-Walt Stone-

Jason stood in horror to the mud melting away, revealing Carter Kane as he fell to his feet. "Carter!" Felix screamed and rushed towards him despite the imps that are still attacking us.

"Felix, get back!" I snapped urgently.

In reaction, a bright light blinded us, taking over the imps before dying down. I lifted my right hand over my eyes to peer at a group of magicians approaching. "Protect the Pharaoh at all costs!" A Russian voice ordered quickly. "And kill the Roman filth."

My eyes widened as I took a step forward, taking in that we were practically encountering a Nome with their numbers. "Stop!" I pleaded, arms outstretched to show surrender.

"Who are you?" The Russian woman finally stood before her group.

"My name is Walt Stone, magician of the Twenty-first Nome," I continued.

She huffed at the very thought. "So you attacked the Pharaoh?" She snarled.

"No, it was a mistake," Percy continued, "Gaia planned for us to fall for it."

The woman's eyes narrowed. "Where is Kane?" She snapped, demanding the answer from me.

It's been my experience that Amos is called Kane and Carter is simply Carter. The Per Ankh only calls the oldest male of a family by his last name and the rest by their first. "I don't know-" I started.

"You don't know? Only Amos would hand you orders to walk amongst demigods, boy," she snarled.

"Amos is missing still," Felix spoke up.

"And who are you?" Her eyed drifted to him.

"Felix-" He started before I stopped him.

"You will only talk to me," I snapped. "I am the sole magician representative of this group. Who are you?"

She grinned in reply, "The name is Vika Menshikov, leader of the Eighteenth Nome. The fifth most powerful magician of the Per Ankh and it is my rightful duty to protect the Pharaoh and Chief Lector at all costs."

I frowned to the thought. "So, like Vlad's little sister?" I asked.

"So you have heard of me?" She wondered. "Good, means less explaining for me. Now, with your Nome's leader still missing, I order you to come with us."

My eyes narrowed. "I can't trust your Nome, sorry," I stood my ground. "Especially not after you aiding Jacobi."

"Why can't you all understand?" She snapped. "Jacobi enslaved the entire Nome, I had no say."

"Your brother went about hosting Apophis just so he could take out Desjardins and Kane," I reminded. "You will have to work to get any cooperation."

She suddenly grinned, "You are in a sticky situation, Stone. I would do as I say unless you want to be accused of an attempted assassination."

"We're innocent-" Piper started to use her charm speak.

"Sorry, it won't work. Magicians have a knack of not obeying to weaker beings," Vika informed with distaste. "Stone, step aside or die with them."

I readied my staff and faced Jason and Percy, who gave me a worried look. "Dude, go with them and take Felix-" Percy urged.

"Brooklyn House doesn't cower to threats," I interrupted. "We stand for what we know is right and what needs to be done, and that is what we are doing at this very moment."

"Fools, Amos will lead you straight into Anubis' embrace if you follow him so blindly," Vika growled.

I faced her again with a large grin, "Who says that hasn't already occurred?"

She gave me a confused look and opened her mouth to speak when my hands started to smoke a little, my staff disintegrated to my feet. I sighed, fifth staff I've destroyed thanks to this skin problem. "Death magic…" Her eyes widened in fear, "You embrace Anubis' path?"

"Better, I'm Anubis' host," I replied.

"Stop!" Sadie's voice screamed when she jumped a foot before me, arms outstretched towards Vika.

Vika was alarmed to her appearance that she had to blink and clear her throat before speaking. "Sadie Kane, what brings you here?"

Sadie's eyes narrowed as she tried to catch her breath. "Chief Lector Amos Kane will be here in a minute," she announced, "clear this mess up."

"Sadie," my voice trailed once she took in her brother.

Sadie froze up but kept her place. "Let me guess, it involved mud?" She asked Jason, who is still standing with the Pharaoh's blood dripping from his sword. "Is Carter okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Carter croaked out, which set all of us into alarm except Sadie. "Just in a lot of pain."

"I'd be surprised if you weren't," Hazel added.

Vika snarled, staff ready. "Sadie, you can't tell me you support working with the enemy!" She started.

Sadie straightened, finally catching her breath, arms dropping to her sides. "I didn't at first, but after a while, I got used to them and I want to help."

Vika suddenly sent a fireball towards Sadie, which I stopped with a shield. "You dare to attack my niece?" Amos' voice boomed as he stormed his way to us, a brown fire aimed at the Russian woman. "Attacks directed towards any member of my Nome is a declaration of war, Menshikov. Especially when it's my family you plan to threaten."

"Menshikov?" Sadie's eyes stayed on her uncle as he took a step forward, making himself be between the Russians and us kids.

"Is that you Amos, or Set?" Vika snarled. "You've been encouraging kids to take up hosting I see." Her glare landed on me, which Amos noted with a dry glance towards me before facing her again.

"Walt Stone is a special exception, Vika," Amos' tone warned. "His hosting has nothing to do with me or Set, only between Walt and Anubis. And that has nothing to do with what is going on right now-"

"It is part of it, Kane," she snapped. "The Brooklyn House has been nothing but trouble to the Per Ankh."

"We saved your asses while you sat on it and wasted your time dissing us rather than helping!" Sadie defended.

"Sadie, keep the diplomacy to me will you?" Amos growled.

"No, I've had enough of them judging us rather than themselves!" She snapped. "The Twenty-first Nome is the only reason you still have a Nome!"

Vika's expression saddened a second towards us before snarling towards Amos again. "Yes, only because your leader would have died otherwise. You are always relying on others to have your back, Amos. You are Chief Lector now, can't be relying on kids to save you in every sticky situation."

Amos rolled his eyes now, "Trust me when I say I don't, it simply happens. That is what you get when you're suddenly the only adult your family can turn to."

Vika's eyes narrowed in disgust, "How can you tolerate such a weakling to stand as Chief Lector?"

"Uh, sorry to interrupt," Annabeth took a step forward now, "but I wouldn't consider him weak, especially with what I've discovered over the past month. Now, I would like to urge us to continue-"

"How dare you speak amongst us as equals?" She snapped and sent another fireball that Amos protected us from with an even stronger shield than mine.

"I'll hold her off," Amos started as he took in Jaz aiding Carter back on his feet. "Stand by Alyssa no matter what, she brings Geb with her. And Sadie, only use it if everything else seems dire, understand?"

"What are you talking about?" Sadie demanded as the Russian magicians now attacked Amos' shield with all they had.

Amos suddenly smiled towards her, "A word, dear niece. Now go, do what you've always done."

"I'll aid you-" I started.

"No, all of you go," he finalized as he reformed his shield again. "And uh,"

We watched as he sighed in an irritated fashion. "Disco is better than Jazz," he hated the idea of saying it, which really confused the hell out of us.

"What does music genres have to do with this?" Percy snapped.

Sadie, Carter, and I took in the sudden shade of red in his eyes. All three of us exchanged glances and finalized he will be fine and headed towards the mountain.