Annabeth held Percy's hand as they walked back into the throne room for another chapter before bed.
"How are you doing?" She asked quietly.
Percy squeezed her hand. "I'm alright."
She looked up at him. "Don't lie to me Percy, please."
Percy sighed and looked around as they sat down. "I don't want to go back. It sucks reliving these things, but it might save some people who shouldn't have died."
Annabeth ran her thumb over his knuckles. "I know, I don't want to go back either. And at least this time around we have Will and Apollo around for your accidents. We have you."
Percy smiled down as the group decided on who was reading next.
"I'll read." Hazel volunteers, taking the book from Grover.
"On with it, I'm tired." Dionysus grumbles from his seat.
We take a zebra to Vegas.
"How in the world?" Nico asks looking at the trio.
"I remember hearing about this!" Travis exclaims. "Grover caused some chaos."
"Worth it." Grover says, leaning back.
The war god … trap," I said.
"You just have problems on sight bro." Jason says looking at Percy.
"He didn't even know Mars at camp," Frank started. "No memory but sees him and its anger on sight."
Percy blushed slightly. It was true. All he remembered was Annabeth and his beef with Ares on sight.
Ares gave me … "You're a jerk."
Percy took a deep breath.
Will watched carefully, trying to gauge if what Percy said about things being worse this time around was true.
Annabeth and Grover … stop in Vegas."
"If we hadn't gotten off things would have been so much easier." Grover groans.
"You just had to set them free G-man." Percy points out.
"What happens in Vegas?" Hermes asks.
"Keep reading Hazel." Percy chuckles.
The eighteen-wheeler … for dyslexia:
"The fact that that is easier is ridiculous." Piper grumbles, knowing exactly the feeling.
KINDNESS INTER-NATIONAL: … for doing the job."
"If only we had known this quest would have been over right here." Percy whispers to Annabeth, who laughed.
He slung a blue …Double Stuf Oreos.
"Why are you being nice?" Athena asks suspiciously. "You're not nice."
Ares raised his hands and sneered. "Don't ask me. How should I know."
I said, "I don't … warning look. "Thanks a lot."
"Grover is the only reason you're not dead here isn't it." Thalia says.
"Probably." Percy agrees.
"Next summer made up for it." Grover laughs.
"Bride Grover!" Travis and Connor laugh.
"Oh my gosh I forgot about that." Clarisse groans.
I gritted … Ares had touched.
Ares sends a grin towards Percy. "I like you kid. You do what others wouldn't dare."
Percy just grinned back, pushing the anger down again.
Everyone looked between the two and shuddered. Those two should never team up was the consensus.
Reluctantly, I slung … punch him in the nose.
"I dare you." Ares says.
"Remember yesterday?" Percy shoots back.
He reminded me … snapped a picture of us.
"Time to run." Most of the demigods said at the same time.
"Has anyone every been caught by authorities?" Poseidon asks.
"A few times." Katies says, being one of the older campers. "Chiron somehow bails us out."
"He's got people all over." Will adds. "Satyrs usually but sometimes demigods are in the right place. There's been quite a few 'escapes' from jail."
Great, I thought. …DEFENSELESS BIKER.
"Knowing your luck that was exactly it." Thalia laughs.
"You owe me one …. She's being kept."
Everyone looked to Hades.
"I don't know!" He defends himself. "Future! Remember?"
"You better not hurt her." Poseidon tells him tensely.
"She was okay dad." Percy assures him.
Most people were, still, shocked at the protectiveness Poseidon showed for Sally Jackson.
"Kept. Why?" … Cupid statues."
Percy leaned back slightly and took deep breaths, concentrating on not losing it for the second time. Annabeth squeezed his hand, and he squeezed back.
"I really piss you off don't I." Ares smirks.
"If you don't want to fight, and lose again, I suggest you shut up." Hephaestus grumbles from his seat.
There were a few snickers around the room before Hazel started reading again, hoping to get rid of the growing tension.
Behind his sunglasses, … watch your back."
"That's not good." Jason says, looking towards Percy.
"It was fine." Percy says, finally cooling down.
"Was it kelp head." Thalia asks bluntly.
"Eh." Percy shrugs with a grin.
He revved his Harley, … "we need to hurry."
"The last thing you all need is to miss your ride." Hermes says. "That would really mess up your quest."
"Actually, it might have been better." Annabeth says thinking about the Lotus Hotel.
Percy and Grover nod in agreement.
"What happened on this quest?" Frank asks. "How in the world was this the easiest?"
Most everyone wanted to know the answer as well.
I didn't like it, … biggest pan of kitty litter.
Percy gagged slightly as the smell came back. "I had forgotten how bad that truck was."
"Hence why we stopped in Vegas." Grover pointed out.
The trailer was dark …know the name for.
All the nature associated demigods and gods felt irritation rise in them. This was no way for any creature to be treated.
Someone had thrown …OVER THE HILL!
"Disgusting." Artemis says. "I hope whoever is doing this to these creatures are punished."
There was agreement all around.
Apparently, nobody … sit down or fall down.
"Grover, I cannot imagine you fighting someone at that time." Clarisse says.
"I couldn't either, but I was going to anyway." Grover admits.
"I would have helped too honestly." Annabeth adds.
"I would have loved hearing that story." Connor laughs, imagining what Chiron's face would have looked like at the meeting after quests.
We huddled in the … and the antelope.
"I'm gald you guys did something." Katies says.
"Oh we did something all right." Percy laughs thinking about the next morning.
"What did you do?" Hazels asks.
"Oh nothing." Annabeth grins.
Grover calmed the … make it in plenty of time.
"Don't say that." Jason groans. "You jinxed it."
"Yeah, I know that now." Percy says.
"All of your quests seem to get messed up." Hades notes.
"Somehow, someway, Prissy's quests all go wrong yet somehow end okay." Clarisse says.
"Tyche must be on your side." Hera says, frowning slightly.
Percy just lets out a snort. "Yeah, sure."
There were a few concerned looks. Percy motioned Hazel to continue.
On the other hand, … of amusement for the gods.
Everyone looked to Percy, some worried, some scared, some apprehensive.
"Percy?" Thalia asks softly.
"It's fine." Percy says, not looking at anyone.
"Is it?" She asks, pushing slightly.
"Yes, Thalia." Percy says shortly.
Thalia backs off but determined to talk to Percy later. When he used her full name, it wasn't time to push.
The demigods who were around for the first war realized how lucky they were that Percy had stayed on their side.
Hazel continued after a moment of tense silence.
"Hey," Annabeth … weaving contest, right?"
"I was actually surprised you knew that." Annabeth admits.
"My mom taught me well." Percy says.
"Yes she did."
Annabeth nodded…Annabeth and I laughed.
As did most people in the room.
"Grover, you're amazing." Travis says.
Dionysus smiled behind his magazine. His satyrs were pretty great sometimes. Not that he'd say that to anyone's face.
She pulled apart … turn into a pine tree."
"That was low." Thalia says. "He really was trying to start something early."
In the dim …He nodded glumly.
Everyone stayed quiet as they listened to the story. The newer campers didn't know much about it and the Camp Jupiter campers knew nothing. Even the gods were interested in this future event.
"And the other …Grover found us."
"How did you guys last so long alone like that?" Hazel interrupted herself.
"We really don't know." Thalia says. "With me around I'm surprised we made it to camp at all."
"Someone must have intervened. You really shouldn't have made it at all." Athena says bluntly, but truthfully.
"I was supposed … blame you either."
"We really don't Grover." Annabeth says to him again.
"I know." Grover says. "I know you guys don't."
Thalia and Annabeth smile at him.
"She sacrificed …Cloven Elders said so."
"The who?" Jason asks confused.
"They're a bunch of old goats who don't know anything." Thalia mutters to herself.
The people around her heard anyway and snorted.
"Satyr council at camp." Will explains. "They're in charge of satyrs along with Mr. D."
"Because you wouldn't …, Thalia and Percy."
"No wonder you were the one to find Pan." Percy whispers to Grover, not wanting to spoil that certain event.
"You're not lame," … even without the kick.
Annabeth blushed. "Sorry."
Percy waved his hand. "Don't worry about it."
"It's not luck that … one who finds Pan."
The older Greek demigods looked to Percy with a little shock.
"Do you have seer in your blood?" Katies asks, half joking.
Percy shrugs and shoots her a grin. "Maybe?"
"What's going on?" Leo asks, confused.
I heard a deep, … I marveled.
"It's all satyrs." Will says. "Happens all the time and we don't really know why."
"I don't know," … from your first year?"
"I was wondering about those." Frank says. "The beads that is. You all have the same ones but theyr'e all different."
She looked. … that was a weird summer..."
"I need to know about the centaur." Apollo laughs.
"Party Ponies." Was all that the campers said who were there that summer.
That was all it took for the people who knew the party ponies to start laughing.
"Should have known." Hermes gasps between laughs.
"And the college …"No ... it's okay."
"You were meant to be from the beginning." Clarisse says, fake gagging. "Disgusting."
Athena's face betrayed her thoughts on this relationship, but she said nothing. Not like it would matter anyway at this point. Poseidon just looked happy that his son was happy.
She took a shaky breath. … back to Camp Half-Blood."
"Are all your lives like this?" Aphrodite asks softly.
Most of the demigods nodded, thinking back to their own childhoods.
"Percy over here is the only exception at Camp." Nico says. "Sally is now everyone's mother."
"She is a saint." Thalia agrees.
"I'll introduce you guys." Percy says to the roman demigods, Piper, and Leo. "She'll make cookies.
"Yes!" Leo exclaims.
The gods looked on, almost sadly, thinking about their children's lives.
"You think you'll … he wants to live with."
"I'm glad I went home anyway." Annabeth says to Percy. "Thank you."
"No problem wise girl." Percy kisses the top of her head softly.
"Your dad is awesome." Thalia says, thinking of that time Mr. Chase shot monsters with celestial bronze bullets.
We passed another …. Any more stupid questions?"
The room was silent. Athena's child, teaming up with a son of Poseidon, against her own mother. That was unheard of. Their relationship was truly one of a kind.
Aphrodite smiled as she felt the bond between the two, knowing it would never break.
I couldn't think of an … I closed my eyes.
"You had a nightmare didn't you." Thalia says.
"Yes I did." Percy says. "As usual."
"We got something for you actually." Apollo says. "See me after this chapter."
Percy gives him a thumbs up as Hazel continues.
My nightmare started …Pick up your pencil.
There were agreeing noises across the room. It really was a common dream for the demigods.
Then the dream strayed from the usual.
"The worst." Connor groans. "You never know what's going to happen."
"Hypnos needs to chill sometimes." Leo says thinking on his own dreams.
I looked over at … Thalia, daughter of Zeus.
There was silence.
"No for real, do you have seer abilities?" Katie asks again.
"I don't know." Percy says.
"I'm not usually associated with future telling." Poseidon says, looking to Apollo.
Apollo frowned slightly. Did he bless Percy at some point or was this just coincidence? Maybe it was Hypnos trying to mess with Percy?
She struggled against … has to get out of here.
"The nickname transcends consciousness." Thalia laughs.
Percy just shakes his head amused.
She's right, my … Hades a piece of my mind.
"Should I hide?" Hades asks, seriously.
"Probably." Nico says, thinking back to when Percy went into the Styx.
The straitjacket …of a great chasm.
"Your dreams are the worst." Jason shudders.
"I know." Percy says, grimacing at the feelings this dream was bringing back.
Percy Jackson, … He is as ignorant as the rest.
"I should have known." Percy says, almost angry with himself.
Annabeth takes his hand. "It's okay."
Percy just shakes his head, filling with guilt. So many things could have been prevented if he had just recognized Luke's voice.
Percy's friends frown as they see him beat himself up for something he couldn't control. Again. They shared determined looks between each other. They had to do something about that.
I looked over, … the Crooked One.
"No." Zeus says firmly. "Absolutely not."
"Father." Athena says. "You know-"
"No."
The Greek demigods looked between each other. Some things never changed. These books were going to be interesting.
But was it really …but wait. He is here.
"How did he know you were there?" Annabeth asked.
"I really don't know." Percy says. "He always knew I was there."
What? The invisible …freezing me in place.
Percy sucked in a breath, feeling his muscles stiffen up against his will.
Hazel looked to him and continued reading. She hated seeing her friend in pain and reading this book was all it was causing him.
Blast his father's …the servant cried.
The gods nodded in agreement, eyeing the frozen demigod.
Percy was trying to move somethings to break free from the effect.
"Stop Percy." Will says, watching him. "You're just going to hurt yourself."
Percy just managed to grunt, relaxing the smallest bit. He hated these dreams.
For a weakling such as you, perhaps, the voice snarled. Then its cold power turned back on me.
Percy shivered, tensing back up again, muscles straining.
"Percy." Annabeth whispers, rubbing her hands along his arms, trying to soothe him.
Percy looked at her, almost desperate. He didn't want to be frozen, stuck. He needed to move. His breath hitched slightly.
"You're okay." Annabeth tells him softly. "Just breath."
So ... you …but my legs wouldn't move.
Percy kept straining even though he knew he wouldn't be able to move. The desperate feeling to reach his mother filled him.
I reached for her, …I woke with a start.
Percy jolted forwards, Annabeth catching him as he gasped for a breath, trying to relax.
"It's okay Percy." Annabeth tells him quietly. "Just breathe, it's okay. Your mom is safe at home."
Percy nodded and took a few more deep breaths, shaking his hands out trying to get rid of the lingering tingling in his body.
Will frowned, realizing Percy was right about the effect being worse. This really wasn't going to be good in the future.
Grover was shaking …we looked like turnips.
There was a snort across the room as the tension died down now that the nightmare was over.
"I bet it wasn't that hard for prissy over here." Clarisse laughs.
"Hey!" Percy exclaims, appreciative for the normalcy.
The trailer doors …yeah," the man said.
"Horrible man." Artemis says disgusted.
Next to me, …downright murderous.
"Listen." Grover starts. "I was ready to fight. I was going to lose but I was going to try."
There were laughs around the room.
"No one blames you." Piper says.
The trucker threw … Free me, lord. Please.
"What?!" Leo exclaims.
Percy shrugs. "They're close enough to horses."
"That's so cool." Hermes and Apollo say.
"It really is." Percy says.
I was too stunned … "This transport business can't be legal."
"Genius." Piper laughs. "Confuse them and get away."
"Only after we caused just a little bit of chaos of course." Annabeth says.
"What did you do?" Hera sniffs. "Chaos is not good."
The demigods just smirk at her, making her frown.
"No kidding," Grover said. … waiting for my lead.
"Natural born leader." Hephaestus says, pulling a screw out of his pocket. He had begun working on a small contraption at some point.
I'd heard the zebra talk, … why I could understand it?
"Yes, it is." Poseidon confirms. "Any equine species, and marine life."
"That's so cool." Leo says. "Wish I could talk to animals."
"You can, we have Frank!" Connor teases.
"Hey!"
The zebra said, … goat talk, like a blessing.
"What did you say?" Katie asks.
"There's not really a translation." Grover says with a shrug. "It just keeps the animals safe."
Just as Maurice … and into the street.
Everyone laughed.
"It really was comical." Percy says.
There was yelling … released a zebra in Las Vegas.
"So that's the chaos you caused." Hermes says, still laughing.
"One of the better moments on this quest." Annabeth confirms.
Maurice and Eddie … one of the casinos.
"Only in Vegas." Connor and Travis say. "We should go some time."
There was a resounding "No!".
"Will the animals be …works on wild animals."
"So Percy." Thalia says grinning.
Percy let out a loud laugh.
"What?" Thalia asks.
"Hazel." Annabeth says, motioning to the book, holding in her own snickers.
"So it would only affect Percy," Annabeth reasoned.
"Oh my gosh." Nico says.
"Better than sharing a braincell with Percy." Frank grumbles.
"We are one." Percy says pointing at Frank.
"Hey!" I protested… plan for getting west.
"Regrouping is always a good idea." Athena confirms. "You only have so much time."
Poseidon looks at the trio. "You have a week left to finish this quest. Why do I have a feeling something is about to happen?"
Percy rubbed the back of his head. "Maybe because something is?"
Poseidon just looked weary.
"We don't die?" Percy says, almost questioningly.
"That doesn't help."
We must have taken …Lotus Hotel and Casino.
Nico's head whipped around and stared at the trio. They stared back.
"Do you think we met here?" Nico asks.
"There's a good chance." Annabeth says.
"Tell me you guys didn't go in." Clarisse says. "Everyone knows you don't go in."
"We won't tell you then." Percy grins.
The entrance was …, and Grover said, "Whoa."
"So that's why you guys were gone for so long." Katie says.
"Yup." Percy nods.
"Best five days ever." Grover says, thinking back to the hunting game.
The whole lobby was … of food you can imagine.
"We need to go." Travis says, Connor nodding next to him.
"Absolutely not." Katie scolds them.
"Chiron wouldn't let you anyway." Annabeth said. "We made sure he knew about it when we got back."
"Hey!" a bellhop … "The bill's taken care of.
"Should have turned around right there." Thalia tells them.
"The effects of the casino work quickly." Athena says. "Once you're inside it is almost impossible to come back out."
"How did you get out?" Poseidon asks.
"Percy, actually." Annabeth says.
No extra charges, …green plastic credit card.
"Y'know." Percy says. "I don't think I ever got rid of it. I think it's in the cabin somewhere."
Grover looked over. "Do you think it would work still?"
"Maybe. We should try it when we get home." Percy says. "I just have to find it."
"What does it do?" Thalia asks.
"Unlimited money." Nico tells her. "Comes in handy."
"Do you still have yours?" Percy asks.
"How do you think I could buy McDonalds on the run?"
I knew there must ... Enjoy your stay."
"There are so many red flags here." Clarisse says.
We took the elevator … view with a room like this.
"I'm running away." Travis says, laughing. "This place sounds great."
"It's not." The four who'd been inside tell him.
Travis pouted.
"Oh, goodness," … a little strange.
"I would have never believed it was Percy who got you out." Thalia says. "But listening to this, he's the only one noticing anything is off."
I threw Ares's … new one at the hotel store.
"Boy." Ares says with a glower.
Percy just smiled at him. "What?"
Annabeth elbowed him in the side making him look away from the war god.
"Don't fight the gods."
I took a shower, …National Geographic Channel.
"Of all channels." Frank says. "And you choose national geographic."
Annabeth snorted, hiding her laugh behind a hand.
"What?" Frank asks confused.
Annabeth motions to Hazel, still laughing.
"All those stations," I told her, "and you turn on National Geographic. Are you insane?"
Everyone else was laughing now too.
"Why!?" Frank yells, throwing his hands in the air.
"We share a brain cell that's why." Percy says, laughing.
"It's interesting." … back down again.
"That's new." Hermes says with a small frown. "They should only work with the activation word."
"'Should' being the key word there." Percy says.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Hermes asks.
"The book will explain." Percy tells him, not really wanting to explain his son's betrayal at the moment.
"So what now?" Annabeth …"Play time," I said.
"How in the world did you get out?" Thalia asked. "Truly."
"Honestly?" Percy says. "Someone said 'groovy'."
"That was it?" Thalia asks incredulously.
"Yup."
I couldn't remember …shoot the rednecks.
"I miss that game." Grover says with a sigh.
I saw Annabeth playing … girl's on homecoming night.
"That would do it for me too." Most everyone said.
"Do people not age?" Leo asks curiously.
"Nope." Nico says. "It's true when I say I'm like seventy."
"Bro what?!" Leo exclaims.
"I was born before World War two." Nico tells him. "And was placed in the casino in the forties."
Leo, and those who didn't know, just stared until Hazel started reading again a moment later.
We played a game … to the computer screen.
"Asking questions is always the best route." Athena admits reluctantly.
I said, "Hey, Darrin?" …. "1977."
"That's scary." Connor says.
"I don't want to go anymore." Travis says, looking slightly queasy.
"No," I said, getting a little scared. "Really."
Percy shivered as adrenaline rushed through him.
"Hey, man. Bad … they didn't care.
"How long were you inside?" Poseidon asks.
"Too long." Percy says.
Then it occurred to me: … World War III.
"Once you realize what's happening you are able to break the spell." Athena tells everyone. "But, like I said, that's almost impossible."
"And Percy did it because someone said 'groovy'." Nico says.
"It tracks." Clarisse says.
I found Annabeth … I've just got the towers-"
"You and your architecture." Thalia says.
"It was good practice." Annabeth says thinking of Olympus.
"This place …imagine a better place?"
"You were gone." Piper notes. "This place really shouldn't exist."
"Not much we can do about it." Hades grumbles. It disrupted the natural order of things. Thanatos was always getting onto someone about it.
I grabbed her wrist … They were too busy.
"Sorry about that." Annabeth says.
Percy waved a hand. "Don't worry about it." He kissed the top of her head softly.
I made her look … image from the screen.
Dionysus rolled his eyes. His satyrs were ridiculous sometimes.
"Maybe you should stay away from that game Grover." Travis laughs.
Grover pouts. "It was so fun though."
I looked at Annabeth, … a new level! No!"
"There's something wrong with the shoes." Hermes says to himself, frowning again. "Why are they doing that?"
The trio shared looks. This wasn't going to be fun for the messenger god.
The Lotus bellhop hurried … Disco Darrin forever.
"That's a scary thought." Jason says.
"It's even scarier when you get pulled out and realize how much time has passed." Nico says thinking about his own experience.
Grover reached for the card, but Annabeth yanked back his arm and said, "No, thanks."
"Grover, my man, you were really affected." Leo says.
"Satyrs are more susceptible." Dionysus says flatly. "Don't ask why."
"Okay then."
We walked toward … problems to worry about.
"Much bigger problems." Thalia says. "How you finished this quest is beyond me."
"We really couldn't tell you either." Percy says.
I ran to the nearest … Casino for five days.
"Five days?!" Katie exclaimed. "You guys managed to get to LA, into the underworld, back out, and back to Camp in one day?"
"Well when you put it that way." Annabeth says.
"I'd never really thought about it before." Percy says.
We had only one day left until the summer solstice. One day to complete our quest.
"That's the end." Hazel says closing the book.
Hera clapped her hands. "Time for bed."
Everyone stood up, stretched, and filed out of the throne room. The big three children looked at each other and nodded. Once the gods, Hera, were gone it was time for the awaited fight.