Hey guys another chapter for this story, i didn't get a chance to update the others. Oh also people are asking about why the curse was being censored, while i was writing the earlier chapters, i had forgotten the story was rated M and censored the words. but ill fix that when im editing the story after it's completion. anyways, enjoy and review. i like reviews, kinda motivates me to write more. :) so please let me know how im doing in the reviews. share any ideas if you have any. anyways until next time, take care. also there might be some mistakes since i didn't double check in my editing, i had some studying to do . so please ignore them or point them out and ill fix them eventually lol. thanks.
BTW i don't own anything.
Chapter 21
There were three teenagers sitting down in a dinner, relaxing and eating their food. Two of them were boys, one with messy black hair and green eyes, while the other had frizzy brown hair. The last was a girl, with long wavy light brown hair that was currently in a messy bun.
They were discussing something amongst themselves with importance.
"Man, I was so close to killing that damned mutt. That Nereid called for me at the best part." The black haired boy grumbled with indignation.
"I can't believe Lord Zeus sent Echidna after you Perce, he must really believe that you stole his bolt." The boy with the frizzy hair muttered.
The three teenagers were the three friends who were currently on a quest to retrieve the missing weapon of the King of the gods. They were discussing their previous encounter of just an hour prior.
When they had killed Medusa the day before, Percy had pulled an Ace, and mailed the head of the Gorgon to the gods; using the Hermes mail service, in a sense that it'd make a good joke. After, they left taking a train, stopping at St. Louis, Missouri, where their train had to make a pit stop.
Taking the chance they had visited the Gateway Arch, only to be met with Echidna and her son, the Chimera. She had claimed that Zeus had sent her to kill Percy, while he figured that Zeus hadn't found his joke amusing.
Even in the face of one of the direct descendants of Echidna, Percy wasn't afraid, in fact he was filled with glee. Captivated with the chance to test his abilities.
In the week he had been cramped in Camp Half-Blood he had been able to make a significant breakthrough in his training, significant enough that he was sure if he and the Minotaur were to clash again, he'd be able to kill the beast with ease.
In the fierce battle, Percy and the Chimera were in stalemate, when Percy had been called down to the river beneath him, much to his displeasure. He was sure if the fight had lasted any longer, he'd been victorious.
"It's best you got called down. With Echidna present, if you had killed her son, she would have killed you afterwards. But don't worry, I'm sure with your luck you'll get another chance to face the duo." Tals chuckled.
Percy grumbled some incoherent words, taking an angry bite out of the burger in front of him. He narrowed his eyes at the ground chunk of beef that was leaking juices as he slowly chewed the mouthful.
"What's wrong Perce?" Tals asked raising a brow.
"What the fuck is this?" Percy growled whirling his head towards the counter. "Ay waitress, I clearly said I wanted extra cheese and pickles on my burger. What fuck is this?"
The waitress who had taken their order, who was currently delivering water to another table, was so startled by his stern scolding that she almost dropped the tray that held the multitude of glasses.
"I-I'm so-sorry sir." She stuttered out, steadying herself.
"I don't want your fucking sorry, get me what I ordered." Percy glared at her with his vibrant sea green eyes, causing the mortal woman to flinch.
"Sorry about the mix up sir. I'll fix your order right away." A waiter rushed to their table, covering for the panicked waitress. He gave a courtesy smile before leaving with Percy's tray.
"Dude, what the fuck? Why're you scaring the poor girl over a stupid burger?" Tals was glaring at Percy for his sudden outburst, over a burger no less.
"I don't know what's going on. I suddenly feel angry, like all my pent up frustration is being released all at once." Percy said blinking at his clenched fists. His eyes had a sudden glaze over them.
Tals widened her eyes hearing his words. "Shit. We have to leave. NOW!" She barked rushing out of her seat. 'I'm so stupid. How could I forget that he would be here.'
She turned towards the doors but didn't take a step. "Fuck…" She hissed.
She narrowed her eyes at the biker who entered the diner and slowly lumbered over to their table. He a had baseball bat that dragged on the floor of the diner. Every step he took caused the air to ripple around him. All the mortals stared wide eyed at the new arrival.
Percy right away realized with a quick glance who had come to greet them. If his attitude and appearance wasn't a clue, than Percy's rising anger and frustration was a dead give away.
"Take a seat pipsqueak." The biker smirked, jerking a chair over to their booth from a nearby table.
"Ares." Tals snarled. She heard a small whimper behind her back, which only served to widen the smirk on the god.
"Correct." Ares said plopping down on the seat with a grunt.
"Finally get to meet a god, and it's this guy." Percy groaned, trying his best to restrain his anger. He was confident in his skills which led him to act somewhat arrogant, but Ace had warned him to be cautious in front of immortals. Even though they weren't able to outright strike you, they were cunning and nasty in their methods.
Ares' smirked was replaced with a frown. "Got a problem punk?"
"Wha…" Percy started with a glare only to be interrupted with Tals stern warning.
"Don't bicker with this loser Perce, if he gets his feelings hurt, he'll curse you in battles since he can't attack you directly."
Percy's eyes widened at the warning, which then turned into another glare at the god of war. His actions were truly petty.
"Brat, you sure talk a lot for a girl." Ares snarled. His pride had been hit and he wasn't going to let it go.
"Wonder how Artemis would feel about you talking shit about girls." Tals said nonchalantly, sitting back down into their booth.
Ares' frown turned into a glare, which only lasted for a minute before switching back into a smirk.
"You got guts to threaten me brat. I like it." Ares bellowed with a laugh.
"Then I'm sure you'd love to meet my friend Ace." Tals smirk wiping off Ares' smirk. He narrowed his eyes at the girl, trying to read everything about her.
"You can try doing that all day but what's in here is only for me to know." Tals said pointing at her head.
Ares' eyes widened realizing that he truly wasn't able to read into her thoughts.
"Tch! Don't get ahead of yourself brat. You and your boyfriend will get what's coming your way. Every Olympian knows about you." Ares asserted.
"What an honor." Tals said with sarcasm.
"Lord Ares...w-why are you h-here?" Grover stuttered out sensing that his friends conversation wasn't going anywhere.
Ares took the chance to change the topic. "I'm here to offer you my help brat." He turned to Percy, his smirk again plastered on his face
"Why?" Percy was on guard. He had learned enough about the gods to know that if they wanted to give you something, then they will request double in return.
"Does it matter? Let's just say I was bored and you were doing something interesting." Ares retorted.
"What's in it for you? I don't believe for one second that you're here to offer help for free." Percy inquired with narrowed eyes.
"I need you to do something for me. Then I can offer you a ride to your destination." Ares said, a look of seriousness replacing his smirk.
Percy didn't know how to reply, he wanted to see what the god of war wanted but he wasn't that interested enough to waste time from their quest. He glanced at Tals, only to see her looking at him with one clear message in her eyes, refuse.
"Sorry Ares, I think we can manage on our own. You can keep your ride." Percy sighed.
"Great, I need you…."Ares started but then stopped, turning to Percy with a fierce glare "Did you just refuse?"
"Enough Ares, leave us alone. We don't have time to waste on your stupid requests." Tals said sipping her glass of coke.
"Brat, you're way over your head if you think you can tell me what to do." Ares snapped.
"Fine, you stay and we'll leave. Come on guys, oh and cover our tab will you? We're kind of short on cash." Tals smiled then strutted out of the diner.
Percy and Grover got up slowly, ready to join their friend.
"Here, take this. Think of it as my goodwill. And tell your friend that she better watch herself, she isn't ready for the game she's trying to play." Ares said sternly as he shoved a backpack towards Percy. He didn't want anything from Ares, especially after he had threatened his friend. But taking a glance inside the bag, he had no choice but to accept. They needed the cash and the other things inside.
He grabbed the bag and rushed after Tals, Grover trailed behind giving the god a nervous bow before leaving.
"That was bad ass Tals." Percy said smiling as he caught up to her.
"Believe it or not, I used to be the arrogant one while Ace was the peacemaker. But somehow along the road our roles got switched, he became the one who looked down on everyone, while I was there to reign him back when he was about to jump the cliff." Tals chuckled, remembering their old memories.
"What caused the change?" Percy was surprised, it was hard for him to imagine his friend as a peacemaker. He glanced at Grover, who also seemed surprised by her comment.
"He got better than me at fighting." Tals lied smiling, That was actually half the truth, the other half was that everything he cared about was ripped away from him. "Anyways, what did that Nereid say? A message from your dad?"
"She said that when we get to L.A. I should head to the ocean before we head to the underworld."
"Alright. Guess we should get ourselves a ride then." Thalia nodded.
"How're we going to do that. Our train left, and we don't have enough money for more tickets." Grover said nervously. The pressure from the dangers of the outside world was affecting the young satyr more than the other two.
"Watch out for any mortals." Tals smirked as she stalked up to a car that was parked near them. She glanced around her before taking out a small knife and jamming it into the keyhole.
"We're stealing a car. Fucking sweet." Percy grinned from ear to ear.
"You're a Hermes one, I just know it." Grover smiled weakly looking around him to make sure she had the clear.
"No I'm not, I don't do this for a hobby. We're desperate." She said working hard on the lock. There was a click and the door to the black Mercedes swung open.
"Awesome, can I drive?" Percy asked hopefully.
"I want to live through this quest." Tals smirked as she jumped into the driver seat. She clicked on a button unlocking all doors.
"Hey…" Percy grumbled realizing he'd been insulted as he walked towards the shotgun seat. Before her friends could enter the car, she pressed her hands against the dashboard and passed a current a electricity through the car; it hummed to life.
"Thank god Ace and I got to know that mechanic friend for a little bit. Hot wiring a car comes in handy." She lied as Percy and Grover took their seats.
She shifted the gears, backed up a little, then rushed out of the parking space, heading towards their next destination.
X*X*X*X*X*X*X
"What did she want?" Tals asked as her friend walked out of the water, completely soaked, by his own will she was sure, they didn't have the beach to themselves.
"Wanted me to have these, courtesy of my dad." Percy said showing the three green pearls in the clutches of his palm.
"What're they?" Grover asked examining the pearls.
"I don't know." Percy shrugged. "She said use them when I'm in great need."
"Alright, now time to get back on the Highway to Hell." Tals laughed as she walked back to their stolen car.
Percy and Grover both groaned and followed with their shoulders slumped.
"I hate that song now." Grover muttered while Percy chuckled.
"Tals, let's play something else please. I'm going to go crazy if you play that song one more time." Percy pleaded.
"Fine, what do you have in mind." She grumbled.
Percy looked thoughtful for a second before he smiled. "How about some Green Day?"
Tals face lit up hearing that. "I like the way you think." She said grinning from ear to ear as she entered the driver seat.
"How'd you know she'd agree to Green Day?" Grover asked looking at Percy.
"Ace." Percy said laughing. "When we first met, he told me the best way to start a conversation with Tals was to talk about her favorite band; Green Day."
"We should thank Ace for saving our sanity when we get back." Grover said laughing as they both got in the car.
X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X
"What the fuck is going on?" Tals shrieked.
"I don't know. Grover hold on." Percy yelled.
"Ahhh..." Said the young Satyr.
The three friends were currently in the underworld, but before they even reached the palace of Hades, one of them was facing an impending doom.
After they passed the Fields of Asphodel, Grover's shoes started acting up. They sprouted wings and started dragging him towards a sideways path that led to a hole.
"Grover, why the fuck do your shoes have wings?" Tals growled as she pulled with all her might. She had already brought out her spear and was using it to stabilize her footing.
Percy was doing the same with his sword. "They were from Luke, he gave them to me before we left. But I couldn't use them so I gave them to Grover."
"Fucking Luke. What the fuck is he thinking?" Tals growled, already knowing what the blonde haired son of Hermes was thinking. "Hurry up and kick those gods damn shoes off already. My grip is slipping."
Grover let out a slow whimper as he kicked off his fake feet, which flew off with the winged shoes before nose diving into the hole.
"Phew…" Percy slumped to his knees as his stretched muscles throbbed.
"Don't relax. That's fucking Tartarus. Let's go." Tals snarled as she stomped back to where the roads split.
"You okay there bud?" Percy said helping Grover walk back. He had been pretty banged up when the shoes were dragging him.
"I'm fine. I wonder why the shoes went crazy like that." Grover muttered, but his mind was already thinking over the lines of the Prophecy.
"I'm going to have a talk with that son of Hermes when we get back." Percy glared at nothing in particular. He already came to the conclusion that the second to last line of the Prophecy was referring to Luke.
"We need to survive here first." Tals said once they were back to where the Fields of Asphodel were. She tossed both of them a piece of the godly medicine; Ambrosia, which quickly restored their strained bodies.
"Before going in. I have to remind you guys to not eat anything. Matter of fact, don't even touch anything, it might actually bite back." Tals warned as the two boys nodded, recalling the black wall of fur they had casually touched which turned into a three headed dog.
"Alright, let's go get this over with."
The trio slowly walked inside the gates of Hades' palace.
Suddenly Percy's book bag started dragging his back down. 'What the…' Percy said in his head adjusting to the weight, not looking inside.
"Halt." Someone hissed in front of them.
They looked up to see two skeletal warriors guarding the doors to the palace.
"Yea, I don't have fucking time for halting." Tals hissed back, swiping her spear at the midsection of the two boney warriors. With a crack they both shattered and fell to the floor.
They were slowly reforming but Tals was already past them, pushing the double doors open.
The three friends walked into the big room, looking around before their eyes landed on a pale man who sat atop the throne, the throne next to him empty. His clothes had faces roaming around, making silent screams and trying to rip out.
"Well, well, well." The man boomed looking at the three of them. "Look who decided to drop by."
"Lord Hades, sorry for the intrusion." Percy said, trying the polite route.
"Hmph!" Hades sneered. "You have the nerve to break into my home after the crime you've committed against me. But since you came, don't even think about leaving."
Percy's eyebrow twitched, as he let out a sigh.
"This route never works." Percy muttered. "I'll play along I guess, what did I do to you again?"
"You stole my Helm of Darkness." Hades glared.
Percy was startled by his declaration.
"Wait…Your Helm is missing too." Percy inquired.
"Don't act innocent with me. I know my brother used you to steal Zeus' Bolt and my Helm at the Winter Solstice." Hades continued.
He could overlook being accused once, but a second time was pushing it.
"Are you fucking stupid? Did you see me at the Winter Solstice?" Percy glared back. Grover suddenly looked like he had soiled his pants.
Hades was looking at him with wide eyes. This was clearly the first time he had been called stupid, by a mortal no less.
"Boy, I don't know what kind of courage breakfast you ate, but you'd better watch your words." Hades said, his voice cold as ice, void of the former arrogance it held.
"Hmph! Ace was right. You guys really are overgrown babies, using your high position to force the weak into submission." Percy satirized, ignoring the clear threat. He placed his hands in his pocket, grabbing hold of the pearls incase things headed south. He was betting on the pearls to get him out of the sticky situation should it arrive.
"I don't know who your friend Ace is, but he should stop looking at immortals in contempt, if he cares about staying alive that is." Hades spit out in distaste.
"Look here you gloomy asshole, we just came here for the Bolt. You have it or not?" Tals snapped, the threat to her friend not sitting well with her.
"Such audaciousness. I wonder what drives this...this reckless attitude. Is it confidence in yourself, or is it confidence in that friend of yours." Instead of losing his top, he looked at the girl as if she were a strange creature.
"With the secrets we hold over you and the others, I doubt you could get rid of us." Tals smirked.
Hades stared at her for a second before he let out a dry chuckle.
"Enlighten me a little, what secrets do you know regarding this old one." Hades said leaning back into his throne.
"Well for one, we know where Nico and Bianca Di Angelo are. Their safety is a quite nice bargaining chip, wouldn't you say?"
Hades was already on his feet, staring wide eyed at the girl in front of him.
"If you…" Hades started but was cut off.
"Don't worry, we won't hurt them. That is if you keep your arrogance to a tolerable level."
"You're telling me this, aren't you afraid that I'll move them." Hades narrowed his eyes.
"If we lose one bargaining chip then we'll just have to use another one. But I doubt we'd need to reveal others. With his tracking abilities, there'd be no where in the world where you could hide them that he wouldn't be able to find, unless of course you killed them." Thalia said smiling at the god of the underworld.
Hades just stood there, not knowing what to do. He wanted to blast the girl to smithereens but he didn't how many cards they held, plus he truly felt that her friend was not a small character.
Percy and Grover looked on as their friend and the god of the underworld went back and forth. They weren't sure who these Nico and Bianca were, but they were clearly of importance to Hades if his actions were anything to go by.
"What do you want? Why're you all here?" Hades sighed in defeat as he slumped back into his throne.
"We just told you, we want the Bolt." Percy said seeing his cooperative attitude.
"Boy, it seems you're clearly the stupid one. Why do you keep asking me about the thing that resides in that bag of yours?" Hades glared. His voice clearly said he wasn't in the mood for jokes.
"What the fuck are…" Percy said opening the book bag. "...you talking about?!"
He was staring wide eyes at the miniature lightning bolt buzzing in his bag.
"Perce...where in the name of that guy did you get that?" Tals stared with wide eyes.
Percy was silent for a moment before he muttered. "Ares…"
"Fucking Ares…" Talks hissed. "I'm really going to kill that guy."
Hades stared at the trio with a raised eyebrows. If he wasn't so good at reading people, and could tell that their expressions were truly shocked to see the bolt in their possession, he'd compliment them on their acting.
"Well since you brought the Bolt here, might as well give it to me. I need a new weapon since my Helm is now missing." Hades chuckled. He snapped his fingers and the doors leading outside snapped shut.
The trio were startled by the sound of the doors slamming shut.
"Hades. Let us return the Bolt. Once the civil war is avoided, we promise to come help you search for your Helm." Percy said zipping the bag closed. He had no intentions of handing the Bolt over.
"How about a trade Jackson?" Hades chuckled snapping his fingers again. "The Bolt...for her!"
There was a golden shimmer as a soul appeared in from of him.
The three friends stared in shock as the soul slowly took form to reveal the figure of a woman.
"Mom…" Percy muttered. His breath was stuck, his legs trembled and his body felt heavy.
"Wasn't easy finding her. I sent my servants multiple times before I personally had to go and fetch her. She was shrouded in so much mist that it was enough to blind even an immortal. If I hadn't searched her soul instead of her body, even I wouldn't have been able to find her." Hades said his eyes holding a hint of admiration. "Looks like your father truly cared about your mother. Such a shame it had to come to this."
"Mom…" Percy whispered again. The woman turned to look at the trio as her eyes watered.
"Percy. Get out of here. Crush the pearls and leave quickly. You have to stop the war. Don't worry about me." Sally said her voice hiding her fright well.
"I don't care about…" Percy started to say but was cut off.
"She's right Perce. We need to leave. We'll come back for her." Tals said.
"How can you say that. I can't leave my mom." Percy said turning to look at his friend with a hint of betrayal.
"Don't worry. We'll go tell Ace what happened. Hades has clearly decided to make an enemy out of us, so we'll clearly give him a proper reason to see us as one. Everyone he knows will die, even his wife. He'll watch as we make his wife fade, unable to do anything." Tals growled glaring at the god of the underworld.
"IF YOU DARE…." Hades started but was cut off.
"SHUT THE FUCK UP. You'll see how we tie your wife up in chains and drag her to Alaska. Torturing her like a mortal until she begs for death." Tals continued.
Hades was now trembling. Though from fright or anger, it was unclear.
"Let's go Percy. I promise. Once Ace learns about this, you'll have your revenge." Tals assured.
Percy stared at his friend before nodding. He took out the pearls and handed one to each of them.
"Sorry mom. Just wait a little bit." Percy said with tears, crushing the pearls.
A bubble of water came out of the crushed pearls, engulfing the demigods, slowly floating towards the surface.
Seeing the bubbles of water, Hades was brought out of his daze.
"Wait…" He called out. "WAIT YOU…"
"I SAID WAIT...LET'S DISCUSS THIS." His booming voice shook the throne room.
"The only thing I need to discuss is how much Lethe water I need to pour on your wife to make her forget her tortures, so we can start anew." Tals said smirking before disappearing through the ceiling of the palace.
"AHHHHHHHHH…" Hades roared as the entire state of Los Angeles shook.
X*X*X*X*X*X*X
"Well, looks like you survived uncles' realm. Quite unexpected."
The three friends heard behind them as they steadied themselves on the sands of the beach.
They had just escaped the underworld with the pearls, which had brought them to the beach where Percy had gotten them.
After touching the water the bubbles popped, but thanks to Percy they were able to safely make it to the beach.
"Ares…" Percy growled whirling his head around. "Piece of shit."
"He's the god who turned. Betraying his own family, I'd say he's worse than a piece of shit." Tals sneered. "At least shit sticks together"
"You brats. I've had enough of you. It's time to..." Ares started but paused, as if thinking about something. "Give me the Bolt."
Percy and Tals looked at him with raised eyebrows. That was an obvious change in attitude.
"You trash, you're clearly not the one behind this…" Tals trailed off narrowing her eyes.
"No one told me what to do." Ares roared.
"No one said anything about anyone giving you orders." Percy said slowly realizing what was going on.
"Someone else had taken the weapons, but being the god of war, you had sniffed them out easily." Percy said smirking.
Tals continued, replaying her memory of when Percy had told her about what had happened. "But that person planted the idea of a civil war in your head. That caught your interest. And with the thing from the pit coaxing you a little more, you were hooked. Then you used Percy to deliver the Bolt, but it failed."
"Immortals don't have dreams." Ares snapped brandishing his sword.
"No one said anything about dreams." Percy smirked.
"You're all dead…" Ares growled.
"You can't do shit if we don't attack first." Percy said still smirking. "But where's the fun in hiding."
He brought out Riptide and charged the god of war. "Tals, let me first. If I can't then you can jump in too. For now watch the Bolt, Hades might come too" He called out as he ran.
"Presumptuous brat. Could've lived if you ran." Ares sneer as he swung his sword in an overhead strike.
Percy jumped to his ride, knowing he couldn't match the god in strength. He had to rely on his speed and wits.
He slashed at Ares' thigh, who had already prepared for it.
But Ares was surprised when the swords connected and he felt no force behind Percy's blow. He looked up only to see a first connect with his nose.
"Ouch...that's going to leave a mark." Tals chuckled.
"Is he going to be okay?" Grover looked on in apprehension.
"Don't worry. Worse comes to worse we can run into the ocean." Tals reassured.
Ares staggered back, feeling that his nose was broken.
"You little shit. I'm going to kill you."
"You already said that." Percy chuckled rushing again.
This time he slashed at Ares' chest, who wasn't sure if it was a sword blow or a feint. He put half his attention on blocking while other half preparing of a physical attack.
What he met was a full force sword blow. Ares' half-assed guard blew open as Percy took advantage and landed a kick to his side.
Ares grunted as he staggered again.
Percy didn't let up. Before Ares could recover Percy had already opened a nice size gash on his thigh.
"You...you fucking kid. I'll fucking kill you." Ares howled.
"Don't you have any other lines." Percy said feigning a kick only to pierce his sword through Ares' shoulder.
Even though Percy was fighting with an advantage, he was already breathing heavy. This hard maneuver feints were difficult to keep doing.
Percy put his all in this last strike as he slashed at Ares' throat, who brought up his sword frantically to block. He saw how tense Percy's arms were and knew that this was a full force sword blow.
Ares smirked thinking how he had seen through his trick. It was easy to tell between the feints and the real attacks by looking at how tense Percy's arms were. He was already preparing a counter attack when Percy's sword hit his with only a small clink.
His eyes widened as he prepared for a physical attack but it was already too late. He felt something smash in between his legs.
Ares' vision darkened as Percy's kick met with his genitals.
Ares dropped his sword as he crumbled to his knees, his vision still blurry.
Percy stepped back, his chest rising up and down as he tried to catch his breath.
Swinging his sword with full force then shifting all the force to his leg had strained his concentration and muscles. His body was pulsing as his vision danced.
"Looks like someone still needs more training with force shifting." Tals said smiling as she walked up behind him.
"It's harder than it looks. I'm beat." Percy returned her smile as Grover handed him a piece of Ambrosia.
"You….fuckers. Dead. Dead. DEAD!" Ares howled as he started glowing.
"Shit, look away." Tals hissed as she shut her eyes tight facing towards the beach.
They felt a sudden heat on their backs before everything returned to calm. They slowly turned their heads to see only blotches of sand that was being held together by drops of golden ichor. They saw Ares' motorcycle still parked on the sidewalk.
"Percy...you just defeated a god." Grover said as sudden realization hit him.
"That's great buddy. Now let's get out of here. We can celebrate after we stop a civil war." Percy said swallowing the godly medicine.
"Looks like that's the Helm of Darkness that Hades was talking about." Tals said walking up to the bike and grabbing the helmet that was on the handles.
"Impressive half-blood. That was an interesting battle." They heard a voice behind them.
The friends jumped back to gain some distance with the new visitor.
Standing in front of them was the pale man with screaming souls for robes.
"Hades, come to increase the amount of tortures your wife will face? If you push it any further we'll drag Maria out of Elysium and she'll feel our wrath too." Tals glared. Her spear was already in her hands leveled at god's' chest.
Hades was once again startled by what this girl said.
"Look, I'm sorry. I don't wish to be enemies with you, and I now realize that you guys didn't have my Helm. Just don't do the things you said." Hades said. He seemed to be in pain, as if Tal's words were arrows shooting into his heart.
"Hmph! I don't care if you realized something or not. What I want is Sally Jackson returned to the world of the living." Tals hissed.
"She's already back in her home. The mist already wrapped around her, hiding her existence." Hades stated.
Percy's eyes widened, while Tals narrowed hers.
"Swear it on the Styx." Tals demanded as Grover looked like he needed another pair of pants.
"You don't trust my words?" Hades frowned.
"I wouldn't be alive right now if I was so trusting." Tals smirked.
"I see. Vary well. I swear it on the Styx that the boy's mother has returned." Hades said with a small smile. He knew best to always get a written oath.
Thunder boomed overhead sealing the oath.
"Alright. I won't mention any of this to Ace." Tals said when nothing happened to Hades.
Hades nodded before looking at the helm in her hands. His eyes held yearning but he didn't want to ask for it back. The girl had no reason to give it to him. In this confrontation, she held the cards, while he sat there guessing which was the joker and which was the safe card.
To say he was surprised when she chucked the helm at him would be a little understatement. He struggled to grab the helm as he stared at her with wide eyes.
"I have no use for that. Think of this as a favor, which I'll collect in the future." She stated.
"Alright." He said nodding.
"Now if you can give us some money to head back to N.Y, or you know, preferably flash us there, we'd appreciate that." Tals said looking at the god expectantly.
Hades let out a chuckle as he placed the helm on his head as it shifted into a crown that was decorated to rubies and emeralds.
"Alright then. Prepare yourselves." Hades snapping his finger.
Tals gave him one last nod before the three disappeared in a flash of dark light.
Hades stood there looking at the spot where the three friends had been.
"Man, she's so feisty. I can't wait for the day she gives into her desires and pounces on me." A laughing voice said behind Hades.
He slowly turned his head to see a boy with dirty blonde hair and light green eyes.
"Good acting there. If I wasn't in on the plan, I'd have believed you." Ace said smiling at the god.
"Can I ask a question?" Hades said examining the young man in front of him. This was the hundredth time Hades and tried to read him, but only came up with a blank. His people reading skills having no use in regards to the boy.
"Shoot." Ace said plopping down on the bike, which slowly changed from a Harley to a Ducati under Ace's hands.
"You knew I had kidnapped the Sally woman, why didn't you bargain with me to release her?" This had been bothering him for a while. After getting to know the boy a little bit, he knew all the things the girl proclaimed would come true, so why hadn't he proclaimed those things.
"Eh...I knew she was going to be returned when you got your Helm back; you aren't evil after all. But I didn't expect Tals to go all berserk on you like that." Percy said with a shrug.
"How do you know I'm not evil?" Hades said with narrowed eyes.
"Because I'm evil, and you are nothing like me." The boy in front of him gave him a smile that sent chills down his spine. "Plus I like your kids, an evil man wouldn't raise such sweet kids."
"What do you mean you're evil?" Hades asked letting his curiosity get the better of him. "Do you mean to say you're with what's rising out of the pit?"
"No, I mean I have an evil personality. I'm selfish, I'm greedy. I don't give two shits about anything that isn't in my palms. And anything I want in my palms, there isn't anyone who can give their two shits to stop me. While you on the other hand are only misunderstood. And you try your hardest to stay like that. You don't want people knowing how kind hearted and caring you are. The only time you let your desires take over was when you kidnapped Persephone, and then you felt so bad that you let her return to her mother for half a year." Ace explained smiling as he tinkered with the handle of the bike.
Hades looked on in shock. "You're one interesting kid." He muttered with a chuckle.
"Well alright, nice chatting with you. I'm going to take this bad boy out for a spin." Ace said pressing a button as the bike roared to life. Hades was once again startled as Ace declared to take the war chariot, a godly vehicle, out for a spin. "Oh and when you decide to bring them out, I'll look over them. You don't have to worry. Anyways I'll be seeing you."
Ace revved the engine as the bike bolted out of sight.
"Where in the name of Tartarus did these kids pop out from." Hades chuckled shaking his head before disappearing, melting away with the shadows.
X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X
In an alleyway beside the Empire State Building, the shadows rippled as three figures were thrown out. They were three teenagers, two boys and one girl.
As soon as their feet touched the ground, the two boys bent over as chunks of liquid fell out.
"Oh gods that's gross." The girl said covering her mouth and nose.
"A little warning would've been nice Tals."
It was the three friends who were on their quest. They had finally achieved their goal and returned.
"What, he did say prepare yourselves." Tals said grinning. She was clearly enjoying their discomfort.
"Yes because saying prepare yourselves is supposed to warn us that our stomachs are going to turn upside down." Percy grumbled, wiping away any remnant vomit with his sleeves.
Grover was still leaning against the wall trying to get his breath under control.
"Just drink some water and you should be fine." Tals said chuckling, heading towards the exist.
Percy grumbled something about 'uncaring friends' as he took out a water bottle and chugged half before passing it to Grover.
Once they had their stomach under control they walked out and joined their friend on the streets of Manhattan.
Since the sun was already setting in Los Angeles., the night had visibly fell over New York.
"Let's hurry. The meeting should be underway already." Tals said as she headed for the entrance of the Empire State Building.
"Oy, give me the key to the big city upstairs. We're in a hurry." Tals said slamming her hand on the counter. The man sitting there was startled before he glared at them.
"Go home brats. I don't have time for your jokes." He retorted.
"Look, we're trying to stop a war. And it's been a long day. If you annoy me too much I might just stab you with my spear." Tals voice was now void of any emotion. Her spear in her hands.
The man's eyes widened before he pulled open a drawer and gave her a key card.
The three walked into the elevator.
"How do you know how to get to Olympus?" Grover asked surprised.
"Always wanted to see how it looked, so me and Ace did our research and snuck in. It was like 5 years ago during the winter solstice. The gods were having their meeting while we were sightseeing. When they were done, we were long gone." Tals explained smirking at her own lie. It was clearly something she and Ace would do.
"You guys are unfathomable." Grover chuckled.
Tals inserted the key card and a button that said 600 appeared. Tals clicked the button as the elevator took off.
"Awh, what shitty music." Percy groaned.
"Tell me about it. When we came before, I had nightmares for a week. The god of music lives here yet he can't play some decent tunes." Tals said glaring at the speaker at the corner of the elevator.
The rest of the ride was silent as each one of them had their fingers jammed into their ears.
When the doors opened with a ding they rushed out as if their lives depended on it.
"Woah…" Percy said looking at the majestic city before his eyes.
"Admire later. We're still not done." Tals said grabbing hold of his hands and walking towards the throne room.
They walked through the street as minor gods and nature spirits eyed them.
They stopped their stride when they arrived in front of two giant doors that were closed.
"I think I'll stay out here." Grover said nervously.
Tals stared at the Satyr before deciding not to push him.
"Okay. We'll be back shortly then we can head to camp."
"Alright." Grover nodded.
Tals and Percy opened the doors and walked in.
They heard yelling when the door was opening but once they walked in, there was silence as 12 pairs of eyes stared at them intently. Some held glares, some held blanks, some held amusement, and some held concern.
"Howdy. Don't mind us. We're just returning something." Tals bellowed, making her voice be heard to the giants sitting in their giant chairs.
"Insolent brat. You dare show up here, I'll kill you." An angry war god roared. His sword ready to strike.
"Sit down Ares. You pathetic dog. How many times are you going to bark before you get neutered." Tals growled stunning the war god in his spot.
There was a moment of silence before bursts of laughter filled the air.
Apollo and Hermes were losing it. Hephaestus had tears in his eyes. Artemis was smirking at Tals, nodding her head in approval. Others had amused expressions.
"Boy. Have you come to confess your crimes and return what's mine?" Zeus bellowed silencing the entire room.
"You're kidding right?" Tals asked before Percy could reply.
Zeus narrowed his eyes at the tiny figure in front of him.
"You already saw what happened at the beach yet here you are, still acting pompous. Are you retarded or blind?" Tals glared.
Everyone now held nervous expressions on their faces as they took glances between Zeus and the girl.
"Tals…" Percy started, getting a little nervous himself.
The pressure in the room a was a little oppressive.
"You, shut up. Give me the bolt. I'm not returning shit to him until he apologizes and kindly asks for it."
"My dear…" Artemis started but stopped when she saw the girls resolute expression.
"But Tals…" Percy started but once again was cut off.
"Don't Tals me. You're mother was killed because of their stupid bickering. So hand me the stupid fucking bolt." Tals growled.
Percy's eyes widened at her words before a glare took place. Remembering his mother made him feel bitter about the whole situation he was in. He was clearly played by third parties.
He slid off the bag and brought out the bolt, handing it to Tals.
All 12 pairs of eyes held their breath at the sight of the weapon.
"Now that all chess pieces are present. Let's play." Tals said taking a seat on the floor.
Zeus hadn't replied in any form, only looking at the girl with narrowed eyes.
"I like her. She's feisty." Poseidon chuckled as he leaned back into his throne.
"Lord Poseidon, sorry we couldn't protect Percy's mom. I don't know what that idiot friend of mine was doing. He clearly said he didn't want to go on the quest because he was going to look out for Sally, since he had felt a bad premonition." Tals said turning to Poseidon with a gentle smile.
Percy was surprised hearing that. His best friend hadn't come to seek glory and fame with him because he wanted to make sure his mother was safe. Percy's heart clenched as he almost spilled some tears. He'd never be able to repay Ace for everything he did.
"It's quite alright my dear. He wouldn't have arrived on time. She was already taken as soon as you arrived at camp. But I appreciate you taking care of my son, and helping us clear our name." Poseidon said as he returned her smile.
"Hmph! This is quite ridiculous to start with if you ask me. A King who turns to his loyal brethren and followers at every bad turn isn't clearly fit to be king." Tals sneered.
Gasps filled the air. Poseidon's eyes widened, he took a glance at Zeus, making sure if he needed to step in, in order to protect his son and his friend.
"Girl…" Zeus started but was cut off.
"An apology doesn't start with the words 'girl'."
"My dear. You've proved your point. I think it's best if you return the weapon." Demeter said feeling nervous for the girl.
"Proved my point? And what point is that?" Tals asked looking confused.
Demeter was silent, not sure how to answer her question.
Everyone was silent as the tension was stacking up.
There was a moment of silence before the doors to the throne room were pushed open again.
Everyone turned to see who it was this time that was coming.
The gods were looking confused, while Tals and Percy were looking with wide eyes at the new arrival.
"Hiya…" The boy with dirty blonde hair and light green eyes said as he strutted into the throne room.
"You fucker…" Thalia hissed pointing the Bolt at the boy as a wave lightning shot out, aiming to pierce through the boy.
Everyone was stunned. They weren't sure how to react about the sudden occurrence.
They watched with wide eyes as the boy stood there, smiling as the wave of lighting rushed towards him.
When everyone thought he was done for, at the last second he crumbled to the ground, rolling out of the way of the attack.
Before anyone could react he was already behind the now standing Tals, one hand holding the wrist of the hand that held the bolt while the other was wrapped around her waist, gently holding her stomach.
"Now, now Tals. You don't really want to kill me do you?" The boy whispered in her ears, it was a whisper but everyone had clearly heard him.
Feeling his hands and his breath on her, she couldn't help but blush as a wave of different emotion washed over her.
"Let me go Ace. What the fuck were you doing? You said you were going to look after Sally, how'd Hades get her?" She hissed, trying her hardest to bury the red that was creeping on her face.
She didn't want any of these higher beings knowing her emotions. Especially the one that was currently behind her.
"By the time I got there, it was too late. I didn't waste a single second though before I went to visit Hades. But on my way there I found out about what was truly going on. And when I had arrived at Hades, I didn't need to do anything. I knew once you guys completed your quest and he got his helm back, he'd return her." Ace sighed.
"But I guess you scared him a little. He released her even before getting his helm back." Ace added with a smirk
The other beings present were surprised to hear that the girl was able to frighten Hades a little. They knew who Hades was, and the word fright wasn't any way shape or form associated with him.
"Hmph! He was clearly going overboard. I can only tolerate so much arrogance." Tals sneered. "Speaking of arrogance, how long do you plan on holding me like this. I might just break one of your hands"
"Hahaha." Ace laughed as he released his hold on her. Stepping back and talking the Bolt with him, which she relinquished without a word.
"Mr. D. Have you calm down yet?" Ace said turning to face the Olympians. His first address was to the camp director.
"Hmph! Brat." Mr. D said looking away.
"I'll take that as a yes." Ace said with a chuckle.
"Boy, who are you?" Artemis asked glaring at Percy. She wasn't lenient towards his arrogance like she had been towards Tals.
"Oh right. Yes names. You can call me Ace. It stands for Achilles Caius Everhart." Ace said with a smile.
"Woah damn. That's a mouthful. No wonder you wanted people to call you Ace." Percy said from behind with a smile.
"Percy Jackson is a mouthful. Maybe I should call you P.J." Ace said with a smirk.
"I was only joking bro. You're name is wonderful." Percy hurriedly said, rejecting any idea of being called P.J.
"What're you doing here? And return the Bolt to me." Zeus bellowed.
One arrogant brat was enough, he couldn't handle a second one.
Ace let out a sigh.
"You don't plan on apologizing, do you?"
"That's pure insolence. Who do you think we are boy." Athena hissed, finally speaking up, as Zeus slightly nodded his head.
"Well what compensation are you going to present for the return of the bolt?" Ace inquired. His voice and expression now void of any emotion.
"You get to leave here alive." Athena declared.
"Maybe Ares had the right idea. You guys killing yourselves in a civil war would've been better. Would've made it easier for that thing in the pit have a less difficult time taking over." Ace said shaking his head.
"Enough nonsense boy. There's nothing in the pit that's coming out." Athena snarled.
"Yes, I guess you're right. You'll stay blind to it until the last breath. Uranus fell because of his trust in his wife blinded him. Kronos fell because his trust in his plans. And now you'll fall because of your trust in your arrogance." Ace sighed.
The whole council was staring at the boy in front of them with wide eyes.
"Who are you my boy?" Poseidon asked slowly.
"Someone who just knows a little bit of information. That's all My Lord." Ace replied gently lowering his head a little. All former arrogance gone at the face of the god of the seas.
"Well I guess I'll be leaving now. I will go give this Bolt to the thing that's clearly not trying to crawl out of the pit."
"Hmph! Step out of this room and see if I don't hunt you down." Artemis sneered. The contempt in her voice was so present that it was tangible.
"Are you threatening me?" Ace narrowed his eyes at the goddess of the Hunt.
"You can call it whatever you want boy, but as soon as you step out of this room, you'll be my prey." Artemis retorted.
There was silence, everyone eyeing Ace. The Olympians thought the threat had hit home.
"Hmph! Such arrogance, if I want to hide, who can find me." Ace sneered. "But don't worry goddess, you don't need to hunt me because I'll be coming to find you. I'll find you, and then I'll drink the blood of your hunters. Remember this well."
Artemis was startled by his words, but was soon filled with utter rage. No male ever dared to outright retort her, but here was one threatening her.
A silver glow slowly started exuding from her as she glared at Ace with hate.
"Whatever, I really hope Kronos succeeds. Trash that has been rotting for thousands of years needs to be thrown out as soon as possible." Ace growled, lobbing the Lightning Bolt towards Zeus. Artemis was startled by his action, the silver glow around her disappeared as Zeus struggled to catch his weapon.
As the Bolt landed in his hands, thunder rumbled in the skies, and lightning screamed turning night into day.
"Don't think I'm afraid of you goddess, but a game of tag between us needs more than a stupid bolt of lightning as a piece, or it won't be fun." Ace glared at the goddess of the Hunt.
"Now that you've lost your piece, you can't do anything if we try to stop you from leaving." Athena scolded.
"Poseidon will protect his son, and with the deals I've made with Hades, he'll bring us back to life before we even reach Charon. But if you do kill us, I'll promise you one thing, you're chances of survival in the upcoming war will go from fifty percent to zero." Ace declared, his face and voice once again stoic.
"That's enough. I will not let harm come to these children, especially my son. Are you trying to go back on your words Athena?" Poseidon glared.
"Percy, I will come speak to you later. Bring your friends and leave, quickly." Poseidon said gently looking at his son.
"Okay dad, come on Ace." Percy said nodding. He gave a smile to his dad, then shot a glare at the other beings present before pulling the still glaring Ace out of the doors.
"He's a threat. He must be eliminated." Athena declared as soon as the kids were outside.
"Enough Athena. For a goddess of Wisdom you can be stupid sometimes." Mr. D said finally speaking up.
"What did you say you drunk?" Athena glared, her spear already grasped in her hands.
"Your arrogance blinds you. That kid isn't to be trifled with." Dionysus declared.
"What do you mean?" Hermes asked curiously.
"What I mean is that that kid is an enigma, he's clearly a monster. He wasn't lying when he said that if he hid, no one would find him." Mr. D scoffed.
"How do you mean?" Artemis inquired.
"After the stunt he pulled at camp, I was planning on confronting him if he ever left the place; give him a little taste of insanity. But as soon as he left, he disappeared. I've been searching for him the entire week and this is the first time I've seen him since he left the damned place." Dionysus glared at the floor, displeased with his failure.
"Hmph! You and I are worlds apart when it comes to hunting." Artemis said with disdain
"I doubt you can hunt better than all the nature spirits combined. I told all of them help me track his scent, but they came up with nothing, it's as if his existence disappeared." Dionysus said shifting his glare to his sister.
"All the nature spirits working together couldn't find him? But how?" Demeter asked looking shocked, others mirroring her expression.
"Haha I'll tell you how." A voice laughed. The gods stared as a shadow swirled around, coming together to form a figure.
"Hades…" Zeus breathed, narrowing his eyes.
"Zeus I see you got your little toothpick back." Hades chuckled.
"Explain the boy's secrets." Zeus demanded.
"Straight to the point I see, very well." Hades said taking a seat in his guest throne. "That boy is powerful. His control over the mist is so proficient that it rivals the gods."
"What? That's impossible, the mist is the force directly under the control of the gods, how can a human match our control?" Athena hissed.
"When I went to find the boy's mother, after my servants failed to find her, if I wasn't using her soul to search, I would have never been able to find her. She was buried in so much mist that it was enough to make an Olympian think up is down and left is right." Hades explained glancing at Poseidon. "I had thought at first that it was Poseidon trying to protect her from harm, but after the boy stormed into my palace, I was lead to believe otherwise."
Everyone was shocked at the god's' words.
"Why didn't you kill him?" Zeus asked after a while.
"Heh...that boy is young but he's as ruthless as those old vile things that are trapped in the pit. He made promises to me of what would happen if I crossed him, promises that I don't want coming to fruition." Hades cringed as if he was remembering those words.
The Olympians were once again shocked. To scare the god of the underworld into submission is something even the king of the gods was incapable of doing.
"Do you know who he is brother?" Poseidon asked.
"No, but from his aura I'd say he isn't a demi-god. He might possibly be a demi-titan." Hades replied.
There were collective gasps.
"He has to be removed." Zeus growled.
"Right now he's in a neutral position. He told me he won't join them. He might even be willing to help Olympus because of Poseidon's brat. But if you kill him, well that's a different story." Hades warned.
"Is he truly rising brother?" A small voice called out. Hades turned his head towards the hearth where a little girl sat.
He smiled at the girl and nodded. "Yes sister, he slowly awakens. This was nothing but his first card, and we almost ended ourselves because of it."
Everyone was silent, registering those words.
"Well, I'll be on my way then. And seriously, don't go out of your way to bother that boy. And don't kill him either, because I'll just return him." Hades asserted before melting into the shadows.
"I won't let harm come to the boy either. He protected Sally and Percy, anyone that harms him, will have a problem with me." The god of the seas declared before turning into a sea breeze.
"Brother, I think it's best if you prepare for any future events. Pretending not to notice won't get you anywhere." The girl from the hearth said gently.
Zeus looked at the girl before letting out a sigh. "Everyone be on guard. I fear the Prophecy is coming to fruition. Meeting adjourned." He flashed out in a bolt of lightning, everyone else slowly leaving by their own methods
X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X
"So it was you. You stole the weapons and tricked Ares." A black haired boy growled at a blond haired boy; their green and blue eyes clashing.
"The gods have been in power for too long. They need to be pulled down. Join us Percy, he will grant you great things." The blue eyed boy said.
"You're right about that Luke, and it sounds very tempting. But my mother and I kind of like Poseidon, so I think we will stay here." Percy retorted.
"If you join us, and can talk Poseidon into joining us, he will spare your father." Luke advised.
"Thanks but no thanks. The sea doesn't like to be restrained." Percy rejected with a chuckle.
"You're a fool Percy. You could've been a king, a god. Had whatever you wanted. But now you'll die alongside them, serving beings that don't give two shits about you." Luke growled, revealing his weapon. The sword in his hands was made of two different metals, metals that were in a constant clash.
"Another thing that you're mistaken about, the sea doesn't serve anyone." Percy growled bringing out his own sword; Riptide. "Nice sword, present from your master?"
"One of many to come." Luke smirked.
"So now what, you can't possibly think you can defeat me. We've ended in stalemate every time we've sparred." Percy said giving a smirk of his own.
"I don't have time to spar with you. But I'll leave you with a little present." Luke said extending his sword. A hole appeared on the ground and a small silhouette jumped out onto his weapon. "Try not to die Perce, this scorpion is pretty poisonous."
Luke tossed the vermin towards Percy, who had his sword raised, ready to cut it down.
But as soon as the scorpion left Luke's sword, there was a sudden flash of light from the pair's right and a thud.
They both turned their heads to see the scorpion with a dagger through it's body, impaling it to the tree. The arachnid gave one last struggle before going limp.
"What do we have here?" They heard a voice behind them.
Percy smirked while Luke narrowed his eyes, both recognizing who had come.
"Ace…" Luke snarled, glaring at the blonde haired boy.
"Luke you asshole, those shoes almost killed Grover." Tals snapped at the son of Hermes "After all the things he did for you, leading you to camp and everything, you go and try to have him killed."
"Those shoes were meant for Percy, he was supposed to be dragged down, along with with the bolt. And all the things he's done? Hmph, my best friend is a tree right not because he was so useless in his job." Luke shot back.
"Say that again and see if I don't run you through." Tals snapped. There was a light shimmer as a pitch black spear appeared in he hands; her old weapon had gone through reforging at the hands of the god of weapons.
"Tch! You're all fools, serving gods that are the epitome of arrogance and ignorance." Luke scoffed.
"Leave now Luke, while I'm still being indifferent. Go tell your Master that I want to talk. If he wants me to join him, he's going to have to offer more than the position of a king." Ace stated.
Luke was taken aback by his words. He stared at him, trying to figure out what game he was trying to play.
"Fine." Luke nodded giving up on trying to decipher the boy in front of him. He brought up his sword and made a slash, ripping open the air, the small pocket sucking him in.
"Ace, you're really going to join if they offer a good deal?" Percy asked skeptically.
"You're my brother Perce, anything and everything I do, will not bring you or your parents harm. But anyone else you know, I can't promise anything." Ace sighed.
"There really aren't others that I care about. My small circle only consists of my mother and you guys, and now my dad." Percy chuckled.
Ace nodded with a smile before turning his head.
"Well, guess this should be proof enough that that you're all doomed. Your greatest weapon in this battle is slowly turning against you." Ace said stoically.
Percy was wondering who he was talking to before he noticed the IM behind the trees. He noticed some of the Olympians watching from their thrones.
"Hermes, your traitorous brat tried to poison my son." Percy heard his dad bellow through the IM.
"Do what you must. I've done my part." Ace said waving his hand through the rainbow mist.
"I can't believe you're still trying help them, especially after the way Artemis treated you." Percy said with a frown. He didn't want to go against the gods, but that didn't mean he liked them.
"I'm not doing it for them. I'm doing it for you and your dad. It wouldn't be right to not give him a fighting chance." Ace said with a smile.
"Thanks bro, for everything you've done for me." Percy replied, truly feeling grateful towards his friend.
"You dork. How many times do I have to tell you that brothers don't say thanks to each-other." Ace smirked pulling Percy into a headlock.
"Let's go break the news to Chiron. He needs to know that one of his oldest has gone astray." Tals said smiling at their antics.
The three friends found Chiron and Annabeth talking amongst themselves on the porch of the Big House.
When Percy explained to them how the line of the prophecy about betrayal referred to Luke, who now had abandoned the camp, Annabeth broke down into weeps.
She said they were lying, but after a thorough search of the camp, and recalling how Luke had been acting lately, they couldn't deny the fact any longer. They announced Luke as a traitor to the camp, and warned them to be wary of him should they meet him outside.
After that, summer slowly came to an end, and the camp presented it's bead for the year, a black bead with a green trident imprint in the middle.
Percy, this time around was a year rounder and stayed at camp instead of returning to his mother for school. Ace had told him that Chiron would give him school education, if he wanted to learn.
During the end of summer fireworks, Ace announced to Percy that he and Tals were leaving camp, they had stuff to do outside.
Percy pleaded to go with them, but Ace had refused, stating that he needed to focus on training first.
But Ace had promised that once he was finished with his business, he'd come and take Percy out for a ride on his new war chariot, which he had retrieved when Ares left it behind after his defeat. Ace had decided to make the chariot his own for the time being, much to the displeasure of god of war. Covering the chariot with mist had effectively hidden it from Ares.
The fireworks came to an end when the giant George Washington crossed Delaware, and Ace and Tals walked out of the camp, disappearing into the shadows.