"Buses weren't good enough for you anymore, huh Percy?" Jason grinned as he read the new chapter. "Had to escalate to whole circuits of races."

"Who said I blew it up?" But there was no real protest in Percy, he knew it probably was his fault.

"I'll bet the firefighter's and cops could at least use him as a bad example," Thalia said with twitching lips, mostly for the adorable mental idea of baby Chiron holding a blanky surrounded by desks. He still had the beard and tweed jacket too.

"How many dragons are out there?" Magnus demanded. First the one on the ship, now this, even the mist had to have limits hiding these things away. Right?

He got no answer, and he really wished somebody would pretend just once there were no more deadly things a head.

Will gave a shaky, exhausted sigh at just the mention of that. It had been great practice at least. He and Katie had spent a lot of time together and he hadn't even gotten a chance to enjoy how easy it was to work with her, the things she could do with those herbs. It had been the first time he'd been allowed in the thick of it all...but they'd lost one Athena kid he hadn't even known the name of...

"You okay?" The impulsive question had just slipped right out of Nico's mouth seeing Will's mouth twitch into a frown like that. He didn't regret it though, it was the least he could do after Will had been so nice to him.

"Mm," he agreed quietly. "Just old memories." Tantalus's leaving had really been the only thing to smile at those two weeks. They'd spent every day and night racing around camp trying to keep monsters away while their 'activities director' kept trying to distract them, and even undermine them with useless suggestions. If they hadn't gotten back when they did, he wasn't sure how many more times they would have woken up to their home existing.

He cheered himself slightly by telling everybody, "Connor won a running bet though, no chores the rest of that summer for him because Clarisse came back alive. Nobody won the grand pot of no more chores for life though because the option for Clarisse coming back alive with the fleece never got a wager," he finished with a grin at Percy.

"Thank you, thank you," Percy gave a mock bow.

Magnus opened, then closed his mouth because he wasn't really sure he wanted to know.

Alex blurted out, "you can hire monsters in ads!"

"Sure, why not," Thalia shrugged.

"Have to is a little strong," Will gave a cheerful laugh again, "maybe we would have just to get some peace and quiet."

"Could just suspend him for the summer," Jason smirked, "not everything has to be the full 9's with him."

"Like Chiron would ever," Percy scoffed. "He'd have to prove we were gone while he was, and as far as I know I never left my bunk unattended," he finished with the most foolishly innocent smile.

Percy laughed in agreement with that now, it was what he'd been really longing for this whole time in this world. A sense of peace and belonging that had always evaded him because of Poseidon or Tyson, now he strode among his home with both labels.

Carefree laughter echoed around the room once more. This time there was no impending doom of some villain about to appear, not even a great worry on the horizon because instead they were all waiting on tenterhooks to hear the good news and this was all cake in the meantime.

"I can tell you guys the story in detail now," Will offered happily, forcing himself not to grin at Nico in hopes he'd get a kick out of it. "Connor's told it to me a million times, I think I actually annoyed him I asked him to tell it to me so much." It had been the first time Will had admitted to himself he'd had a crush on Connor, though the memory didn't seem as rosy in his mind as usual.

"I'll get the pastries!" Alex agreed as he jumped out of his seat.

"Wait until the book's done," Thalia pleaded, "don't leave me in suspense what happened," she chuckled.

"He'll hold you to that Thalia," Jason already warned as he peacefully kept going.

"Campfire under the sea for the next break, can't wait," Alex agreed stubbornly.

"Is there a wrong time for that?" Thalia asked innocently.

"Now," Percy mock challenged as he raised his fist. "I can create a cyclone just for you pinecone face." Then he went cross-eyed and muttered to himself, somehow knowing that wasn't the first time he'd called her that.

"Ugh, I liked you better with amnesia about this," Thalia scoffed.

This underwater place wasn't the worst, but even to Percy it held no attachments to him. Even Alex and Magnus who weren't gung ho on leaving this small safety net couldn't claim this palace felt any less than a very cozy prison.

"Chiron showing off a bit?" Jason laughed into the stunned silence. "Showing how a real director can handle these if something goes wrong."

"Let's hope nothing goes wrong!" Percy protested.

"Be afraid, be very afraid," Percy cackled with excitement.

"Please don't let him win this race," Thalia even began edging away from him. "If his head gets any bigger it might explode."

"Where's Annabeth to knock him off his high horse when we need her," Will agreed casually, but there was no real heat to any of them, it was nice to see him get so many victories in a row. The camp was saved, he hadn't had any more arguments with Annabeth yet, the little things that kept him smiling instead of poking around in his head and nearly killing them all.

Though Jason still slipped up and called him Mercury, but all of them would have stuttered over that name with unease. He'd sent Percy out to do one thing and Percy had somehow done the exact opposite of trying to talk sense into Luke. If he wasn't sitting before them now, they might have thought they were about to hear of their first smiting.

"You've bowed to exactly one god, and you can do the other online now," Alex dismissed. "He should be there to give you an apology for putting you on a monster cruise ship without warning."

"I don't see that happening, but thanks Alex," Percy sighed.

"He can't judge you to harshly," Will gave a nervous laugh only because there had been no hole in the stables to speak of. "I'm sure he's tried to kill his own siblings enough to get it."

"Annabeth was no more help!" Percy protested, even if he was relieved she hadn't been anymore involved with Luke.

"What about a human sized talking rodent?" Alex asked critically.

"Hard pass," Percy assured.

Percy glowered at nobody in here as he wondered too if his mom had known. She could see through the mist, she'd probably known exactly who and what Tyson was to him and she'd kept him the dark too. She hadn't even wanted him to come to camp! Everybody kept treating him like a threat, or a child when he'd saved all of their bacon!

"I guess it's to much to ask he show up at the end of every quest to make sure my life is spared from Zeus," Percy huffed.

"At least he answer's your prayers," Thalia said wistfully. Percy was never in doubt his dad at least wanted him alive, for now. She was never even sure about that.

Will smiled, but it was one of those sad grins that didn't quite reach his eyes. Lee had told him that his first night in his new bunk, but strangely the words sounded no better coming from a god than if his dad had popped in to tell him in person.

Nico frowned distastefully. He knew Hermes was right, he'd always suspected his dad had never even claimed him because to acknowledge his existence would just bring more wrath down upon them both. He tried not to hold a grudge against his dad, but being left to wander aimlessly and only ever hear from his dad when he had to interrupt an argument with Persephone to get attention was another kind of resentment he struggled with just as much.

"It was a two for one deal," Jason huffed.

"To a minimum," Magnus repeated with a queasy look on his face. "You guys really make me feel like I should brace for the explosion when that minimum hits its limit." His own family had imploded at so young an age he barely remembered his two uncles, and his mom had been taken from him by wolves with glowing eyes he now knew a god must be responsible for. He wanted Annabeth back in his life because she knew of this strange world, but maybe he shouldn't even want that if it might get him killed next. He wasn't happy homeless, but at least he was alive, and she clearly didn't need him.

He glanced at Hearth though and reminded himself he already was involved, as proven by even being in here. His ignorance would not save him from that minimum of the catastrophe line.

"Depends on if you're counting specific events or in total," Jason said analytically. "He scared away monsters even before you could start counting at school, there were the five giants, or four if you disqualify the one Annabeth killed, or just one instance in the grand total-"

"And we're not, at all," Percy interrupted sternly.* "I couldn't have done this quest without him or Annabeth."

"You did good work too Percy," Will told him, and if he was mocking him it didn't come through. Percy shrugged that off and glanced around again. His dad had only communicated with him once, and it hadn't even been directly. Whatever he was down here for, he wasn't getting a clear message about it.

'More than enough for a lifetime,' Hearth agreed. He still wasn't sure if Hermes had helped or hindered more on this task. It was interesting to know any gods interference into mortal affairs always felt that way.

Will made a face and muttered, "please never send me anything via Hermes."

Nico looked offended as he said, "If I was going to deliver a message, I'd just visit your dreams, or go there in person."

Will gave him a long look Nico didn't know how to interpret. Almost amused, almost like he wanted to laugh at him? Did Will think he couldn't do it?

Then Will just shrugged and smiled, "sure, anytime you want Nico."

"I would," Magnus held his hand up. "I've always liked horses, and barns are warm enough. Sleeping on hay isn't very fun though."

"I will keep that in mind," Alex snickered.

"I remember those," Thalia nodded, "I kept chewing on mine so they took them away."

"I bet Grover did too," Percy chuckled.

Jason looked a little ruffled at the mention of that again and muttered something about feeding the pirates to George before moving on.

Percy's fingers were trembling over nothing as he waited for the warm cradle of the ocean to envelope him once more. He'd pick up a snake every day if his dad had to send a single shape of the alphabet at a time to give him an actual message for the millions of things he wanted to say and have said in return.

Nothing had happened in here though, and he felt as foolish now as he had that night. Putting all his hopes into that one godly message that had taken more time to get to him than it had to conjure it into existing. He tried hard not to let the resentment float back and simmer in him, that his dad had given him any sort of sign at all should still mean he knew. He cared.

On the other hand, it was so uselessly vague it felt more like Poseidon was toying with him as much as Kronos was. Were gods allergic to giving a straight answer!

Then he looked around and saw the others looked a lot more impressed than he did. Had Zeus ever done anything like this for Thalia? Jason was scrutinizing that and glancing down at his tattoo again with a familiar longing to Percy, but at least he had a starting point on knowing who he was.

Will was trying hard to laugh off Apollo had never done anything like this for a single one of his kids, maybe the less children a god had the more words were given. Nico wasn't even sure his dad ever gave him a second thought, unknowingly thinking the same as Hearth.

Only Alex was left wishing his mother would stop sending him such clear messages about the roll he should feel obligated to play and was distracting himself by practicing his ASL forwards and backwards while Magnus watched with that same doe-eyed look. Whoever his Norse parent was hadn't reached out to him yet, and he wasn't exactly looking forward to when they inevitably did.

Maybe Percy should be counting his blessings.

"I guess nobody wanted seconds," Alex said.

"I wonder if Grover could have talked to them," Magnus wondered of the metal birds, or the bulls. Were their recorded vocals lifelike enough? It wouldn't have necessarily spared them, after all it hadn't with Cerberus, but he wanted to ask all the same.

"You go through all that effort to save the camp, and yet," Thalia gave such an exaggerated wave to him one of her Death to Barbie's pins flew off and beamed his cheek. "Does anything please you mister?"

"Straight answers," he reminded as he began fiddling with the clasp, the look on his face unclear if he was going to jab her back with it or put it on. Thalia snatched it away before he could make the choice, and Jason kept reading loudly before the two could start any other sideshows.

Will was tugging fruitlessly on his ear and fighting back his own tightening throat. His dad was the god of prophecy, had he no warning about the battles to come where his own children would die? Or had he just not cared about the sense enough to warn his kids too? The jealousy as he glanced from Percy and away surprised him, he'd always felt bad for the guy at camp being so singled out for his parentage.

Nico was surprised to see Will pulling his shtick, looking to Percy and quickly away before the son of the sea god could see the jealousy that was there. He almost wanted to laugh at the turn of events, but instead asked Will quietly, "come talk to me after this book?" He owed Will an apology anyways and it would give him something else to think about.

"Yeah!" Will instantly agreed and smiled at him, somehow even brighter than usual. Nico gulped and almost instantly regretted this, but Jason hadn't stopped reading for longer than a breath, so he couldn't take it back.

"That is a terrifyingly unbeatable team," Jason grinned, "no way you guys lose," though every word out of his mouth made it seem like a challenge he was willing to try.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Percy was grinning and already imagining the laurels to put on Annabeth's head. His dad was going to drive him crazy, the outcome of his life was a mystery, but he would sure take his time now to enjoy these victories.

Alex was nearly drooling by the end wanting to see such craftsman ship in person and muttering all over again about wanting to meet Tyson. Magnus tried not to feel like an inept jealous idiot because at least he could teach Alex something in the meantime.

"Wouldn't be Camp without literally everything being painful and dangerous," Magnus muttered.

Percy glanced down at his wrist now and saw the empty space with a pang of guilt. Why wasn't he still wearing it? He'd been wrong to mistrust Tyson at the beginning, and there was zero doubt left in him he'd ever want to go back to having cabin 3 alone.

"It would have helped if you didn't decide to do this five minutes before you had an excuse to run off," Alex said not unkindly, "but you get credit for wanting to say it at all."

Percy gave him a sheepish grin and didn't deny it, he'd been trying to find the words sense he got back from camp and still had no clue what to say.

Magnus grimaced again. He wouldn't exactly call that a pro of being homeless, but he wouldn't deny he seemed least annoyed about being trapped in here because of these blessings.

The death grip Percy now held on his pen made them all confident there was no longer a sphinx to visit on Seventy-second Street if they wanted a tour of New York.

There was a feeling Percy had been trying to define about Tyson this entire book, and it now sat on the tip of Percy's tongue as he was dragged away from his little brother again. In the short time they'd been back, even Grover had given the cyclops a tentative smile before darting off to be anywhere else. Everybody he cared about was safe, and he was going to win this race for that cherry on top!

"I'm glad they've improved over getting past the starting line before causing trouble," Alex chuckled.

"They're nothing if not resilient, what kind of trouble makers would they be if they quit after the first time?" Will agreed brightly. "Connor's lucky he didn't break his neck he spent so much time practicing trying to stand on his horse, and then we kept constantly being attacked, it's a miracle Katie didn't kill him herself," he chuckled with far less humor than he'd felt at the time as the Stoll brothers always endeavored to keep spirits up, Connor especially when Katie was around.

"Was that you?" Nico asked eagerly.

"Nah," Will waved off, "I'm not much for the heat of battle." Nico didn't understand the odd way he said that. "It was Arjun and Vicky," he finished quietly. One had died, the other had defected to Luke's side and was never seen again. To many old memories were haunting him this chapter, and so he tried to shake it off and smile at Nico, "you have got to be there for the next race though, I'll bribe our best racer to sit out so I can team up with you. You can have all of the rewards of no chores if we win."

Nico didn't really believe any of the other kids would dare race against him without wondering if he'd curse them when he lost, but he at least didn't immediately dismiss the idea of sitting in the stands- wait was he supposed to do this before or after Tartarus? After, obviously!

Will smiled, he could have told them that without the book, he'd been sitting in the stands next to Katie cheering him on while trying to stop Kayla from glancing at the woods nervously every other second. Now he found he didn't give the memory much of a second thought. Odd, as it had been the first cheer the camp had had in weeks, but instead found himself watching Nico intently as if still waiting for him to answer.

Jason was all but bouncing in his seat with joy at their near demise and everybody was fighting hard not to laugh at how enthusiastic he was being about this, especially in comparison to the last time he'd had the book.

"You guys literally cause mayhem even when you're not trying," Thalia said approvingly.

"I'm still waiting for the actual explosion, do you go against the Vulcan cabin and set the place on fire?" Jason asked eagerly.

"We were just having fun," Percy reminded, "but nooo, everybody else has to get in our way."

"Wouldn't be fun if it was just a straight shot," Alex grinned.

Laughter burst all around the room their guess had been right. Will alone knew the details and outcome of what was coming, and he was sitting on the edge of his seat like everybody else smiling along for the pure, happy energy in the room, for once. No monstrous threats on the horizon, nothing bad at all, just fun.

"Remind me of this next time I say magic words aren't real," Percy couldn't stand it anymore and now leapt free of his seat, and Thalia let him without concern for once. He was so hyperactive to hear this, he'd knock himself out before he let the book be interrupted.

Will laughed boisterously in agreement with that, and Nico gave him a side look of admiration, thinking Will might be underestimating himself a bit. If he was the only person who would team up with Nico during this race, Nico would bet his share of no chores Will could be plenty formidable if he put that stubborn streak to good use in a race like this.

"Not even a bow and card to go with it?" Will scoffed, "he needs a lesson in gifting."

"I'm sure you'll teach him with a nice bandage," Nico chuckled, and was surprised to feel a bit of strain on his smile he wasn't used to. Almost like his lips was sore from it.

"Ha!" Percy cried in triumph as if he were imagining smacking Luke in the face with that. What would he ever have done without his little brother!

"I'll remind you of this the next time you say a part time gig flipping burgers won't ever help," Thalia cheered.

Percy was grinning like a fiend to much to even retort back as he shuffled back and forth with excitement and tried not to cause waves in the room.

Will was laughing along and watching the pure fun dance along Nico's dark brown eyes when he decided he could spend every day like this-

Oh Apollo.

Did he have a crush on Nico? When did that happen?

Percy sighed in relief as his smile grew impossibly wide. Pride. That was the elusive feeling he'd been chasing this whole dang quest. He was so proud of Tyson he wished he could ever be strong enough to hug him so hard his baby brother would feel it for the rest of his life.

Percy's cheeks burned red with a blush and he sat quickly back in his seat, only for Thalia to snort and tell the others, "enjoy that shyness while it lasts, they're nauseating by now."

Magnus gave Percy a once over with a very concerning, 'big brother,' kind of look like he was about to receive a shovel speech, and Percy begged Jason to hurry up and finish.

"That one's done," Jason said as he looked around. "Can't be much of this one left."

"Gee, wonder what else it could possibly be," Magnus chuckled as he jumped up and jogged over to take the book. Jason let it go with a reluctance that surprised him as he watched Thalia, grisly images in his minds eye of her coming out of that tree half dead or killing half the camp in her distress of what was going on.

She was just lounging around laughing with Percy though, the two most dangerous demigods on the planet challenging each other to a race when they got back and he was starting to feel a little paranoid just what it was about them that bothered him so much.

PJOPJOPJOPJO

*I count the cannibals' as one, the bulls as two, punching Oreius to escape as three, he saved Annabeth during the Hydra attack which counts here, he helped defeat Polyphemus and had the cash to get the fleece back home. That's six times he saved this quest by my count, but I'd love to hear yours.