People used to tell me that mornings are always supposed to be peaceful.

Nobody told Hestia that.

I woke up, the sounds of chirping birds filling my ears. I opened my eyes to see a mesh of orange brown hair sprawled over my chest. I looked down to see Hestia sleeping soundly, a smile on her face. I just stayed like that, taking in the beautiful view in front of me. She was adorable. So innocent as she sle-

A punch on my stomach soon followed that line of thought.

"What was that for?" I groaned.

"For thinking too loudly," Hestia replied, snuggling her face closer, "And stop calling me adorable."

"You could just stay out of my head, you know," I replied, running my hand through her hair.

"Nah," She closed her eyes, "Your thoughts are funny."

I smirked as I thought about something. My imagination ran wild for a few moments before I could hear a gasp from Hestia.

"Percy!" She shrieked, "No! Not in a million years!"

"What are you talking about?" I asked, a water halo hovering over my head. She glared at me as she stood up. "You know? I think I heard the conch horn blow a few minutes ago." I moved back a little, "I best be on my way." I pulled up my hood as I got to my feet, "Don't want to miss breakfast." I ran for the camp, a fireball hitting a boulder right next to me.

At the Pantheon

"Hey!" The girl who stood up for me at the battlefield said, "Come here!" She beckoned me over to her table, which was for the Apollo cabin.

"Christi," A sibling of hers said, "I don't think dad would like him sit-"

"Oh screw that," She said dismissively, "I don't think the gods even give a crap who their children, much less than who's sitting at their table." I smirked at the girl's spunk. "My name's Christina," She said offering her hand, "What's yours?"

"Hope." I answered as I summoned some food. I separated a small portion of it and burnt it with some fire. "To Apollo, Hermes and Hestia," I said in my head.

"You are dead, mister!" I heard Hestia's threat in my head. I chuckled.

"What's so funny?" Christina asked.

"Nothing," I said, chuckling some more as I took a bite of my bacon.

"Okay," Christina looked at me like I was crazy, "Would you mind telling me who your godly parent is?"

I mulled it over for a while. "I would mind," I said, "You see, some of the Olympians would have my head if they found out who I really was."

"You think I give a damn about what they think?"

"Christi!" Another one of her siblings whispered harshly, obviously having eavesdropped over our conversation, "Watch what you sa-"

"Or what?" Christina retorted, "They're not going to do anything."

"How would you kn-"

"Because I'm here," I stepped in, "And I don't think they'd prefer it if I became angry." I finished eating and stood up, "Now, if you'd excuse me, I have some training to do."

I walked towards the sword arena, listening intently to the footsteps following me. I smiled, knowing that I'd have an audience. On my way to the sword arena, I took in the reparations already done to the cabins, and the traps placed for another attack.

"Christina," I said, without looking back, "Could you go and call forth five of your strongest warriors?"

I arrived in the middle of the sword arena and pulled out my bow. I hit a few targets for practice, all bullseyes of course, before pulling out the arrows and putting them in my quiver. I hear a few more footsteps approaching and looked up to see almost half the camp in the stands. I turned around and saw Christina with four people by her side.

"Tha-"

"Yes yes," I said dismissively, "I know who they are."

"Then let us know who you are," Thalia replied with a sneer, "Or would you prefer to hide behind that hood of yours?

"It is rather comfortable in here," I said, taking out a throwing knife and cleaning my nails with it, "And besides, I do like having the extra challenge of being able to keep my hood up when fighting all five of you."

"I don't think we'd be that easy to beat," Clarisse retorted as she spun her spear in her hand.

"I take it you and Thalia are ready to fight, am I right?" I asked, "What about you? Nico? Marcus? Annabeth?"

They all nodded their head and drew their weapons. I stood where I was, my hands outstretched and empty. It was silent for a few moments, no movement, not a single sound. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, taking in everything around me. That is, until Clarisse rushed me.

I sidestepped her thrust, and, noticing that the others were following soon behind, I jumped out of the way and faced them.

"First rule kids," I said, antagonizing them, "Always let them make the first move in a fight."

I could see Clarisse summoning the power of Ares, her body glowing a bright red. Nico stood a distance from the others and summoned some of his zombie pals. I could see that these guys already had a battle plan in place.

"Attack!" Clarisse commanded as she led the zombie warriors against me.

I sailed over her head and took care of the skeletons, disarming one of them and using its sword against the others. I used my crossbow to take distract Thalia as she shot at me, as I decimated the zombies. I could see their numbers dwindling a little.

"Already tired, Nico?" I provoked as I threw a sword to Clarisse. I could see the manic smile on his face.

"Just getting started." He smirked as he covered himself in armor made from every metal he could get from the ground. He smacked his sword into the ground, summoning forth another undead army.

"And so are we!" I heard Annabeth yell from behind me. I turned around quickly and thrust my arms forward, pushing her invisible body away from me and into Marcus. Her dagger had struck my arm, but it had done no damage.

"Invisible?" I said, flicking my left hand and letting a few smoke pellets drop onto my hand, "I think I can do more than that." I threw the pellets on to the floor.

A cloak of smoke burst forth, covering the entire field in a thick fog. I could still sense where everyone was, the water in their bodies allowing me to do so. I knew the smoke cover wouldn't last long, so I decided to go after the toughest opponent at the time; Nico.

I moved stealthily towards him, cutting down a few zombies and skeletons on the way. I narrowly avoided Marcus and Annabeth, who stood back to back. I assumed they were standing back to back, as I still couldn't see Annabeth. It looked funny, seeing Marcus leaning on an invisible wall.

I got behind Nico, examining his armor for any weak spots. I tried to sense where the water in his body was most accessible, but I couldn't. He was locked in there. I lightly touched his armor, trying to gauge what materials it was made of. I could feel that it was metallic. Completely metal.

This is going to be fun.

I took out both my swords, grateful that the smoke helped hide them from the others. I knew Nico would move any moment, but I was betting that he'd be content with his armor for protection. He never planned much. I swung both my swords against the metallic helm he was wearing, earning a deafening clang.

I reckoned that if it was loud for me, it would be absolutely horrible for him. I was right.

I pushed him over, watching as he and his bulky armor fell to the ground. I knew that it required his complete concentration to move that thing. So till he regained his concentration, I welded his armor to the ground.

"Second rule," I taunted as I finished welding, "Never get cocky."

I heard a snicker as I sense Annabeth rushing towards me, "Ironic," she said as she thrust he dagger towards me, "Very ironic."

I back flipped over her and, as I sailed above her head, I bashed her head with the hilt of my sword. She crumpled to the ground unconscious.

"Never. Get." I said, sheathing my swords, "Cocky."

"Third rule," I heard Marcus say from right behind me, his sword pressed into my back, '"Never reveal your position."

"I see you can sense people," I said, not really concerned about his sword, "Poseidon taught you that?"

"Yes," He said, pressing his blade closer. I was thankful that it wasn't lower; otherwise it would be pressing against my mortal point.

"Rule number 4!" I said loudly, "Always have an ace up your sleeve!" I set myself on fire.

Marcus backpedalled quickly, trying to avoid the licking flames springing out of my body. I almost laughed as I kicked backwards, hitting him squarely on the chest, and sending him sprawling to the floor. Not wanting to wait for the others, I ran towards one of the trees that dotted the sword arena. I climbed up and drew out my bow, notching an arrow in it.

"Rule number 5!" I yelled, knowing that this would annoy Thalia like Hades. In fact, I was banking on it. "Alw-"

"I'm sick of your bloody rules!" I heard her yell from another tree, "Fight like a man, you coward!" She waited for to reply, but I left her hanging. "Fine! I'll find you myself!"

I heard the howling of winds. The rustle of leaves as a small breeze grew. The small breeze soon grew into a raging gale, driving the smoke out of the arena. I looked up to see dark, stormy clouds were occupying the skies. Gazing back down, I could see some of my handiwork.

I noticed the crumpled form of Annabeth; her hat lay on the ground next to her; Clarisse crouching next to Nico, using her sword to cut across the welded joints of Nico's armor; There were bones and dismembered joints everywhere. But I knew I still had a lot more work to do.

I decided to take care of the remaining soldiers. They stood in straight lines, facing everywhere, as Marcus stood in the center, commanding them. He was also looking here and there, trying to locate where I was.

While his back was turned, I sent a shot straight through a line of skeletal soldiers. Their bodies, weak from the absence of sinew or meat, disintegrated as the arrow flew through. I took care of a majority of the soldiers that way, till I ran out of all, but one arrow head.

Using my senses, I located where Thalia was hiding. I aimed straight for branch she was perched on and shot my arrow. It hit its mark, cleaning cutting across the branch. I sensed her jumping of the branch and joining Marcus on the battlefield. They were soon joined by Clarisse.

I put my bow back and pulled out my spear as I jumped down.

"I've got him." Thalia snarled as she rushed towards me.

I held my spear, holding out the metal point as far away from me as possible, her lightning bolts hitting the point. I thanked Charles, yet again, for making the rest of the spear out of a non-conducive alloy. I waited for the perfect moment, before throwing my spear at her. A lightning bolt struck it as it soared through the air. It struck her right in the chest, lightning coursing through her entire body. I ran towards her as she stood still, momentarily paralyzed, and struck her in the head with the hilt of a throwing knife. She crumpled to the ground soon after.

I stood up straight, surveying the rest of the battlefield. I saw Clarisse and Marcus, standing back to back as they were surrounded by some skeletal warriors. I lit myself on fire and rushed towards the, quickly destroying the rest of the skeletal warriors before taking on the pair of campers. I took out Soul Ripper as I threw a knife towards Clarisse, piercing her right arm.

"I'll get you for that!" She cursed as broke formation and ran towards me. She tried attacking me with her left hand, but her spear was useless without the other arm. She threw it down and decided to spar with me unarmed. She lashed out with her left arm, which I pushed away to the left roughly and bashed her head with the hilt of my sword, knocking her unconscious as well.

"I guess it's just you and me." I said, standing up straight as I looked at Marcus. Both of us stood face to face.

He held out his sword, "May the best man win." I touched his sword with my own.

And then he struck.

He threw whatever he could. His hands moving like a puppeteer as waves of water tried attacking me. I could sense that the water was hiding some ice underneath it. I could only smirk at his cunning. I dodged each torrent of water, barely avoiding the ice hidden beneath it.

Though it was slow, I made my way to him. I used my powers over water subtly, slowing them down slightly at times or changing the direction they were heading by a degree. At last, I managed to get right in front of him. He pulled out his sword and fought me in close combat.

I managed to block each and every one of his strikes, pushing them here and there. I waited for the perfect moment before retaliating. I used brute strength in all my blows, striking and thrusting with all my might, throwing him off balance.

I saw an opening and I took it.

I disarmed him using that simple trick Luke thought me all those years ago.

"You win." Marcus said, as I held both his and my swords at his throat.

"Apparently so." I said, handing him back his sword and held out my hand for him to shake, "Nice fight."

He shook my hand, "Likewise."

I turned around and walked silently towards my camp, before I was interrupted by Thalia's groan.

"At least tell us who you are!" She yelled, groaning some more after realizing that yelling hurt her as well.

"At the campfire." I threw over my shoulder as I made my way to my little camp.

A few hours later at the camp Hestia/Percy

"Percy," I felt a hand shaking me gently, "Wake up. It's time for you to go back to camp."

"Do I really have to?" I moaned, as I brought a hand to my face, "Mom." I added as an afterthought. I could feel a burning sensation on my chest, but it didn't hurt me.

"Doesn't hurt." I said dismissively with a smirk as I remained where I was, "Not one bit."

I could feel her getting up, her hands slithering away from my chest. I softly took her hands and pulled them up so I could kiss her fingers. I placed them on my heart and took a deep breath.

"It's going to be hell tonight, isn't it?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

"Yes," Came the reply as Hestia pulled herself up and kissed me on my nose.

"Might as well get it over with," I groaned slightly, opening my eyes. I smiled softly as I noticed that my vision was filled with her eyes. Her eyes burned with a warm fiery glow, their warmth spreading all the way from my heart, to every part of my body.

I got the message in her eyes.

"I love you too," I said, getting ready to return to hell.

At the Amphitheatre

I walked in silently, watching as the campers stopped their sing-along halfway through. I noticed that the Olympians were also present, themselves seated on some makeshift thrones. I could only smirk to myself at their vanity.

"Reveal yourself, demigod." Zeus commanded from his throne.

I ignored Zeus as I looked at Christina, "Tell me, my dear friend," She smiled a little, "Do you want to know who I am?"

"Reveal yourself!" Zeus bellowed, silencing Christina's awaiting reply.

"Flashback? Or direct?" I taunted him.

"Direct."

"Flashback it is." I said, clapping my hands together, "You know. I always was a little disrespectful when I was here first. Heck, more than half of you disliked me." I could see a few smiles on the face of Apollo and Hermes, "Not to mention the fact that I detested bowing down to Zeus." A growl escaped his throat, "Furthermore, you'd think being the center of two wars would entitle me to a break of sorts…" I let my words hand.

"Perseus?" Athena asked cautiously.

"The one and only." I stated, pulling down my hood as the fires grew in size, "Percy Jackson, son of Sally Jackson."