Valen found the others waiting for him just outside the forum. He filled them in on what had transpired after they had left, resulting in shouts of protest from both Hazel and Frank.

"Guys," he raised his arms placatingly, "it'll be fine. Once Octavian is proven guilty, that punishment will be null."

Besides, I'm not going to be sticking around to become a full member anyway.

"If he's proven guilty," Hazel muttered angrily. "That snake will make sure he's not caught."

Valen shrugged, "He can't fool the judges of the underworld."

"What?"

"Anyway," he turned to Percy, "Reyna wants us in the Principia ASAP."

Percy blinked in surprise, "Just you and me?"

Valen nodded, "Yeah, just the two of us."

"Oh, alright then." he said, turning to the others. "I'll see you guys later."

Once outside the Pomerian line, Valen's weapons shot out of his storage ring, and he put them back in their rightful place. He hated the idea of giving Terminus his weapons. He would rather measure the grass again.

They had barely stepped inside the Principia when Reyna stomped in.

"Get seated," she growled. "You leave after lunch. We have a lot to discuss."

She plunked down her dagger so hard, the jelly-bean bowl rattled. Aurum and Argentum took their posts on her left and right and fixed their ruby eyes on the two of them.

Percy looked worried, wondering if he'd done something wrong.

"It's the meetings," Valen said, as if having read his mind. "They always drive her mad."

Reyna scowled. "I hate senate meetings. When Octavian gets talking…"

Percy nodded. "You're a warrior. Octavian is a talker. Put him in front of the Senate, and suddenly he becomes the powerful one."

She narrowed her eyes. "You're smarter than you look."

"Gee, thanks. I hear Octavian might get elected praetor, assuming the camp survives that long."

"If he becomes a Praetor, then we might as well leave," Valen scoffed. "He hates me, and is suspicious of you."

"Which brings us to the subject of doomsday," Reyna said, ignoring Valen, "and how you might help prevent it. But before I place the fate of Camp Jupiter in your hands, we need to get a few things straight."

She sat down and put a ring on the table—a band of silver etched with a sword-and-torch design, like Reyna's tattoo. "Do you know what this is?"

"The sign of your mom," Percy said. "The…uh, war goddess."

"Bellona," Valen added.

Reyna scrutinized him carefully. "You don't remember where you saw this ring before? You really don't remember me or my sister, Hylla?"

Percy shook his head. "I'm sorry."

"It would've been four years ago."

"Just before you came to camp."

Reyna frowned. "How did you—?"

"You've got four stripes on your tattoo. Four years."

Reyna looked at her forearm. "Of course. It seems so long ago. I suppose you wouldn't recall me even if you had your memory. I was just a little girl—one attendant among so many at the spa. But you spoke with my sister, just before you and that other one, Annabeth, destroyed our home.

Valen raised an eyebrow, that was interesting information.

"It's a blank," Percy finally said. "Since your dogs aren't attacking me, I hope you'll believe me. I'm telling the truth."

Aurum and Argentum snarled. Reyna tapped the silver ring.

"I believe you're sincere," she said. "But not everyone at camp does. Octavian thinks you're a spy. He thinks you were sent here by Gaea to find our weaknesses and distract us. He believes the old legends about the Greeks."

"Old legends?"

Reyna's hand rested halfway between her dagger and the jelly beans.

"Some believe Greek demigods still exist," she said, "heroes who follow the older forms of the gods. There are legends of battles between Roman and Greek heroes in relatively modern times—the American Civil War, for instance. I have no proof of this, and if our Lares know anything, they refuse to say. But Octavian believes the Greeks are still around, plotting our downfall, working with the forces of Gaea. He thinks you are one of them."

"Well that's just dumb," Valen said, making the other two stare at him. "Gaea is against Olympus and the gods. Why would Greek demigods, assuming they exist, support her?"

"Yeah," Percy said, "they would still be following the Olympians."

"I'm not saying it is true, or even possible. But Octavian is adamant about it."

"And what do you believe?" Percy asked.

"I believe you came from somewhere," she said. "You're important, and dangerous. Two gods have taken a special interest in you since you arrived, so I can't believe you'd work against Olympus…or Rome."

She shrugged. "Of course, I could be wrong. Perhaps the gods sent you here to test my judgement. But I believe the gods sent you to help me."

Reyna said. "I don't understand where you come from, any more than I understood it four years ago. But I think your arrival is some sort of repayment. You destroyed my home once. Now you've been sent to save my home. I don't hold a grudge against you for the past, Percy. My sister hates you still, it's true, but Fate brought me here to Camp Jupiter. I've done well. All I ask is that you work with me for the future. I intend to save this camp."

The metal dogs glared at him, their mouths frozen in snarl mode.

"Look, I'll help," he promised. "But I'm new here. You've got a lot of good people who know this camp better than I do. Heck, Valen's right here! And if we succeed on this quest, Hazel and Frank will be heroes. You could ask one of them—"

"They won't follow me," Valen said, "children of Pluto aren't really liked in the camp."

Reyna nodded, "Although if you succeed on your quest, like Percy said, I think you would find them more willing to accept you."

He shrugged, "We'll see when we return from the quest."

"There is another thing," Reyna said. "Things are worse than you may think."

Percy leaned forward in anticipation, "How bad?"

Reyna's nails dug into the table. "Even the senate doesn't know the whole truth. I've asked Octavian not to share his auguries, or we'd have mass panic. He's seen a great army marching south, more than we can possibly defeat. They're led by a giant—"

"Alcyoneus?"

"I don't think so. If he is truly invulnerable in Alaska, he'd be foolish to come here himself. It must be one of his brothers."

"Great," Percy said, "so we've got two giants to worry about."

Valen remained silent. With Alcyoneus' special circumstances they might be able to kill him without the aid of a god. But if another giant was thrown in the mix… he needed to fix his memories and learn how to summon the god he was bonded to as soon as he could.

The praetor nodded. "Lupa and her wolves are trying to slow them down, but this force is too strong even for them. The enemy will be here soon—by the Feast of Fortuna at the very latest."

"That's not much time," Valen said, "We need to free Thanatos and come back by then."

"Yes, it is bad," she said. "You two are the main powerhouses of the camp right now, I believe the gods sent you here to replace Jason."

Valen raised an eyebrow, "I've barely been at camp for a month, and he just got here."

"And yet you're stronger than most of the legion." she said, before sighing and pushing her silver ring across the table. "I can't give you much help, but your journey will take you close to Seattle. I'm asking you for a favor, which may also help you. Find my sister Hylla."

"Your sister…" Percy said, "the one who hates me?"

"Oh, yes," Reyna agreed. "She would love to kill you. But show her that ring as a token from me, and she may help you instead."

"May?"

"I can't speak for her. In fact…" Reyna frowned. "In fact, I haven't spoken to her in weeks. She's gone silent. With these armies passing through—"

"You want me to check on her." Percy guessed. "Make sure she's okay."

Valen nodded sagely, "I understand the feeling."

"Partially, yes. I can't imagine she's been overcome. My sister has a powerful force. Her territory is well-defended. But if you can find her, she could offer you valuable help. It could mean the difference between success and failure on your quest. And if you tell her what's happening here—"

"She might send help?" Percy asked.

"Could you guys not move?" Valen suddenly said, "I've heard some say that the legion could tear down the camp and rebuild it elsewhere if they needed to. Couldn't you just do that and hide?"

She shook her head, "To us, hiding would be tantamount to accepting defeat, and we can't do that."

Percy took the ring. "I'll find her. Where do I look? What kind force does she have?"

"Don't worry. Just go to Seattle. They'll find you."

"Well that doesn't sound ominous at all," Valen muttered.

"Wish me luck," Percy said, seemingly thinking the same thing.

"Fight well, Percy Jackson," Reyna said. "And thank you."

Valen stayed behind as Percy left the Principia. "So, what did you want me here for?"

Reyna raised an inquisitive eyebrow, "What makes you think I have anything more to say?"

He scoffed, "Please, you wouldn't have called me here only to bear witness to your talk with Percy."

She sighed, "Yeah, you're right."

"So?"

"My offer still stands you know," She said, looking up at him.

"I know," he said, "And I'm flattered that you'd ask me that, but as I said before, they won't follow a son of Pluto."

"They don't need to know that, Pluto hasn't claimed you." she said. "You have summoned lightning before. I'd say most everyone is confused about your godly parent now."

He saw her point, but it was a stretch. Even with all that, he could still control metals; he still had virtually infinite money. He was a son of Pluto, there's no denying that. He sighed again.

"What about my punishment?" he said. "Even if the camp would accept me, I'm forbidden from becoming a full member."

"You and I both know that your punishment would count for nothing once Octavian is proven guilty."

"So you do believe me," he said.

"Anyone who has been near Octavian for more than 5 minutes will believe you." She rolled her eyes. "The issue is, how are we going to prove it?"

Valen shrugged, "Pray to Themis I guess? It's worth a shot."

"Praying would mean nothing if Octavian just buys off our investigators."

"Money's not an issue," he flicked his fingers and two sacks shot out of his ring, "They're filled with Drachma and mortal currency. Whatever Octavian can offer, I can offer more."

Reyna eyed the bags warily. It was true she could bribe them herself, but to do so openly would be…distasteful. But she didn't need to be open about it, did she?

She cracked a smile, "I'll make it work."

A plan had already started forming in her mind.

"I know you can."

"What about my second offer, have you thought on it?"

He remained silent for a while. Of course, he had thought about it. She had essentially asked him out under the pretext of praetorship, and he didn't know how to respond to that back then.

His mind went back to the city, and how demigods made it into adulthood, had families and jobs. His earlier arguments seemed moot now.

"I'll give you my answer once we return from the quest."

"I see," Reyna said. "Yes, I suppose waiting would be best, after all we might not be alive by the end of this."

"If that is all?" he said, standing up.

She nodded, "You may leave."

Lunch that day was like a funeral party. Everybody ate. People talked in hushed tones. Nobody seemed particularly happy.

Reyna made a brief speech wishing them luck. Octavian pronounced grave omens and hard times ahead, but predicted the camp would be saved by an unexpected hero. Then the other campers went off to their afternoon classes—gladiator fighting, Latin lessons, paintball with ghosts, eagle training, and a dozen other activities. The questers headed back to the barracks to pack for the trip ahead.

Valen had changed back into the clothes he had arrived at camp with, complete with the gloves and the brooch.

"Well," he said to his own reflection, "time to go face a Giant I suppose."

One of their roommates, Bobby, gave them a ride to the border of the valley on Hannibal the elephant. On the journey there, he tried one last time to reach out to his fragmented memories, However, they seemed ever out of reach. Although, the headache that followed was nowhere near as potent. Progress was progress.

They got off the elephant. Bobby wished them a safe journey. Hannibal wrapped the three questers with his trunk. Then, the elephant taxi service headed back into the valley.

Percy sighed. He turned to Valen, Hazel, and Frank and tried to think of something upbeat to say.

A familiar voice said, "IDs, please."

A statue of Terminus appeared at the summit of the hill. The god's marble face frowned irritably. "Well? Come along!"

"You again?" Percy asked. "I thought you just guarded the city."

Terminus huffed. "Glad to see you, too, Mr. Rule Flouter. Normally, yes, I guard the city, but for international departures, I like to provide extra security at the camp borders. You really should've allowed two hours before your planned departure time, you know. But we'll have to make do. Now, come over here so I can pat you down."

"But you don't have—" Percy stopped himself, remembering Valen's advice. "Uh, sure."

He stood next to the armless statue. Terminus conducted a rigorous mental pat down.

"You seem to be clean," Terminus decided. "Do you have anything to declare?"

"Yes," Percy said. "I declare this is stupid."

"Hmph! Probatio tablet: Percy Jackson, Fifth Cohort, son of Neptune. Fine, go. Valen Steensen, Son of Pluto. Ah yes, it's you."

Valen sighed, "Can we skip the taunting and get going already, Terminus?"

"I suppose you've learned your lesson. Fine, go. Hazel Levesque, daughter of Pluto. Fine. Any foreign currency or, ahem, precious metals to declare?"

"No," she muttered.

"Are you sure?" Terminus asked. "Because last time—"

"No!"

"Well, this is a grumpy bunch," said the god. "Quest travelers! Always in a rush. Now, let's see—Frank Zhang. Ah! Centurion? Well done, Frank. And that haircut is regulation perfect. I approve! Off you go, then, Centurion Zhang. Do you need any directions today?"

"No. No, I guess not."

"Just down to the BART station," Terminus said anyway. "Change trains at Twelfth Street in Oakland. You want Fruitvale Station. From there, you can walk or take the bus to Alameda."

"You guys don't have a magical BART train or some thing?" Percy asked.

"Magic trains!" Terminus scoffed. "You'll be wanting your own security lane and a pass to the executive lounge next. Just travel safely, and watch out for Polybotes. Talk about scofflaws—bah! I wish I could throttle him with my bare hands."

"Wait—who?" Percy asked.

Terminus made a straining expression, like he was flexing his nonexistent biceps. "Ah, well. Just be careful of him. I imagine he can smell a son of Neptune a mile away. Out you go, now. Good luck!"

An invisible force kicked them across the boundary. When they looked back, Terminus was gone. In fact, the entire valley was gone. The Berkeley Hills seemed to be free of any Roman camp.

Percy looked at his friends. "Any idea what Terminus was talking about? Watch out for…Political something or other?"

"Poh-LIB-uh-tease?" Hazel sounded out the name carefully. "Never heard of him."

"He's a giant," Valen said, "And from what Terminus said, he's Neptune's bane."

Percy suddenly straightened up, "Do you think that he's the one Reyna mentioned?"

"She mentioned another giant?" Hazel asked. Percy nodded in reply.

"Most likely," he interrupted,."The giants are returning. First Porphyrion, then Enceladus, and now these two."

"What do you mean?" Frank said, "Alcyoneus and Polybotes are the only ones right?"

"No, I-" he stopped, and the memory escaped him, "Dammit."

He sighed, "Let's just go."

It took them two hours to reach the docks in Alameda. Frank had stored his spear, bow, and quiver in a long bag made for skis. Hazel's cavalry sword was wrapped in a bedroll slung on her back. Valen's lethal weapons were hidden in his ring and tattoo, and Percy's sword was kept in his pocket in pen form for easy retrieval.

Together they looked like normal high schoolers on their way to an overnight trip. They walked to Rockridge Station, bought their tickets with mortal money, and hopped on the BART train.

They got off in Oakland. They had to walk through some rough neighbourhoods, but nobody bothered them. Whenever the local gang members tried to approach them, Percy or Valen's glares would steer them away.

In the late afternoon, they made it to the Alameda docks. Dozens of boats were moored at the docks—everything from fifty-foot yachts to ten-foot fishing boats.

"So, what do we do now?" Percy asked.

"Leave that to me," Valen said as he walked off to talk to one of the handlers. A few minutes later he came back with a pair of keys. He held them up, "Transport is secured."

"How did you-?" Percy began.

"Money," Valen said, "there's few things it can't buy."

He led them to a white and blue speedboat, "I hope you know how to drive it, cause I sure as hell don't."

Percy stared at it in silence for a while, before responding, "I can do it. Hop in."

Hazel seemed reluctant at first, but she got on nonetheless, Frank following soon after. Valen handed the keys over to Percy, and got on after them. Percy pointed at the rope tied to the mooring, and it untied itself. Once on the boat, it was like he had always known how to drive one. And once he began, he barely needed to think and it would be done.

They sat in silence for a bit before Percy suddenly growled, "Get off my ship."

"Uh, what?" Frank asked.

Percy took a while to respond. "Nothing," he said. "Let's see what this rowboat can do."

He turned the boat to the north, and in no time they were speeding along at fifteen knots, heading for the Golden Gate Bridge.

They went in silence for a while, passing by the San Francisco Embarcadero. They sped by a pack of sea lions lounging on the docks. An old homeless man was sitting among them. From across the water he pointed a bony finger at them and mouthed the words 'don't even think about it.'

"Did you see that?" Hazel asked.

Percy's face was red in the sunset. "Yeah. I've been here before. I…don't know. I think I was looking for my girlfriend."

"Annabeth," Valen said. "I remember that. And that old man was Nereus."

Percy's face lightened up, as if an old memory had returned to him. "That's right, we were looking for him for information about…something."

Valen nodded, "It was important, and we weren't alone."

Frank looked between the two of them, "You two know each other?"

Valen glanced at Percy, "Yeah, yeah we did."

The moment I step out of camp, my memories start coming back. I can't help but wonder, is something in there trying to stop me? Valen mused in his own thoughts as they continued onward. Percy was focused on sailing, and Frank and Hazel were talking about something.

As they passed Stinson Beach, Percy suddenly pointed inland, where a single mountain rose above the green hills.

"That looks familiar," he said.

Valen stared at the mountain, snippets of a fight coming back to him.

'You would have made the perfect vessel, but alas you were not swayed.'

"Mount Tam," Frank said. "Kids at camp are always talking about it. Big battle happened on the summit, at the old Titan base.

Percy frowned, "Were either of you there?"

"No," Hazel said. "That was back in August, before I-um, before I got to camp. Jason told me about it. The legion destroyed the enemy's palace and about a million monsters. Jason had to battle Krios-hand-to-hand combat with a Titan, if you can imagine."

"I can imagine," Percy muttered.

"Been there, done that," Valen said. "Would not recommend."

They rode in silence the rest of the way there. Later he would realise that it was because Hazel had blacked out.

When they were about a hundred and fifty miles from the Golden Gate Bridge, Frank suddenly spoke up.

"Uh, guys, I can't wake her up."

The boat screeched to a halt. Valen immediately got up his seat and knelt beside her.

"She's alive," he breathed out in relief. Her soul was still there. But it was flickering, as if it was unstable. He touched her shoulder and a film of shadow crawled over her skin. It would keep it from escaping, if that ever came to pass.

"Let's get her ashore." Percy said, turning the boat towards the closest strip of land. Mendocino.

On the way, they kept trying to wake her up, but no matter what they tried, it wouldn't work. Frank began panicking.

He volunteered to carry her, but his hands were trembling too much for that. In the end, Valen decided to shadow travel them ashore.

"Please wake up," Frank grabbed her arms, frantic.

None of them were qualified healers, and they couldn't do much except try to force her awake.

"Hazel!" Frank shook her arms, "Come on, please! Wake up!"

With that final push, she opened her eyes. She sat up groggily, her head spinning.

"Where are we?" she asked.

Frank exhaled. "Thank the gods you're awake. We're in Mendocino, about a hundred and fifty miles north of the Golden Gate."

"A hundred and fifty miles?" She groaned. "I've been out that long?"

Valen chuckled relieved, "You gave us quite the scare there."

Percy knelt down, "We couldn't wake you. So we decided to bring you ashore. Maybe it was the seasickness–"

"It wasn't seasickness." She took a deep breath.

"I–I haven't been honest with you," she said. "What happened was a blackout. I have them once in a while."

Valen's face turned grim, he could tell where the conversation was heading.

"A blackout?" Frank asked, taking her hand. "Is it medical? Why haven't I noticed before."

"I try to hide it," she admitted. "I've been lucky so far but it's getting worse. It's not medical…not really. Nico says it's a side effect from my past, from where he found me."

Percy stared at her, "Where exactly did Nico find you?"

She took a while to respond. "I'll explain," she promised. She clawed through her pack. "Is…is there anything to drink?"

Valen snapped his fingers, and a bottle of water materialized out of his ring. "Here," he offered, helping her drink.

They sat in silence for a while, before she spoke.

"You asked me where Nico found me," she told to Percy, her voice quivering. Could she really tell them the truth.

"The Underworld." Valen said, making all three necks snap to him. "He found you in the underworld."

"H-how?" She asked.

Valen shrugged, "Your soul, it's drenched in regret and older than it's supposed to be."

Percy's eyes widened. She had come back from the underworld?

Frank nodded, "I thought so too."

"You did?"

"You seem so different from other girls I've met." He blinked, then rushed on. "Not like…bad different. Just the way you talk. The things that surprise you—like songs, or TV shows, or slang people use. You talk about your life like it happened a long time ago. You were born in a different time, weren't you?"

"We figured that out weeks ago," Valen said, "We kept quiet because it was not our secret to share."

"You-I-" she was at a loss for words. To think they knew, and didn't treat her any differently.

"You don't know what I am… What I've done." she said miserably.

"Stop that," Frank scowled.

"It doesn't matter what you did," Percy said, "Only what you will do in the future."

Valen nodded, "We all have our demons, but that doesn't mean we have to face them alone."

"I don't deserve friends like you," she said, on the verge of tears.

"Besides," Frank said, "You're not the only one with secrets."

Hazel stared at him, "I'm not?"

Frank began saying something, then he tensed.

"Hold on," Valen said unsheathing Stormguard, "Somethings not right."

"The wind has stopped," Percy stated, uncapping Riptide.

She looked around and noticed he was right. The air had become perfectly still.

"So?" she asked.

Frank swallowed. "So why is the grass still moving?"

Dark shapes rippled through the fields, and Valen acted first. A wave of Hellfire passed over them, burning the grass under their feet.

"Back off!" He yelled, creating a wall of fire between them.

"I can't hold this forever," he said.

"We need to get out of here," Percy said, helping Hazel up.

Frank was too stunned to speak. His hand went to the stick of wood in his pocket and he shrunk back.

The wall of fire calmed down to a ring of fire around them.

"Stay away," Valen warned upon seeing the karpoi. He summoned a container of greek fire from his ring, "Or I burn the whole field."

"You will not." One of them taunted confidently.

He summoned half a dozen more vials and held them up. "Try me," he snarled.

Apparently that was enough to convince them, and they left.

Valen sighed, letting the hellfire die down, and stashed the greek fire back in his ring.

"Y-You can control fire?" Frank said, staying a couple feet away from him.

"Only Hellfire," Valen said, furrowing his brows, "Is something wrong?"

He shook his head, but didn't come any closer.

Valen opened his mouth to speak again, but stopped.

"What is it now?" Percy asked.

"Follow me," He said simply before running off into the field.

"Wha—wait!" He exclaimed, as the three of them ran behind him.

He stopped at the edge of the field, where it dropped suddenly into a ravine. He raised the shadows In a wall in front of him and hid behind it.

"Sheathe your sword!" He whispered urgently as the others reached him.

"Shit," Percy capped his sword, noticing what he was looking at.

The field dropped into a shallow ravine, where a country road wound north and south. On the opposite side of the road, grassy hills stretched to the horizon, empty of civilization except for one darkened convenience store at the top of the nearest rise. The whole ravine was full of monsters—column after column marching south, so many and so close.

They watched in disbelief as several dozen large, hairy humanoids passed by, dressed in tattered bits of armor and animal fur. The creatures had six arms each, three sprouting on either side, so they looked like cavemen evolved from insects.

"Gegenes," Valen muttered, "Earthborn. I've encountered them before."

"The Earthborn fought the Argonauts," she murmured. "And those things behind them—"

"Centaurs," Percy said. "But…that's not right. Centaurs are good guys."

Frank made a choking sound. "That's not what we were taught at camp. Centaurs are crazy, always getting drunk and killing heroes."

"Case in point, Chiron." Valen said.

"Who?"

"You know, the trainer of heroes? Trained Achilles?"

"I don't know either of those names."

"I do," Percy said, "I remember Chiron…"

"My gods," Hazel gasped softly, making the others turn back towards the ravine, "Cyclopes."

Sure enough, lumbering after the centaurs was a battalion of one-eyed ogres, both male and female, each about ten feet tall, wearing armor cobbled out of junkyard metal. Six of the monsters were yoked like oxen, pulling a two-story-tall siege tower fitted with a giant scorpion ballista.

Percy pressed the sides of his head. "Cyclopes. Centaurs. This is wrong. All wrong."

"Tell me about it," Valen grumbled, wincing at the sudden return of his headache.

"This is the monster army Reyna mentioned." he said.

A lump formed in Hazel's throat. There was no way the legion could fight so many. If they were only a few hundred miles north of Camp Jupiter, their quest was already doomed. They could never make it to Alaska and back in time.

"Come on," she urged. "Let's…"

Then she saw the giant.

He was taller than the siege tower—thirty feet, at least—with scaly reptilian legs like a Komodo dragon from the waist down and green-blue armor from the waist up. His breastplate was shaped like rows of hungry monstrous faces, their mouths open as if demanding food. His face was human, but his hair was wild and green, like a mop of seaweed. As he turned his head from side to side, snakes dropped from his dreadlocks.

He was armed with a massive trident and a weighted net.

"Is that–"

"Polybotes," Percy growled.

As the giant got close, a Cyclops woman broke ranks and ran back to speak with him. She was enormous, fat, and horribly ugly, wearing a chain-mail dress like a muumuu—but next to the giant she looked like a child.

She pointed to the closed-up convenience store on top of the nearest hill and muttered something about food. The giant snapped back an answer, as if he was annoyed. The female Cyclopes barked an order to her kindred, and three of them followed her up the hill.

When they were halfway to the store, a searing light turned night into day. Hazel was blinded. Below her, the enemy army dissolved into chaos, monsters screaming in pain and outrage.

"Too pretty!" the Cyclopes shrieked. "Burns our eye!"

The store on the hill was encased in a rainbow. The light was anchored at the store, shooting up into the heavens, bathing the countryside in a weird kaleidoscopic glow.

The lady Cyclops hefted her club and charged at the store. As she hit the rainbow, her whole body began to steam. She wailed in agony and dropped her club, retreating with multicolored blisters all over her arms and face.

"Horrible goddess!" she bellowed at the store. "Give us snacks!"

The other monsters went crazy, charging the convenience store, then running away as the rainbow light burned them. Some threw rocks, spears, swords, and even pieces of their armor, all of which burned up in flames of pretty colors. Finally the giant leader seemed to realize that his troops were throwing away perfectly good equipment.

"Stop!" he roared. With some difficulty, he managed to shout and push and pummelled his troops into submission. When they'd quieted down, he approached the rainbow-shielded store himself and stalked around the borders of the light.

"Goddess!" he shouted. "Come out and surrender!"

No answer from the store. The rainbow continued to shimmer.

The giant raised his trident and net. "I am Polybotes! Kneel before me so I may destroy you quickly."

Apparently, no one in the store was impressed. A tiny dark object came sailing out the window and landed at the giant's feet.

Polybotes yelled, "Grenade!" He covered his face. His troops hit the ground. When the thing did not explode, Polybotes bent down cautiously and picked it up.

He roared in outrage. "A Ding Dong? You dare insult me with a Ding Dong?"

He threw the cake back at the shop, and it vaporized in the light.

The monsters got to their feet. Several muttered hungrily, "Ding Dongs? Where Ding Dongs?"

"Let's attack," said the lady Cyclops. "I am hungry. My boys want snacks!"

"No!" Polybotes said. "We're already late. Alcyoneus wants us at the camp in four days' time. You Cyclopes move inexcusably slowly. We have no time for minor goddesses!" He aimed that last comment at the store, but got no response.

The lady Cyclops growled. "The camp, yes. Vengeance! The orange and purple ones destroyed my home. Now Ma Gasket will destroy theirs! Do you hear me, Leo? Jason? Piper? I come to annihilate you!"

The other Cyclopes beloved in approval. The rest of the monsters joined in.

Valen grabbed his head, those names were familiar. The image of a black haired scrawny kid, a cherokee girl, and a blond guy flashed across his mind, and he kneeled from the pain it was causing.

Memories of a quest kept coming back to him. A bronze dragon, a charmspeaking witch, werewolves, gegenes, Giants, it was all coming back to him.

His hands shook as he popped a pill into his mouth, but the adderall didn't help. He grunted grabbing his head with both hands spasming ever so often.

He felt someone help him up, and he stumbled forward with them. Thankfully, his headache seemed to be receding. But the memories, they didn't fizzle out like before.

He was leaning on Frank when he came to, they were almost to the store. He pushed himself off of Frank, "I'm alright now, thanks."

"What happened to you?" he asked.

"Those names the cyclopes mentioned, triggered some of my memories." He said, massaging his temple.

"Really? You knew Jason?"

He nodded, "Not for long, but-"

Something hissed in the grass behind them.

"Go!" Frank yelled.

Percy stumbled. While Hazel helped him up, Frank turned and nocked an arrow. Valen grabbed his shoulder, ready to shadow travel away at a moment's notice.

Frank shot wildly, and the arrow skidded through the grass, bursting into orange flame and whistling: WOO!

It illuminated the monster. Sitting in a patch of withered yellow grass was a lime-colored snake as short and thick as Frank's arm. Its head was ringed with a mane of spiky white fins. The creature stared at the arrow zipping by as if wondering, What the heck is that?

"Basilisk," Valen cursed under his breath, summoning his sword. It must have startled it, because a moment later it sprung at them, sailing through the air so fast that it reached them before he could shadow travel them away. Frank swung his bow and smacked the monster down the hill, a second before they were engulfed by the shadows.

They appeared on the porch beside Percy and Hazel. In the field, the three basilisks had regrouped and were spewing fire everywhere. Frank raised his bow to fire another arrow, but the wood had disintegrated where it had touched the snake.

Valen nodded grimly, "They have corrosive skin, if it had touched your arm instead you'd have lost it."

"We'll never get out of here," he said miserably

"..." Valen remained silent, they were in a sticky situation. The basilisks were a major threat to their progress.

"Then we'd better go in." Hazel pointed to the hand-painted sign over the door: RAINBOW ORGANIC FOODS & LIFESTYLES

He raised an eyebrow at the name, a goddess named her store after rainbows. There was only one answer to that.