Well, I got bored. Big surprise there, huh? Anyway, here's chapter 7: Worried.

7/

Thalia's POV

I frowned as I watched the Athena kids argue. I was standing at the back of their cabin, waiting to talk to Sophie Salazar while they fought over….whatever they were fighting about.

"GUYS! She's just the daughter of—"

"SPY!"

"—the odds that she's another Silena—"

"—65 percent out of—"

"—she can't be another Silena, who's she contacting?"

"Hecate, dumbass!"

"—even if she was a spy, how's she doing it? She's not Anastasia—"

"Please! You've never even met Anastasia—"

"Will the two of you shut up? Neither of you've met Anastasia! Anyway—"

"—Tatiana's too soft, she can't be a spy—"

"What if she's just acting?"

"Will you stop interrupting me?"

BANG. "—'CAUSE IT FEELS LIKE AN OVERDOSE!

OH, OH, EVACUATE THE DANCEFLOOR!

OH, OH, I'M INFECTED BY THE SOUND!

OH, OH, STOP, THIS BEAT IS KILLING ME—"

"CONNOR, GET OUT!" Books, pillows, paper, and everything within reach pelted Connor Stoll with almost perfect precision.

"Travis, WHAT DID WE TELL YOU? We're SO NOT DOING THIS!" The music was cut off with a well-aimed letter opener, barely missing the second Stoll twin giggling in the corner.

"DON'T YOU REMEMBER THE MICHAEL JACKSON FIASCO? GET THE HELL OUT!" The door slammed.

Sophie Salazar blew her blonde hair out of her eyes. "Okay. New project: how to kill Connor and Travis Stoll."

There was a murmur of agreement. I chuckled darkly to myself. "Soph, I've been waiting for like an hour. Can we please talk now?"

They blinked at me, as if just realizing I was there—which they probably were. Sophie went business-like. "Owen, you go put tabs on a new file for Travis and Connor. Alec, go grab a battle map of Long Island. Malcolm, start calculating the percentages. Ashley, keep studying. Abigail, keep an eye on the twin devils. Juliet, come with me. We have plans to draw up. Go."

The Athena kids immediately zoomed into action. Owen Lore dashed over to some filing cabinets. Alec Salazar dived for the shelves of scrolls on the other side of the room. Juliet Keenan was glued to Sophie's side. Malcolm McKinley [A/N: I didn't know his last name, so I made one up] sat down and started scribbling on a piece of paper. Abigail Carter ran out the door.

"We're busy right now," one of the little Athena girls, Ashley, smiled up at me. "Come back later."

I sighed, but left. So much for asking their help. I squinted up at the sun. 1:47? 1:48? 1:48. Sigh. I was bored. Nothing to do but train and train and train. Yippee.

"Quiet, isn't it?" I turned to see the Oracle sitting by the campfire, with a little girl in a brown dress sitting beside her.

"Thalia," the girl spared a smile. "Sit."

I didn't have a choice but to join them. I bowed my head. "Lady Hestia."

The goddess smiled, her red eyes glowing. "Hello, my dear. It has been long since you have spoken to me."

"It has," I agreed carefully.

"We were discussing our situation," Summer informed. "Lady Hestia has a good theory." Thunder clapped suddenly, drawing our attention to the sky for a moment.

"A theory," Hestia repeated. "One my brother apparently does not approve of."

"Dad's never had an open mind, Auntie."

"No," she murmured. "Never has. He always needs someone to help him. First it was Rhea, then it was Metis, and now it's Athena." The sky rumbled again, but we both ignored it.

"Mortals are stupid," I said finally.

"Mortals are narrow-minded," Hestia corrected gently. "They are disoriented by their glimpse of our world. They do not know what they saw, but they believe it is wrong, regardless of our attempts to calm them."

"There aren't any prophecies that predicted this," Summer said, frowning slightly.

"Perhaps because no one asked," Hestia suggested.

"Maybe," I said, thinking. "Is Percy okay?"

Summer blinked at me. Even the goddess frowned in surprise. I'd never cared about that before, so I guess that was pretty shocking. "I don't know," Summer said finally. "Percy hasn't IM'd Alice yet."

Silence. "Annabeth better be okay," I muttered. "If Kelp Head did anything stupid, I'm gonna rip his arms off."

Hestia smiled. "How are you, my dear?"

"Fine," I said shortly. Summer raised an eyebrow at me, as if she knew I was lying. "What?" I snapped. "Everything is fine."

Summer sighed out of nowhere. "Simon's waiting for me. I have to go." She got up, giving the other us an apologetic glance.

No! I wanted to yell. Don't leave me alone with her! But Summer smiled and left, dancing away on light feet. I watched her go away regretfully. I didn't like spending time with gods. Not even this one. Hestia's voice drew her attention.

"Something wrong, child?"

"No," I said curtly.

The little girl's face was knowing. "Please, Thalia. I am a goddess, regardless of stature. I know things."

I glowered at her. "Fine. I'm worried."

Hestia sat back in pleasure. "Yes. About Annabeth?"

I hesitated. "Partly."

"Oh?" Hestia raised an eyebrow.

"Tatiana Taylor," was all I would say.

Hestia's mouth slowly changed to a frown. "Yes." The two of us simultaneously turned to the left, towards the black obsidian cabin in the west wing. "You are worried she will become another Silena." It wasn't a question.

"Yeah," I said. "I didn't know Silena all that well. She wasn't my friend. To me she was just another snotty Aphrodite girl. But now everyone's going on and on about how she was a hero, when she was really a traitor."

The goddess's glowing red eyes made me cringe. "You do not believe the camp should be honoring Silena."

"I didn't say that. I—" I stopped. "I just don't want Tatiana to be the opposite." I stood up before Hestia could open her mouth. "I have to go," I said abruptly. "Archery."

The mortals backed away as I got to the boundary line. They seemed pretty terrified of me, so they ran off. Good.

I knew I wasn't supposed to be there, but like Alice's stupid rules are gonna hold me back? Pshh. Besides, if any mortal tries to get in, I've got Aegis. And my spear.

"You're pretty."

I looked down in surprise at the little boy half my size, grinning up at me. He held a blue blanket under his arm.

I frowned at him. "Scram, kid."

But he just grinned wider. "I hope one day you'll be my girlfriend."

"Don't get your hopes up."

"Marcello!" a girl screamed from down the hill. "Get away from her!"

"I like her, Celia!" the boy screamed back. But he smiled at me again, then ran off, leaving me confused.

"Stupid kid," I muttered. I turned my attention to my tree, where Peleus the dragon was curled up, sleeping. I sat next to him, stroking his scaly head. He opened one golden eye in suspicion, but when he saw it was me, he went back to sleep. Good old Peleus and me have a weird, special connection.

"I don't like this," I told him. "Mortals are going to attack."

"Not just mortals."

The voice made me jump, but when I turned around, I wasn't surprised to see Nico di Angelo slipping out of the shadows.

"Do you always sneak up on people like that?" I asked, irritated.

"Do you always talk to yourself?" he countered.

I pursed my lips. "Whatever."

He sat down on my other side, ignoring my scooting slightly away from him. "The dead are coming too. I can feel them awakening."

"Creepy," I muttered, but he didn't hear me. I raised my voice. "Um, Nico, could you do a favor for me?" Whoa, that wasn't what I wanted to say.

But Nico looked at me. "Depends on what it is."

"I want you to find someone for me," I said. "In the Underworld." The words were coming from somewhere deep down, buried so far in not even I was supposed to uncover them. Ever.

"Who?" Nico asked patiently.

I leaned closer and whispered a name in his ear. He looked at me in surprise, but he closed his eyes in concentration.

"Do you see anything?" I asked eagerly.

"No," he said at last. "There's the original—"

"Um, yeah, thanks," I interrupted. He got the message. We stayed quiet for a while, until I couldn't stand the silence anymore (thanks, ADHD). "Are you ready for a war?" I said.

Nico didn't answer for a minute. "No one is," he said finally. "Even the ones starting it. But it's inevitable."

His words were so intellectual. Weird. I was used to seeing Nico as a little kid, obsessed with black and death—and avenging his sister. But now he seemed so grown-up. Older. Shadowed. I fingered my Green Day button, bored. Peleus snorted steam into my face. Ew.

"Thalia?" Nico said after a minute.

"What?"

"…your tree is ugly."

"Your face is gonna be ugly when I'm done with you."

Annabeth's POV

I watched Tony poke Percy in the face. Over and over and over. Percy didn't wake up. I rolled my eyes. "He's worse than you," I told Tony.

He sniffed. "He wishes."

"I think he's having a nightmare," I said. "How should we wake him up?"

He blinked. "You mean wake up a sleeping boy like Percy? You cold, cold stone bitch." He ducked as I swiped at him, thinking about it. "He'll just wake up on his own, screaming. I guess you're right; not waking him up would be a waste." He tapped his chin. "We could use the me-system."

"Draw on his face?" I said. "No. What about…the Ashby system?"

Tony gasped. "Annie, I never thought I'd hear those words come out of your mouth. You're talking about tying a sleeping teenager to the back of a car and flooring it in a different direction here."

"That's what I just said."

"I think I love you."

"Shut up and help me."

"Are you sure no one's going to see us?" I couldn't help being skeptical about Tony's choice of location. "'Cause this is considered assault."

"Like we haven't done this before," Tony said, starting the car. Then he froze, realizing what he'd said. "Um, I mean, no one's around. Plus, this is technically grand larceny, right?"

I eyed him over the 'done this before' part, but I turned around to peer out the back window. "Good thing he's invulnerable."

"Or he'd be f***ed up," Tony added.

I punched him. "I'm telling Penelope."

"Annabeth!"

"Drive already!" He slammed on the gas. The tires screeched, and our bodies were pressed against the seats. I turned to watch Percy wake up.

"GAH! TONY! –choke- OW! STOP THE DAMN CAR! –spits- WAS THAT A FISH? GET ME THE HELL OFFA HERE! I'M GONNA—OW!"

Tony and I had to hold on to each other so we didn't fall over, we were laughing so hard. Tears were streaming down Tony's face. My sides started hurting. We were still laughing—even harder—when we finally let Percy back in the car, who shoved Tony out of the driver's seat to take his place.

It took a while for us to calm down, but when we did, we wanted to laugh all over again. I bit my lip to keep myself from grinning again. Tony had to cover his mouth. We both tried not to look at each other.

"Percy?" Tony asked all of a sudden, recovered.

"What?" Percy said testily.

"Would you mind if we played a simple, harmless traditional American car game on the way to D.C.?"

Percy considered it. I realized what game Tony was talking about and opened my mouth, but it was too late. Percy barely got the "Fine" out of his mouth when—

"BLUE ONE!" Tony screamed, punching me hard.

"Ow!" I snapped. I lashed out and punched him in the jaw.

"OW! Gods, I didn't peg you that hard!" he protested, rubbing his chin. "And you can't hit anyone unless you see a Bug!"

"I just did," I responded. I punched him again.

The next half hour was an all-out Slug Bug war between Tony, me, and Percy. I was getting tired of the game quick, so I punched Tony in the face one last time, and sat back quietly against my seat, dodging his fist.

Tony knew when the game was over. By some miracle, he was quiet too. We sat in silence. I stared out the window, lost in my own thoughts.

Eris. It was her fault the whole Helen of Troy fiasco happened. That war was way too bloody. Everybody killing one another, if I remember right. Hector slaying Patroclus, Achilles murdering Hector, Paris killing Achilles, Philoctetes shooting Paris, blah, blah, blah. All that happened because Thetis and Peleus pissed Eris off. All because she didn't get invited to their wedding.

And here we were, going to…what? Capture her? Eris was a goddess.

I must have been wearing my "thinking face", because Percy laced his fingers in mine and told me my head might explode if I keep doing what I'm doing.

"You mean your head might explode," I said, scowling.

He smiled briefly. "What are you thinking?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" I tugged my hand away, folding my arms instead.

"Sorry," I heard him mutter.

I turned toward him, unable to resist the smile on my face. "What was that?"

"I'm sorry," he grumbled. "You mood's not so happy when your best friend and your girlfriend tie you to a car and drive."

"Fine. I'm sorry too." I felt the urge to kiss him on the cheek, but I was too aware of Tony in the backseat. I held myself back.

Percy seemed cheerier. "So any plan on capturing Eris?"

Tony lunged forward. "Bear trap!"

"No."

"Bear mace?"

"Not a chance."

"…bear soup?"

"Tony." I rolled my eyes.

"What?"

"Shut up."

Percy's POV

Annabeth was asleep on my shoulder. I loved her expression: frustrated, but sort of pleased at the same time. I wondered if she was taking a test or something in your dream.

Tony was texting rapidly in the backseat. My first thought was Penelope, but he made a face so weird that it made me rethink that.

"Idiot." Annabeth's voice pulled my eyes back to her. She was pouting, her forehead wrinkled, in that confusion face she hates so much. I knew there was only one person she would call an idiot so many times, even when she was sleeping. I wondered if she was dreaming about me.

A sign passed by: Washington D.C. – 3 miles

The freeway, surprisingly, was empty. I knew nothing about D.C., but red-eye flights were pretty popular, right? Shouldn't there be traffic or something?"

"You love her, don't you?" Tony's voice made me jump.

"What?" I said.

He smiled without looking up. "Dude, don't play dumb. I'm not blind. Or blonde. She loves you too."

"Tony, we've only been dating—"

"Three years," Tony interrupted. "Percy, you can't just let this run its course and die. Do something. Tell her. Propose, for all I care."

"Says you," I glanced back at him. "You haven't gotten anywhere with Penelope. You're only texting her."

"Shut up, I'm texting Nico," he grumbled. "And who said I was dating Penny?"

"She lets you call her Penny, for one. And there's Travis and Connor Stoll. They're telling everyone."

"Look, deal with your own relationship problems before you get into mine. And that's their funeral right there." Silence settled between us. Then, "How far are we?"

"A couple miles or so," I replied.

"Where're we going again?"

"D.C. What's up with you?"

"Nothing," he promised. "Just…just worried, I guess."

"Aren't we all?" I muttered.

Order POV

Hanna Gonzales's eyes narrowed. Sparks flew as she pressed her dirk on the sharpening stone, but she wasn't paying attention.

"Stop staring so hard," Johnny Nickels, beside her, chided. "She'll whip you till she sees your bones."

Hanna's eyes dropped, but her expression didn't change. "I don't like this."

"You don't like anything."

Hanna didn't respond. Humor wasn't valued in the Order. Not much but fighting skills were.

She was watching them. The new members. Jessica and Eliana were sitting near the kitchen, heads close, mouths moving fast. What they were talking about, Hanna didn't know.

Anastasia, back to her former health, was flirting shamelessly with Damien Morneau by the bunks. Sofia Foss had Ryan Marshall pinned to the floor, with Karapet Nychta attempting to pull her off by her hair.

Julius Night was trying to beat Carissa Johnson at poker, but Carissa's photographic memory was proving the victor; Julius had already lost more than $50 to her.

Megan and Michael Morgan were practicing their tracking: Megan blindfolded Michael, hid his iPod, then made him find it with only his powers.

"I don't like them," Hanna said finally, forcing herself to look down at her dirk as she pulled it, glowing slight red, from the sharpening stone.

"I know." Johnny's blue eyes watched Jessica and Eliana with a mixture of suspicion and interest, as a cat would watch its prey. As if he wasn't sure about them.

In truth, none of them were.

Not after Tess and Leo.

Jessica Marina kept her eyes down, freezing and unfreezing the glass of water at her side. She could feel their eyes on her. They didn't trust her.

Eliana seemed to sense Jessica's thoughts. "They don't trust us, we don't trust them," she warned. But Jessica didn't trust Eliana any more than she trusted the Order.

Jessica wasn't weak. Living on the streets for fourteen years made her into a heartless machine. Perfect for the Order.

Eliana was far worse. Jessica had been abandoned at birth, thanks to her mother, Khione. But Eliana…

She'd not only been left to die, but was found by the Latin gangs in the lower part of New York. Jessica didn't know much else about her, except she'd had a hard life with the gangs; drugs, alcohol, moving money. If Jessica was a machine, then Eliana was the Terminator.

Jessica didn't remember how she got caught up in the Order. She met Eliana on the streets, when she was escaping from the Russian mob. Jessica had saved her life (by freezing the mob, but not the point), but sort of regretted it ever since. Eliana was distant and withdrawn, ready to kill at the drop of a pin. Jessica didn't like her. But Eliana was Jessica's only friend.

At least, for now.

If you recognized that little scene with waking up Percy, just ignore that. It never happened. Seriously, it's gone except for here. Anyways, what do you think Annabeth was dreaming about? Was it Percy? Or was it someone else? And we all know Percabeth was meant to be, so thanks to Tony for actually getting the serious idea into Percy's head. Speaking of Tony, how do you all think he's holding up? Still torn between Penelope and dead Jasie, isn't he? And as for the Order, well, that's a little more than self-explanatory.

Oh, and if you want to know what's gonna happen next, well, you're just going to have to wait, aren't you? Don't worry. I get bored easily. And besides, I won't be able to hold back next chapter's intense scenes forever. *wink wink*

Mwah.

~ Alice ~