Disclaimer: Rick Riordan owns Percy Jackson and the Olympians and Heroes of Olympus. We are not Rick Riordan. Therefore we don't own PJO or HOO. Simple as that.

Ben

Chiron's words hung in the air like a fog. Except fogs don't bring omens of death and destruction. The council of demigods is still. Then Zoee stands up. What is she doing? I think.

"It's obvious, isn't it? I have to lead this quest." She declares. I stare at her, eyes wide.

"Zoee, the monsters are out for revenge on your father. The monsters will come after you-" Chiron is interrupted by her:

"Which is exactly why I have to go. If I do then maybe the monsters will come after me and ignore the camp. I can't let them destroy the camp just to get me." Chiron nods sadly, as if he knew that was what she would say. How could he let her go? I think, She'll get killed! Unless…

"Then I have to come too." I say, jumping to my feet. "Percy is my godfather." Zoee glares at me and we have a silent stare down until someone else pipes up:

"That means I have to go too." Emily says. No! She's too young! I think. Chiron nods again. Can't he stop her? Or is he just going to act like a bobble-head?

"Well, that's three demigods. The prophecy says we need six and a satyr." Immediately two hands go up. Forest and Amanda, a girl in my archery class.

"I know the north better than anyone." Amanda says.

"And I know about the monsters." Says Forest.

"And Zoee's my best friend." Says Mary, who has apparently snuck in to the meeting. Guess it's a descendant of Hermes thing.

"Yes, you shall be a part of the quest." Chiron says, not even questioning why Mary is here, "But we still need one more demigod."

"Jay." Says a voice, and we all turn. The voice has come from the floating owl over Jay's head. Wait, when did that get there? There are a couple minutes of confusion, and then we realize that he's been claimed. By Athena. Jay just sits there, a mildly curious expression on his face.

"Hail Jay, son of Athena, goddess of wisdom." Says Chiron

"And the sixth demigod on this quest." Adds the owl. Jay looks slightly miffed that it's volunteering him without his permission.

"What say you, Jay? Shall you go on this quest?" Jay nods slowly, and Chiron continues, "Then we have our seven. You will depart in the morning. Now off to your cabins.

The meeting dissolves and I try to find Zoee. Instead I run into my sister. I grab her arm as she's walking away.

"Why did you volunteer?" I whisper-yell at her. "We're probably all going to die!" She spins and I think I see tears in her eyes.

"Don't you think I know that?" She hisses back, "Do you think I'm so selfish that I'd let the camp get destroyed to keep me safe?" She yanks her arm from my grasp and jogs toward the empty Hades cabin. I just stand there, stunned. I haven't seen this side of her before. I still think of her as the nine-year-old girl who would laugh just for the fun of it. Maybe I need to start actually seeing her, instead of seeing what I think of her. As I climb into my bed in the Ares cabin, these thoughts fill my head. As usual, instead of getting a healthy, restful sleep, I come down with a bad case of Demigod Dreams. This time I'm standing in a completely white room about the size of a classroom except there's only one desk, right at the front. Behind it, sits a fat lady in a horrible denim dress. Echidna. I have a sudden urge to throw out all my jeans, but I ignore it, and concentrate on the scene in front of me. The lady is talking to someone on a cell phone.

"Yeah. Uh-huh. Of course. No, it's not a dumb reason to spend my money. I WANT REVENGE! That Jackson fool escaped me. He made me look WEAK! I must uphold my honor! No. Yes. I can't attack Jackson; they made me swear on Styx. No. Of course. No, I want the EXTRA-large hydra. Ok. Bye."

So Echidna is out for revenge, and if she can't attack Zoee's parents, she'll go after Zoee herself. Which means-

"Oh, hello there." My blood turns to ice as I realize Echidna is talking to me. How can she see me? Usually I'm invisible in dreams. "I heard you and your little friends are coming to get me." She lets out a high-pitched laugh. "Can't wait. It'll be easier for me to kill you if you come to my place. I'll stay alert." She winks and smiles winningly. Then she waves at me with one hand and darkness overcomes me.

I wake to the sound of screaming and punching. For most people this would be a bit unnerving, but I've been with my cabin mates for over two years, and I'm used to it. As the campers beat each other up, I dress and pack for the quest. Clothes, toothbrush, extra bow and arrows. Everything you need for an average half-blood road trip. When I finish, I snatch up my duffel bag and head for the door, ducking flying fists on the way. I get to the Big House and find Amanda already waiting there. For some reason, it seems like my heart is beating faster.

"Hey." I say, very eloquently. She smiles, and starts braiding her hair over her shoulder.

"Ready to die?" She asks cheerfully.

"Um… Sure?" I respond. "But how about we try not to?"

"Of course. That's why I brought weapons." She holds up a hairclip and twists it. Instantly, she's holding a full-size bow. I've been jealous of her bow for years, except if it was mine, I'd like it to turn into something manlier than a hairpin. She sees the envy on my face, smirks, and turns it back to a hairpin. She then shoves it in her hair. Eventually, the other members of our little Doom Group show up, and we say goodbye to our friends, receive some cash and ambrosia squares from Chiron and head off down the hill and out into a world where dozens of monsters are out to kill us.

A/N: You didn't tell me you were in a relationship, Athena. Who's Jay's daddy? –Aphrodite

Like you wouldn't know. -Athena