Annabeth's POV

Four weeks later

I dreamed I was in the fields of Mars with a boy around my age standing next to me. I was laughing at something he said, not a fake laugh I often gave my fellow legionnaires, but a rare genuine one. He had black hair, and piercing green eyes, that looked like the seas themselves. My dream self continues talking to the boy, but I looked up and could almost see twelve misty figures observing the scene from the fields. Watching us, judging us, arguing about us. I felt as if they held no regard for me, but only my actions. A few of them seemed to look on with pity, as if imaging the horrors that would befall us. I saw one such figure begin to shift towards me. The scene of me and the boy faded away to the mist that seemed to come from all directions. Now this I recognized, out of the mist walked the familiar figure of my mother. She wore a white chiton, and slick black hair made her look regal. Her grey eyes landed swiftly on me, her lips forming a small smile. She always appeared to me as Athena, only occasionally switching to Minerva in the middle of our conversation. She once explained to me that because I was born Greek and raised Roman, she could shift easier between the two. Most of the other gods had no reference point between their different aspects, but she could usually merge them for a short time to talk to me.

"Hi mom…" I trailed off awkwardly, wondering why she had called me here. She only visited my dreams on occasions that usually lead to my almost being found out, at which she would give me some seemingly useless advice, remind me that being found as a Greek demigod would probably start a war and get me killed, and occasionally wishing me happy birthday.

"Trouble is brewing on Olympus," she said, getting right to the point, as usual, "Zeus has restricted all communication between the gods and mortals," her piercing gaze got even sterner as if she was concentrating on not being detected, "Furthermore, an ancient threat looms over the very existence of the gods, and Juno's unwise risks could make the situation worse than it already could be. "

I shake my head, slightly confused. "Why are you telling me this if Zeus has forbidden any communication?"

She glares at me, disappointed. "My wise daughter, I seek to offer you a warning and some advice about the son of Hades you have chosen to confided in." I feel myself blanche suddenly, but she continues, "A decision matching my wisdom. Keep him close—"

"And keep my enemies closer" I finish.

Athena gave me a look of pity " No, daughter, you misunderstand. Do not keep your enemies close, as they could fell Olympus. Know your allies well, and follow the Mark when the time comes. I must let you wake now. Oh and buy a parka before he arrives."

I feel my many questions swirl around my mind as I wake up, with a thin coat of sweat on my forehead. What could possibly be happening on Olympus that would cause Zeus to declare radio silence? Who was this ancient threat? Could it possibly be worse than Saturn? Who in the right mind would buy a parka in California, or for that matter, who would sell one?

I looked out the window to see the October sun glaring down upon the green fields. I heard the other occupants of my barrack rushing around, getting dressed, and talking in whispered tones as to not wake those of us who were still sleeping. I stumbled up to join them, walking past a still slowly waking Hazel on my way to the showers. As I entered the baths, I mused over Hazel 's brother. Nico had returned to camp twice since the day that he brought Hazel to join the legion, both times staying only a few days to check on Hazel, and talk to Annabeth. I wasn't sure exactly what he was reporting to his father, seeing as there was no unusual number of deaths or near death experiences in New Rome, but I didn't question it. I didn't really want to know what the ambassador of Pluto put in those reports as long as I wasn't in any of them, which he has assured me I wasn't. Nico had quickly become one of my closest friends and only confidant within the 12th legion. I told him about my past, how I had ended up here, about my dreams of my mother, and of other strange people I didn't know. He knew them though, or at least most of them. I once described one of the girls I'd seen running up a hill with another young girl, a faun, and an older boy. I'd watched as the girl held off an army of monsters so that the others could escape. I had seen a monster strike her down, and as she died, she was transformed into a pine tree, that seemed to admit almost a kind of magic.

When I told this to Nico, he got a distracted look on his face. "That was Thalia, daughter of Zeus . When she died, her father took pity on her and turned her into a tree. That tree created the border that keeps monsters out of the Greek camp, Camp half blood." This had lead to many hours of conversation about Camp Half Blood. Even though Nico was telling me more than I probably should know about the other camp, I got the impression that he wasn't telling me everything just yet.

I walked out of the bath, feeling refreshed, changed into a Camp Jupiter sweater, and a pair of jeans, and headed to the mess pavilion. Here, in contrast to the barracks, I could hear frantic whispers, but was unable to glean why everyone was so anxious. I sat with Gwen and Dakota, who seemed to be in the middle of an intense silent conversation. My oatmeal was swiftly brought out by the aurae, and I scanned the pavilion, feeling that something wasn't right. I made eye contact with Reyna, sitting at the praetor's table, looking like she was considering killing anybody who looked at her funny. It was then that I realized that Jason wasn't here, which was weird, considering that Jason usually didn't skip breakfast, and when he did, Reyna didn't look so pissed off about it.

I turned back to Gwen and Dakota, who had just realized that I had shown up, and that they were being rude. "Hey where's Jason," I asked, not knowing what had happened, "and why does Reyna look disturbed about it?"

Dakota swallowed his Kool-Aid. "No one knows. He just disappeared, no note, or anything."

"Has anyone checked New Rome?"

Gwen shakes her head frustrated. "That's the first place Reyna looked. No one has seen him there or anywhere else in camp all morning. He's just gone, without a trace."

8 months later

The Jason incident had almost been forgotten. Life went on as usual and I was on patrol duty, with Hazel and Frank, a Chinese Canadian who'd shown up a month ago. The two of them seemed to want to be more than friends but seemed to be mutually friendzoned. They were counting the green cars that went by in Oakland on a long street. Suddenly a boy in an orange shirt carrying an elderly woman, who looked as if she hadn't seen a house in millennia, turned the corner at an alarming rate. He seemed to be pursued. The shirt seemed old and faded as if it was worn often, but it was the boy wearing it that caught my eyes. He looked familiar to me, for some reason that I couldn't place, and lost as if he couldn't remember something, and it couldn't be whatever the old hag had told him. He suddenly looked up at us and Hazel gasped.

"He's a demigod." Like it wasn't obvious. Every step he took seemed to take more effort. Suddenly two monsters came behind him menacingly. I saw them, flinched, and gulped.

"Gorgons! But how? They faded long ago!" Frank yelled as he pulled his bow out and knocked two arrows, each one aiming for a Gorgon, then launched. The Gorgons appeared surprised that they had attackers, but they didn't die, surprisingly.

"That was a direct hit" Frank complained. I didn't blame him. Imperial Gold is deadly to monsters. That should have sent them to Tartarus for sure. By this time, the boy was almost to us. We dashed towards him and he grunted

"The camp… is it over there?" I nodded and helped him into the maintenance tunnel and told Frank and Hazel to hold them off for as long as they could. When were almost through, we heard a big crash and saw them running towards us, the tunnel barely collapsing at their feet. We reached the Little Tiber before the two she-demons came after us.

"Frank, go ahead and alert the camp!" I shouted "We've got this." I drew my dagger and Hazel drew her spartha as this new boy started to cross the Tiber with the woman, and it seemed as if they were having a fierce discussion. Reluctantly he stepped in the river and appeared to have gained a great surge of strength. He pushed through the river, set the woman down and climbed out. As he stood on the bank of the river he held his hands out to the water. Hazel and I were forced to the other river bank as we fought valiantly. The Gorgons looked up in fear and were rapidly pulled into the river. We saw this stranger mashing up the bodies of the monsters.

How can this kid bend water at his whim? I thought as the river conducted three or four whirlpools. Suddenly the whirlpools stopped and the monster-dust flowed down the river. Hazel and I looked at him in awe-filled horror for a few seconds before Frank came back with the 2nd and 4th cohorts, Reyna trailing behind them. It was then I remembered the old lady. Hazel and I crossed the bridge and watched as she grew into a seven foot tall woman, with a goatskin cape. Hera….Juno, whatever.

"I am Juno, Perseus Jackson, and I come with a message for all. The camp is in terrible danger from a threat that is rarely spoken of. I offer this hero, Perseus Jackson, son of Neptune, as means to destroy the enemies of Olympus." She looked down upon me and muttered something in Ancient Greek, which I understood as:

"Minerva has shown favor with you. The journey to the mark is one that none have yet survived. If you are to succeed, you will need this hero." That couldn't be good. Without warning, she started to glow, to show her true form and take leave, which luckily everyone averted their eyes. Soon, the rest of the second and forth cohorts dismissed, so that the only ones at the riverside were me, Hazel, Frank, the apparent Perseus Jackson (who I realized was the boy I was laughing with before my conversation with my mother eight months ago), and Reyna, who was glowering with what I interpreted to be rage, shock, and a strange, almost hesitant curiosity.

"You three" Reyna started, breaking the silence with her harsh tone "get back to patrol, the last thing we need are more monsters today. And you…" She gave Perseus one of the most fear-inspiring looks, to which he looked appropriately unnerved. "Come with me. We seem to have lots to discuss." With that she spun around, her cape twirling a touch more than normal, leading me to believe she'd spun it a little more for a dramatic effect. The son of Neptune looked at us before shrugging and following Reyna up to her office, and by the way he shoved his hands in his pockets a bit too casually, she could tell that Reyna's dramatics had been well placed. He was definitely not looking forward to that meeting. I however, wanted to know what Jackson had done to make Reyna break out her glare. That meeting might tell me, if I could get in…. I looked at both Hazel and Frank, and could tell that they also wanted to know what was up with the attitude that Reyna had shown.

Hazel got a wild look in her eyes. "Hey Annabeth, could you do Frank and I a small favor with your hat?" Frank nodded timidly in agreement.

"Glad I wasn't the only one thinking it," I laughed "I'll tell you what's up the next time I see you."

Hazel nodded "Sounds like a plan, chief." she said as I jogged away to get my magic cap.