'This is really comfortable.' Thalia says, sitting in the president's chair with her legs resting on the president's work table.

'I know, right? I mean being the president rocks. I mean try to feel this carpet! It's so fluffy and comfortable…' I say while I lay down on the carpeted floor of the Oval office, rubbing the carpet for comfort. 'I can just fall asleep right here right now.' I actually can. This carpet must have cost a fortune, they really spared no expense when you're the president.

The Oval office is round, I guess that's where they get the name Oval office, because it's round-ish. The office looks simpler than what I've expected of the Oval office. Just your ordinary grand office with tables, sofas, pictures, and chairs. The difference is, everything here is expensive, even the most normal plain looking chair. Thalia and I discovered a lot of hidden buttons too, but we've been instructed not to press or touch anything suspicious or interesting. Which have been really hard to resist since I really want to know what those hidden buttons do. Though worst case scenario, it's a secret button that will launch a nuclear attack, which helps me a lot to resist of punching the button.

Thalia lets out a small moan, 'I don't ever want to leave this chair…'

I moan as well, 'I want to take this carpet and put it in the Morpheus' cabin… Then it'll be the ultimate nap cabin…'

Thalia chuckles slightly, 'Do you think they'll let us keep it after this is all over?'

I stare at the ceiling, 'Yeah… They should, I mean if we succeed, we'll be saving the white house right? The least that they can do is reward us with these stuffs.'

Thalia stays silent for a minute, 'Can we do it?' She lowers her voice.

I take another minute to answer her, 'Do what?'

'You know what I'm talking about.'

I smile faintly, 'You mean stay alive? Why are you asking me, you're the one that has done this before. How should I know anything about it?'

Thalia rolls her eyes, 'Some guy you are.'

'It's already the modern age. Women and men have the same rights you know.'

Thalia snorts, 'My bad then, I forgot that you're a girl.'

'That's not nice. I saved our lives.'

Thalia springs off the chair, 'We could have escaped sooner! You waited until the last minute before opening that cage!'

I sit up. 'You know, a simple thank you would have been nice! I did discover the secret passage too that ultimately saved our lives twice!'

Thalia groans, 'You're never going to let that pass, are you? I mean you saved my life twice, big deal. I'm sure that I'm going to save yours a dozen of times when the time comes.'

I look to her with hopeful eyes, 'So you think we're going to make it through, right?'

Thalia stiffens, she pauses. 'Yeah… We sure are, I mean this happened once already… I know for a certain fact that we're going to make it through this time.'

'Why did you ask me then?'

'Because…' She heaves out a sigh. 'It's just, I can't believe Chiron named me commander of all people…'

I cross my legs, I lean forward. 'And you're afraid that you can't do it… You're afraid that you're going to fail.'

Thalia looks upset, but she tries to hide it. 'Yes… I'm afraid of that.' Thalia turns to the three windows right behind the president's chair. 'I'm not smart like Annabeth… And I'm not charismatic like Percy… How am I supposed to lead all of these people?'

I can see Thalia's fear. Her legs are trembling slightly even though she puts up a brave front.

'You're strong, that's for one. I mean I don't think I know a girl stronger than you.'

Thalia laughs slightly, 'That's your idea of a pep talk? Dude, you suck.'

I get up and rub the back of my head. 'Yeah, well I was never good in cheering people up, or giving a long speech.'

'I can vouch for that.' She says to me.

I smile and I approach her. 'Look, bottom line is, I know you can do this.'

She snorts, 'Yeah, right.'

'I mean it.' I put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. 'You are without a doubt, the bravest girl that I have ever met in my life, maybe the bravest one that I will ever know my whole life.' She looks back slightly to me. 'You're Thalia Grace, daughter of Zeus and lieutenant of Artemis… So what if you're not as smart as Annabeth? Or as charismatic as Percy? You're strong, Thalia, so strong that you can beat Percy with one hand tied behind your back. You lead the hunters against both Percy AND Annabeth!' I pause and shrug, 'Granted that you lost but I mean can you blame yourself? Yes, you probably can since you took no account of—'

Thalia glares at me, 'Get to the point.'

'Right, what I'm trying to say is that if there is anyone in this world that can lead those campers out there, it would be you. There is no one else that is more qualified than you.' I smile to her.

Her eyes widen with surprise. She smiles gently to me, 'I thought you're bad with speeches. What gives, Grey?'

I give her a reassuring smile, 'Not if it's true.' I shrug, 'Besides, I'm your lieutenant. If you feel like you can't do it on your own, you'll always have me around to help you. And also, who needs Annabeth? We have Malcolm with us.'

She punches my shoulder lightly, 'Smartass.' She pauses and gives me a murderous look, 'If you ever tell anyone what we've just talked about, I will kill you.'

I smile nervously, knowing that she's serious. 'You got it.'

'You know. I questioned how you're named my lieutenant.' She says.

I laugh, 'You and me both.'

'I don't anymore.' She says half-hesitantly. I blush slightly, she looks really pretty when she gets all serious like that. She takes a deep breath and exhales, 'You feel okay?'

'Me? I have a hundred and fifty people out there to lead against an army. They basically just told us that the fate of Olympus and the world rest with us. So yeah, I'm really peachy.'

She laughs nervously, 'Ready to give a long pep talk to our friends?'

'That's all you, we've already established that I'm bad with speeches.'

She crosses her arms, she pouts, 'I thought you're going to be around when I need you?'

I grin, 'I am. Doesn't mean that I'm going to help you give a speech. Unless you're willing to give me a kiss.'

Thalia groans, 'You're lucky that I need you now, Grey. Otherwise I would just feed you to my dogs.'

I laugh, 'I'm glad you can tell jokes now.'

She grabs my collar, pulls me close and kisses my cheek. She walks past me out of the Oval office.

'You know what? I might just feed you to the dogs when this is all over.' She smirks back playfully to me. 'To protect my secrets.' She leaves the room.

I smile happily from that kiss, 'Yeah yeah, that was another joke right?' She's already gone. 'Uhm… Thalia? That was a joke… Right?'

I follow her straight out of the white house and into the north lawn. The hunters and the demigods are already gathering in front of the white house, a hundred and fifty soldiers, ready at Thalia's command. They're all chattering loudly, some look worried, others look scared.

A podium is already prepared. Thalia climbs up the podium; she has a strong confident firm look on her face. Her eyes are filled with resolves. I stand behind the podium, behind her. Malcolm walks up to me and stands beside me, being the second lieutenant and all.

'My fellow campers! Hunters, and demigods!' She addresses the crowd.

The crowd stops chattering, and turns their attention to Thalia.

'We found ourselves yet once again in face of an army of monsters!' Thalia pauses slightly. 'I know that some of you are scared. Some of you still remember the last war, what it did to us… To the people we cared about and are no longer here.' She walks around the podium. 'I am scared too… I still remember what the last war did, the casualties that we had to bear…' She looks to the demigods, 'But we are demigods!' She turns to the hunters. 'We are hunters!' She looks to all of them now. 'We are monsters' worst nightmare! So are we going to just let them march down here and look down on us!?'

The crowd shouts out, 'No!'

'No, of course not!' Thalia shouts out. 'The primordial gods think that we're helpless without Percy and Annabeth. They think that we're weak, just because two heroes are missing! But we know that is not to be the case. They want to crush us, and they think that we're going down without a fight! Are we just going to take that!? Are we going to let these snob immortals define us as weak and helpless!? Are we going to let them take our home!? We are strong! Stronger than they think we are. I'd rather fight beside you than any army of thousands! Let no men forget how menacing we are. We are lions!'

I nod in agreement before realizing something, 'Wait, that's from—'

The crowd looks resolved, they look confident. They cheer in agreement from Thalia's speech.

'Fight and you may die… Run, and you'll live… At least a while. And dying in your beds, many years from now, would you be willing to trade ALL the days, from this day to that, for one chance, just one chance, and tell our enemies that they may take our lives, but they will never take… OUR FREEDOM!'

Malcolm nudges me, he whispers, 'Dude… Isn't that the speech from—'

I sigh, 'Yes it is…'

The crowd roars out a cheer, they raise their weapons with hardened face and resolved eyes.

I roll my eyes, 'It seems to do the trick but seriously..? These people don't watch a lot of TV, do they?'

'For Olympus!' Thalia raises his blade, she cheers out and the crowd follows.

The crowd disperses; they're going straight to prepare for the upcoming war. Thalia walks up to me and Malcolm.

'How did I do?' She looks nervous now. She really hid it well during the speech.

Malcolm and I look to each other before giving her a thumb up. 'You did awesome.' I say.

'Yeah, totally. They were motivated.' Malcolm agrees.

Thalia smiles in relief, 'Thanks… Now let's kick some monster's butts, shall we?'

I smile in agreement. 'Yeah, let's go.'

'Thalia!' A couple of hunters approach us.

'Sisters.' Thalia greets them. 'What is it?'

One of them hands her a letter, 'A boy handed this to us earlier. He said that it is of great importance and that we must hand this to you as soon as possible.'

Thalia rips off the letter quickly, she reads the content.

'What does it say?' Malcolm asks.

Thalia looks a little bit puzzled, 'It's a name… At least I think it is.'

I look at the content and read it. 'Sally's Diner?' I mutter the name. 'What does that mean?'

'I think it's a name of a place.' Thalia turns to the hunters. 'Who handed this?'

The one handed the letter shook her head, 'We don't know who he is. But… he told us is that he is a son of Poseidon, yet he looked nothing like Percy Jackson.'

The news shocked both Thalia and I. We've encountered one already and he wasn't really that nice, he put us in an iron birdcage after all.

I shift uncomfortably, 'You think it might be that big guy?'

She stares at the letter, 'Let's go take a look then.'

Hey guys! Sorry for this, but I'm taking a week break since I'll be leaving the country for a trip... Actually more like scouting.

Anyway, enjoy the new chapter!