing we needed to know about monsters and heroes and what-have-you. The weird thing was he seemed to keep shying away from me, which honestly confounded the bleedin' hell outta me.

I had fun with javelin practice, even if the javelins were almost as tall as me. Tracking skills were cool, it was like I was a hunter or something. Volleyball was fun, I was a pretty good server, but I couldn't spike. There was a rule about no powers, but I think using them would have made it more fun. I tried wall climbing, but the lava portion left me a bit worried about doing it again. I'll stick to flying thank you very much. But my absolute favourite class had to be archery. I don't know why, but I just felt...excitement with a bow in my hands. Aiming, nailing a bulls eyes, improving with each shot, it was just awesomesauce.

"...She's our sister, that's for sure." Apollo smirked at his twin, and she returned it with one of her own.

"It would seem so."

Hermes, Hephaestus, Athena and Aphrodite shuddered; Ares grinned madly; and Dionysus took an uncaring sip of his diet coke.

Those were the smirks that the twins wore before they punished Niobe.

They were the smirks that showed the Olympians how confident they were in their skills.

They were the smirks that showed the twins truly agreed on something.

And that was always frightening.

After my afternoon activities my packed schedule left me a bit of free time.

I usually just hung out with Thalia, sitting under the shade of her leaves. I spent my time practicing my powers or my wandless magic, and talking to Thalia. I had to really concentrate with my wind powers, but I sorta got a fix on doing some stuff, like flying. I loved flying on my broom, it brought me closer to the sky. Now? It felt even more empowering to just zip through the sky on my own, free as the wind itself.

I still had trouble with other parts of my powers obviously, my last outbursts were sorta embarrassing proof of that. So, I really wanted to try and improve my control. I had to really wonder though, what could I do with this gift? Sure, I could probably do a lot of interesting things, but the main question is; how far can I go?

It sounded like a challenge, and I really like a good challenge.

"...So, wait, now we're back to first person? The heck?" Percy scratched his head in confusion.

"Percy, stop questioning it and just listen." Annabeth chided her boyfriend.

"But-!"

"Seaweed Brain."

"...Fine..."

One sunny afternoon midweek, I was chilling down at the archery range, having my lesson with Apollo Cabin. Most of the cabin looked a bit jumpy around me, just like the rest of the camp they were most likely uneasy because I nearly became a chewtoy.

Thankfully Lee and Will weren't acting any different after my rabid dog incident.

"That's because Will is in love~" Apollo changed into a young boy and made over the top kissing faces.

Artemis smacked the back of his head and he reverted to his preferred form, snickering like a fool.

As per our last session, I was practising my shooting with Will as my instructor. I was pretty good now, in my opinion. I was able to put all my arrows into the target and a whole two thirds in or just outside the bullseye. Will though was still correcting my stance ever so often. Well, I wasn't perfect yet! But I'm getting there, you can count on that.

"Getting so close. Clever boy, Apollo," Aphrodite said with a smile.

"My kids' are just like their dad." Apollo grinned. "Smooth."

"And fatheaded."

"No one asked for your opinion, Arte."

Will was just finishing up guiding me into a more relaxed stance that he said would make shooting over time a lot easier when I noticed this weird look on his face. He was looking plenty conflicted about something. I poked him in the arm and asked, "What's bitin' you?"

Will nervously asked, "Are you sure you're okay?"

I just gave him my standard bright smile, "Will, I'm fine."

"You nearly got turned into a Milkbone and you're okay with this?"

"Ah, psychological flirting." Apollo gave two thumbs up.

Nico let out a grunt of discontent and folded his arms over his chest.

He sounded incredulous, not that I blame him. People who weren't me usually weren't so casual about being nearly killed.

I shrugged lazily though, "Not really the first time this happened." I brushed off the concern so casually, Will raised a golden brow at it.

"And with campers giving you the cold shoulder?" He pressed. Wow, he's being pushy. But he means well, so I'll throw him a bone.

"Yeah, that's annoying. But it's not like something like that is new either." I said with a blinding smile.

"Ah, the smile of the happy fool. Pounce, Will, pounce!" Apollo ordered with a grin.

"I don't know what's worse, your eagerness for this relationship or Father's discontent." Artemis pointed at the small scowl that was on Zeus' face.

Will looked at her oddly then. "How do you do that?"

"Do what?" What was he talking about?

"Smile like that when we're talking about stuff like this."

"Why wouldn't I smile? I mean, it's not like what we're talking about is a big deal. I'm used to this kinda stuff." I answered with a shrug. "Besides I'm here with friends, doing something fun. What's there not to be happy about?"

"I guess." Will replied uncertainly and adopted a thoughtful look. Was it something I said? I went over what I just said, but couldn't for the life of me figure out why anything would get him thinking.

"He's good," Dionysus said thoughtfully.

Apollo buffed his nails. "Gets it from daddy."

"Please, you're not a psychologist. Did you claim one of mine again?"

"When would you and Will's mom have done it?"

"Point to you."

"And I have details." Apollo made a little black book appear in his hand and grinned. "Explicit, dirty, and downright shocking details."

"...I want to burn that book." Artemis, Hera, Hestia, Athena and Rhea said simultaneously.

"I know. Which is why I already made copies." Apollo grinned, holding said copies up in his hands like fanned out playing cards. "Ten favors. Each."

"...Hard bargain..." Athena mumbled. Hera and Hestia nodded while Rhea frowned.

"It's really juicy." The sun god enticed, waving the books enticingly.

"I'll set up three of your children with three of mine," Aphrodite said.

"...No heartbreaks or affairs?"

"Take all the fun out of it...fine."

"Deal!" Apollo tossed a book over to her and she caught it. He grinned and interlaced his hands behind his head, the books vanishing back to a place only he knew of. "And you say I'm a bad father."

"You are a bad father." Artemis drawled.

"Ouch, sis. Ouch."

"The truth hurts, Apollo."

"Twins..." Hestia warned while Apollo looked scandalized at being smacked with his favorite phrase.

"Let's just get back to practice, okay?" Will said after a while, the look still on his face. "I'll bet you a toilet duty that I can beat you by 10 shots."

"In your dreams, Solarflare!" I said happily. I couldn't resist a good competition.

"Eh, on cute nicknames, I give it a six out of ten." Aphrodite criticized.

"Eight." Piper grinned. "Dragon Ball reference for the win."

0 Percy 3rd person POV 0

"My head's going to spin if I have to keep jumping point of views," Leo groaned. He blinked his eyes a few times and then got back to it.

A full week after being claimed by his father during Capture the Flag, Percy woke up in his cabin all alone. The crushing weight of his loneliness here in camp, the 'family' he was supposed to have, pressed down on him once again. He was getting real tired of being ignored by all the campers.

Well, not all the campers. A few people, mainly Luke and Andi (Grover and Chiron too, but they weren't exactly campers), were still speaking to him, even if most campers were now only 'communicating' to him in grunts or short worded answers. Andi had been weird. Since figuring out they were cousins, the crazy girl had spent almost all her free time hanging out with him, plus all the time he already spent with her during training, trying to get to know him. Sure, it was nice having someone to actually talk to (the others were kinda busy most of the time), but how much she tried to hang out with him, it was a bit over the top.

Andi explained herself by saying she always wanted a cousin. He remembered that she said she already had one, but she scowled at that, her anger kicking up a strong breeze.

"That thing isn't my cousin Percy." She snarled, "It could drop dead and I wouldn't bat an eyelash. You're my first real cousin." She shrugged, "I just want to get to know the family I never really had before."

"Oh, that's a shame." Rhea frowned.

"It fits with her character, er, I mean background," Apollo said, correcting himself while under Zeus' glare.

She made it sound like her life with her relatives was so terrible. Sure, he had Smelly Gabe, but if half of what he heard about his pixie-like cousin's relatives were true. And he was pretty sure it was. Well, with that, he didn't really know what to think about his crummy home life anymore. His mom being the only thing that made it good…or did. He sighed and shook his head, Try not to think about it now. He told himself.

There was a knock on his cabin door and he walked up to open it, seeing Andi burning what looked like a newspaper, a scowl on her face as her hand clutched her still smoking wand.

He smiled weakly, trying to lighten the mood that his cousin, man it was weird getting used to that, was in, "So, early morning arson?"

"Whoo!" Ares cheered and held up a large, lit torch. Poseidon doused it with a flick of his finger and the god of war pouted. "Aww."

Hephaestus and Hestia frowned. What a horrible use of their domain.

Leo grimaced, but pushed on.

Andi smirked at him as the burning flakes of the paper fell on the ground as ash. She blew it away with her wind powers, "No, just some ass planning on leaving something unpleasant on your doorstep. He's in the infirmary right now for his genius." She grinned impishly.

Percy had honestly never felt so grateful to have someone at his back in this huge mess, "Thanks." He meant it.

"No prob Percy. It's just kind of us against the world now." said Andi with a weak smile of her own.

"And gods. Monsters. Titans..." Percy trailed off at his girlfriend's pointed look. "Shutting up."

0 Andi 3rd person POV 0

"Dios mio," Leo groaned. This was starting to hurt his head.

"So, wanna go train our powers again?" she asked with a playful smirk, getting him to scowl a bit at her. By practice, she meant her using him as a target while he tried to use water to protect himself from a sudden gale or two.

Their little training powwows had started a couple of days ago when she literally dragged him out of his cabin to train, since he was being broody and needed a wakeup call.

She had then pointed out to the clueless boy that they needed to train. They had powers that others did not, thus they needed to train in them so as to improve their chances of survival and not hurt others they didn't wish to harm. A dawning look came to Percy's face at that as he muttered about Mt. Zeusettes and Tsunamis.

Andi had pouted at the reminder. Seriously couldn't they have called her mess up something less embarrassing?

"Nope." Ares snickered. "The Eruption. Sounds classy."

"Very." Rhea drawled.

"Ares, please..." Hestia sighed.

"What? Like a volcano!" Ares laughed. He grinned at the back of Percy's head. "Right? Asked the moron that released Typhoon."

"ARES!" Poseidon snapped while his son flinched at the reminder.

"Bah, none of you have a funny bone."

Back in the present, her cousin gave a causal "Sure," before shrugging as they started walking, getting eyes to look at them as all suddenly went quiet. Percy looked pissed off by it, but Andi brushed it off like it was nothing, just walking around camp without a care.

They made it to the lake, Percy getting into the water as Andi took the land and/or air. It was just their basic setup. When they'd first started practicing together, Andi had advised himAndi advised him to talk to the naiads in the lake, since he was a child of the sea god, they would maybe listen if he asked nicely and help him with his water powers. Andi was spot on as the naiads did help out. They even joking called him Milord, which caused Andi to snicker, calling him that for the rest of the day, complete with a mock bow, much to his chagrin. He had countered by calling her princess, which made the daughter of Zeus, shove him once or twice. But from the look on his face, her ire was worth it.

So after practicing making waves and colliding them with blasts of wind , they continued to mess around with new ideas on how to do things with their powers, just to pass time while practicing.

Some sword training with Luke later on and it was just another routine day. Night rolled in, and it was lights out by 11.

"So that's interesting." Percy mumbled. He'd have to remember practicing with the water.

Or with his earthshaking powers.

Or the minor storm powers.

Percy pursed his lips. Maybe everyone was onto something with him being overpowered.

In Cabin One, Andi was preparing for bed. As she changed into her jammies, the young daughter of Zeus pondered on her friendship with her new found cousin. She was thrilled that she finally had family that deserved to be called that and that was a huge deal, but it was more than that. She loved hanging out with Percy so much because she could connect with the guy in a way she couldn't with anyone else here in camp. Which wasn't much of a surprise since both of them were kinda outcasts now after the hellhound incident back during CTF.

The incident had reminded everyone that both of them weren't even supposed to be alive. Sure, Andi had been on the chopping block for ages, what with the whole Voldemort thing, but it felt like now she was just waiting for the axe to swing for their necks. She'd told Percy as much.

"I was sure that Ares was more than willing to swing that axe," Percy said dryly.

"Still am, brat." Ares chuckled.

They had their own little talks about it during free time. She'd told him a few of her escape ideas. She knew they wouldn't work, but she had to try!

"Oh, please do." Dionysus smirked.

Percy had pointed out that they only had a week or two worth of training and monsters would swarm them like wild cats to a wounded deer if they left. She knew that! But there was no way she was going to let some immortal who couldn't keep it in their pants say she was supposed to live or die,

"This is why I said free will was a bad idea..."

"Hades, we've talked about this," Zeus said firmly. "What's done is done. Get over it."

she'd rather fight to her last breath then be put down like some dog. Percy had agreed with her on not wanting to let some immortal asshole decide his fate but still called her crazy. Maybe she was, but that was better than being someone's puppet.

"My mum gave her life for me so I could live Percy, didn't yours? Are you going to let them kill you and waste what your mum did? I know I will never make my mum's sacrifice be in vain. Not ever." She'd told her cousin to stress her point.

Percy had this look of stunned awe on his face after her statement. She didn't really know why though, it was simple logic to her. Make the best with what you got.

After that they talked a lot about their moms. Percy would talk about blue food and blue cookies and Andi would tell him about lullabies that she could barely remember.

"Really? I doubt she could remember them at all." Dionysus scoffed. "The mortal mind can hardly recall anything clearly until age five, and even then, those memories are often the first to go."

"Demigod, Dionysus, she's half immortal." Apollo reminded him.

"...Shut up, Apollo." Dionysus grumbled and popped open a new Diet Coke.

They would talk about what they'd lost because of the oath that screwed them over, it felt nice to let it out if she was honest.

With these comforting thoughts of friendship and shared heartbreak running through her noggin, the child of the sky snuggled into her sleeping bag as her eyes closed and proceeded to have her worst dream ever since coming to camp.

She was on a beach, running along the grainy footing and turned to see Percy. Her eyes widened as they both turned to see a city. She didn't know what city it was, it wasn't New York City if her memory of its skyline from the telly was anything to go by at least. This city had its fair share of skyscrapers sure, but nowhere near as many as New York, much less as densely packed. It even had a whole bunch of palm trees and low hills in the distance.

"Well, gee, I wonder where that could be?" Poseidon drawled.

"California Love!" Apollo sang happily.

About a hundred yards down the water, two men were fighting. They looked like some of those wrestlers that the things would sometimes watch on the telly.

"And Poseidon with the chokehold! He's goin' for the Earth Quake! Oh, but Zeus gets in a cheap shot while the Ref was distracted by Hera!" Hermes narrated an imaginary fight.

"Whoo! C'mon, Poseidon! Whoo!" Apollo cheered, wearing a blue shirt that had a white trident embalmed on it and a foam glove on his hand that had three fingers extended. He also had a beer cap on.

"Hermes...Apollo..." Zeus' eye twitched.

"Give him the Thunder Bomb! Give him the Thunder Bomb!" Ares hollered from where he sat, now wearing a black shirt with gold lightning across his chest that read 'Thunder God'.

"Ares, you're a suck up." Poseidon grumbled.

Frank, Percy, and Thalia bit down on their knuckles to keep from laughing too hard.

Both men were bearded, had long hair and were incredibly muscular. But what really set them apart was the fact that both were unbelievably tall, inhumanly so. Both wore flowing Greek tunics, one trimmed in blue, the other in green. They grappled with each other, wrestled, kicked and head-butted, and every time they connected, lightning flashed, the sky grew darker, and the wind rose.

She looked up at the air conditions with a grim face, she turned to Percy, to say something, anything, but the boy had rushed ahead of her, trying to stop the two men.

"And what's this? There's a child entering the ring...It's him! It's Piercing Jackson! Piercing Jackson is trying to get between both Poseidon and Zeus! Get out of there, Piercing!"

"This is actually quite amusing." Athena thought with a small smile as she imagined the fight Hermes was describing.

Though, in her mind, Piercing was a three foot tall little person instead of a teen.

Andi just stood there, she knew this was a dream, but it symbolized something as well. Just as the eagle and horse fought in her earlier dream, these two men in this one were fighting as well. This was Zeus, her sire and Poseidon, Percy's sire.

"Duking it out for the title of 'Most Stubborn!'"

"Hermes, that's enough!" Hera snapped, sick and tired of the narration. It was starting to remind her of that oaf of a doorman she had for a son-in-law.

The wind picked up, and in the face of the strong wind Percy wasn't making any headway. It looked like he was running in place on the deep sand. Andi on the other hand just continued to watch, seeing that it would be pointless, even with the end of the world setting of this dream, to try to stop the duo of bullheaded immortals.

Over the roar of the storm, she could hear the blue-robed being, her father, shouting, Give it back! Give it back! Like her whiney fat pig of a relative wanting his latest misplaced toy…seems Zeus was a bit of a child.

She hoped it wasn't hereditary.

The waves got bigger, crashing into the beach, spraying her and Percy with salt water.

The son of the sea yelled, Stop it! Stop fighting!

"Boo!" Ares jeered, his hands cupped around his mouth. "Boo on Prissy! Boo!"

"Get him out of there! That's interference!" Apollo shouted.

The ground shook. Laughter came from somewhere under the earth, and a voice so deep and evil it turned her blood to ice even as her heart lurched to her throat spoke.

Come down, little heroes, the voice crooned. Come down!

"...Oh, wonderful." Rhea groaned and pressed a hand to her head.

The sand split beneath Percy and her, opening up a crevice straight down to the center of the earth. Their feet slipped, and darkness swallowed them.

"And they all died. The end."

"Ares, you're a terrible story teller."

"Screw you, Apollo."

"Nah, I might enjoy it both ways, but you're not in either category to me."

"Wait, what?" Ares frowned.

"Just mull on it, you'll understand. In a few decades, anyway." Apollo smirked while Ares furrowed his brows together.

Andi woke up with a start, jumping to her feet, and wand in hand. She looked around, breathing erratically as beads of sweat dripped from her brow.

The hell was that, that voice? She wondered in her mind. Her gazed turned to the window, seeing the dark clouds outside making it seem like night even though her body told her: No, it was day, ya twit.

"Wow, even her internal clock has attitude." Jason snickered.

Thunder rolled across the hills as the storm she felt in her bones rolled in.

She heard a knock on the bronze door of her oversized cabin. She walked up to the door, wand still in hand as she opened it to see Grover and Percy, "What?" she asked snappily, feeling a bit grumpy right now.

"Mr. D wants to se-" Grover started but made this strangling nose when he finally noticed how she was dressed, even as Percy turned red in the face as he pivoted on the balls of his feet to look away.

"Andi, put something on!" Grover cried out while she just gave him a dull blink, and looked down.

She was just wearing a sports bra and her knickers;

"Oh my! So daring!" Aphrodite tittered.

"She just answered the door to two boys in her underwear, Mom. I highly doubt it was on purpose." Piper drawled.

she looked back up to see a turned around Grover, "What? It's just like if I was wearing a bathing suit, stop being a bunch of babies."

"And there's that."

"Ooh, even better!"

Piper palmed herself in the face.

She yawned out, rubbing her eyes with her free hand.

Let it not be said that Andi Azalea Potter was the most modest girl around.

"Understatement, much?" Thalia asked, a brow raised in amusement.

"Andi!"

"Fine." The girl groaned as she closed the cracked open door and put some clothes on. A minute later she was back at the door, opening it wide, "Happy?" she said in a drawl. She was feeling really grumpy right now and whatever was going on wasn't helping her mood any.

"Yes, getting dressed is such a hassle!" Aphrodite groaned.

"Mom..." Piper groaned.

"Yes, Mr. D wants to see you both."

"Wow, D, they're what? Twelve?"

"Shut up, Ares!" Dionysus snarled.

"Why?" Andi asked with eyes narrowed in suspicion. Nervously she fiddled with the ring form of her dagger.

"Let's just go…" Grover said, pushing the two demigods along a bit.

Percy shot a nervous look in Andi's direction, who nodded encouragingly back.

For days, they'd been half expecting a summons to the Big House. Just for being alive when they weren't supposed to be. The other gods had probably been debating the best way to punish them for existing, and now Mr. D was ready to deliver their sentence.

Over the Long Island Sound, the sky looked like ink soup coming to a boil. A hazy curtain of rain was coming in their direction. Percy asked Grover if they needed an umbrella.

"No," he said. "It never rains here unless we want it to."

Percy pointed at the storm. "What the heck is that, then?"

He glanced uneasily at the sky. "It'll pass around us. Bad weather always does."

"Until Zeus really wants to fry somebody."

Zeus didn't rise to Hades' jab, but didn't deny it either.

The demigods all became a bit wary.

"Seems someone's in a mood." Andi mused, getting a nervous look from Grover as a thunder clap fired off. Like the sky was offended by that comment.

Andi just gave the sky a raised eyebrow, as if asking it if she was wrong.

There was no boom. Just a low rumble that sounded suspiciously like a huff.

"Oh, she's got you pegged."

"Like yours or Hades' didn't?" Zeus asked snidely.

"Yes, they knew you just as well." Poseidon nodded.

Zeus grit his teeth and grumbled under his breath.

But the girl did think back and in doing so, she realized that the satyr was right. Minus her fit on day one, bad weather just seemed to skirt around them.

But this storm...this one was huge. And not the kind she normally would just watch at times to clear her head. There was something different about it, she could tell. If Andi had to guess, this storm, unlike most others, was a result of her dad's personal attention.

At the volleyball pit, the kids from Apollo's cabin were playing a morning game against the satyrs. Castor and Pollux were walking around in the strawberry fields, making the plants grow. Everybody was going about their normal business, but they looked tense. They all kept their eyes on the storm.

"Better than being in the eye of the storm."

"...Can't fault you there," Poseidon said to Ares.

The trio walked up to the front porch of the Big House. Dionysus sat at the pinochle table in his tiger-striped Hawaiian shirt with his Diet Coke, just as he had on their first day. Chiron sat across the table in his fake wheelchair. They were playing against invisible opponents, two sets of cards hovering in the air.

"Well, well," Mr. D said without looking up. "Our little celebrities."

Both children tensed. Andi fiddled with her ring even more, as they just waited. Percy could see in the corner of his eye that Andi's eyes were all over the place. No doubt whatever escape plan of hers that she'd decided to go with today, ready to go at the drop of a dime.

"Come closer," Mr. D said. "And don't expect me to kowtow to you, mortal, just because old Barnacle-Beard is your father." He said to Percy.

"...Put barnacles in my beard just one time for the holiday and you never let me live it down!" Poseidon grumbled.

"I thought it was rather poetic, Poseidon," Rhea said with a kind smile to her child.

"Er, well, thank you Mother."

A flash of lightning streaked across the clouds outside, the light briefly throwing Mr. D's face into sharp relief, highlighting his brilliant purple eyes; even as a strong wind screamed through camp, rattling the windows.

"Blah, blah, blah," Dionysus replied petulantly to whatever Zeus was saying through the storm.

Zeus glared at his son, who shrugged in return.

Chiron feigned interest in his pinochle cards. Grover cowered by the railing, his hooves clopping back and forth.

"If I had my way," Dionysus said, "I would cause your molecules to erupt in flames. We'd sweep up the ashes and be done with a lot of trouble. But Chiron seems to feel this would be against my mission at this accursed camp: to keep you little brats safe from harm."

"Spontaneous combustion is a form of harm, Mr. D," Chiron put in.

"Nonsense," Dionysus assured. "Boy wouldn't feel a thing.

"Exactly!" Dionysus huffed. "It's called spontaneous for a reason!"

"Full on combustion is painful..." Leo mumbled.

"You were a living missile, you don't count, Lionel."

Nevertheless, I've agreed to restrain myself. I'm thinking of turning you into a dolphin instead, sending you back to your father."

"Mr. D-" Chiron warned.

"Oh, all right," Dionysus relented. "There's one more option. But it's deadly foolishness." Dionysus rose, and the invisible players' cards dropped to the table. "I'm off to Olympus for the emergency meeting. If the boy is still here when I get back, I'll turn him into an Atlantic bottlenose. Do you understand? And Perseus Jackson, if you're at all smart, you'll see that's a much more sensible choice than what Chiron feels you must do."

"I kind of want to see a world where I didn't go on the quest..."

"No, Seaweed Brain." Annabeth cut her boyfriend off.

"I'd still choose you and Mom over being a dolphin."

"Hey, Percy? If you had to choose, would you choose Annabeth or your mom?" Thalia asked, a smirk on her face.

Percy's eyes went wide. "Uhh...I ...uh...I ...Obviously, I'd... I plead the fifth."

"...Smart choice." Frank and Jason nodded in approval while Annabeth furrowed her brows and glared at the snickering Thalia.

He warned as his eyes went to Andi, who tensed up at his look, "Oh calm down brat. You act as if you were going to be executed." He mocked with a crooked grin.

Andi's shoulders relaxed a fraction, but her frame still stood rigid, ready to spring from how tense she was.

Dionysus picked up a playing card, twisted it, and it became a plastic rectangle. Like some credit card or one of those hotel keycards.

He snapped his fingers.

The air seemed to fold and bend around him. He became a hologram, then a gust of wind, and then he was gone, leaving only the smell of fresh-pressed grapes lingering behind.

"He used to have another smell that went with it. It was much more potent than grape." Apollo informed the demigods.

"Fifty more years. Just fifty more years." Dionysus reminded himself quietly.

Chiron smiled at us, but he looked tired and strained. "Sit Percy, Andi, please; and Grover as well."

The others did, but Andi didn't, distrust shining in her eyes.

Chiron sighed, he had heard a few of Andi's comments on hers and Percy's situation, so her current lack of faith was somewhat expected, "Andi, they are not going to kill you. However, an issue of great importance has arisen."

Chiron laid his cards on the table, as Andi tensely took her sit next to him.

"Tell me, both of you," he said. "What did you make of the hellhound?"

Just hearing the name made Percy shudder. Andi frowned, looking down.

"It scared me," Percy said honestly. "If you hadn't shot it, who knows what would have happened."

"Ripping, snarling, tearing and gore everywhere! Why, we'd possibly be down one Percy Jackson," Ares said nonchalantly.

"You're rather talkative for this chapter, Ares," Hera said dryly.

"Well, I got a lot to say and – Hey, screw you, Apollo! I'm ten times the man you'll ever be!"

"Huh, you got it sooner than I'd thought you would." Apollo mused.

Andi breathed through her nose, "I could have beaten it, I'm sure I could have, but seeing it made me go blank." She gritted out, looking ashamed of herself, "If I didn't make that wind wall…well, unlike Percy, I would probably be dead." She stated, looking to the side, trying to avoid eye contact.

Chiron gave a sad smile at that. There was nothing to be ashamed of; many of the other campers were shocked at seeing it too. "You'll meet worse, you two. Far worse, before you're done."

"Done ... with what?" Percy asked, hesitant.

"With your homework!" Frank declared dramatically, an accusing gaze locked on the Hero of Olympus.

"Don't even joke about that!" Percy hissed.

Andi looked up, "It has to do with that I reckon." She surmised, nodding towards the rumbling skies filling the valley.

"Your quest, of course. Will you accept it?" Chiron said to Percy.

Percy glanced at Grover, who was crossing his fingers.

"Um, sir," Percy said, "you haven't told me what it is yet."

"Yeah, I don't go into things half baked, or I try not to at least." Andi answered with a frown.

Chiron grimaced. "Well, that's the hard part, the details."

Thunder rumbled across the valley. The storm clouds had now reached the edge of the beach. As far as they could see, the sky and the sea were melding together.

"Poseidon and Zeus," Percy said. "They're fighting over something valuable ... something that was stolen, aren't they?"

"Last year's life-sized statue of Scar-Jo."

"Apollo, that's not funny," Zeus said, glaring at his son.

Apollo rubbed his neck and looked to the side. "I thought it was."

"It wouldn't be the first time." Rhea mused.

"Mother!"

Chiron and Grover exchanged looks.

Chiron sat forward in his wheelchair. "How did you know that?"

Percy looked flustered. "The weather since Christmas has been weird, like the sea and the sky are fighting. Then I talked to Annabeth, and she'd overheard something about a theft. And ... I've also been having these dreams; Andi was in the last one." He said, looking to the blue eyed girl.

"My, Percy!" Aphrodite tittered while the boy in question turned bright red.

"That wasn't – I didn't – Annabeth, say something smart!"

"In comparison to that, Percy, anything will sound smart." Thalia snickered.

"No one asked you!"

Andi nodded, "It's true, our sires are fighting over something, I think it was why we were claimed." She said, some frost in her tone.

"I knew it," Grover said.

"Hush, satyr," Chiron ordered.

"But it is his quest! Or even hers!" Grover's eyes were bright with excitement. "It must be!"

"Only the Oracle can determine that." Chiron said as he stroked his bristly beard. "Nevertheless, both of you are correct. Your fathers are having their worst quarrel in centuries. They are fighting over something valuable that was stolen. To be precise: a lightning bolt."

Percy laughed nervously. "A what?"

Andi's eyes widened, "No, are you serious?" she demanded. She knew what was taken instantly.

"She just knew on instinct?" Annabeth asked. She looked at Jason. "Did you know?"

Jason shook his head. "No, I had a bad feeling in my gut though."

Andi had heard the stories; her father had a weapon, a lightning bolt, his most prized tool.

"His magical massive glow stick of doom!"

"Poseidon, be silent!" Zeus thundered at his brother's announcement. His face was glowing purple while his children and siblings and Mother laughed uproariously.

The demigods were only keeping themselves by doing so by clamping hands over their mouths.

Poseidon grinned at his brother.

"What?" He asked. "I was just adding to the dramatic buildup."

"Dramatic my ass, you were insulting my symbol of power!"

"I was not!"

"You were so!"

"B-Boys, that's enough." Rhea giggled out. She cleared her throat and recomposed herself. "Poseidon, don't make fun of Zeus' migh-er, Master Bolt. And Zeus, calm yourself."

Poseidon continued to smirk victoriously while Zeus huffed and pouted.

One that, alongside the shield Aegis, had been in many stories. From what Annabeth told her, Thalia in fact had a copy of the famed shield that could scare monsters and demigods alike.

"Do not take this lightly," Chiron warned Percy. "I'm not talking about some tinfoil-covered zigzag you'd see in a second-grade play. I'm talking about a two-foot-long cylinder of high-grade celestial bronze, capped on both ends with god-level explosives."

"How does he lose that thing?!" Andi asked herself in a whisper, voice full of disbelief. Did he leave it beside his golden toilet or something?

"That only happened once or twice."

"HERA!" Zeus' shout was drowned out by Poseidon's booming laughter.

"Oh." Percy said dumbly.

"Zeus' master bolt," Chiron said, getting worked up now. "The symbol of his power, from which all other lightning bolts are patterned. The first weapon made by the Cyclopes for the war against the Titans, the bolt that sheared the top off Mount Etna and hurled Kronos from his throne; the master bolt, which packs enough power to make mortal hydrogen bombs look like firecrackers."

"And it's missing?" Percy asked with a gulp.

"Stolen," Chiron said.

"By who?"

"By whom," Chiron corrected. "By you." He said pointing to Percy.

"...Me?" Percy squeaked playfully.

"You." Thalia smirked. She began to stroke her finger and tsked at her cousin. "For shame, Percy. For shame. Didn't your mother ever teach you not to steal?"

"Shut up, Thalia. I was joking."

Percy's mouth fell open.

Andi blinked, a chuckle escaping her quirked up lips, "We are talking about Baywatch here, right?" Percy couldn't steal anything if he tried, she knew, she'd dared him to give it a go a few times. And in those times, found it funny as he tried and failed to pull a Cabin Eleven.

"At least"-Chiron held up a hand-"that's what Zeus thinks. During the winter solstice, at the last council of the gods, Zeus and Poseidon had an argument. The usual nonsense: 'Mother Rhea always liked you best,' Air disasters are more spectacular than sea disasters,' et cetera. Afterward, Zeus realized his master bolt was missing, taken from the throne room under his very nose. He immediately blamed Poseidon. Now, a god cannot usurp another god's symbol of power directly-that is forbidden by the most ancient of divine laws. But Zeus believes your father convinced a human hero to take it."

"Yes, because I have enough time on my hands." Poseidon scoffed.

"...You had a child-"

"Who didn't even know I, let alone you, was still alive." Poseidon interjected pointedly.

"It could've been a ruse!"

"Father, this is Poseidon we're speaking of." Athena drawled. "He's not smart enough for that kind of ruse."

"...I'll get you for that later, but thank you, Athena." Poseidon grit out. The goddess of wisdom smirked back at him.

"Any time, Poseidon."

"But I didn't-"

"Patience, and listen, child," Chiron said. "Zeus has good reason to be suspicious. The forges of the Cyclopes are under the ocean, which gives Poseidon some influence over the makers of his brother's lightning. Zeus believes Poseidon has taken the master bolt, and is now secretly having the Cyclopes build an arsenal of illegal copies, which might be used to topple Zeus from his throne.

"And that's another thing. Why would I make illegal copies?" Poseidon asked. "The time and effort would be pointless, not to mention catastrophic for our domains."

"You'd reshape the world in your image."

"Please, I saw that Costner film that Apollo hyped up just as you did. I'd rather not live in a world covered by nothing but ocean." Poseidon scoffed. "Where would the equine live?"

"Point." Zeus grumbled while Apollo winced at being reminded of one of his least favorite mess-ups in the film industry.

The only thing Zeus wasn't sure about was which hero Poseidon used to steal the bolt. Now Poseidon has openly claimed you as his son. You were in New York over the winter holidays. You could easily have snuck into Olympus. Zeus believes he has found his thief."

"But I've never even been to Olympus! Zeus is crazy!"

Chiron and Grover glanced nervously at the sky. The clouds didn't seem to be parting around them, as Grover had promised. They were rolling straight over the valley, sealing the area in like a coffin lid.

"Er, Percy ...?" Grover said. "We don't use the c-word to describe the Lord of the Sky."

"No, that's Dionysus." Hades drawled.

"The correct word is paranoid, Percy." Poseidon informed his son, ignoring the glare his brother sent his way.

"Ain't that the truth?" Percy mumbled with a small and amused smile on his face.

"Perhaps paranoid," Chiron suggested. "Then again, Poseidon has tried to unseat Zeus before. I believe that was question thirty-eight on your final exam..." He looked Percy at knowingly.

"Something about a golden net?" Percy guessed in a rare bout of remembrance. "Poseidon and Hera and a few other gods ...they, like, trapped Zeus and wouldn't let him out until he promised to be a better ruler, right?"

"Which, might I add, was all Hera's idea."

Hera sent Poseidon a very nasty look while Zeus stroked his beard thoughtfully.

"It was her idea, wasn't it? ...Hephaestus, would you care to craft something for me?"

"Think twice before answering that, Hephaestus." Hera warned her son.

"Or what? Are you going to throw me off of the mountain again?" Hephaestus drawled.

"Hera, Hephaestus, please!" Rhea frowned.

"Sorry, Mother." "Humph."

"Correct," Chiron said. "And Zeus has never trusted Poseidon since. Of course, Poseidon denies stealing the master bolt. He took great offense at the accusation. The two have been arguing back and forth for months, threatening war. And now, you've come along-the proverbial last straw."

"But I'm just a kid!"

"And life is a nightmare! I'm just a kid, I know that it's not fair, nobody cares 'cause I'm alone and the world is having more fun than m-Ow! Arte, the hell!?" Apollo rubbed his head and glared at his twin.

"My ear-bud fell out." Artemis drawled, making note of her noise silencing ear-buds, one sitting in her palm. "I had to stop the sound somehow."

"...Such an abusive little sis..."

"I am not younger than you!"

"But you are shorter, Lil Sis."

Artemis glowered at her twin's smug face.

Bastar...Dick.

the child of the sea argued strongly.

"Like they'd care." Andi grunted out, putting her elbow on the table as her palm supported her chin. They're gods, they wouldn't, they think you crossed them and they'll gun for you. It happened all the time in the legends.

"Percy," Grover cut in, "if you were Zeus, and you already thought your brother was plotting to overthrow you, then your brother suddenly admitted he had broken the sacred oath he took after World War II, that he's fathered a new mortal hero who might be used as a weapon against you... Wouldn't that put a twist in your toga?"

"And the satyr shows to be a voice of reason." Zeus huffed.

"A hypocritical voice of reason," Hades said dryly.

"No one asked you for your opinion, Hades."

"No one ever does, so I speak when I feel it necessary."

"It wasn't necessary."

"Felt like it to me."

"Well no one asked you-!"

"Because no one ever does!"

Zeus let out a frustrated growl while Hades smirked.

"I'm a master at making arguments cycle until my opponent tires, Zeus. Do you know what it's like to convince cheeky mortals that they deserve their punishment? It's tiring, but I manage."

Andi snorted with an eye roll, "Kinda hypocritical since he sired two already, both before Poseidon did mind you." She spoke in a dry tone. She was born at the end of July while Percy was born in mid August. So yeah, pot meet kettle.

Poseidon and Hades sent Zeus smug looks.

"Silence."

"We didn't-"

"I said be silent!"

Grover looked sheepish at that.

"But I didn't do anything. Poseidon-my dad-he didn't really have this master bolt stolen, did he?"

Chiron sighed. "Most thinking observers would agree that thievery is not Poseidon's style. But the Sea God is too proud to try convincing Zeus of that. Zeus has demanded that Poseidon return the bolt by the summer solstice. That's June twenty-first, ten days from now. Poseidon wants an apology for being called a thief by the same date. I hoped that diplomacy might prevail, that Hera or Demeter or Hestia would make the two brothers see sense. But your arrival has inflamed Zeus's temper and Andi's has raised Poseidon's in turn at the hypocrisy of it all. Now, neither god will back down. Unless someone intervenes, unless the master bolt is found and returned to Zeus before the solstice, there will be war. And do you know what a full-fledged war would look like, Percy?"

"Bad?" Percy guessed with a worried look.

"My, that's adorably and frighteningly naïve." Rhea mused. Her words made her grandson groan into his hands.

"Hero of Olympus, mother. That is the Hero of Olympus." Zeus grumbled.

"...We're so lucky Tyche still likes us." Hermes mumbled under his breath.

If that dream was anything to go by, "bad" doesn't even cover it. Andi thought with a frown, remembering the carnage of it all.

"Imagine the world in chaos. Nature at war with itself. Olympians forced to choose sides between Zeus and Poseidon. Destruction. Carnage. Millions dead. Western civilization turned into a battleground so big it will make the Trojan War look like a water-balloon fight."

"Bad," Percy repeated with a frown.

"...Oh, dear god, the fate of the world was in his hands?" Leo asked, eyes wide with terror.

"Wow, just...just wow." Piper mumbled.

"All of your rep is down the toilet." Annabeth smirked at her boyfriend.

Percy hung his head and whimpered. "I know."

"And you, Percy Jackson, would be the first to feel Zeus's wrath."

It started to rain. Volleyball players stopped their game and stared in stunned silence at the sky.

Percy's frown deepened, he had brought this storm to Half-Blood Hill. Zeus was punishing the whole camp because of him. He was furious.

"So I have to find the stupid bolt," Percy said with narrowed eyes. "And return it to Zeus."

"To be honest with you both, when Andi was first claimed, I had the intention of sending her on this quest." The trainer said, getting Andi to look at him sharply, "Forgive me for being crude my dear, but what other time would Zeus openly admit to siring a second hero after breaking the oath the first time, then to have claimed you when he needed you most?" he asked the young girl.

Andi clenched her free hand, knuckles white, but let out a bark of laughter. Why was she surprised? She was more or less a 'mistake' in this system right now, "Honestly? I asked him what he wanted from me my first night in the cabin. 'Course he never said, but here it is." Andi said with a forced smile, "And even then, he gets someone else to do it to appease him. Figures." She snorted while looking down to fiddle with her ring.

The trainer sighed and turned to Percy, "What better peace offering," Chiron said, "than to have the son of Poseidon return Zeus's property?"

"By calmly sitting down and explaining everything?"

"Hestia, we've known our brothers how long?" Demeter challenged.

"I can try, can't I?" Hestia huffed.

"If Poseidon doesn't have it, where is the thing?" the green eyed boy asked questioningly.

"...I wonder where this is going?" Hades drawled sarcastically.

"Hades, shush, I'm trying to listen." Rhea told her eldest, who huffed and propped up his head by his elbow.

"I believe I know." Chiron's expression was grim. "Part of a prophecy I had years ago ... well, some of the lines make sense to me, now. But before I can say more, you must officially take up the quest. You must seek the counsel of the Oracle."

"Why can't you tell me where the bolt is beforehand?" Percy asked, not liking where this was going. Well, even less than he already did that is.

"Because if I did, you would be too afraid to accept the challenge."

Percy swallowed. "Good reason."

"You agree then?"

Percy turned to Grover, who nodded encouragingly.

"All right," Percy said with a stiff nod. "It's better than being turned into a dolphin."

"Debatable." Dionysus sniffed.

"Then it's time you consulted the Oracle," Chiron said. "Go upstairs, Percy Jackson, to the attic. When you come back down, assuming you're still sane, we will talk more."

The son of Poseidon stood and started to go upstairs.

As Andi watched him leave, a part of her was angry. In her mind, she was, no matter how childish this sounded, better then Percy. Oh, sure, in time he would be good, she could tell, but he was still razzled by all this. Andi on the other hand, well, she was more accepting of it and overall was just better equipped for the responsibility of a quest, especially one this important, at the moment. It was her sire's symbol, why should he be the one to look for it? Personally, she thought Zeus was just looking for an excuse to get her cousin killed.

Zeus whistled innocently and inspected his nails while his brother and nephew looked at him.

"I guess I'll go back to my cabin then." Andi said as she rose from her chair. But Chiron cleared his throat to get her attention as she pushed the chair back.

"Actually, as much as I disagreed with Lord Zeus on this, he wishes for you to go as well." The centaur spoke.

The daughter of the sky blinked and narrowed her eyes, "Why would you be against it?" she asked with a frown.

Chiron sighed, "Percy is allowed two additional members on his quest. So normally a quest is done in a group of three. While Percy is allowed his group, your father wishes for you to go along so 'When Poseidon's child fails; my daughter will pick up the slack.' His words, not mine."

"That certainly sounds like Zeus' foolishness." Hera mused.

"Foolishness!?" Zeus glared at his wife.

"Yes. Foolishness. Like keeping all of us – sans Hades – locked up on Olympus."

"I wasn't even sent an invite. Not that that's anything new," Hades said sourly while Zeus began to turn purple.

The trainer grumbled, "Three is a sacred and magical number you see, anymore on a quest could mean catastrophe, but Lord Zeus insisted on it."

"How … encouraging." Andi said with a dry tone as she sat back down, moving her chair forward as she did so, "And more like he doesn't want his child shown up by his brother's." she continued with a shake of her head.

There wasn't an offended boom that time.

Chiron gave a rueful smile, "I might agree with you, but it isn't my place to question the God King."

Andi rolled her eyes, way to skirt around to say he fully agreed with her.

"What a cheeky centaur Chiron has become." Zeus grumbled.

"I've been saying that for decades!" Dionysus groaned.

Percy's 3rd POV

Percy walked down a few minutes later, confusion and frustration written all over his face.

"Well?" Chiron asked him with a raised eyebrow.

Percy slumped into a chair at the pinochle table. "She said I would retrieve what was stolen."

Grover sat forward, chewing excitedly on the remains of a Diet Coke can. "That's great!"

"What did the Oracle say exactly?" Chiron pressed. "This is important."

"On the fourth of May, the force will be with you."

"God, Apollo, you seriously messed up that trilogy."

"For the last time, Herm, that was ALL Lucas. I had nothing to do with Episode I...except for Jar Jar, but in my defense, he was supposed to be a Sith!"

Percy shivered a bit and shook his head. "She...she said I would go west and face a god who had turned. I would retrieve what was stolen and see it safely returned."

"I knew it," Grover said.

"Smug little..." Hades scowled.

Chiron didn't look satisfied. "Anything else?" he asked sternly, clearly wanting everything.

Percy didn't want to tell him. He didn't want to tell anyone.

What friend would betray him?

"Well, they tend to be the 'prettiest' ones that back stab." Artemis smirked at the outraged Aphrodite.

"D-Did you just make a jab at me...with finger quotes?" The goddess of love asked.

"I learned from the best."

Apollo grinned and then frowned. "Hey..."

He didn't have that many…could Andi, no, he shook his head. No, she was in on this just as much as he was…man he hoped he was right.

And the last line, he would fail to save what mattered most. What kind of Oracle would send him on a quest and tell him, "Oh, by the way, you'll fail".

How could he confess that?

"No," Percy said. "That's about it."

Andi was looking at him with a curious glint in her eye, probably wondering what he saw up there and why it had left him so shaken.

Chiron studied Percy's face too. "Very well, Percy. But know this: the Oracle's words often have double meanings. Don't dwell on them too much. The truth is not always clear until events come to pass."

"That...Ugh..." Percy sighed. "I can't even put it in words how right that is."

"Amen to that, dude." Leo nodded as he turned the page.

Percy squirmed a bit at his wording. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a look of comprehension flash across the the witch's face. She must have connected the dots, and figured out he was holding something back.

"Okay," Percy said, anxious to change topics. "So where do I go? Who's this god in the west?"

"Ah, think, Percy," Chiron said. "If Zeus and Poseidon weaken each other in a war, who stands to gain?"

"Fourth time I've heard it and still it pisses me off." Hades growled.

"Well, you don't have the best history with your brothers, Hades."

"They're the ones who're intolerable, Mother!"

"Hey!" "I am not intolerable!"

"Boys!" Rhea raised her voice slightly. Three doors appeared, each with one of her sons' symbol on them. "Would you like another time out?"

"No, Mother." The Big Three chorused.

"Good. Then shush." Rhea nodded and the doors vanished.

"Somebody else who wants to take over?" Percy guessed.

Andi blinked at the centaur, "Isn't that a bit stereotypical? Blaming our uncle?" she asked, her tone was strange, Percy noted. There was a good bit of hate for what their uncle did to Thalia, but also some…exasperation? "Seriously, you're making things out like something out of a cliché movie script."

"Ah, but think about it Andi," Chiron said in a teacher-like tone, "He is someone who harbors a grudge, who has been unhappy with his lot since the world was divided eons ago, whose kingdom would grow powerful with the deaths of millions. Someone who hates his brothers for forcing him into an oath to have no more children, an oath that both of them have now broken."

Well at least he didn't say again in there, Percy was thankful for that as he was sure Andi would have gotten even more pissed off if he did. And frankly? The son of Poseidon was worried enough about her temper right now. He didn't want Andi adding to her dad's storm.

"Wow. Really, Percy?"

"Thalia, don't make it worse."

"Annie, stay out of it."

"Children..." Hestia sighed at her niece and grandniece.

Percy closed his eyes in thought, "Hades." He spoke.

Chiron nodded. "The Lord of the Dead is the only possibility."

"He's one possibility, that I can buy. But the only one? No way. There's got to be others." Andi pointed out skeptically.

"...Astonishing, the voice of reason comes from Zeus' spawn..." Hades was floored by the idea.

"Ahem...?" Athena and Artemis gave their uncle cross looks.

"What? Logic and reason aren't always guaranteed to be the same thing." Hades huffed. "And obviously, Artemis, you fail to pass your logic onto your Hunters."

Poseidon snickered while Athena and Artemis looked even more upset.

A scrap of aluminum dribbled out of Grover's mouth. "Whoa, wait. Wh-What?"

"A Fury came after Percy," Chiron reminded him and told Andi. "She watched the young man until she was sure of his identity, then tried to kill him. Furies obey only one lord: Hades."

Andi's shoulders slumped, "Okay, didn't know that tidbit." She amended with a frown at her being wrong, or semi-wrong.

"Yes, but-but Hades hates all heroes," Grover protested. "Especially if he has found out Percy is a son of Poseidon..."

"A hellhound got into the forest," Chiron continued. "Those can only be summoned from the Fields of Punishment, and it had to be summoned by someone within the camp. Hades must have a spy here. He must suspect Poseidon will try to use Percy to clear his name or Andi to go for the bolt. Hades would very much like to kill these young half-bloods before either could take on the quest."

"Great," Percy muttered tiredly. "That's two major gods who want to kill me."

"We do so with love." Hades drawled.

"Would you like a storm for your twenty first birthday?"

"Zeus, I swear that if you so much as make Percy get a static shock from a doorknob..." Poseidon warned his amused brother.

"Well hey; I got two on me also Percy. Good ol' uncle H and dear auntie of the heavens." Andi told him blandly, "Me thinks you got the easier end of the stick." She said with a dry quip and a dull blink.

Percy grimaced, okay, she kind of had a point.

"But a quest to ..." Grover swallowed. "I mean, couldn't the master bolt be in some place like Maine? Maine's very nice this time of year."

"He's obviously never read a Stephen King book." Apollo scoffed.

"Why is he so obsessed with that place?" Hermes asked, a haunted look in his eye. "I just don't get it!"

"Hades sent a minion to steal the master bolt," Chiron insisted. "He hid it in the Underworld, knowing full well that Zeus would blame Poseidon. I don't pretend to understand the Lord of the Dead's motives perfectly, or why he chose this time to start a war, but one thing is certain: Percy and Andi must go to the Underworld, find the master bolt, and reveal the truth."

Percy's expression fell as he processed the ancient centaur's words.

So I basically have to go one of the scariest places in the world, get back a powerful weapon that casually trims the top off mountains, and make it back without missing any limbs or major organs. Sure, okay, this...is going to suck. Seriously, how was I supposed to do that? Percy then remembered the Underworld, the land of the dead. His mom...he could get his mom back!

"...Way to prioritize, Percy." Thalia drawled.

"If your mom was as awesome as my mom, you'd not be talking like that."

"Yeah, well, she wasn't."

"My point exactly." Percy nodded.

He had to take this quest. Sure, getting the bolt would be nice, but his mom...that was the most important thing right now.

The child of the sea was just firming up his determination when a concerned looking Andi leaned over and shook his shoulder, "Percy." She said, getting his attention as his neck craned up to face her, "You cool mate?" she asked with a frown.

"Yeah Andi, I'm perfectly fine." Percy replied in a tight tone.

"If you're sure." She mumbled leaning back into her chair.

"I am." Percy said as he turned to see Grover trembling. He'd started eating pinochle cards like potato chips.

"He's going to get fat if he can't get his diet under control."

"Leo, he's a vegetarian."

"So? They can still over-eat. Not work out. You know, be unhealthy outside of what they eat."

The poor guy needed to complete a quest with the son of the sea so he could get his searcher's license, but how could he ask Grover to do this quest, especially when the Oracle said he was destined to fail? This was suicide and Andi was already signed up if what Chiron said about her going with him was true.

"Look, if we know it's Hades," Percy told Chiron, "why can't we just tell the other gods? Zeus or Poseidon could go down to the Underworld and bust some heads."

"Yes, a grand brawl in the land of the dead shaking the foundation of the earth's crust." Andi snarked, "Just what we need to stop, not encourage."

"Andi speaks the truth; a battle between the Big Three is far too inadvisable. Beyond that suspecting and knowing are not the same," Chiron said. "Even if the other gods suspect Hades-and I imagine Poseidon does-they couldn't retrieve the bolt themselves. Gods cannot cross into each other's territories except by invitation. That is another ancient rule. Heroes, on the other hand, have certain privileges. They can go anywhere; challenge anyone, as long as they're bold enough and strong enough to do it. No god can be held responsible for a hero's actions. Why do you think the gods always operate through humans?"

"Because it's fun. Duh." Dionysus smirked.

The other Olympians didn't disagree, and the demigods became very nervous by that.

"Because we're puppets in this system of Western Civilization?" Andi asked with distasteful bite in her tone.

"You're saying we're being used." Percy spoke, frowning at the fact.

"I'm saying it's no accident Poseidon has claimed you now. It's a very risky gamble, but he's in a desperate situation. He needs you. It was why Zeus claimed Andi, no doubt intending for her to take this quest as I said before." Chiron said and looked to Andi, "And I wouldn't say puppets, more like agents." He stated, trying to steer her from that bitter thought process.

"That's like trying to steer Thalia away from a burger joint." Annabeth snorted.

"...Aren't you a hunter?" Piper asked.

"Yeah. I eat meat." Thalia smiled. "Had moose the other day. That was really good."

"Jason, we need to talk about your sister."

Jason groaned into his hand. "Leo. Read. Fast. Now."

Percy guessed that he had probably heard his fair share of similar thoughts over the years and if his persistent attempts to get Andi to stop thinking like that were anything to go by, they hadn't led to anything good.

Percy mulled over his thoughts, My dad needs me.

Emotions swirled inside of him. He didn't know whether to feel resentful or grateful or happy or angry. But the latter felt right. Poseidon had ignored him for twelve years. Now suddenly he needed Percy.

"I didn't exactly ignore you," Poseidon said with a frown. He glared at Zeus. "Mister pissy pants here would've thrown another fit."

"I don't throw fits!"

"Yet you don't argue the other thing..." Hades mused.

Zeus ground his teeth together.

"And then there's the whole thing where Sally can't breathe underwater...and Amphitrite would've possibly gotten involved...Not to mention how Trition would've taken it..." Poseidon continued, ignoring his brothers.

He looked at Chiron. "You've known I was Poseidon's son all along, haven't you?"

"I had my suspicions. As I said ... I've spoken to the Oracle, too."

Percy just gave him a look but decided to drop it, not really wanting to get into it.

"So let me get this straight," Percy said slowly. "We're supposed to go to the Underworld and confront the Lord of the Dead."

"Check," Chiron said.

"Find the most powerful weapon in the universe."

"Yep." Andi said while popping the p.

"And get it back to Olympus before the summer solstice, in ten days."

"That's about right." Chiron nodded.

Percy looked at Grover, who gulped down the ace of hearts.

"Did I mention that Maine is very nice this time of year?" he asked weakly.

"Stephen King." Apollo and Hermes shivered in disagreement.

"You don't have to go," He told Grover. "I can't ask that of you. Andi's already being forced into this." He said with a frown since they both didn't have a choice.

"Hey," Andi interjected with narrowed electric blue eyes, "I'd be going anyway, someone needs to make sure you don't trip up." She smirked playfully.

Percy just gave a shake of his head and laughed a bit, "Thanks for the reminder," he said and turned back to Grover.

"Oh ..." The satyr shifted his hooves. "No...it's just that satyrs and underground places ... well..."

He took a deep breath, then stood, brushing the shredded cards and aluminum bits off his T-shirt. "You saved my life, Percy. If...if you're serious about wanting me along, I won't let you down."

Percy felt incredibly relieved and pleased, "All the way, G-man." he said before turning to Chiron and asking. "So where do we go? The Oracle just said to go west."

"The entrance to the Underworld is always in the west. It moves from age to age, just like Olympus. Right now, of course, it's in America."

"Of course it is. Because this country is not difficult to traverse at all..." Percy mumbled.

"You've gotta have the right connections, Percy," Hermes said, smirking.

"Where?"

Chiron looked surprised. "I thought that would be obvious enough. The entrance to the Underworld is in Los Angeles."

"Oh," Percy said. "Naturally. So we just get on a plane-"

"No!" Grover shrieked. "Percy, what are you thinking? Have you ever been on a plane in your life?"

The son of Poseidon shook his head.

"Percy, think," Chiron said. "You are the son of the Sea God. Your father's bitterest rival is Zeus, Lord of the Sky. Your mother knew better than to trust you in an airplane. You would be in Zeus's domain. You would never come down again alive."

"We never got to drive to Disney World or Disneyland..." Percy frowned. "All my classmates had been at least once by the sixth grade."

Overhead, lightning crackled. Thunder boomed.

"Okay," Percy said, determined not to look at the storm. "But what about Andi? It's not like he would bomb down his own kid, right?" he asked, thinking that it was a no-brainer.

Andi snorted scornfully, "He saved my sister by turning her into a tree, who knows what he would do to 'save' me." she said with finger quotes, "Besides, I hate those muggle planes, too much noise. I'd rather be on my broom or fly myself." She answered him, "Much more peaceful."

"She knows how fun it is." Dionysus smirked. "I like this sister. Much more tolerable thus far."

He ignored the glares he received from Athena and Artemis.

"You do know that she's a demigod, right?" Hephaestus asked.

"Ah, yes, well, we're not all perfect." Dionysus sighed somberly.

"So, we'll travel over land." Percy concluded, wondering what a muggle was and how his cousin was a stereotypical witch since she had a broomstick.

"That's right," Chiron said. "Two companions may accompany you. Grover is one. The other has already volunteered, if you will accept her help."

"You mean Andi." Percy said while pointing to the girl.

"No…Lord Zeus wanted her along for the quest regardless of who you choose." Chiron answered.

"Well, if it isn't Andi, then I wonder?" Percy said, feigning surprise. "Who else would be stupid enough to volunteer for a quest like this?"

"Smitten by first insult. Now that's true love." Piper giggled.

"Shut up, McLean." Percy grumbled while Annabeth rubbed her temples, both teens blushing bright red.

The air shimmered behind Chiron.

Annabeth became visible, stuffing her Yankees cap into her back pocket.

"Okay I've got a cloak, she's got a hat…damn she did much better than me with her invisi-item." Andi pouted with crossed arms, "But at least I won't drown from testosterone, girl power for the win." She cheered and held out her fist to Annabeth. The blonde smirked as she walked over and bumped it back.

Percy could only wonder who taught Andi about fist bumping.

"I've been waiting a long time for a quest, Seaweed Brain," she said. "Athena is no fan of Poseidon, but if you're going to save the world, I'm the best person to keep you from messing up." Andi coughed with a blank look, "Well, Andi too, but I have a feeling I'll be looking out for her also."

"I can just feel the love in that Bethy, bravo."

"…Don't call me that."

"Well when you tell me not to…"

"I. Hate. Abbreviations." Annabeth huffed.

"Aw, but Annie, your name is a mouthful."

"Thalia, you're not fully immortal. Don't test me."

Hades gained a gleam in his eye and he smirked. "By all means, niece, test her. Test her."

"Hades!" Rhea chided her eldest son while Thalia was cowed into silence.

Hades shrugged. "What? Do you know how many children of Zeus I get to judge? Not a lot. Most are 'favored' and given many pardons..."

"Are you still upset over Arthur?" Zeus asked.

"Yes!" Hades snapped. "Your foolish son cemented our decline into myth. Oh, how I'd love to get him back for permanently setting me as a villain."

"...You know that's not helping your case, Hades," Hera said dryly.

"Bah, what do you care? You're almost as infamous as I am in mortal circles."

"I am not!"

Apollo snorted and then looked down at his nails when the queen glared at him.

"Children, behave." Rhea drawled tiredly. And these were only the first entries of the series...

"I mean it." Annabeth said in a stern tone, "Thalia loved calling me nicknames just to mess with me too. Is this a child of Zeus thing? Chiron?"

"But of course…Bethy." Andi smirked at her haughtily.

Chiron just smiled noncommittally at Annabeth's question.

Annabeth just flustered a bit.

Percy smiled at the byplay. "If you do say so yourself," he said. "I suppose you have a plan, Wise Girl?"

"Ah, the pet name to top all pet names," Piper said with a smirk.

"Shut up, McLean." Annabeth grumbled.

Her cheeks darkened a bit more. "Do you want my help or not?"

The truth was, he did. The child of the sea needed all the help he could get.

"A quartet," Percy said. "That'll work."

"Or blow up in our faces." Andi pointed out with mirth, "Or not, who knows." She said with a lazy shrug.

"Excellent," Chiron said. "This afternoon, we can take you as far as the bus terminal in Manhattan. After that, you are on your own."

Lightning flashed. Rain poured down on the meadows that were never supposed to have violent weather.

"Zeus, really? Those poor meadows have it hard enough!" Demeter complained.

"It was probably the Stormbringer." Zeus huffed.

"It's over land, that's all you, my liege." Poseidon smirked at his younger brother.

Zeus scowled and ignored the glare that his sister sent his way.

Percy noticed the child of Zeus rolling her eyes; she was obviously as impressed with her father's display as he was. Meaning: Not at all.

"No time to waste," Chiron said. "I think you should all get packing."

"Yeah, so get lost." Dionysus smirked.

"Dionysus!"

"Okay, I'm done reading. Someone take this away from me." Leo groaned. "All of those point of view switches...my mind is spinning."