Let it commence.

Annabeth

"It appears we have run into each other by chance," Octavian said. He pulled out a knife and held it loosely at his side. Bethany and Frank were both held against two guards with threatening swords and daggers pressed against their necks. However, I wasn't being held at knifepoint.

Taking the advantage, I whipped out my knife and pointed it under Octavian's chin.

He just started to laugh. "I wouldn't do that if I were you."

Anger surged through me. "And why not?" I asked, pressing the knife a little harder against his throat.

"Because any move against me will send your two friends to the Underworld, and the rest of your group won't last very long either," Octavian threatened. He lifted up his finger and gently lowered the knife away from his neck.

"What do you want, Octavian?" I demanded, not putting away my dagger.

"That little stunt you pulled up there was very clever," Octavian said, casually picking at his fingernails. "I'm afraid I won't disclose the location of Nate, if that's what you're looking for."

I didn't say anything. I just stared at him, hoping that he would waver.

He didn't.

"Now if you'll just tell me why you're down here, we'll part ways and you're lives will be spared."

My mind was racing. Bethany looked relatively calm with a sword against her neck, but Frank looked terrified. I tried to send a message to both of them with my eyes, but they didn't seem receptive.

I suddenly realized something. Octavian was asking why we were down here. That meant he had no idea that we were using the cells as a base. Unless he was bluffing.

"We were obviously getting Frank," I said, looking at him like he was stupid.

Octavian looked slightly baffled, and then turned around and saw Frank standing behind him. Frank gave a tiny wave.

"Yes, of course," Octavian muttered to himself. "What else?"

I rolled my eyes, trying to irritate him as much as possible, and praying to any god that was listening that this would distract him. "Well, we're heading towards the exit. We're going to get Nate. Duh."

Octavian started to look annoyed. "Yes, well—"

I tried to lay it on as thick as possible. "You'd think that the augur of Camp Jupiter would know the intentions of everyone inside the camp. I mean, it is a position of prophecy. Unless there's nothing really to it?"

Octavian looked furious. "How dare—!"

"So I guess this means we part ways and end up as unlikely friends," I said, sheathing my knife. "Thanks for the talk."

Octavian mouth was open like a fish, but he managed to regain his composure. "I think you're forgetting one small thing," he blurted out.

"Oh, you're right," I said, pulling out my knife again. "This is the part where I send your scrawny butt back to that disgusting hole you came from. Do you want the easy way or the hard way?"

Octavian's face slowly turned from red to purple. "Chase, I am the one leading this conver—!"

"Looks like it's the hard way," I said. Praying that at least Bethany understood what I wanted, I screamed "NOW!"

Bethany sprang into action. She elbowed her captor in the gut, and his sword clattered to the ground. She grabbed his wrist and judo-threw him over her shoulder and slammed him next to his sword. Octavian looked so scared that all I did was slam my knife over his head and he crumpled to the ground like a rag doll on top of Bethany's soldier.

Meanwhile, Frank and turned into a python and was slowly twisting around his captor. The poor Roman was so terrified that he dropped his sword and practically fainted in Frank's scaly grip.

"That's good, Frank," I said casually, sheathing my knife. "I think you've scared him for a lifetime."

Frank released his suffocating hold and turned back into himself. I helped him get to his feet, and he shuddered.

"I'm never doing that again," Frank grimaced. "That felt disgusting."

"Ah ah," Bethany suddenly said. She picked up the soldier's sword from the ground and pointed it at me. "Make another move and I'll run you through."

"Bethany, what the—?" I asked, my hand automatically on the hilt of my knife.

"Not you," she said. "Him." She gestured with the sword to someone behind my back.

I turned around and saw Frank's guard pointing a knife at my neck. Realizing he was caught, he dropped the knife and raised his hands in the air.

"That's what I thought," Bethany said. She casually walked over to him and smacked him over the head with her sword. He fell to the ground on top of Octavian.

Frank walked over to the dog pile of the two soldiers and Octavian. He poked Octavian with his foot, but he didn't move. "What are we going to do with them?"

"I know what to do," I said.

A few minutes later, the unconscious Octavian and his two guards were shackled to the walls of my very prison. It was rather satisfying to see Octavian as the same position as how I used to be. The stain of blood was even directly in front of him, so he could stare at it as long as he wanted as a reminder for what he'd done.

Once the door was locked and the key thrown away, I turned to Bethany and Frank.

"Now that that's out of the way," I said matter-of-factly, "what were you saying earlier, Bethany?"

"I think I know where Nate is being held," Bethany said. "Octavian had a special prison built for the more…rebellious of his prisoners. It's by the Senate building, and will probably be crawling with guards."

"Are you sure we can't go back and get Percy?" Frank asked.

"We'll do better with a smaller number," I said. "Besides, he needs his sleep. He'll kill himself if he works too hard."

"He'll be furious when he finds out," Bethany reminded me.

"I'll cross that bridge when I get there," I replied. "Lead the way."

Bethany gave me a look, and then started walking down the tunnel. Frank followed behind, giving me a look that was mixed with pity and nervousness.

I walked further back, swallowed in my thoughts. I knew that I was acting rashly, and I didn't know why, either. Maybe it was because I wanted to help Bethany. Maybe it was because I needed to prove to myself that I was still independent, and that even though Percy was gone for so long, I didn't need a relationship to make me stronger and show that I didn't completely rely on it.

Either way, I knew that there would be a hurricane waiting for me when I got back. Most likely, a literal one.

Sighing, I quickened my pace to catch up with Bethany and Frank.

We silently walked down the tunnels and soon made it to the secret entrance. Once we made it out of the tunnels through the manhole, we sat in the hidden clearing and started making a plan.

"Frank will have to remain inconspicuous. If he gets spotted, we're in trouble since he's supposed to be locked up right now," I said, looking at him apologetically. "You'll probably have to do that by turning into a small animal."

He nodded. "I know."

"I can use my invisibility cap to scout ahead and check for guards," I offered.

"I might have to do that," Bethany said. "I'm the one that knows where we're supposed to go, and I can silently take out any guards."

I bit my lip. "I guess that works. I'll just have to be on high alert just in case anyone sneaks up on us."

Bethany nodded, and I held out my Yankees hat to her. She took it respectfully and slipped it in her pocket. "I'll put it on when I need it."

I looked at her pocket for a second longer before turning to Frank. "Now would be a good time to change. We're ready to go."

Frank started to shrink, and black feathers began to sprout out of his skin. His feet turned into small talons, and his arms extended into wings. Soon, in his place was a crow.

"Good choice," I said. "That'll blend in really well. Keep a few yards behind us, and fly from building to tree."

"Just try to look as birdish as possible," Bethany cut in. "And let out a caw if there are guards coming up behind us."

Frank bobbed his head in understanding and flew up to the nearest tree.

"Ready to get Nate?" I asked Bethany.

"As I'll ever be."

I peeked over the bushes and saw that the coast was clear. Apparently, word hadn't been spread that Octavian was currently knocked out cold in a locked up cell.

Good.

"Then let's go."

Bethany vaulted over the bushes and I followed a few paces behind her. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a flash of black as Frank began to follow us from the air.

From the brief view I got of Camp Jupiter that I got from the Argo II, I knew that the Senate House was near the lake over the hidden prison. That gave me a bit of confidence that I didn't have to go that far without my hat. But it also reminded me that the amount of guards from the lake to the Senate would be enormous.

I hoped that some of the guards were secretly on our side. I was positive that not everyone, no matter how much they hated Greeks, wanted to serve under Octavian.

The two of us started to walk down a cobblestone road, homage to the original Roman roads. Trees lined the path, and I could see the looming Senate house in the distance.

I tried to keep a safe distance from the middle of the path, just in case I needed to dive behind a tree at a moments notice.

I soon was consumed in my thoughts as I stared at my feet. I knew that since Percy disappeared, he had changed, and so had I. I knew that the Roman camp had done something to him. He seemed more like a worn soldier than a sixteen year old guy. It made me slightly sad, and maybe a bit of contempt at the Romans. Why had they changed my fun-loving, stupid, Seaweed Brain of a boyfriend?

There wasn't anything I could do about it now, and I actually had a feeling that this would happen at sometime.

A sharp caw! broke through the silence. I jerked my head up, instantly on edge. I saw Bethany ripple out of view as she threw my Yankees hat on her head.

I whipped around and saw three Roman guards walk toward me. They were talking to each other, so I still had time to jump behind a tree.

I pressed my back against the bark, my knife already in my hand. I tried to keep my breathing quiet as I heard the guards approach. I really didn't want to attack. I knew that if I did, the alarm would sound and we would get caught. I had to rely on stealth.

I listened for the guards, but nothing came. I forced myself to peek around the tree to see where they were.

The guards were walking back in the direction they had come. They weren't talking, and they stared straight ahead.

I had a feeling that they had turned a blind eye. They knew that I was behind the tree, and they ignored me and turned the other direction.

I sent a silent prayer of thanks up to Olympus, and was about to walk around the tree when Bethany scared me out of my mind when she suddenly appeared at my side.

"Gods, don't do that!" I gasped. "Give me some sort of warning first."

"What? Would you rather I tap you on the shoulder, or whisper in your ear?" she asked sarcastically.

"Maybe you should just tackle me to the ground instead," I retorted.

She smirked. "Let's go."

We quickly entered the Forum, hugging the walls and trying hard to look as inconspicuous as possible.

I couldn't help but feel a bit of jealousy towards Frank. He had it so easy.

Bethany stopped, holding up her hand. "We're here."

I stared up at the Senate building. The marble Roman columns held up a massive tiled ceiling, and the open building had no one in it.

"What gives?" I asked, gesturing towards the empty building.

"I don't know," Bethany said slowly, narrowing her eyes. "But I don't like it."

"Let's take advantage of it and get Nate quickly," I said, thinking quickly. "We'll never know when they'll come back."

Bethany nodded, pulling out her sword and twirling it in her hand. She gave one last look around, and then ran toward the massive building. She slipped between the columns and ran into a secluded corner of the building. A small bronze lever was placed in the wall, and she pulled it, revealing a small door that came up to my knees.

"I'm guessing he's in there?" I asked, staring at the tiny entrance.

"Your guess is as good as mine."

Frank fluttered down next to me and slowly turned back into his regular self. "Being a bird is so obnoxious," he complained. "The only thing I could think about were sticks for a nest and worms."

"We've got bigger problems," Bethany replied. "We think Nate's in there." She pointed at the door.

"And we need to hurry," I said. "Doesn't it seem a little suspicious that there aren't any guards here?"

Bethany brushed this off. "There's never any guards here. This prison is kept a secret. If there were, it would raise suspicions."

Frank crouched down and started to crawl through the small doorway.

"Don't worry," Frank called back, his voice muffled. "It gets bigger."

As soon as he got out of the way, Bethany crawled in after him, and I went in last. As soon as I was completely through the door, it swung shut behind me with a quiet thud.

Bethany and Frank were already ahead of me by several feet.

"How many cells are down here?" I asked.

"I have no idea," Bethany replied. "I've never been down here. It'll be like a giant game of hide-and-seek."

I sighed. "Ready or not, here we come."

Yo!

Yes, I know it's been three months. Let me just say that when I got back from New York in March, my life exploded in front of me. Grades were dying, finals were approaching, and college crap loomed in front of me.

But never fear! All of it is over! Graduation was last week, and now I have the entire summer before college :)

I would have updated right after graduation (from HIGH SCHOOL) but mi familia is currently in Hawaii for two weeks. I have wifi at the hotel :)

Also, for graduation I was given my own laptop, so that will give me more time to update!*

Anyway, thank you guys for sticking with me. It really means a lot.

Also, 370 reviews! Ya'll are the bomb!

See you in the next chapter, internet BFFs!

~littlebitclever

*Maybe. This time might be used to melt on Tumblr instead. What can I say? It's addicting.