Chapter 1

One year later

Beep, beep, beep went Percy's alarm clock, signifying 8:00. "Five more minutes," mumbled Percy groggily, as he turned away from the noise. The noise grew louder. Percy responded with pulling the pillow over his head. He was just about to doze off again, when the alarm gave a loud, BEEEEEEP, BEEEEP, BEEEEP. Percy yelped and jerked out of bed, wide sat there for a moment, wondering what day it was.

"Birthday," Mumbled Percy, as he started to change into his Camp t-shirt and jeans. As he was heading out the door, he saw a picture of Annabeth. He stopped and stared at it for a bit. He was getting somewhere on what day it was.

"Birthday," mumbled Percy, as he put down the picture and walked out the cabin door. Immediately upon leaving the cabin, the press overwhelmed Percy. Hundreds of reporters, who had been waiting outside the cabin since the time he fell asleep the day before, started enthusiastically asking him questions and scribbling things down on their notepads. Meanwhile, the many photographers snapped pictures so fast, it made Leo's morse code look like snail speed. Percy groaned with frustration, and trudged off to breakfast. The mob of photographers and reporters followed him like gnats do to a horse. There was a time when Percy didn't get all the press to himself. At first, they bothered Jason as well.

Percy stopped by Jason's grave. It was made of gold, and had words engraved in greek on it. They read:

Here lies Jason, son of Zeus and a hero to us all.

Gee, thanks Jason, Thought Percy. Did you really have to die and have all the press bother me?

After the giant war, the demigods in Camp Jupiter got mad at Jason for siding the Greeks. They had been mad at Percy as well, but had been even angrier at Jason, because, while Percy had been at Camp Half-Blood all his life, Jason had been there for only a little while. Eventually, this anger snapped, and an unknown person assassinated Jason at dinner. On top of that, the camp refused to accept his body, and the greek demigods buried him in Camp Half-Blood. The reporters and camera men made tons of articles on his death, but eventually they got bored f writing the same thing and started annoying Percy.

Maybe you're the better off now, thought Percy, and caught himself. Percy, you are alive. Jason is dead. Compare problems! Percy sighed and continued walking to breakfast.

When he got there, August was sitting at Percy's table. August was an alchemist who was also something called a dimension hopper. He had blond hair and piercing blue eyes, and he would look quite handsome if not for the nerdy glasses and big ears he had. August often liked his hair short, and had slightly tan skin. He was always thinking rationally, and hardly ever let major emotion get to him. He was almost robot! August also could play the violin very well, and hated chemists ("Stupid, know-it-all, atom-smashing compound mixers!"). August was completely ignorant of relationships, not only claiming that he doesn't have friends, but also not knowing anything about respecting privacy. The press was better at that, and one time Percy caught a reporter taking pictures of him in his sleep.

"Good morning! I see that new alarm clock I made you worked," exclaimed August cheerfully.

"Can we PLEASE go back to how I was woken up before," pleaded Percy.

"What with Annabeth coming in and waking you up at 10:00 AM? No way! This is much more efficient!" "Besides," added August. "I don't see why you like that method in the first place."

Percy smiled. He remembered when he had first met August. Percy and Annabeth were down in Tartarus when it happened. They had been corned by two Cyclopeses against a wall, and were certain they were about to die. Just then, August had come out of seemingly nowhere, and shot them both dead with a strange weapon (Percy found out later that this was August's 'Potion Pistol'). (A.N. Working Tile)

"That was a close one. You guys would have been dead meat if those Cyclopeses had gotten you," said smiled and declared, "My name is August! I heard you guys were looking for the doors of death. I can show you the way there, as long as we can stop and run a little errand along the way."

"Sure," Said Annabeth, "my name is-"

August cut her off short, saying, "Yes, yes, no need to introduce yourselves; I already know your names."

"How do you know our names?" asked Percy bewildered.

August turned to him and replied, "I know LOTS of things, Percy. Now let's go. Every minute we wait here more monsters are picking up your scent! This way!"

August walked off into a hallway, with Percy and Annabeth following close behind, not sure of what to make of their new companion. August had even closed the door of death from the inside for Percy, reappearing a couple of seconds later outside of them. To this day, August had acted as a guide and advisor to Percy.

"You are sitting at my table," said Percy.

August looked at him sarcastically and asked, "Since when do you care?"

Percy didn't have anything to say to this, so he sat down and ate his breakfast. He was about halfway through when Annabeth walked up for breakfast. Percy looked at her, and just then he remembered what day it was. It was Annabeth's birthday! Percy leapt up, and ran all the way back to his cabin to get his present, causing August to jump with surprise and confusion. when Percy got back to his cabin, he grabbed the present to Annabeth off his dresser. It was the necklace he got in Tartarus. Percy ran back, and met Annabeth heading toward her first class.

"Hey, Annabeth, wait up!"

Annabeth turned to him and smiled. "Hi Seaweed Brain, how are you? I see you remembered my birthday for the first time in your life."

"Oh come on! I always remember you birthday."

"oh yeah? name one time other than now that you remembered?"

"Well obviously there was... well, not be obvious, but there was that time when... additionally there was when... I'm not too certain about it, but maybe... Ummmmmmm... Gods, I really don't know." babbled Percy uncertainly.

Annabeth luaghed and threw her arms around him, and kissed him. Percy smiled, and handed her the present. She was overjoyed to see what it was, and she put it on right away.

"Thanks Seaweed Brain!" she exclaimed happily, and was about to kiss him again- and was interrupted by August, who said, "Happy Birthday Annabeth, even though I'll never get them. Why would someone want to celebrate being a year older when it's just a year closer to death? But a very Happy Birthday anyway. Sorry, but I didn't get you a pres-" He stopped talking abruptly when he saw Annabeth's necklace. He stared at it in horror for a moment, before slowly asking, "Annabeth? Where did you get that necklace?"

"Percy gave it to me."

August turned slowly to Percy, the look of horror remaining on his face. "Percy? Where did you get that necklace?"

Percy found himself being very annoyed at August. So what about where it came from? it was his present to her. Something made Percy lie about where he found it. "I bought it at a jewelry store."

August must not have believe him, because August replied, "Percy, this is a life or death situation here. Did you tell me the truth?"

"Ummmmmm-"

August's eyes widened as he became more terror stricken by the second. "Percy, WHERE DID YOU GET THAT NECKLACE!?"

Percy gave in. "In a room in Tartarus," he admitted.

August stood there for a second shaking in pure terror. He eventually screamed, "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO"

So I hope you liked chapter 1 of my first Fanfic.

Remember, I encourage you to give me tips on how i could improve my writing.

See ya!