Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson or any related characters! Please, please, PLEASE review if you read; all feedback is greatly appreciated. You all are awesome, and thank you for reading my story!

Percy woke up in his own bed at 6:47, having thirteen minutes to make it to the Big House. He realized that he was in the Poseidon Cabin and immediately remembered his meltdown the previous night. Percy covered his face with a pillow. The big Greek hero with the beautiful girlfriend, amazing mother and spectacular powers had cried last night. He hadn't just cried though; he cried in the arms of Thalia Grace. It's not like he and Thalia weren't good friends, they were, it was just…Percy wasn't sure if he had helped Thalia break her oath. Though it was not anything romantic, he doubted Hunters walked around hugging, crying with, and comforting boys as well as allow them to fall asleep with their heads in the Hunters' laps. Percy didn't know if Thalia felt like it was weird, because he was prepared to apologize if it was. He knew he definitely wanted to thank her for being there for him the previous night and not deciding that he needed space like the others.

He whisked through his room to brush his hair and teeth, wash his face, put on lotion, deodorant, and cologne. Percy threw on a dark blue shirt with faded black jeans. He jogged to the Big House. The cold air provided no escape from the heat rising to Percy's face. He felt antsy, but not about the meeting…about Thalia. At 7:00 a.m., the counselors plus Chiron and Grover were back in the Big House. A few of them were chatting about having to tiptoe outside so they wouldn't wake the rest of their cabin.

Chiron called the meeting to order just as Thalia had walked into the room. She had on a black and gray bomber jacket, a black T-shirt underneath, and black jeans. Her hair was worn down and it flowed down to her mid-chest. She made eye contact with Percy and the hairs on his neck stood up. He turned away quickly and towards Chiron.

"Does anyone have any decisions as to what should be done regarding this situation with Cyrene and Annabeth?" Chiron swept his gaze over the room. The counselors seemed to shrink under his eye. Percy knew what he needed to do. He stood up and looked at everyone in the room. "I need to go on a mission. To Oakland Hills, California."

Chiron raised an eyebrow. "To do what?"

"To visit Camp Jupiter," Percy lied easily. "The Iris-Messages aren't working, so I believe that I need to go to Camp Jupiter to see if Annabeth is already there. I also want to check on Camp Jupiter, because if this is one person who is doing this, they're going for everything I love."

Chiron regarded Percy for a bit, then nodded his head. "If you want to, you may go on a quest."

Percy shook his head. "Not a quest. A mission. It'll be a quick trip, there and back."

He didn't feel like going to consult Rachel about the trip, nor did he feel like hearing some big prophecy surrounding his sister and girlfriends' fates. Percy had a lack of concrete answers regarding where his sister and where his girlfriend was, and that was frustrating to him. He had planned to take Apollo's old advice and go find Old Nereus. Once he captures Nereus, he'll be able to find out exactly where Cyrene and Annabeth were. Grover stopped staring at Percy and stood up. All eyes turned to the satyr. "I'll join you. We need to check on Camp Jupiter as soon as we can."

Chiron eyed Percy. The latter felt like Chiron could always see straight through him. The centaur cleared his throat instead of calling Percy out on his suspicions. "Percy, will you take one more on your adventure? Though it is not a quest, I do believe three is a number that is manageable, yet strong."

Percy knew he should've picked Jason, or Malcolm, or even Piper, but he immediately said, "Thalia." He turned to look at her and she was grinning. She stood up and nodded. "Of course, Kelp Head. Let's do this."

Percy was glad things weren't weird between the two of them. He turned towards Chiron. "I have my partners."

Chiron nodded. "Go pack then. Be ready to leave in a half hour. I will visit the stables and have pegasi ready for your travels. The rest of you, go update your cabins on what is happening and commence with regular activities for the day. We don't want them to become preoccupied with something that doesn't concern them…yet."

The counselors filed out and Percy headed out last. He stopped and turned when he heard Chiron call his name. The teacher sighed and bowed his head slightly. "Do be careful with emotions. They can be positive things, as they can help enhance your abilities or can keep you out of harm's way. They can also be tricky things and nearly impossible to control. If you try to complete a mission led by emotions, you may end up in Hades. Do you understand what I'm trying to tell you?" Percy wasn't sure if Chiron meant Hades literally or figuratively, but he nodded nonetheless. He needed to go on this quest…mission…with as clear a head as possible; anger is as effective of a killer as a sword.

Percy stepped out the door and jogged to the Poseidon Cabin. He rummaged through his duffel bag and took out Tyson's new wristwatch he gave Percy. Percy clicked it and it expanded into a new, golden and green shield with a trident in the middle. The shield had straps that he could sling on like a backpack. He put on the harness, then put the shield on his back. He tightened it so the shield fit snugly. He uncapped Riptide and regarded the sword for a second. He capped it again and it shrunk back to a pen. He pulled on some combat boots and some cargo pants, but kept the dark blue shirt. He made sure his armor was in his duffel bag. Percy took a bag of ambrosia along with some golden drachmas and put both in his bag. He took one last look at the Poseidon cabin, silently thanked Tyson and Poseidon, and walked to the beach once more.

"You know I think about you every time I see the sea."

Percy turned to see Jason walking up to him. His orange shirt contrasted with the SPQR tattoos on his arm and the scars on him, making him look like an elite Camp Half-Blood warrior. Percy figured that's what he might look like. Now that Percy had combat boots on, compared to Jason's sneakers, Percy was an inch taller than Jason. His blue eyes bore into Percy's, just as his sister does.

Percy turned back to the sea. "Yeah, well, I think about my family when I look to the sea. Years from now, I saw myself taking my family on a private cruise out on the ocean and letting my children into my world. I would have loved it if they loved the sea as much as I did. But in light of recent events, I've been thinking…maybe I should stay away from the sea. It's brought me just as much pain as it has joy."

Jason looked out to the sea as well. The waves didn't seem to crash as aggressively when the son of Zeus turned his gaze on them. "Whether your family knows this part of your life or not, they will love you. And just as you would want to know them inside and out, I'm sure that they would want to get to know every part of you."

Percy's throat constricted when a thought entered his head. "What if I find both of them, but I need to choose between Cyrene or Annabeth? I don't think I would be able to make that choice."

Jason shook his head. "We've been demigods too long, man. That's not up to you to make that decision. So don't. Save both of them. Find a way to do so. We're not Titans, and we're not gods. We're human. I know that when the time comes, you'll make the right decision."

Percy fought the urge to smile. "Now you sound like my mother."

Jason flashed him a grin. "Is that such a bad thing?" He clapped Percy's shoulder and trekked up the beach with his hands in his pockets. Piper was waiting around the area where the grass turns into sand. She had one of Jason's purple Camp Jupiter shirts on, and was hugging her arms to protect against the cool, morning sea breeze. Percy was glad that Jason had found someone that he can have peace with. Camp Half-Blood had divided into two factions; Team Jasper vs. Team Percabeth. They were split as to which couple was cuter, which couple's dynamic they preferred, which one was going to last the longest, etc. Percy wasn't sure that he liked being a Twilight-themed couple, especially since the merged names sounded like actual first names to him. He figured that things could get weird very quickly if they ever met a Jasper or a Percabeth.

Percy stayed on the beach for a bit, then headed back towards the grass. He looked to his left, towards the forest, and saw Thalia with her battle gear. She had on a black shirt with black-and-gray camo pants, with combat boots. Her arrows were slung over her shoulder and her spear was resting across her back. She was behind a tree, listening to something. Percy immediately went into reconnaissance mode and tiptoed to where Thalia was, just as Lupa taught. He felt at a different kind of home when in the forest thanks to Lupa's intense training. Thalia, as a Hunter, probably felt the same way. Though he was half trying to be quiet, he was also half trying to scare Thalia. Unfortunately, she sensed him easily and put her finger on his mouth without turning. They looked on opposite sides of a large oak tree and Percy saw Grover and Juniper arguing.

Juniper wore a brown dress, and green tears were flowing down. "Grover, you said that everything with Gaea was going to be the last excursion. The LAST ONE! And now you're leaving again, and I don't know if I can handle it."

Grover sighed. "Juniper, I will be fine. I have two of the most powerful demigods in modern history-"

Thalia and Percy bumped fists.

"-with me on this trip. It will only be a few days and I will be right back."

Juniper shook her head and leaves fell out. "You're not listening. What if you don't come back? I will feel guilty for the rest of my days that I didn't try hard enough to stop you. What if you die? What if the same person who took Annabeth and who took Cyrene takes you?! I don't know what I'd do. Percy always drags you into these extremely dangerous missions and just assumes that you're going to join him. Does he ever come to me? Will he come to my tree and tell me that my Grover is dead one day? To him, you're a warrior. But to me, you're my Grover. My engyesis."

Thalia and Percy did not feel like bumping fists.

Thalia looked at Percy with wide eyes and mouthed, "Engyesis."

In ancient Greek, engyesis meant being someone's fiancé. Percy felt terrible. He felt bad for not staying in contact with Grover enough to even know he was engaged, and he felt like he really was torturing Juniper by constantly asking her to give up her fiancé for a deadly battle full of merciless monsters/enemies. Thalia and Percy looked at each other. Thalia had concern in her eyes and Percy's eyes probably mirrored that same sentiment. They came to a silent decision and they both crept away, avoiding sticks, large spots of leaves, and anything else that would've given them away.

Thalia and Percy walked towards the Big House. Thalia sighed. "Our Grover is engaged."

Percy kept his eyes forward. "Yeah…I feel bad. Should we even take Grover on this mission?"

Thalia pursed her lips. "I'm not sure. He would be a good addition, and he and I's relationship to Annabeth makes us good candidates to search for her. However, he's a grown goat. We should leave it up to him."

They arrived at the Big House and heard Grover jogging up from the forest. They stopped before they entered so Grover could catch up. He had on a breastplate and two large hunting knives that reminded Percy of Ares. Percy did a double take and Thalia seemed impressed.

"Wow…those are large," he pointed out.

Grover smiled. "Yes, yes they are."

Thalia put a hand on his shoulder. "Grover, are you sure you want to go on this mission? You have Juniper to think about. Do you think that she is okay with it?"

Grover sniffed. "She is worried, but she's always worried. I've led the nymphs and satyrs into battle against Gaea. I am the emissary of Pan and I'm on the Council of the Cloven. I fight my hardest to preserve wildlife. I do my best to do as much as I can for this planet. Honestly, I don't know if I could live with myself if I didn't join the quest to find Annabeth. I have this deep desire to do as much good as I can, and Juniper knows that. And just between the three of us, I have yet to tell the camp…I'm engaged to Juniper! So I'm definitely coming back for that."

Grover's wide grin made both Thalia and I smile and laugh. In a rare moment, we were 13 years old again, screaming and yelling in excitement for Grover's engagement. We exchanged hugs and congratulations until Chiron opened the door like a skeptical parent of some guy's date for the night. He raised his eyebrows until we quieted down and followed him through the Big House in embarrassment. He led us through the back door and standing there were three pegasi. The first was Blackjack, who winked at me when he saw me. The second was a white-haired Pegasus, who Percy immediately recognized as Porkpie. There was another cream-colored Pegasus, who Percy recognized as Guido, someone who helped him in the Battle of Manhattan.

Chiron gestured towards the Pegasi. "These will be your rides to San Francisco. On a regular plane, traveling non-stop, one would get there in about six hours. After pulling a few strings though, these Pegasi have been blessed by Hermes for this very endeavor. This means they will be going at super-sonic speeds. They will be traveling on the winds. Your commute should be shortened to about two and a half hours."

Grover and Thalia cheered and hopped on Guido and Porkpie, respectively. Percy felt nothing but gratitude. Chiron always came through whenever he needed to and he always gave Percy what he needs to succeed. He could not have asked for a better teacher, or a better mentor. Percy smiled up at Chiron who returned the smile to his former student. "And you, be careful. I don't think I will keep my favor with the gods if I am responsible for the death of Poseidon's favorite son."

Percy nodded. "Chiron, I will come back. With something concrete."

Chiron shifted nervously. "And…remember, Percy. Vengeance is one of the most powerful enemies that everyone faces at one point or another. Keep that in mind whenever you find out who took Annabeth and your sister."

Percy looked towards Blackjack. Instead of nodding or agreeing, Percy just locked eyes with Chiron and hopped on Blackjack. Percy looked over at his two friends and they were smiling towards Percy. He concluded that he wouldn't want to be going on this mission with anybody else. With one beckon, Blackjack and the other Pegasi took off in the air and with a sonic boom, flung through the sky.