Sorry in advance for spelling/grammatical errors.

"And I don't know what to do!" he wrung his hands nervously collapsing on the sidewalk by us.

"Don't worry, Nico. It just…..it doesn't make sense. How do you go to bed twelve and a wake up fifteen, nearly sixteen…?" I pondered, pursing my lips.

"Well……" Timmy looked at me timidly.

"Well what?"

"Well Kronos is the time god…..right?"

"Right….."

"So couldn't he…..if he wanted to….age someone?" Timmy cocked an eyebrow questioningly at me. The dark was eerily bouncing off everyone's features and to be quite frank it was a little scary. We should really get out of this creepy street corner and start getting closer to Percy….or maybe I really just don't want to be in this super scary little town but still……

"…yes he could…" I squeaked.

"But why?" Nico put his head in his hands. I was still trying to get used to this whole Nico being old thing. He looked like an eighteen year old but apparently was only fifteen, sixteen in six days (Percy was sixteen in four), but he acted like a twelve year old. It was hurting my brain a little.

"Because" I sucked in a sharp breathe, realization washing over me. "Because then Nico would be the prophecy kid and Percy wouldn't."

"But Percy's already dead, Kronos should have just waited." Thalia argued. I choked up when she said dead because he wasn't dead, I was very adament about that. Percy was just.....he was just….on vacation and we had to go save –er bring him back from vacation.

"Well he'd have to wait four years, we could get stronger, he could get weaker. It's in his favor right now and obviously he's a little impatient and I mean if you could with a snap of your fingers speed things up, wouldn't you?"

"But that's terrible! I don't want to be the prophecy kid!" Nico toyed with the black shoelaces on his beat up converse.

"Do you think Percy wanted to be the prophecy kid?" I cocked an eyebrow at him and he sheepishly shook his head.

I dipped my finger into a puddle, chewing on my lip. What would it be like if I was the prophecy kid? Hmm....that's interesting thought. I'd beat Kronos. Then my reality check voice decided to argue with my mind. Yeah, uh-huh, Annie. You'd freak. You'd be a wreck and you know you wouldn't be able to kill Luke. It's best Percy's the prophecy kid, you know he can do it. I sighed. My reality check voice was always right. It wasn't fair.

"Well that sucks." Nico sighed.

"Majorly sucks."

"Big time sucks."

"Sucks on ice."

"Sucks big time."

"Sucks a lot."

"Sucks really bad."

"Sucks balls."

"Sucks—wait a second! Timmy did you just say sucks balls?"

"Uh yeah?"

I rolled my eyes. Kids these days…

"So what are we going to do?" Nico lifted his head, shaggy black hair and all, to give me a questioning look.

"Um, well we're on a quest to you know get Percy back so…" I trailed off. So maybe Nico you could help us out and just get your dad to let us get him back that way he's the prophecy kid and……

"And you want me to help you get Percy back…"

"Right you are Nico" Thalia chewed on her lip.

"I'll see what I can—"

And then a puddle on the asphalt starting talking, but of course being demigods we didn't get freaked out, we knew it was just an Iris Message.

"Annabeth? Annabeth?" It was Alex. He was so lucky he was just a floating hologram or I probably would have punched him again. His nose had one of those butterfly clasps on it and he still had a black eye. His blonde hair was all mussed up, like he'd been running his hands through it and tugging on it a lot and his tee-shirt was rumpled like he'd just woken up from a fitful sleep.

"Alex." My fists clenched involuntarily.

"Listen I know you're mad at me but this is important, so hear me out, ok?"

"Yeah, yeah whatever, make it quick."

"Chiron was on Mount Olympus and Apollo said that he heard from Hermes who was told by Hera who heard from Athena who heard from Zeus who heard from Artemis who heard it from a little birdie who heard it—"

"Ok kid! What did he hear! I don't care who heard it from whom!" Thalia cried.

"Ok, jeez, sorry. Kronos is planning an attack on you guys. Chiron said you better get Percy back and fast." He shook his head and wrung his hands out nervously.

"Ok, thanks, Alex."

"Annabeth wait! I'm sorry ok! Be careful! Wait—" He started but I had already waved my hand through the mist, cutting off the message.

Silence. Complete and total silence. I fiddled with a hair elastic on my wrist. I just wanted Percy back. I really needed him, seriously I don't know how much longer I'm going to be able to take this. I need him to be here right now, to hold my hand, to tease me, to….just be Percy. I know, I know I'm supposed to be strong, to be able to do this on my own. But I can't. I just can't.

"So Kronos is coming to attack us…" Timmy said, chewing on his lip.

"And I guess that means we better get moving."

Nobody moved. We all sat on our lazy, sorry butts pitying ourselves. But we couldn't pity ourselves we had to get moving and now. So I hopped to my feet, I mean it is my quest and started walking. Better find a train station or something.

"Annabeth, I have this way we can travel…."Nico tapped me on the shoulder and I nearly shrieked again. I was still trying to get used to this whole old Nico thing.

"Well spit it out, boy, we don't have all eternity here!" Thalia cried.

"Ok, well I'm gonna need some hellhounds and then…it's called shadow-traveling." Nico looked hesitant before inserting two fingers into his mouth and letting out a long, high pitched whistle. Two hellhounds appeared out of nowhere, bounding and licking our faces and knocking us to the ground. Mrs. O'Leary and friend.

"Ok just hop on and she'll take it from there." Nico explained, getting his hellhounds to calm down.

"Here Timmy, you and I can share." I nodded to Mrs. O'Leary and Timmy grinned excitedly and mounted the dog. He looked like a little kid riding an elephant at the circus. I rolled my eyes at the giddy boy and hopped on behind him. Thalia hopped on the other one.

"Ok Mrs. O'Leary, Nellie, you ready?" Nico looked at the hellhounds with a grin. They panted and drooled. Ick.

And then they stepped into the shadows and I felt like I couldn't breathe. But just as quickly as the darkness had came it was over. We were no longer in the creepy suburb but rather in a dry, wheat field. This would have been nice if it weren't for the whole Luke being right there and the army of monsters behind him.

We were royally screwed.

"Uh-oh" Timmy looked at me. He didn't look scared, he looked determined, like "lets-go-kick-some-monster-butt."

"Annabeth?" Nico looked at me with big black eyes, filled with fear and worry. "This is bad, this is really bad."

Yes, Nico may look like he's nineteen, be fifteen, and act like a clueless school boy but his eyes were that of a confused twelve year old and I could totally relate. The eyes tell it all.

"Yes Nico this is bad, very bad indeed."

I am soooooo sorry for the wait. I was on vacation for the past two and half weeks and before that school was busy. I promise, pretty promise, I'll update by Monday if I get ten reviews. I really, really am sorry. You have every right to hate me. Well you know the deal "You know you want to, clickety, clickety on the review button" and of course "Over and out."