Some of y'all are mad that Percy didn't use his powers before Hazel was killed and all I gotta say is are you a fucking idiot. Did you not read the story? I specifically wrote that if he were to use his powers beforehand not only would the cyclops take them all out before he had a chance but also Ares would stop them. If Artemis hadn't come in they'd all be dead. That was the only chance they had at having a shot to fight back and not lose as many people. Fucking think people instead of thinking that Percy is the most powerful and quick thinking person. This isn't a fanfic where the MC is a perfect person who makes the right calls all the time.

Also think about how the others are feeling at the moment not only watching their friend die gruesomely but now seeing their other friend basically become a monster himself. Their emotions are haywire at the moment. They have a right to feel scared. If you can't understand that then maybe don't have the IQ of a fucking rock. My job isn't to write down word for word how the characters are feeling. You have to interpret that yourself. That's what makes reading so fun.

"War is the easy part. Knowing your enemy is the hard part."

"No, Blake! I want that slab of marble next to the pillar!" Annabeth commanded a son of Ares who was carrying a slab of marble the size of a small car. Sighing at the stress of her work, the daughter of Athena walked inside the now almost finished temple of Zeus. The cool air relieved her as she was finally able to escape Apollo's rays. Sitting down against a white pillar, she inspected the temple that was the toughest to build. Zeus had wanted his temple to be the biggest and most grandiose, which would've been easy had it not been for her having to oversee eleven more temples that were also being constructed. It was a lot of work as it is but having to be the planner and organizer of both the temples and demigods was certainly testing her limits. She wished her mother would've stayed behind to help but she had basically bolted after she had said she would oversee construction. That irritated her more than she cared to admit but what could she do? Athena was a busy Goddess who had enough on her plate as it is. Surely her leaving was her way of conveying that she believed her daughter could handle this, right?

"Hey, Annabeth! Some Ares and Hermes kids are brawling next to Hera's temple!"

Sighing at the audacity of some demigods to fight next to the temple of the most vengeful Olympian, the daughter of Athena made her way out of the cool temple and back into the blistering heat to break up the fight. Before she could make her way over however, a golden flash interrupted her pace, causing her to stop in her tracks. Rubbing the spots out of her eyes, she soon opened them to reveal the messenger God, Hermes, standing proudly in front of his temple.

"Lord Hermes." She quickly knelt before him, causing the other demigods to follow in tow. The God looked down at her with a smile as he helped her back to her feet.

"The temples look great, Annabeth. Good job. I can already feel the power flowing in me." The God said, shivering slightly which made her cringe but she didn't dare show it. Instead, she gave him her thanks and asked what business he had at Camp Half-Blood.

"I'm afraid it's not good news, Annabeth. Terrible news in fact." Hermes said, sadly shaking his head as he tightly gripped a golden parchment in his hand, presumably the message he was here to deliver. It even looked as if he was mad at the message he had to deliver, something that almost scared her. Hermes never had a mad look on his face, nor did he ever really take the time to read the messages he delivers so whatever it was, it must be serious. "Annabeth, I must take this to Chiron who will then order the campers to gather at the pavilion. Will you assist and gather the demigods?" The God asked in which she immediately complied.

Making her way across camp, she went door to door at every cabin, telling every camper to stop what they're doing and to make their way to the pavilion. This took close to an hour to do as camp had grown significantly larger over the years. More and more demigods come through the barrier every day and it seemed in consequence that the camp was being filled to its limit. She wouldn't be surprised if her next construction project was to expand camp.

Finally arriving at the pavilion, she noticed that she was one of the last ones to arrive. Countless voices filled the air as they awaited for whatever Hermes had to say to them. Sitting down with the rest of her cabin, Annabeth decided to stay quiet as she looked for any sign as to what this meeting was for. Could it just be another message from the Gods to build more temples? Or maybe it was something about the Romans? She truly didn't know what Hermes would announce and it was driving her insane. As minutes slowly passed, the anxious daughter of Athena was just about to jump out of her seat and go in search of Chiron to find out answers. Suddenly however, she spotted movement from the entrance of the pavilion. Her eyes quickly darted over to the newcomers which were Chiron, Hermes and Dionysus walking in.

The chatter immediately died as the demigods spotted the trio walking to the front table that oversaw the entirety of the pavilion. Clearing his throat, Chiron was the first to speak up.

"Good evening, everyone. I'm sure by now you know that we're gathered here so that Lord Hermes can deliver a message from Olympus to all of us." The ancient teacher announced. Annabeth's eyes squinted in curiosity as she noticed the peculiar state her mentor was in. He hid it well, but Annabeth knew him far better than anyone else here. The way his eyes darted from side to side, his posture, even his brow that was slightly furrowed as if he was angry. It all was on display for her, and it was safe to say that she was beginning to get more worried at what this announcement actually was. Hermes being mad was one thing but Chiron being mad was totally another.

"I won't delay any further so, my Lord, the stage is yours." Chiron said, backing away so that the God could be front and center. Silence ensued once more across the air as Hermes took his place at the front of the table, looking over the demigods. By now Annabeth's leg was rapidly tapping up and down as she anxiously awaited the announcement. Maybe it had to do something with Percy? It made sense as to why both Chiron and Hermes would be angry if it had to do with Percy, their favorite demigod. Oh Gods, maybe Zeus ordered a kill on sight order on him? Or maybe he was already dead?

"Good afternoon, everyone. I have to make this quick as I have to deliver this message to the Romans after this, so I'll get to the point." Hermes said, interrupting Annabeth's crazy thoughts. Taking a deep breath, he continued.

"Zeus has declared that all demigods must prepare as if we are at war!"

Silence and then chaos erupted from the demigods as they almost couldn't believe what Hermes had just told them. Prepare for war!? They just got done with one not even a month ago! Who could possibly even want war with Olympus now? Kronos was gone and Gaea was gone? Who else could there be that was powerful enough to worry Zeus? Hermes tried his best to ease the demigod's worries, but nothing was working. It wasn't until Chiron stomped his hoof and yelled "SILENCE" that they finally calmed down enough for Hermes to speak once again.

"Listen, we aren't actually at war, ok." The God reassured. "We just want you all to be in top shape if one were to break out again. First, it was Kronos then not even a year later it was Gaea. Who's to say that another foe isn't assembling their army as we speak? The Gods aren't as powerful as we used to be. I'll admit it. That is why we are constructing those temples to gain back our power. But we need you demigods to be powerful as well. So listen here and listen well, my friends."

The demigods all looked at Hermes with wide and attentive eyes. It had been a long time since a God had been true to them. To be transparent with them. They needed their power back? They needed them to be powerful too? Never had the Gods had been real with them like that before. It was almost inspiring or reassuring in a sense to know that the Gods needed them just as badly. Some of the older demigods didn't feel the same way, however. They knew there was something up but they just didn't know what it could be. The Gods were never truthful or transparent with them. They always kept information and their affairs close-knit until the very last second. In doing so, they lost many friends and family as a consequence. Despite their doubts, the demigods continued to listen to Hermes who was giving the final orders from the Gods.

"The Gods request this of you. Train yourselves and prepare yourselves. War could be cresting the horizon as we speak. It is up to you to meet its glaring gaze head on. Will you be weak when the time is near? Or will you be so strong that not even the legendary demigods of the old could compare!?" And with that Hermes was done with his message. He bowed his head in goodbye before disappearing in a golden flash, leaving the pavilion in a mix of emotions. Some demigods, mainly the Ares cabin, were cheering as they could finally do what they were born to do. They wanted to make their father proud. Some, however, were apprehensive for what was to come. They knew that things were about to change in Camp Half-Blood. For better or worse, that was yet to be seen.

"Annabeth…Hey Annabeth?" A younger son of Athena shook her out of her musing thoughts. Looking over, she was surprised to see that most of her cabin was adorning smiles on their faces as they fervently talked about the possibilities this new announcement could bring. "Aren't you excited? We can finally show mother just how capable we are! Maybe she'll even visit us."

Annabeth almost cringed at her brother's innocence. Athena visit? No, that'll never happen no matter how strong they got. The only reason she ever got to see her mother was because she's been a main figure in two wars and the leading architect for both Camp Half-Blood and Olympus. She hated to say it but Athena was so prideful that she only ever visited her children when they were in the spotlight. It was like a talent show to her. Only showing the best parts. From the corner of her eye, she spotted Chiron wheeling himself out of the pavilion and back towards the big house.

"Don't be so eager for war and impressing mother, Max. Both things will only lead to disappointment." She replied to her brother before quickly standing up and jotting off towards her mentor. She needed to discuss things with him like the announcement. There was more to it than what Hermes was leading on. She needed Chiron's input on the matter to see if he agreed. Walking up the old, creaking steps to the big house she walked inside before going down the hallway that led to Chiron's office. She did her best to avoid the pictures hanging up on the wall as she walked past. There were a few on there that if she were to see, painful memories would litter her mind. Walking as quickly as she could, she couldn't help but hear a faint crash coming from her mentor's office. Stopping in her tracks, she could hear more and more sounds of things hitting a wall. It almost sounded as if there was a fight! Pulling out her bronze knife, she pounded open the door with her weapon raised, ready to take on anything that threatened to fight Chiron. Instead of an intruder however, she was met with the grief-stricken form of Chiron sitting on his chair with his head in his hands. Papers, books, among many other things were strewn across the room as if a tornado had flown by in there.

"Chiron?" Annabeth asked, stepping over the minefield as she made her way to her desk. Her teacher raised his head quickly which meant he hadn't noticed her come in. That was concerning to say the least. Chiron was always attentive to his surroundings. To have her sneak up on him must've meant his mind was going a million miles an hour right now.

"Annabeth? Wh-What are you doing here?" He asked as he tried his best to straighten up. She knew better than to fall for that fake stability. She could see the worry in his eyes. The anger, confusion, and sadness. All of it was on full display no matter how hard he tried to hide it.

"I saw you leave in a hurry. I just wanted to check up on you and maybe ask a few questions." She responded while cleaning up the mess on the floor. Chiron gave a breathful laugh as he leaned back in his chair.

"Ever so curious aren't you, child." He replied, while straightening up his desk.

"Got that from my mother." She chuckled before sitting down on a chair opposite of him once she was done cleaning. The two sat in silence as they stared emptily down at the floor. Annabeth really didn't know where to begin. She didn't want Chiron to blow up again or fall into a sad embrace. She needed to know what Hermes was truly here for. She didn't believe that the Gods just wanted them to grow stronger just for the hell of it. There was a purpose to it. She had an inkling as to why, but she hoped her suspicions were wrong.

"Chiron. Hermes wasn't just here to tell us to grow stronger, was he?" She began, idly twisting her necklace. Chiron rubbed the bridge of his nose. He really didn't want to tell her the true reason, but the girl would know that he was lying to her. He could never really hide his emotions or false answers to her even when she was younger. That was the smartest child of Athena for you though.

"No. He wasn't." The teacher answered, mentally preparing himself for the onslaught that was about to ensue.

"Tell me, please. I need to know." She leaned forward in her seat, her hand now tightly gripping her necklace.

"You mustn't tell anyone this, Annabeth. If it were to leak to the others, then there would be a mutiny. Camp would go into chaos and everything I, you and the Gods have worked for would be for naught." Chiron replied, eyeing his surroundings to see if there was an unwanted eavesdropper before continuing.

"What Hermes did tell you was true. The Gods do want the demigods to grow stronger and train as if there was a war coming. But there's a lot hidden behind the scenes to this order."

"What do you mean?" Annabeth asked, confused as to what the Gods could have up their sleeve.

"They want the campers to now stay year-round. Under no exception can they leave camp or else they'll be labeled as a…"

"Traitor." She finished, sitting back in her chair in shock. She knew what this truly meant. Zeus doesn't want anyone leaving camp because he thinks they'll go off and join Percy. The king was so paranoid of losing his subjects to a demigod that he thinks wants to start a war against him that he'll do anything at all costs to keep them. Even if it meant trapping them in a place and labeling them a traitor who would be subject to execution if they disobey his order and leave. She should've expected something like this could happen; she just couldn't believe it actually was.

"They think anyone who leaves is going to join Percy, right?" She asked, trying not to choke up. Chiron nodded his head sadly as he remembered the details of what Hermes told him. This truly didn't look good for the son of Poseidon.

"Yes. Anyone who leaves the borders of camp will be thought of as a "loyalist" of Perseus Jackson and will be executed immediately per Zeus's decree." He responded, remembering how Hermes had described the friends of Percy.

"Oh my Gods, Chiron! Do you know how bad this is? First, the Gods are trapping us in here like we're some dog in a cage. Now, they want us to train as if we are at war with Percy, the man who has saved Olympus twice now." Annabeth yelled, not believing what was happening. Never in her life did she think Zeus would go this far to keep his throne. All of this simply because Percy and some other demigods left camp!?

"It's insane, I know. Never in all my years have I seen anything like this. I've never seen Lord Zeus this worried over a demigod leaving the realm of Olympus before. I don't know why he thinks Percy wants war but alas we must abide by his decree."

"What!? You can't seriously be considering this, Chiron. You're going to train the demigods to go to war against the very man that saved them? You're going to have them labeled a traitor and killed if they leave camp or not want to fight their friend!?" Annabeth yelled, slamming her hands on his desk. Chiron angrily sighed as his brow furrowed.

"Of course I don't want to do this! Do you really think I want to train my campers to go to war against one of their own? To have my own family fight against each other!? To have the man I consider a son go against extreme odds all because he wanted to live his life in peace!" Chiron yelled back, startling Annabeth. She had never heard him yell at her like that, which came as a shock. She was so used to seeing him be the calm and collected man he normally is. Her teacher closed his eyes and took a deep breath before addressing her once more.

"Annabeth, trust me. I don't like this anymore than you do but what can be done? If I disagree with this, who's to say Zeus won't have my head next."

"Then what can we do, Chiron? By the looks of things, we'll soon be heading after Percy and the others to kill them by the end of this year if Zeus gets his way?" She asked, worry welling up in her heart. She wanted to avoid that at all costs. The question was how?

"I do not know, child." He answered truthfully, making Annabeth rub her head in annoyance. If even Chiron, who had millennia of experience dealing with these things, doesn't know the answer then what chance did she have.

"Well at least there's one thing that's in our favor. Zeus doesn't know where Percy is." She replied, snapping her fingers. There was still hope that Percy could avoid this war and not be found. She needed it to remain that way at all costs if she ever wanted to see him again. Her hope however, drained from her body when she saw Chiron shake his head in response.

"They found him. Ares was the first." He said but quickly continued when he saw the blood drain from Annabeth's face. "He's still alive, don't worry!"

"H-How?" She asked. If Ares was the first to find Percy and the others, then surely, he would do everything in his power to kill them all. The God had always wanted revenge for what Percy did to him all those years ago on that beach. Chiron shook his head in confusion.

"All I know is that they defeated him somehow. Hermes wouldn't go into detail but all that matters is that Percy is still alive and still avoiding the eyes of Olympus." He answered before continuing. "And that gives us time to come up with a plan. We need Percy to stay under the radar for as long as possible. We need him to get further and further away from Zeus so that a war won't break out between our family."

"We'll think of something but for now let's act as if things are normal." Annabeth responded in which Chiron agreed. They needed to act as normal as possible to not draw suspicion from the Gods. That was the last thing they needed if they were to succeed in coming up with a plan to save Percy.

"I agree but Annabeth if we are to do this you must know the consequences if we're caught. If we are, we'll surely die by the hands of Zeus." Chiron gravely said but Annabeth held no worry in her heart. If doing this meant seeing Percy again then she would do anything to accomplish it. She has been away from him for far too long now and it was time to change that.

"I know, Chiron but frankly I don't give a damn."

"Neither do I, child. Neither do I." Chiron responded with a smirk.

Line Break

"Per…Hey, Perc…Percy, wake up!"

The son of Poseidon groaned as he tried to swat away the nuisance that tried to disturb his sleep. It had been a long night filled with many sleep deprived thoughts and it wasn't only until the beginning of the morning that he had finally closed his eyes for good.

"OW! Okokokokok, I'm up!" He yelled as he felt his arm being twisted harshly. Opening his eyes, he was greeted by the sight of Thalia looking down at him with a smug smirk written across her face. She just loved to see him suffer.

"About damn time. Now get dressed and meet us at the table for breakfast. We only got a little time left before we gotta move." She said to him before walking out the tent. Getting up he noticed that most of everyone had already gotten up for the day and were presumably eating breakfast already. The only one that remained was Frank who had his back turned to him on the bed. The son of Poseidon elected to not say anything to the man and let him rest as he got dressed before making his way outside. Immediately, he was greeted by the cool, fresh air Alaska had to offer. Taking a deep breath, he did his best to take it all in. The wilderness, the air, the mountain ranges, it was still all so surreal to him no matter how many times he looked at it. Walking over to the table that was already filled with both hunters and his friends, he was greeted before taking a seat.

"About time, Percy. You sleep like a damn rock." Jason said to him with a mouthful of eggs. Piper slapped him upside the head for his rude table manners before greeting him good morning.

"Morning, guys." He replied as he grabbed a plate. He almost salivated as he packed on food items he hadn't seen since arriving in Alaska. Eggs, bacon, sausage, grits, biscuits. Anything you could think of that was part of a morning breakfast was there on the table up for grabs. The group continued to talk as Percy continued to place more and more items on his plate, even getting a second plate which shocked some of the hunters. They knew a boy could eat a lot of food but this much was just insane.

"Save some for us, fatty." Thalia said from across the table, eyeing the large amount of food Percy had accumulated. The hunters and even some of the demigods laughed at the remark but Percy decided to let it slide.

"This one's not for me." He replied as he carefully walked back to the tent that still had Frank in it. Silently walking inside, the son of Poseidon could hear the sniffles and breathless gasp coming from Frank in the bathroom. He had the shower on in hopes to muffle out the sound, but Percy could still hear him. Deciding it was best to let the man grieve in peace, Percy placed the steaming plate of food on Frank's bed before walking out once more. Sitting back down at the table, Percy elected to ignore the praising looks he got from both his friends, hunters and even Artemis before digging into his meal. He almost smiled as he got to taste flavors, he hadn't had for what felt like an eternity. Quickly, he scarfed down his food before going in for more that was just sitting there, waiting to be picked by his eager hands.

"Sorry about some of these guys table manners, Lady Artemis. It seems they've forgotten them while out here." Piper said to the Goddess as she watched all the guys in disgust eating as if they were pigs in a mud pen.

"Believe me, some of my girls are the same. They're just not showing it right now as to not embarrass themselves." Artemis responded, pointing a look over at Thalia who conveniently looked away towards an appealing biscuit. Percy tried his best to hold in his laughter but failed when that very biscuit hit him in the face, courtesy of Thalia.

'What was that for!?" He asked in between laughter.

"For being an ass!" Thalia huffed as she did her best to hide from the looks coming her way.

"Alright, that's enough fun for this morning." Artemis interrupted the two cousins who looked prepared to have an all-out brawl in the middle of the table. "Finish up eating and then we're on the move again." She continued.

"That's fine and all, Lady Artemis, but with all due respect we're not going back to Olympus." Leo was the first to say what the other demigods were thinking. Leave it to the son of Hephaestus to be the first to act out his intrusive thoughts. But he was right though. They've already come this far and lost too much to give up now. It would leave a bad taste in their mouth if they did. And hazel's death would be all for nothing. They couldn't do that to her and especially not to Frank. No, they needed to push on.

"Thank you for all that you've done for us, my Lady." Katie was the next to speak up. "Without you we would've died last night but Leo is right. We're not going back. We can't go back."

Silence garnered around the table as both hunters and demigods awaited the outburst that was soon to come from the Goddess. They expected her to be mad that they wouldn't follow her back to New York. After all, she was ordered by her father to do so. Failure in bringing them back would not only lead to embarrassment but also would make Zeus think she was more loyal to Perseus than him. She couldn't have that on her shoulders but after seeing the demigods for the past two days try and try again to make a better life for themselves, care and protect one another, and mourn for their lost friend, she knew whose side she would like to be on. She knew her father was going down a rabbit hole she simply couldn't follow. His anger towards her be damned. She had a soft spot for demigods who did what was right not because they had to but because they wanted to. And then there was Perseus who she still was indebted to not just for saving her from the sky years ago but also giving peace to Zoe in her final moments. She would forever be grateful to him for that and now she can return the favor.

"I'm not here to take you back to Olympus. If I wanted to, we'd already be at the border of Alaska." She replied which garnered amazed and bewildered looks from both hunters and demigods. They certainly hadn't expected that response, especially from the Goddess who hates to fail in her missions. "No, I'm here to help you guys succeed in your journey. I know about you wanting to make a new camp for demigods to live in and I want to help out."

"That's great and all but why?" Will was the next to ask a question albeit with a smile on his face. He was glad to have a Goddess as powerful as Artemis on their side. They definitely needed it. The perks of having her help them along the journey definitely outweigh the cons. Who knew when Ares or another God out for their blood came after them again?

"Let's just say I owe one of you a favor." Artemis simply responded, refusing to look at Percy who was still eating his breakfast. Even though she wanted to help, she still had her pride. Owing a demigod was still embarrassing even if that demigod was the legendary Perseus Jackson.

"Guys, let's stop asking her questions. We know now that she's here to help and that's all that matters." Percy announced to his friends as he sat back in his chair, his stomach full and happy. "The question remains however, where do we go from here?"

"I say we look for that place you saw in your dream. You know, the one with the waterfall and valley." Travis replied, waving his fork around. The demigods hummed in agreement with the son of Hermes. That was what they were doing before they had to deal with Ares. Why deviate from that mission now?

"You had a dream!?" Artemis looked over to Percy who nodded his head. He didn't know why Artemis acted like that. Demigod dreams were a norm for them. It shouldn't be anything to be amazed about.

"I did. Why is that so shocking to you?" He asked the Goddess who had her hand to her chin, looking as if she was having an internal battle in her mind. Finally, after a minute contemplating, she responded.

"That shouldn't be possible all the way out here. The Gods are responsible for demigod dreams. They are to give clues about upcoming quests to help them out. But that's only when a quest or prophecy is ordained. Obviously, your journey isn't ordained or even approved of so you shouldn't be getting dreams like that."

"We have a feeling it was the Fates that gave me that dream. You think it could be them?" Percy asked.

"I couldn't tell you." Artemis shook her head. "Who am I to know the reasons the Fates do what they do. All I know is you shouldn't have had that dream simply because the Gods didn't give it to you and because there's no official quest for you to even have it."

"Maybe it means the Fates are on our side if they're giving Percy clues to help him out!" Leo put in his two cents. If that were the case, then it would make all the difference in the world. It would mean that they could succeed in their journey having the three old ladies on their side. Again, Artemis shook her head.

"Don't presume to know the Fate's actions and especially don't think they're on your side. They are on no one's side." She warned before standing up from her seat.

"That's enough talk for now. We need to move; however, I agree with the son of Hermes. We need to find that place you saw in your dream, Perseus."

"Better said than done." He replied, twirling his pen in his hand. But with Artemis on their side now, things might go a little bit easier for them. At least he hoped so but knowing their luck it probably won't.