A/N: Hey there everyone! Cheers to the following for reviewing: dawn54321, NeverthelessAFan, Everlasting Snow Princess, Forever percy jackson fan, DrinkingAlcoholicRainbows, IkutoisSmexy, greekghostgirl, Aly, SaradocCraver101, anonymous, Lady Cougar-Trombone, SeiRelo, Blackrosesroit, anonymous, becky199756, Ariel Night, Team werewolf and vampire, Phnxfyr1, appaloosa128, celestialstarynight, HPNU92, Dragon2899, meapcficauthor, Kiransomers, and Lady Elena Bella Petrova
There's also those who alerted: daughterofA106, YukiraKing, Animorph128, YasSch, Drew1969, forever percy jackson fan, fantasyandmusicperson1, troyellaforever123, starr1095, Thrill-Pair-All-The-Way, Princess Aziza, pavinet, xxHinaAngelxx, soultwin, Clarindas, Yoru no Nx, Ember Doll, sweetmint101, sakujari-14, ShadaowKit12, wafflehorse, Apol31, goodguywithanevilmind, Leaseablue, Ember Doll, kateschn, harryfreak010, PercyJfan100, The Wind Whispers To Me, XxMaraudersxX ,midnight Kaito, Yuna1591, kateschn, RaeNSesshy4Life, amusingIRONYpwnsz's, MizuKitsune10, and PyroKitsune
Without you guys, this update would have taken a whole lot longer!
When everyone arrived at the kitchens, Apollo, Hermes, Percy, Nico, the Stolls and Thalia were already stuffing their faces with food. Already, there was a small pile of plates in front of them. Their food choices were quite … uncommon. For Hermes and his kids, three pieces of chicken, some rice, noodles, coke, pancakes with syrup, a few ambrosia on another plate, barbeque and surprisingly a small bowl of salad. Not to mention they had a bowl of sugar cubes for dessert.
Thalia on the other hand, had a mountain-like pile of burgers, fries, nectar, and a piece of chicken. She also had an apple there. Nico and Apollo had the same thing on their plates, 2 pieces of barbeque, spaghetti, steak, water (for Nico) and a strawberry milkshake (for Apollo), and a small bowl of chocolate ice cream with nuts for Nico while Apollo had a double-dutch ice cream. Percy's plate consisted of… you guessed it! Blue food.
Blue waffles, a slice of blue cake, bacon and eggs, rice and a drumstick (chicken). He also had a few ambrosia squares and a bowl of fruit salad too.
Everyone filed in the kitchen, taking their food from the buffet table and sat around the ridiculously long table.
Annabeth sat beside Percy who was sitting in front of his two cousins. Athena eyed them warily before she started eating.
Thalia and Nico eyed the fruit salad in disbelief then at Percy, then at the bowl and back at Percy. They kept doing this until the hero of Olympus couldn't take it anymore.
"Is there something wrong with fruit salad?"
Thalia and Nico looked at each other before dramatically standing up and pointing their finger at Percy.
"Who are you and what have you done with Percy?" They demanded. Everyone raised their eyebrows at the two. Silena gathered up her courage and spoke up. "What do you guys mean?" she questioned the Hunter and the ghost king.
Thalia sighed as Nico explained.
"For as long as we know Percy, he has NEVER eaten anything healthy like fruit salad! It's just not…. Percy-ish!"
Annabeth and Percy rolled her eyes at the two while the campers were looking weirdly at them. Demeter was staring of into nothingness.
"Fruit….." Hades immediately scooted farther from the goddess of harvest.
Crazy fruit, cereal loving woman. He thought. Demeter glared at him, hearing his thoughts. Unknown to Hades, Demeter was making vines wrap around his legs so when he stood up to use the bathroom, he unceremoniously fell on his bottom.
"Serves you right, you foul kidnapping son-in-law/brother." Hades sighed and melted in the shadows to avoid Demeter's vines of death.
After a few more minutes of eating and everyone returned to the throne room, taking their original places and prepared for more reading.
"Who will read next?" asked Hestia. Katie immediately raised her hand.
"I will. If it's alright with you, my Lady."
Hestia smiled at her and gave her the book. Katie opened the book to the correct page and began.
"My Mother Teaches Me Bullfighting," Katie read.
Poseidon, Annabeth, Thalia and Nico frowned. "I'm pretty sure Sally doesn't bullfight."
They all turned to Percy who was looking sadly at the ground. "She doesn't"
"oh" was the general response.
Athena rolled her eyes and gestured for Katie to continue. None of them noticed Percy clenching his hands tightly and the look of sadness in his eyes.
We tore through the night along the dark country roads. Wind slammed against the Camaro. Rain lashed the wind shield. I didn't know how my mom could see anything, but she kept her foot on the gas.
Ares grinned. "I like how this woman drives. Good choice."
Poseidon just rolled his eyes and blasted the war god with salt water.
Every time there was a flash of lightning,
Poseidon glared at his two brothers. "If a single hair on his head is harmed, you two will find a spot next to father in Tartarus for the next century." Poseidon threatened. Zeus and Hades paled further knowing their brother could carry that threat very easily when pushed to his limits.
I looked at Grover sitting next to me in the backseat and I wondered if I'd gone insane, or if he was wearing some kind of shag-carpet pants.
Thalia snorted. "Shag-carpet pants? What the heck are those kelp head?"
Percy just shrugged. "I think those were the pants I saw when I was little. It looked uncomfortable actually."
"you were always insane Percy. Why won't you just accept that fact?" Nico asked sweetly. In response, he got blasted by water and fell off his chair.
But, no, the smell was one I remembered from kindergarten field trips to the petting zoo— lanolin, like from wool. The smell of a wet barnyard animal.
Mini-Annabeth looked offended. As did Annabeth. "Grover's not going to like that." They said at the same time.
"Weird" Nico muttered.
All I could think to say was, "So, you and my mom… know each other?"
Aphrodite started giggling earning herself a lot of stares.
"What's so funny, Lady Aphrodite?" Percy asked. Said goddess looked at the hero with a maniacal look in her eyes while the deities looked repulsed at the thought, knowing what the love goddess had in her mind. Poseidon looked like he was going to throw up.
"Oh nothing Percy, dear" she said sweetly. "Nothing at all…"
Grover's eyes flitted to the rearview mirror, though there were no cars behind us. "Not exactly," he said. "I mean, we've never met in person. But she knew I was watching you."
Connor, Travis, Apollo and Hermes jumped up and yelled at the book.
"STALKER!" Katie sighed and whacked the two brothers with the book in her hands while Apollo was hit by Artemis.
"HEY! How come Hermes doesn't get hit?" He asks with a small pout.
"He was sensible enough to dodge while you, dear brother, are too much of an idiot to see the hit coming." Artemis stated. All boys rolled their eyes at her.
"Watching me?"
"Stalker!" The Stolls whispered under their breath so that Katie won't hear them. Luckily, she didn't.
"Keeping tabs on you. Making sure you were okay. But I wasn't faking being your friend," he added hastily. "Iamyour friend."
"AWwwww, isn't that cute?" Aphrodite cooed.
"Urm … whatareyou, exactly?"
All the males snickered- minus Percy who was blushing. Annabeth rolled her eyes at her boyfriend. "Honestly Seaweed Brain, he just stated that he's your friend and you go and ask him an insulting question."
"Well sorry for not believing he was part animal. I thought I was normal, remember?"
"That doesn't matter right now."
"It doesn't matter? From the waist down, my best friend is a donkey—"
"Really Percy?" Will said with an eyebrow raised. "A donkey?"
Both Annabeths laughed along with Thalia and Nico. "Grover is NOT going to like that."
Percy rolled his eyes. "Thank you for stating the obvious."
Clarisse gave a small smile, remembering the incident when one of her older siblings called a satyr a donkey. Silena and Beckendorf smiled at each other before immediately looking away with blushes. Aphrodite giggled at the sight of her daughter in love.
The gods gave small chuckles. Poseidon grinned at his son. "Usually, demigods think of goats. Which is right but you, my boy… A donkey! Classic!" Apollo and Hermes ended up rolling on the floor with the Stolls at Percy's expression.
Grover let out a sharp, throaty "Blaa-ha-ha!"
Hermes and Apollo hummed in thought. Artemis narrowed her eyes at the two gods.
"What are you thinking about this time?" Hermes blinked and said "I was wondering why satyrs laugh like that. Since their part goat, shouldn't it be more like Baa-aaa-aaaa or something?" Apollo nodded. The demigods all looked down and pondered on the thought as well as some of the gods.
They were like that for a whole minute before Demeter motioned for Katie to continue reading.
"I'd heard him make that sound before, but I'd always assumed it was a nervous laugh. Now I realized it was more of an irritated bleat.
"Goat!" he cried.
"What?" asked the Stolls. Katie just rolled her eyes and ignored them.
"What?"
Nico and Thalia gasped and looked at the Stolls in horror.
"Oh gods NO!" Thalia muttered under her breath. Nico shook his head and patted the pranksters on the shoulder sympathetically.
"I'm afraid it's too late to save you, my friends." The Stolls just gave them blank looks.
"What in Hades are you two talking about?" asked mini-Annabeth. Nico and Thalia shared a look before turning to mini-Annabeth.
"Annabeth, I'm afraid the Stolls have been contaminated by what we, Thalia and I, call Percy-itis. It's a horrible disease where a person starts thinking like our Kelp Head of a cousin. As of now, it is incurable and is highly contagious." Nico explained, acting like a professional doctor. Thalia nodded seriously, as if the disease were indeed real.
The gods watched in amusement as the demigods gave the two blank stares while Percy was muttering under his breath about unreliable and annoying cousins. Annabeth just squeezed his hand and gave him a smile which he returned. Katie decided to continue reading.
"I'm a goat from the waist down!"
Annabeth frowned. "Didn't he just say it didn't matter? Why is he getting angry?"
The others shrugged while Katie looked at her strangely.
"What?" Annabeth demanded. "Is there something wrong Katie?" Said girl shook her head. "It's nothing Annabeth."
"You just said it didn't matter."
"Oh." Annabeth blushed when everyone looked at her. In the background… Thalia and Nico were faking tears.
"My little Annie is doomed, Dr. Di Angelo." Thalia cried. Nico sighed and patted her in the back. "Be strong cousin. With her luck, she'll get cured of Percy-it is and will be back to herself in no time at all!"
Thalia nodded her head. Percy just rolled his eyes at his cousins and sighed loudly, catching his girlfriend's attention.
"Something wrong Seaweed Brain?" she whispered.
"Nothing Wise Girl."
"Blaa-ha-ha! There are satyrs who would trample you underhoof for such an insult!"
"I remember something like that happening." Will said. Beckendorf nodded.
"It was my younger brother, Marco. He accidentally called a satyr a donkey, like what Percy did but in Marco's case, he was reading a book about how to take care of animals and it just so happened he was in the donkey chapter. It was hard trying to get the satyr off him."
Katie sighed. "If I recall, he was in the infirmary for…5 days? Or was it six?"
"It was only 5, Katie. Don't doubt the power of a son of Apollo… unless said son is either injured badly or is unconscious." Will added.
Annabeth frowned. "When was this? I don't remember something like that happening."
"It was a few days after you came to camp with Luke, Annabeth." Silena said.
No one noticed the stiffness that passed through the future demigods. Katie was about to read when Apollo hummed and turned to Hermes.
"Will the satyrs hurt me if I called one of them a donkey?" Hermes blinked twice and shook his head. The gods sighed at Apollo.
"Whoa. Wait. Satyrs. You mean like … Mr. Brunner's myths?"
"We're not myths!" exclaimed the gods rather loudly. The demigods clamped their hands to their ears to prevent going deaf.
"OK! We know!" Percy shouted back. "Geezz… you'd think they'd level it down a bit when they shout." He grumbled. Annabeth rolled her eyes and playfully shoved him. "Be quiet, Seaweed Brain. As if you didn't tone it down when the Stolls pranked your cabin."
Percy gave her a disbelieving look. "They put a DEAD FISH in my cabin! They should've buried or released it in the sea for mourning!" Poseidon nodded wholeheartedly while everyone just rolled their eyes at the father-son duo. Katie decided to continue before the two started ranting about fish-burying ceremonies.
"Were those old ladies at the fruit stand amyth, Percy? Was Mrs. Dodds a myth?"
"So youadmitthere was a Mrs. Dodds!"
A collective groan went around the room, as did pointed looks and possibly looks of exasperation. Percy responded with an unnoticeable twitch. "I get it!"
Silena sighed while Nico and Thalia shook their heads. "Why couldn't goat boy just shut his mouth. Now we'll never know what happens in the end at the rate Percy's past brain is going." Percy decided to shut up but blasted his two lovely cousins with ice-cold water, leaving them dripping wet and glaring.
"Of course."
"Then why—"
Thalia sighed again. "Oh goat boy." She said, as if imagining Grover was actually there.
"The less you knew, the fewer monsters you'd attract," Grover said, like that should be perfectly obvious.
The future demigods snickered. "Percy couldn't take a HINT of what's obvious unless someone told it to him bluntly."
"We put Mist over the humans' eyes. We hoped you'd think the Kindly One was a hallucination. But it was no good. You started to realize who you are."
All the demigods looked sad at that while the Olympians looked guilty. Who wouldn't, knowing that your children are suffering because of whom or what they are.
"Who I—wait a minute, what do you mean?"
Before anyone could react or comment, Percy glared at them all. "Not one word. If you do, you'll be pleased to meet my friends down at sea world in the shark and piranha department." Everyone shut up after that, not really wanting to take a swim with the fishes.
The weird bellowing noise rose up again somewhere behind us, closer than before. Whatever was chasing us was still on our trail.
Percy and Poseidon grit their teeth but because of different reasons. Percy went so far as to glare at Hermes who happened to be in front of him. Hermes saw this and he looked a bit scared. Hey, you'd probably piss yourself if you had to suffer the wrath of the glare of Percy Jackson.
"W-why are you glaring at me? I didn't do anything!" Percy rolled his eyes at the messenger of the gods.
"I'm not glaring at you. You just happened to be in my line of sight, Lord Hermes."
"Oh. Ok then. Carry on Katie." The daughter of Demeter did as she was asked to do.
"Percy," my mom said, "there's too much to explain and not enough time. We have to get you to safety."
"Safety from what? Who's after me?"
Thalia smirked. "Oh nobody much. Just a few Titans…"
"Namely those named Kronos, Atlas, Hyperion, Iapetus and a little bit of Prometheus…" Chimed Nico.
"Some gods and a hell LOT of monsters." Annabeth finished. Percy was watching them with an amused expression while the rest were either staring at the boy in shock or was looking at him in concern. Percy placed a hand to his chin and pretended to think about something.
"So…" he began. "Nothing much!" he said cheerfully. The gods' and past demigods' jaws fell open while the future demigods just laughed it off.
"Nothing much?" Poseidon squeaked. The futures looked at him and nodded. The god of the sea then proceeded to hyperventilate. Percy rolled his eyes at his dad before turning to Katie.
"Can you continue reading, Katie?" Katie immediately nodded and began reading again.
"Oh, nobody much," Grover said, obviously still miffed about the donkey comment. "Just the Lord of the Dead and a few of his blood-thirstiest minions."
Poseidon twitched and prepared to get up from his throne but not before Apollo and Demeter held him down. "Don't forget, Hades. If a single hair on his head is harmed, you will be sorry." He growled at the god of the dead. Hades turned even paler and hastily nodded his head. Katie decided it be best to save the god of the dead from Poseidon's wrath.
"Grover!"
"Sorry, Mrs. Jackson. Could you drive faster, please?"
Most were able to crack a smile after this but none more so than Percy, who was remembering what had happened but his mood darkened when he remembered what would happen next.
"Yes," Ares said suddenly while jumping up from his throne, "Because faster is better!"
"That explains so many reasons why your motorcycle always ends up in my forges." Said Hephaestus
"And why you keep ending up in my infirmary," said Apollo. Clarisse noted her dad looked a bit embarrassed at having been told off by his girlfriend's husband.
"Shut up, Repair Boy and Sunshine. You two just don't appreciate my work of driving and breaking."
I tried to wrap my mind around what was happening, but I couldn't do it. I knew this wasn't a dream. I had no imagination.
All the males snorted along with Thalia, Clarisse and the two Annabeths.
"Haven't you learned that your imagination goes wild, Seaweed Brain? I mean just look at what we've been reading!" Annabeth started saying with a smile on her face. Demeter was shaking her head slowly.
"Poor boy. He has no imagination. I bet a good bowl of cereal would do him some good." She mused. All the gods groaned. "For the last time, woman. NO ONE wants any cereal!" Hades shouted.
Demeter just ignored him and sent him a mouthful of cereals causing the god of the dead to choke. He started turning blue in no time.
"H-h-h-he-l-l-p m-mee!" He cried. Nobody moved for fear of suffering from the same punishment. Hestia took pity on her younger brother and made a cup full of ambrosia appear and Hades immediately gulped it down, shivering as the cereal went into his system.
"N-never again." He said, trying to catch his breath.
Poseidon, Zeus, Hermes and Apollo were snickering at the god.
I could never dream up something this weird.
All the females except Hestia rolled their eyes at Percy.
"I think we have established the fact that you do have imagination." Athena said making everyone shocked that she would defend the son of Poseidon, her greatest rival. "It makes up for your immensely low IQ levels." She added causing Percy and Poseidon to twitch but refrained from commenting. Her added comment removed the shock everyone felt.
My mom made a hard left. We swerved onto a narrower road, racing past darkened farmhouses and wooded hills and PICK YOUR OWN STRAWBERRIES signs on white picket fences.
Poseidon perked up. "You're almost there!" He all but shouted, bouncing in his seat like a little 6-year old waiting for his Christmas gifts.
"Where are we going?" I asked.
"The summer camp I told you about." My mother's voice was tight; she was trying for my sake not to be scared. "The place your father wanted to send you."
"The only safe place for us, half-bloods." Beckendorf said. All the demigods nodded wholeheartedly but the gods however shifted uncomfortably in their thrones.
"The place you didn't want me to go."
Hera frowned at Percy. "Don't talk to your poor mother like that! You can't imagine the pain of letting you go to that camp."
"Please, dear," my mother begged. "This is hard enough. Try to understand. You're in danger."
"Because some old ladies cut yarn."
"Those weren't old ladies," Grover said. "Those were the Fates. Do you know what it means—the fact they appeared in front of you? They only do that when you're about to … when someone's about to die."
"Whoa. You said 'you.'"
"No I didn't. I said 'someone.'"
"You meant 'you.' As inme."
"I meantyou, like 'someone.' Not you,you."
Everyone looked slightly confused. Even Athena. Poseidon saw her confused look and started laughing on the inside. Percy saw this and gave him a blank look so Poseidon decided to fill his son in on the fun known as laughing at the goddess.
"It's not every day that I get to see a confused goddess of wisdom, son. Seeing as she is my immortal rival, I'm taking this chance to inwardly laugh at her."
When he was done sending the hero a telepathic message, Percy was smiling but good thing no one noticed.
"Boys!" my mom said.
"Thank you!" Artemis exclaimed all while throwing her hands into the air. Once again, every male rolled their eyes at the goddess of the Hunt.
She pulled the wheel hard to the right, and I got a glimpse of a figure she'd swerved to avoid—a dark fluttering shape now lost behind us in the storm.
Everyone was silent as Katie read on… all except Ares who was bouncing in his throne, sensing an upcoming fight.
"What was that?" I asked.
"That's what we all want to know." Said Nico. Percy glanced at his cousin who seemed to be in deep concentration.
Nico will know soon. So will Thalia. Aww man! Just when I've forgotten about it, the incident comes back to haunt me.
"We're almost there," my mother said, ignoring my question.
"That's just sad." Hermes and Apollo said at the same time while grinning. The Stolls were smiling mischievously at the hero of Olympus. "So even your MOM ignores you, huh, Percy?" Said boy rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. "She had a VALID reason to ignore me… unlike some people I know." He stated all while glaring at his cousins and girlfriend.
"Another mile. Please. Please. Please."
"Yes please please please PLEASE let them make it! Holy Olympus let them make it!" Poseidon started to scream under his breath. Hestia smiled at him and instantly, the god of the seas felt warmer inside and he felt hope but he still couldn't help but feel a slight despair.
Percy saw his dad and tried to avoid looking at him.
He'll go nuts when he finds out what happened to mom in this chapter.
"Please, please, please, please. Please, pl—" chanted Poseidon.
"Uncle P," said Apollo, "You might go crazy if you start chanting words now and again."
"How would you know?" asked Artemis, an eyebrow raised at her younger brother.
"I met some marshmallows that started chanting," Apollo said casually, as if meeting chanting marshmallows were normal for him. "They became insane by the time they were admitted in my infirmary."
"Tantalus's marshmallows committed suicide," Percy said randomly.
"Sure they did Percy," said Thalia
"Actually," said Annabeth," the one year that Tantalus was activities director, his marshmallow did commit suicide. I think it was either during dinner or during the camp fire. I don't recall."
"O-o-kay." Beckendorf said. "Why would a marshmallow commit suicide? On second thought, how?"
"Why was Tantalus activities director?" asked Athena, "Where was Chiron?"
"Um…,"Percy said. Annabeth backed him up for this. "Chiron had to take a summer off and visit his family that year."
"Wait," said Thalia, "Was it the summer that I—?"
"Yeah," said Annabeth, "it was. And Beckendorf, Tantalus was cursed by the gods never to be able to eat again so when he tries to grab food, they just scoot away from his hand and it just so happened that the marshmallow he was trying to get flew into the fire."
Beckendorf nodded while mini-Annabeth, Will and the Stolls were amazed but for different reasons. The Stolls were imagining a prank, Will was thinking about how the food could actually move accurately into the fire while mini-Annabeth was amazed she knew so much in the future and met so many people.
I didn't know wheretherewas, but I found myself leaning forward in the car, anticipating, wanting us to arrive.
Although everyone knew where the place they were going to, the deities and demigods couldn't help but lean forward in anticipation.
Outside, nothing but rain and darkness—the kind of empty countryside you get way out on the tip of Long Island. I thought about Mrs. Dodds and the moment when she'd changed into the thing with the pointed teeth and leathery wings.
At this, both Percy and Nico shivered, remembering their encounters with the Fury, Alecto. The two had a silent conversation.
Never again, Nico.
Gotcha, Perce. Never again unless absolutely important.
My limbs went numb from delayed shock. She really hadn'tbeen human. She'd meant to kill me.
Another collective groan filled the throne room. Athena looked ready to kill Percy mainly because of his slowness.
"HOW! IN THE NAME OF THE GODS! HOW ARE YOU SO SLOW, PERCY!" Thalia screamed at him before proceeding to hit her forehead against the arm of the couch they were sitting on.
Then I thought about Mr. Brunner … and the sword he had thrown me. Before I could ask Grover about that, the hair rose on the back of my neck.
Everyone except for Percy and Annabeth raised their eyebrows at the instincts of the young man in front of them.
There was a blinding flash, a jaw-rattlingboom!, and our car exploded.
"WHAT!" Poseidon screamed. Then he turned to Zeus and stomped toward the king before effectively punching his little brother in the jaw. Zeus fell off his throne in surprise. Poseidon grabbed a fistful of Zeus shirt and started slamming his head on the floor.
"You. Dare. Harm. My. Child. You. Good. For. Nothing. Annoying. Little. Prick!" For every word that Poseidon said, it resulted in Zeus' head slamming against the floor.
Hermes and Apollo jumped up and grabbed the sea god's arms to stop him from further harming the ruler of Olympus. Percy ran to his dad and tried to calm him down.
"It's ok, dad. I'm alive and well, remember? Now let go of Uncle Zeus' shirt and go back to your throne. Please, dad? Enough of the drama." Percy sent a pleading look to Hestia who understood his plea. She rose from her hearth and guided her younger brother back to his throne and stayed beside him making sure he didn't do anything like that again.
"Now Brother Poseidon-" said god flinched at the tone Hestia used on him. "-you should know better than to beat up our little brother. You said you were responsible right?" Poseidon looked down guiltily. From the demigods' point of view, the almighty god of the sea looked like a five year old being scolded by his mother.
"I'm sorry, Hestia. It's just that… I'm kinda… maybe a bit… just a bit … overprotective?"
"A bit?" everyone asked with incredulous looks on their faces. Poseidon blushed. "Ok well, maybe not bit?" he tried. Everyone still looked at him. That's when he couldn't take it anymore.
"OK! So I am overprotective. So what? Percy is after all my only demigod son! Why shouldn't I be overprotective?" He then proceeded to cross his arms and huff indignantly.
Everyone else rolled their eyes at him. "Honestly brother." Hestia said exasperatedly. "You could actually rival Zeus theatrical attitude."
Hestia grinned at the look on her younger brothers' faces. She motioned for Katie to continue reading, which she happily obliged to.
I remember feeling weightless, like I was being crushed, fried, and hosed down all at the same time.
Except for Ares, Clarisse and Hera, all of the people in the room winced as if feeling what happened.
I peeled my forehead off the back of the driver's seat and said, "Ow."
"Why do people say that?" Connor asked thus gaining the attention of everyone in the room.
"Why do people say what?" Connor frowned. "Why do people say "ow" when they get hurt?"
The demigods sighed at the stupid question. "Why do you even pay attention to the random thing and not the main point? The main is that Percy or more accurately, the car got hit by something, causing its occupants to get hurt." Annabeth said. Percy winced. "Wow. Thanks a lot Annabeth. I can feel the love." He said sarcastically.
Annabeth rolled her eyes and smirked. "You know you love me, Seaweed Brain."
Percy smiled and wrapped an arm around her waist, earning himself a squeal from Aphrodite and Silena, a glare from Athena and about a dozen looks of disbelief from both immortals and demigods. He smirked at Annabeth. "And you know that you love the fact that I love you."
"OH BURN!" yelled Nico. He proceeded to fist bump with Thalia while mini-Annabeth blushed under the stares of her fellow demigods. "I DON'T HAVE A BOYFRIEND YOU KNOW!"
The gods laughed at her and Katie decided to continue reading.
"Percy!" my mom shouted.
"I'm okay…"
Poseidon and Annabeth frowned. "No you are not." They said at exactly the same time. Annabeth blinked numerous times while Poseidon just smiled at her.
"Hey, if my son likes and/or loves you, then I'm fine with it so long as he's happy." Aphrodite started screaming while Silena settled for a smaller, but still embarrassing thing, squealing. They hugged each other and started jumping up and down.
"PERCABETH!"
Now Percy wasn't easily scared, having faced all the dangers a demigod could have but two females, a certain love goddess and her daughter were DEFINITELY creeping the heebie jibbies out of him. It took all his willpower to ask the next question.
"Um… what's percabeth?" The two females snapped their heads toward him.
"Why, it's your couple name of course!" They said, acting surprised.
"What's that- actually- never mind. I DON'T want to know. Katie, PLEASE read." Aphrodite and Silena pouted but decided to sit back down.
I tried to shake off the daze. I wasn't dead.
"That's too bad. Life would have been more peaceful if Kelp Head wasn't here."
"Shut up, Pinecone Face."
"NO" Thalia stuck her tongue out at him. Percy rolled his eyes. "Real mature, Pinecone Face."
"Shut it, Kelp Head."
The car hadn't really exploded. We'd swerved into a ditch. Our driver's-side doors were wedged in the mud. The roof had cracked open like an eggshell and the rain was pouring in.
Lightning.
Poseidon growled at Zeus who gulped and backed away from his older brother. If looks could kill, Zeus would have already been ashes.
That was the only explanation. We'd been blasted right off the road. Next to me in the backseat was a big motionless lump. "Grover!"
Now Zeus got a mad glint in his eyes. YES! The satyr is DEAD! D-E-A-D, DEAD! That'll teach him to fail in protecting my daughter!
He earned himself a disapproving glare from said daughter.
He was slumped over, blood trickling from the side of this mouth. I shook his furry hip, thinking, No! Even if you are half barnyard animal, you're my best friend and I don't want you to die!
All the females – except Clarisse, Athena and Hera- smiled at Percy.
"You're so nice, Percy." Hestia said. "You still care for him even though he's kept a big secret from you." Percy smiled back.
"It doesn't matter if he kept a secret from me. It was to protect me after all. I'm just glad he was my friend." All the demigods grinned at Percy.
"And knowing Percy…" Nico started. "He'd rather die than see one or any of his friends and family hurt."
"Personal Loyalty." Thalia stated. Athena, however, frowned. "If personal loyalty is his fatal flaw, it could prove to be a hindrance in battle, possibly costing us a war. I'll be watching you, Percy Jackson. If you prove to be a threat to us… I will not hesitate to eliminate you when it comes to my daughter's and the others' safeties.
Then he groaned "Food," and I knew there was hope.
"Wait… how did you know that there was hope when Grover only said a single word?" asked Demeter.
Percy and Annabeth shared a look before shrugging. "My guess is that since Percy and Grover have been god friends-"
"Best friends" Percy corrected. Annabeth rolled her eyes at her boyfriend.
"Right, as I was saying, since those two are best friends, they have a connection with each other that's quite deep. It's like…"
"Like when you gods share a single look with each other and you guys understand the message conveyed in a single look." Nico ended with a nod.
Understanding dawned on everyone who didn't understand.
"Percy," my mother said, "we have to …" Her voice faltered.
I looked back. In a flash of lightning, through the mud-spattered rear windshield, I saw a figure lumbering toward us on the shoulder of the road.
Everyone was silent except for Katie who was reading.
The sight of it made my skin crawl. It was dark silhouette of a huge, like a football player. He seemed to be holding a blanket over his head. His top half was bulky and fuzzy. His upraised hands made it look like he had horns.
Many of the deities figured out who was pursuing them and looked at Percy with wide eyes. In response, he just gave them a nod.
I swallowed hard. "Who is—"
"Percy," my mother said, deadly serious. "Get out of the car."
"Please make it out. Please!" Poseidon pleaded but his cry was left unheard.
My mother threw herself against the driver's-side door. It was jammed shut in the mud. I tried mine. Stuck too.
"Oh no." Annabeth gripped Percy's hand while the rest started shifting restlessly in their seats.
I looked up desperately at the hole in the roof. It might've been an exit, but the edges were sizzling and smoking.
"Climb out the passenger's side!" my mother told me. "Percy—you have to run. Do you see that big tree?"
Thalia looked surprised. "Your mom knew about the tree?"
"Apparently." Nico and Percy said at exactly the same time. "She is a clear sighted mortal, like Rachel." Annabeth said.
"Who's Rachel?" asked Will.
"She's… a friend, I guess." Annabeth said uncertainly while sneaking a glance at the god of prophecies. Then she shared a look with her fellow future demigods who shook their heads.
The message however, was clear. Don't tell him yet.
"What?"
Another flash of lightning, and through the smoking hole in the roof I saw the tree she meant: a huge, White House Christmas tree-sized pine at the crest of the nearest hill.
Mini-Annabeth started to sob, remembering the fate of her best friend/ sister. Thalia frowned and sat beside her.
"It's ok, Annie. I'm alive and well, remember? Everything's going to be alright." Her voice cracked in the end but no one except the futures noticed.
"That's the property line," my mom said. "Get over that hill and you'll see a big farmhouse down in the valley. Run and don't look back. Yell for help. Don't stop until you reach the door."
"Mom, you're coming too."
"Such a loyal son." Hera said. Then she glared at the males in the room. "Why couldn't you be more like that?"
They promptly chose to ignore her.
Her face was pale, her eyes as sad as when she looked at the ocean.
"No!" I shouted. "Youarecoming with me. Help me carry Grover."
Everyone was smiling wistfully at the book. Annabeth laid her head on Percy's shoulder, causing Aphrodite to squeal in delight.
So cute! Percabeth!
"Food!" Grover moaned, a little louder.
The man with the blanket on his head kept coming toward us, making his grunting, snorting noises. As he got closer, I realized hecouldn'tbe holding a blanket over his head, because his hands—huge meaty hands—were swinging at his sides. There was no blanket. Meaning the bulky, fuzzy mass that was too big to be his head … was his head. And the points that looked like horns…
"Those are horns, son." Poseidon whispered. He looked deathly pale but no one decided to comment.
"He doesn't wantus," my mother told me. "He wantsyou. Besides, I can't cross the property line."
Percy bit his lower lip and closed his eyes. Annabeth gave his hand a squeeze. A sign that she was there for him. He squeezed back in return.
"But…"
"We don't have time, Percy. Go. Please."
I got mad, then—mad at my mother,
"Don't get mad at your mother!" Hera screeched. Percy sat lower in his seat, head hung.
"I didn't mean to. I just wanted her to come with me. I didn't understand what she was talking about anyway so I got mad. I'm sorry…"
To say Hera was surprised would be an understatement. She composed herself and gave a curt nod to the son of Poseidon who sat there feeling guilty.
At Grover the goat, at the thing with horns that was lumbering toward us slowly and deliberately like, like a bull.
Everyone sighed again.
I climbed across Grover and pushed the door open into the rain. "We're going together. Come on, Mom."
Athena frowned further. "Your loyalty could kill someday, Sea spawn."
Percy just shrugged. "It hasn't killed me yet so I will assume that my loyalty is a good thing."
"I told you—"
"Mom! I am not leaving you. Help me with Grover."
I didn't wait for her answer. I scrambled outside, dragging Grover from the car. He was surprisingly light, but I couldn't have carried him very far if my mom hadn't come to my aid.
"We thought you said he was surprisingly light." The Stolls said in confusion. Annabeth and mini-Annabeth sighed.
"When you say surprisingly light, it means that the person or object you are carrying is lighter than what you would have expected but that doesn't mean that he/she is not heavy. Understand?" mini-Annabeth lectured. All the demigods nodded while Thalia smirked at Annabeth.
"It seems you don't change much, huh, Annie?" Said girl grinned.
"yes. It seems I don't."
Together, we draped Grover's arms over our shoulders and started stumbling uphill through the wet waist-high grass.
Demeter frowned. "Doesn't anybody cut that?"
Nobody answered her. "I guess not then."
Glancing back, I got my first clear look at the monster. He was seven feet tall, easy, his arms and legs like something from the cover ofMuscle Manmagazine—bulging biceps and triceps and a bunch of other 'ceps, all stuffed like baseballs under the vein-webbed skin.
He wore no clothes except underwear
The gods frowned. "Katie, could you read that again please?" asked Artemis. Katie blinked. "Of course, Lady Artemis."
He wore no clothes except underwear
A moment of silence passed inside the throne before….
"AHAHAHAHA!"
"What the heck!"
"Why is it only wearing underwear!"
Most people, namely the demigods, Hermes, Apollo, Poseidon and Ares were laughing their heads off, some of them had tears running down their face while some had dignity and did not roll on the floor. The females were either smiling or snickering in their thrones.
It took a while before everyone clamed down and Katie started reading again.
— I mean, bright white Fruit of the Looms—
This sent the Olympians and the demigods into a fit of laughter again.
which would've looked funny,
"It DOES! Of course we can't see it but STILL!" Hermes said. He and Apollo were back to back on the floor holding their stomachs and were trying to catch their breaths.
except that the top half of his body was so scary. Coarse brown hair started at about his belly button and got thicker as it reached his shoulders.
His neck was a mass of muscle and fur leading up to his enormous head, which had a snout as long as my arm, snotty nostrils with a gleaming brass ring, cruel black eyes, and horns—enormous black-and-white horns with points you just couldn't get from an electric sharpener.
Most of the room's occupants grinned at Percy while some just shook their heads.
"Only you, Kelp Head." Thalia said.
"No one would think that while facing a monster. You are one weird demigod, Percy Jackson." Hephaestus said.
"Thanks! I try." Percy grinned at the smith god.
"You're talking about an electric sharpener at a time like this?" asked Athena incredulously.
"Now why would you do that?" asked Hermes, a mischievous smile on his face
"Yeah," said Poseidon, "It's much better to talk about something more interesting. Like the Miami Dolphins."
"Why Miami?" asked Apollo, "Why not the Giants?"
The demigods nodded at this.
"Because Dolphins are awesome plus, many people like them. That's why when people go to aquariums, they go to the place where they hold the dolphin shows. Sometimes though, dolphins are show-offs." said Poseidon. Percy nodded wholeheartedly.
"When I went to one of the shows, the dolphins who were performing were waving at me or asking me to pet them but I couldn't since there was a show. When they were performing, they kept on passing the big beach ball at me after balancing it on their snouts. It was really annoying. Next thing I know, the lady in charge asked me to go on stage and – I quote her words- play with young sea creatures."
"Also," Poseidon added. "Delphin wouldn't like it if I went against his own kind."
"Wait," said Hermes, "you were bribed by your own lieutenant into liking the Dolphins?" He was trying to keep down the smile forming on his face.
Poseidon blinked and blushed a deep scarlet. Katie took it as her cue to start reading again.
I recognized the monster, all right. He had been in one of the first stories Mr. Brunner told us. But he couldn't be real.
"Well believe it Mr. Jackson, for it is coming after you." Apollo said mysteriously earning himself a whack on the head.
I blinked the rain out of my eyes. "That's—"
"Pasiphae's son," my mother said.
Athena was genuinely surprised. "That is one smart woman, Poseidon. How'd she get you? She's wise enough to be in my service."
Poseidon grinned mischievously, the twinkling in his eyes standing out more so. His response caused Athena to gape.
"I was blessed."
"I wish I'd known how badly they want to kill you."
Percy rolled his eyes for the umpteenth time. "Wow. Nice words, mom."
"But he's the Min—"
"DON'T SAY HIS NAME!" Everyone shouted at the Hero of Olympus.
"Don't say his name," she warned. "Names have power."
All the gods nodded while the demigods rolled their eyes at their parents.
The pine tree was still way too far—a hundred yards uphill at least.
I glanced behind me again. The bull-man hunched over our car, looking in the windows—or not looking, exactly.
More like snuffling, nuzzling. I wasn't sure why he bothered, since we were only about fifty feet away.
"His sight and hearing are terrible, son. Good thing too or you would have been found already."
"I know, dad."
"You actually know something kelp-for-brains?" Poseidon narrowed his eyes at the wisdom goddess.
"Yes, as a matter of fact, Athena, I do. Now can we please get back to reading?"
"Food?" Grover moaned.
"Shhh," I told him. "Mom, what's he doing? Doesn't he see us?"
"His sight and hearing are terrible," she said. "He goes by smell. But he'll figure out where we are soon enough."
"See?"
"No one contradicted you brother." Hades said. Poseidon blushed again.
"I knew that." Hades and Zeus smirked.
"Sure you did."
As if on cue, the bull-man bellowed in rage. He picked up Gabe's Camaro by the torn roof, the chassis creaking and groaning. He raised the car over his head and threw it down the road. It slammed into the wet asphalt and skidded in a shower of sparks for about half a mile before coming to a stop. The gas tank exploded.
Poseidon's eyes held insanity in them while Percy was chuckling evilly. Every sane person in the room leaned away from the father-son duo. Apollo leaned and whispered in Hermes' ear.
"Why are they acting like that?"
"I don't know, Apollo. I really don't know."
Not a scratch, I remembered Gabe saying.
Everyone suddenly understood why Percy and Poseidon were acting like that. Soon evil smiles and smirks were exchanged.
"Payback!" said Thalia, "That's what you get for picking on my cousin you overgrown, tusk-less walrus!"
"But you pick on him all the time." Pointed out Will.
"Your point?" Thalia asked. Will decided to let the subject go.
"Oops." Nico said darkly, enjoying the misery that Gabe would go through when he found out.
Oops.
The smirk on Nico's face suddenly melted off and was replaced with a look of horror.
"I've been infected by Percy-itis! HELP!"
Thalia faked a sob. "It's ok, Nico. I'm here. You'll get through this. I'm here for you, cousin."
Nico faked a sob as well. "Thanks a lot, Thalia. You're the best cousin I could have asked for."
The gods watched them in amusement while Percy had his head in his hand muttering something about unreliable and annoying cousins.
"Percy," my mom said. "When he sees us, he'll charge. Wait until the last second, then jump out of the way—directly sideways. He can't change directions very well once he's charging. Do you understand?"
Athena an Ares nodded. "That is a great plan."
"FINALLY! Some ACTION!"
"How do you know all this?"
Mini-Annabeth spoke up. "She probably learned it when she read about Greek Mythology." She smiled, having been proud of herself.
"I've been worried about an attack for a long time.
The smile melted off her face. "Or that."
The past demigods snickered at her pouting but soon shut up when she glared at them, her hand reaching for her dagger.
I should have expected this. I was selfish, keeping you near me."
Protests were suddenly heard from the future demigods.
"It's not selfish! It shows that she cares."
"Yeah! Aunt Sally is the most unselfish person in the world." Nico chimed.
"She doesn't know how to be selfish." Percy pointed out. "Especially when it comes to us four."
The futures grinned at each other.
The goddesses smiled at the futures while the past demigods wished to meet Sally.
"Keeping me near you? But—"
Another bellow of rage, and the bull-man started tromping uphill.
He'd smelled us.
The forgotten tension had now resumed its place in the throne room again.
The pine tree was only a few more yards, but the hill was getting steeper and slicker, and Grover wasn't getting any lighter.
Zeus fumed quietly. "Stupid, useless satyr."
The bull-man closed in. Another few seconds and he'd be on top of us.
Poseidon bit his lip, sensing something bad was soon to come. Ares and Clarisse were the only ones who were excited to get to hear about the action that would definitely come.
My mother must've been exhausted, but she shouldered Grover. "Go, Percy! Separate! Remember what I said."
"She is a brave woman Poseidon." Hestia started. "If you would allow me, Brother, I would like to give young Sally Jackson my blessing after this chapter."
The gods were surprised. Hestia had never been one to give blessings, presumably because she had no demigod children to bless. Poseidon and the futures smiled gratefully at the goddess of the hearth.
"Thank you, Hestia."
I didn't want to split up, but I had the feeling she was right—it was our only chance. I sprinted to the left, turned, and saw the creature bearing down on me. His black eyes glowed with hate. He reeked like rotten meat.
All the females wrinkled their noses in disgust.
He lowered his head and charged, those razor-sharp horns aimed straight at my chest.
The fear in my stomach made me want to bolt,
"WIMP!" shouted Ares and Clarisse. Both were splashed with water from two different people.
Ares got hit by Poseidon and immediately shut up but since Clarisse was hit by Percy, she immediately stood up and took out her weapon which, at the time, was a three foot long sword.
"You idiot! How dare you wet me!" She started advancing on Percy but Beckendorf and Will held her down.
"Calm down, Clarisse!" Silena said. Clarisse glared at Percy but calmed down.
Ares grinned at his daughter.
But that wouldn't work. I could never outrun this thing.
So I held my ground, and at the last moment, I jumped to the side. The bull-man stormed past like a freight train, then bellowed with frustration and turned, but not toward me this time, toward my mother, who was setting Grover down in the grass.
The deities- except Ares and Dionysus- turned to Poseidon who pale and breathing deeply.
Annabeth took Percy's hand and squeezed it again but he didn't squeeze back.
We'd reached the crest of the hill. Down the other side I could see a valley, just as my mother had said, and the lights of a farmhouse glowing yellow through the rain. But that was half a mile away. We'd never make it.
"You're so pessimistic, Percy" said Apollo.
"What did you expect," Hades said. "His father is pessimistic, so it makes sense that he would be as well."
"Maybe," said Annabeth, "but then again, from what I've heard on Olympus, you're the crazy one and Lord Zeus is the theatrical one."
Zeus flashed lightning, and thundered, "What do you mean theatrical?"
"Point proven," Annabeth said. The others snickered while some just let out smiles.
Zeus huffed, and Katie read on.
The tension and fear returned in the air.
The bull-man grunted, pawing the ground. He kept eyeing my mother, who was now retreating slowly downhill, back toward the road, trying to lead the monster away from Grover.
Poseidon and Percy paled even more. Poseidon was holding his throne so tightly that cracks started to appear.
"Run, Percy!" she told me. "I can't go any farther. Run!"
But I just stood there, frozen in fear, as the monster charged her.
Katie's voice started shaking as everyone knew what might happen next. Percy was gritting his teeth in an attempt not to cry. Thalia and Nico knew not to tease him at a time like this.
She tried to sidestep, as she'd told me to do, but the monster had learned his lesson. His hand shot out and grabbed her by the neck as she tried to get away. He lifted her as she struggled, kicking and pummeling the air.
Everyone was staring at the book wide-eyed then at Percy who had his head hung and looked depressed and then at Poseidon who looked ready to break down.
"Mom!"
She caught my eyes, managed to choke out one last word: "Go!"
Then, with an angry roar, the monster closed his fists around my mother's neck, and she dissolved before my eyes, melting into the light, a shimmering golden form, as if she were a holographic projection. A blinding flash, and she was simply … gone.
A deadly silence was heard in the throne room. It was broken by Poseidon's continuous murmuring.
"This isn't happening. It can't be right. She just can't… Sally….Sally… She can't just… not like that…..No no no no…. " Sobs were heard from the sea god which caused shock amongst everyone. Hestia stepped out of the hearth one again and encased the grieving god in her arms.
The sea god looked up and gave the goddess of the hearth a small smile but tears could be seen leaking out of his eyes. Percy stood up and went over to his dad.
"Percy?" Annabeth questioned. All she got was a smile and a wink before Percy went to the weeping god. Poseidon looked at his son sadly but Percy just smiled and whispered something in the god's ear.
Almost immediately, the sobs stopped and the room felt warmer somehow. Percy stood straight and looked pleased with himself. He sent his dad the famous "Jackson grin" before sitting down, ignoring the stares of his fellow demigods.
Aphrodite smiled at her nephew. "He really does care about Sally Jackson. I guess I will have to see what she is like for Poseidon to love her so passionately. However… no matter how much he loves her, those two can never be. OH! A FORBIDDEN LOVE! That's so CUTEEEEE!
"No!"
Anger replaced my fear.
"YES! Finally some action here! I thought it was never going to come." Ares exclaimed all while jumping up from his throne like a little boy on Christmas. Because of this, he got blasted off his throne by a lot of water, courtesy of one demigod and his father.
Newfound strength burned in my limbs—the same rush of energy I'd gotten when Mrs. Dodds grew talons.
The bull-man bore down on Grover, who lay helpless in the grass. The monster hunched over, snuffling my best friend, as if he were about to lift Grover up and make him dissolve too.
I couldn't allow that.
Thalia and Nico high-fived. "Heck YEAH! The bull-man's going to get it now!"
"Beat the crap out of him, Percy!" Nico yelled.
"LANGUAGE NICO!"
I stripped off my red rain jacket.
This got Percy incredulous looks.
"WHAT!"
Everyone looked away.
"Hey!" I screamed, waving the jacket, running to one side of the monster. "Hey, stupid! Ground beef!"
All the males- minus Hephaestus, Hades, and Poseidon- groaned. Poseidon fixed Percy an intense gaze.
"Dad? Did I d-do something?" Percy stuttered.
Poseidon sighed and shook his head. "Son,"
"Yeah?"
"You need better insults"
"…."
"Raaaarrrrr!" The monster turned toward me, shaking his meaty fists.
I had an idea
"NOOOO!" screamed the futures (except Percy). The demigods gave them weird looks.
"Why?" They asked.
"Percy's plans never work!" exclaimed Thalia. In the background, Percy pouted.
"In Percy's defense," Annabeth said, "some of his plans actually work."
Percy rolled his eyes again. "Feeling the love guys, fee- ling the love." Nico, Thalia and Annabeth just grinned in response.
—a stupid idea, but better than no idea at all.
"It actually makes sense." Murmured Travis.
"Hmmm…. So that's where Nico got his –umm- quotation." Will mused. Nico's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "What quotation?"
"You know." Will ushered. "The one where you said "Better something said than nothing at all."
Realization dawned upon Nico. "Oh. That quotation. Yup" He said, popping the p. "That's where I got it."
I put my back to the big pine tree and waved my red jacket in front of the bull-man, thinking I'd jump out of the way at the last moment.
But it didn't happen like that.
Percy and Annabeth sighed. "When does it ever?" They asked. Nico and Thalia just shrugged. The deities were amazed at the lack of faith.
The bull-man charged too fast, his arms out to grab me whichever way I tried to dodge.
"Keyword being: tried." Remarked Apollo. Poseidon paled and stared intensely at the floor.
Time slowed down.
Annabeth's eyes widened. "Percy, you don't think – "
"It's not him, Annabeth. I'm sure of that. It was only the ADHD."
Annabeth sighed in relief. "Thank the gods."
Unknown to them, Athena was watching them, analyzing their moves.
My legs tensed. I couldn't jump sideways, so I leaped straight up, kicking off from the creature's head, using it as a springboard, turning in midair, and landing on his neck.
There was yet again silence in the throne room, only to be broken by a single word.
"Wow."
Percy shifted underneath all the stares on him. "Please stop staring! It's rude!"
How did I do that?
"That's what we all want to know." Mumbled Zeus. Percy smirked at the god of the skies, further irritating him.
"I've got skill." Percy said coolly. "And the ego inflates." Stated Nico, causing all the campers and Annabeth to laugh.
I didn't have time to figure it out. A millisecond later, the monster's head slammed into the tree and the impact nearly knocked my teeth out.
Percy and Thalia frowned. "So that's what hit my tree. I thought it was a bulldozer trying to take me down." She received blank looks from both immortals and mortals.
"Oh! Did I say that out loud?" They all nodded. Thalia gave a nervous laugh. "Oops. Carry on then. Pretend you heard nothing."
The bull-man staggered around, trying to shake me. I locked my arms around his horns to keep from being thrown. Thunder and lightning were still going strong. The rain was in my eyes. The smell of rotten meat burned my nostrils.
The females wrinkled their noses in disgust.
"Why must they either smell of rotten meat or of something burning?" complained Aphrodite.
"Just be grateful that they don't smell good because then you'd be distracted by the smell, Aphrodite." Quipped Athena. "Besides, it's easier to track down monsters when they smell bad. When the Hunters smell something good, we'll think there's no problem and might have left an innocent village at the mercy of a bunch of monsters." Artemis added.
Aphrodite rolled her eyes at the Moon goddess. "I didn't ask you, now did I?"
Artemis twitched and inched her hand towards her bow but was stopped by Apollo. "Let it go, Artemis. You're just asking for trouble."
The moon goddess grumbled but let the matter go.
The monster shook himself around and bucked like a rodeo bull.
The Stolls snickered at the mental image. Katie even managed a smile.
"How ironic that he actual is part bull."
He should have just backed up into the tree and smashed me flat, but I was starting to realize that this thing had only one gear: forward.
"Finally! I can't believe it took you forever to figure that out!" Thalia cried. "Thanks a lot for smashing into my tree, you Kelp Head."
Meanwhile, Grover started groaning in the grass. I wanted to yell at him to shut up, but the way I was getting tossed around, if I opened my mouth I'd bite my own tongue off.
All the demigods flinched while Poseidon looked at his son in horror.
"Son?"
"yeah dad?" Percy raised an eyebrow at the sea god.
"Do me a favor?" Poseidon said. "Stick your tongue out, please?"
Percy blinked once, then twice. His eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Ummm… may I ask why?"
"Just stick tongue out, Percy. The sooner you do it, the faster and the better." Annabeth pleaded. Percy shrugged and stuck his tongue out, a bored yet at the same time curious expression on his face.
Poseidon nodded. "Ok." Percy raised a questioning glance at his father but shrugged it off.
Hades whispered to Zeus. "Overprotective much?"
It took the god's will power not to start laughing.
"Food!" Grover moaned.
The bull-man wheeled toward him, pawed the ground again, and got ready to charge. I thought about how he had squeezed the life out of my mother, made her disappear in a flash of light, and rage filled me like high-octane fuel. I got both hands around one horn and I pulled backward with all my might.
Ares smirked. "That is not going to work." Clarisse agreed with her father 100%
"It'll take a little more than that to snap its horn off." Mini-Annabeth said but she felt unsure of her statement when she saw the smirk on Percy's face. He motioned for Katie to continue reading.
The monster tensed, gave a surprised grunt, then—snap!
All the campers' jaws hit the floor while the gods gaped. Percy smirked again.
"You were saying?" he teased. Mini-Annabeth blushed and looked away with her arms crossed.
The bull-man screamed and flung me through the air. I landed flat on my back in the grass.
All of them flinched – except for Ares and Dionysus.
My head smacked against a rock.
This time, all of them flinched. Landing on grass was alright but smacking your head against a rock? No. Just no. Percy rubbed his head, remembering how it had hurt.
When I sat up, my vision was blurry, but I had a horn in my hands, a ragged bone weapon the size of a knife.
All the males let out a low whistle. Percy and Nico grinned.
"That horn makes an awesome spoil of war, Percy."
"That it does Nico, that it does." Annabeth shook her head.
"I still can't believe it's just hanging on your wall."
"What else am I supposed to do with it? It'll break in mere seconds when used against a sword." Annabeth put a hand on her chin.
"Too true."
The monster charged.
Without thinking, I rolled to one side and came up kneeling.
One thought passed through the room: Those are good battle instincts.
As the monster barreled past, I drove the broken horn straight into his side, right up under the furry rib cage.
Poseidon started grinning like crazy while Apollo and Hermes high-fived. Percy received pats on the back from Beckendorf and Will and a dazzling smile from Aphrodite.
The bull-man roared in agony. He flailed, clawing at his chest, then began to disintegrate—not like my mother, in a flash of golden light,
Eyebrows crumpled in confusion but none more so than Hades' own.
Why would I take that woman as a hostage? I don't need mortals. But the only reason for a capture like that would be my method but… what the heck is going on in the future?
but like crumbling sand, blown away in chunks by the wind, the same way Mrs. Dodds had burst apart.
"Must you always relate thing to the ocean, Seaweed Brain?" mini-Annabeth asked. Percy just shrugged. "It's in my nature to do so."
The monster was gone.
The rain had stopped. The storm stillrumbled, but only in the distance. I smelled like livestock and my knees were shaking. My head felt like it was splitting open.
Zeus shrugged. "Nothing still beats the pain when Athena came from my head."
Poseidon smirked. "That's why she's a pain in the head." The sea god found himself being pecked by dozens of owls.
"Ow! Hey, OW! Stop! Darn Birds! OWW!" Athena smirked victoriously as she waved her hand. The owls disappeared, showing a messy god.
"Oh, you are so going to get it."
The demigods watched all of this in amusement but none more so than the futures. Nico leaned towards Percy and Annabeth before whispering. "I still can't believe you two got together. I mean, look at your parents! They can't go a single day without arguing!"
I was weak and scared and trembling with grief. I'd just seen my mother vanish.
At this, Hades was becoming frustrated. What is my future self doing?
I wanted to lie down and cry, but there was Grover, needing my help, so I managed to haul him up and stagger down into the valley, toward the lights of the farm house. I was crying, calling for my mother, but I held on to Grover—I wasn't going to let him go.
All the goddess cooed at Percy who blushed.
"That's so sweet." Hestia said. "You are a really good friend, Percy." Said boy smiled.
"Thanks Lady Hestia."
The last thing I remember is collapsing on a wooden porch, looking up at the ceiling fan circling above me, moths flying around a yellow light, and the stern faces of a familiar—looking bearded man and a pretty girl, her blond hair curled like a princess's.
Everyone subconsciously glanced at the two daughters of Athena. Annabeth raised an eyebrow at Percy while Thalia and Nico were snickering at their cousin's expression.
"A princess? Really?" Percy was trying to avoid looking at his girlfriend. He looked for help from his dad, Apollo and Hermes.
"Help me!" he mouthed. Apollo and Hermes shook their heads and mouthed NO while Poseidon just smiled sadly at his son.
They both looked down at me, and the girl said, "He's the one. He must be."
"The one, eh, Annabeth." The Stolls said, wiggling their eyebrows at the seven-year-old. She rolled her eyes and whacked them on the head. "I am seven years old. I repeat, seven years old. I'm a bit too young to have a boyfriend, so stop it with the eyebrow wiggling."
Nico grinned. "Burn! You just got told off by a seven year old, guys."
"Shut up!" the Stolls said simultaneously.
"Silence, Annabeth,"
The man said. "He's still conscious. Bring him inside."
"And that's the end of the chapter." Katie said, closing the book. Demeter smiled at her daughter who gave a sleepy one in return. Demeter frowned and checked the watch on Athena's wrist. It read 8:47.
"I think it's time you campers go to bed." The demigods nodded and stood up. As they were leaving the throne room, Zeus made a sudden decision after trying to ignore the intense gaze his brother was giving.
"We won't be reading tomorrow." The gods and demigods gave him a curious look. Zeus just sighed.
"The gods will do their duties in the morning and we will all have lunch. In the afternoon, I will… abolish one of our laws temporarily." Upon hearing this, all of the gods and demigods looked hopeful. Zeus sighed and gave a soft glare at his brother.
"Tomorrow, you may spend time with your children."
Smiles and grins appeared on each and every person's face. The demigods, in unison, bowed to the Lord of the skies. "Thank you, Lord Zeus." Before leaving the throne room, they all gave smiles to their parents who gave eager ones in return.
When the demigods were no longer in hearing range of the throne room, the gods turned to their ruler.
"What made you decide on this, Father?" asked Artemis. Zeus smiled fondly at her.
"It's sort of like an experiment, dear daughter. If it proves successful, then… well I can't spoil it now can I? Meeting adjourned. I'm sure all of you want to get up early so that you'll be able to spend time with your own child right?"
Everyone grinned and flashed away, all except Hera and Zeus.
"I've noticed you're not complaining, my Queen." Zeus said with an amused expression on his face.
Hera smiled at him. "I was just thinking… that maybe I was wrong, you know… about demigods. They're not all bad." She mused.
Zeus grinned and kissed the top of Hera's head. "I'm glad you think that. Come, we should rest."
He was about to flash away when he was stopped by the Queen of Olympus. "Zeus, I've pondered about this matter whilst we were reading and I've come to a decision." Zeus tilted his head. A sure sign of confusion. Hera gave a smile to him.
"I- I've come to my decision… I forgive you for cheating on me before-" Zeus flinched at her words. "- and I've come to a conclusion, that if you care much about Thalia, then I will try my best to do so as well." Zeus' eyes widened in surprise. He walked towards his wife and enveloped her in a big, warm hug.
"Thank you, my love." He whispered in her ear. Hera smiled and kissed his cheek. They teleported out of the throne room and ended the day.
Before Hera drifted off to sleep, one thought rang clear in her mind:
I will accept those half-bloods you all find so dear to your hearts. I just hope they will accept me as well.
A/N: And there we go! 11, 230 or so words! I feel so happy! Thanks a lot to those who reviewed and alerted. If you didn't see your pen name on top, please PM me so I'll be able to put it when I next update. Thanks a lot for reading this you guys! I think I overused the word 'everyone' in this chapter. OH well. I'll try to update as soon as possible! Review if you feel like it.
-magicdemi