"Will! I need to borrow your chariot." Annabeth says as she bursts into the infirmary office, and Will startles, looking up at her.

"...Why?" He asks carefully, and Annabeth leans against the wall, a dark look in her gray eyes.

"I had a dream." She says, and Will stares, waiting for her to continue and explain. "About Percy. Hera came to my dreams." Will blinks, standing up.

"Did she give you a clue?" Annabeth winces.

"Well, not exactly…?" Will looks at her in confusion, and she sighs. "She told me to go to the Grand Canyon and find the one with no shoe, and that he would be the answer to our questions." Will blinks at her. "What?"

"You know how insane that sounds, right?" He says, and Annabeth rubs a hand over her face.

"When have demigod dreams ever made sense, Will?" She asks, and Will hesitates before shrugging.

"Well, when you put it that way. I had dreams for years about all my siblings dying and Ni–" He stops, his cheeks flushing. Annabeth gives him a look, but doesn't prod. Gods, Will wants the ground to just swallow him whole at this point.

"Anyway, can I borrow the chariot?" She asks again, and Will waves his hand dismissively.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever, just make sure you bring it back in one piece."

It doesn't take long for them to return, though not in the way that Will had expected. He's out at the range, practicing with Melody, when they hear a cacophony of shouts.

"Will!" Tony says as he runs up to his siblings, his mess of curly brown hair hanging in his face. "Annabeth and Butch are back!" Will slings his bow over his back, running after Tony, Melody hot on his heels. He curses inwardly that he doesn't have his medic bag, but he can only hope that no one is hurt.

Whoever they are, anyway.

They make it to the lake just in time to see the chariot crash land in the lake. Will sighs, seeing golden pieces float to the surface alongside the gasping campers. Five… of them. Will furrows his brow. He shakes his head, pushing down any confusion he feels, his gaze hardening as he shifts into what Kayla affectionately calls "HMIC mode." Head Medbitch In Charge.

"Quick!" He shouts, running down to the shore, grabbing onto one of the new campers to haul him to shore. "Grab blankets! Towels! We need to keep them warm or there will be more missing limbs than I care for. Quinn, go get the dryer as well." Melody nods, and grabs onto Quinn from Athena, taking the younger girl with her.

Will turns and helps Annabeth stand up, a concerned look on his face. He takes another look at the pieces of chariot, at Butch cutting the Pegasi loose, and sighs, wiping his hand down his face.

"Annabeth! I said you could borrow the chariot, not destroy it!" He complains, and she shakes her head, wringing out her hair a little bit.

"Will, I'm sorry. I'll get it fixed, I promise." She sighs, and she gives him a sad look. She knows what that chariot means to him and his siblings, who it represents for him, Kayla and Austin.

Will turns, getting a look at the new kids. A short, Latino looking kid with dark curly hair, a willowy girl with choppy brown hair and kaleidoscope eyes, and a tall blonde boy with a scar on his lip. He frowns.

"These are the ones you mentioned?" He asks, and Annabeth nods. "They're much older than thirteen, why haven't they been claimed yet?"

"Claimed?" The shorter boy asks. Will ignores that and turns back to Annabeth.

"Any sign of Percy?" He asks, and her expression turns dark.

"No." She mutters. Will sighs, and the rest of the campers surrounding them start to titter nervously. Everyone is getting anxious about Percy being gone, he knows.

Suddenly, Drew steps forward, and it takes everything in Will to not roll his eyes. Of course she has a fucking opinion. It's not that he doesn't like Drew, she just terrifies him. But he chooses his battles, all of which do not involve fighting with Drew Tanaka.

"Well." She says in that snotty voice of hers. "I hope they were worth the trouble." Will clutches his left hand into a fist, breathing out deeply. Conceal.

"Gee thanks." The shorter of the two boys snorts. "What are we, your new pets?" Will has to stifle a laugh.

"No kidding." The other boy says, his blue eyes electric, surveying the crowd. Will squints at him. He sure looks like a son of Apollo, but he's not been claimed. Dad doesn't usually take this long anyway. He's been doing his best to claim all of his kids as soon as they arrive. "How about some answers? What is this place, why are we here?"

"Jason." Annabeth says. Ah, that must be the blonde kid's name. Tragic Greek hero, of course. He sighs. What a burden to carry. "I promise that we will answer your questions. And Drew." Annabeth gives Drew the darkest death glare Will's ever seen aimed at a camper. "All demigods are worth saving. But I have to admit, the trip didn't come to fruition quite the way I had… hoped."

"Hey, we didn't ask to be brought here." The girl camper says, her multi-colored eyes flashing.

Drew sniffs, looking the other girl up and down. "And nobody wants you, hon. Does your hair always look like a dead badger?" There's a murmur from some of the campers behind Drew, and Will shoots them a glance.

The girl steps forward, her gaze properly murderous, but Annabeth cuts in. "Piper, stop." Okay, so Jason is the blond, she's Piper. What's the last boy's name?

"We need to make the new arrivals feel welcome." Annabeth shoots another glare at Drew, who just sniffs again. "Let's assign them a guide, give a tour of camp. Hopefully they'll be claimed by tonight's campfire." Will nods, searching the campers amongst them. Who to have guide them…

"Will someone explain what this claiming thing is?" Piper asks, and Will turns back to look at them. Suddenly, a blaze of fire appears in the air, making everyone gasp, Will included. A fiery hammer lights up the sky over the shorter boy's head. Will feels his heart fall. Oh… oh no.

"That. Is claiming." Annabeth says, pointing to the hammer.

"This isn't good. The curse-" Butch says, and Will shoots him a glance. Can he wait for two seconds before scaring the living daylights out of a new kid? Butch catches his eye and shrugs, and Will frowns at him, shaking his head.

"Butch, shut up." Annabeth bites. "Leo, you've been claimed by–"

"By a god." Will blinks, turning his gaze to Jason, who is staring at the sign in contemplation. "That's the sign of Vulcan, isn't it?" Will furrows his eyebrow. Vulcan? Isn't that the Roman name?

"Jason… How did you know that?" Annabeth asks, her voice wary.

Jason looks confused, his blue eyes suddenly full of sorrow. He runs a hand through his short cropped hair. "I… don't know."

"Vulcan?" Leo says, his voice pitching higher. "I don't even like Star Trek!" Will can't help the laugh that bubbles out of his chest. Oh, he likes this one already. "What are you talking about?"

"Vulcan is the Roman name for Hephaestus. The god of blacksmiths and fire." Annabeth says, and Leo starts to swat at the sign. Will shakes his head with another laugh.

"The god of WHAT? Who?" Leo all but shrieks again, and Annabeth turns to Will.

"Will, can you take Leo on a tour? Introduce him to his bunkmates in Cabin Nine?" She asks, and Will nods, stepping forward.

"Sure thing, Annabeth. I've been meaning to check in on Jake anyway." She gives him a sympathetic look. He shrugs. It's not been long since he discharged Jake to his own bed to recover. Not long since the mutterings of the curse had begun.

"What's Cabin Nine! And I'm not a Vulcan! Who is Jake!" Leo all but cries, and Will steps closer, putting his hand on Leo's shoulder.

"C'mon Mister Spock. I'll explain everything on the way." He says, and tugs on Leo's arm, leading him away from the group of campers.

"Wait, are those REAL?" Leo asks, his eyes wide as he looks at the ships moored on the beach. Will glances over, laughing softly. This kid really is excitable. Well… Leo's definitely older than him.

"Yeah! Gotta have warships sometimes you know. Now c'mon, we should get closer to camp."

Will explains everything he sees, from the different activities to the woods. Leo looks around at everything like he's been born into a brand new life, which Will understands. He remembers his first year at camp and how new everything had seemed.

"This is the sword fighting arena. You'll take lessons here eventually. With whoever is around. Probably Clarisse or another Ares kid, maybe Mark." He shrugs. "Possibly Noelle." He ignores the glint in Leo's eyes at the mention of the swords.

"Do I get a sword?" He asks, his dark eyes bright, and Will sighs, sizing him up. He can already tell that Leo is going to be a little menace with a sword.

"You'll probably make your own, since you're from Cabin Nine." He says, walking forward.

"What's up with all of that, anyway? Vulcan?" Leo asks, practically bouncing alongside Will as they walk through the camp.

"We don't call them by their Roman names." Will says, running a hand through his curls. "The original names are their Greek ones. Your dad is Hephaestus."

"Festus?" Will shakes his head. "Sounds like the god of cowboys."

"Hephaestus." Will says again, emphasizing the first syllable. "God of blacksmiths and fire."

"Who's yours?" Leo asks, and Will blinks down at him.

"My what?"

"Your dad, or mom, or whatever."

"Oh. Apollo." He points to the quiver on his back. "God of archery, the sun, medicine, poetry… a lot of things actually. Leo nods.

"Cool, cool. So the flaming hammer over my head, good thing or bad thing?"

Will hesitates. He shouldn't tell Leo, right? About what had happened to Jake? About the curse that everyone kept whispering about? About the constant stream of injuries rivaling the Ares cabin?

"Well… you were claimed almost immediately." He settles on, looking down at Leo. "That's usually pretty good. I was claimed pretty immediately too."

"But that rainbow pony dude." Will has to stifle another eye roll. The last thing he would EVER call Butch is a rainbow pony dude, but clearly Leo has a death wish. Or no filter. He settles on the latter. "Butch– he mentioned a curse." Will scratches the back of his neck. Nah. He'll let Nyssa deal with this.

"Look… it's nothing. Since the last Cabin Nine counselor died…" He trails off, thinking of Beckendorf. His hand closes around the dagger on his hip.

"Died? Like…. Painfully?" Will winces. Yeah, no filter sounds about right.

"I should let your bunkmates tell you that story instead." He says, and Leo looks around.

"Yeah, where are my home dawgs? Shouldn't the head counselor be giving me the VIP tour?" Will rubs at his eyes in exhaustion.

"He… can't. You'll see why." Will moves forward towards the cabins again, ignoring whatever questions Leo surely has about that.

His heart clenches at the thought of Jake. He's failed Jake so much over the past weeks. How can you call yourself a Healer, Will Solace, when you can't even heal the ones sent to you? When everything you touch crumbles to dust? Failed healer. He clenches his fist.

"Get out of my head." He mutters, too low for Leo trailing behind him to hear. He can't deal with this right now.

Suddenly, he doesn't hear Leo's footsteps behind him, and he turns, looking at the other boy with a confused expression.

"What's wrong?" He asks, and Leo turns to look at him like he's seen a ghost.

"That old lady, what's she doing here?" Will looks around, his eyebrows furrowed, but he doesn't see anything out of the ordinary. Certainly no old ladies.

"What old lady?" He asks, looking in the same direction Leo had been. Still nothing.

"Dude, THE old lady. The one in all black. How many old ladies do you normally see around?" Will frowns at him, giving Leo a look. There's no one there.

"I think that you've had a real long day, Leo. The Mist could still be messin' with you. How about we head straight over to Nine now?" Leo looks back in the same direction, towards Hera's cabin, if Will can see it right.

"Just messing with you man." Leo says eventually, and Will frowns again. He doesn't understand this guy AT ALL. Leo pulls some gears and stuff Will doesn't recognize out of his pocket and starts fiddling with it. Will can't help but chuckle. Oh, he is such a son of Hephaestus. Nyssa did the same thing for a week straight in the infirmary watching over Jake.

"Let's go see Cabin Nine, I'm in the mood for a good curse." Will just shakes his head, tugging on Leo's arm to pull him towards the cabin.

Cabin Nine looks like something straight out of a steampunk lover's wet dream, and Will can't help but also be impressed. He's only ever been in the cabins to look around, to do cabin inspections. But he'd never spent more than a few minutes of time in any given cabin, barely enough to notice details or anything. Perks of immediate claiming, he supposes.

As Leo enters the cabin, Will looks to the left at the darkest of the cabins, the green torches burning out in front. He catches a glimpse of movement, and his breath catches in his throat as a dark figure comes out of the doorway.

Nico.

The younger boy makes eye contact with him, and Will goes to raise his hand in a wave, but Nico turns quicker than Will can react, disappearing into the shadows.

He doesn't appear again.

Will swallows, ducking his head, a fire burning in his chest that he pushes down. He hasn't seen Nico in two weeks. Not since Daniel's birthday. Nico's barely around as it is. Will can't pretend he doesn't hear the whispers, hear the snickers of people talking about Nico.

He wishes he was stronger, wishes that he could say something. But his skin burns in shame.

He pushes those feelings down, taking a deep breath. Not right now.

He plasters a smile onto his face as he pushes his way into the Hephaestus cabin. Leo's talking to Jake about something or rather when he comes in, and Will steps closer.

"Hey Jake." He says quietly. "Can I check your injuries out while you chat with Leo?" Jake makes an affirmative noise, and Will leans over to press his hand to Jake's wrist, the only part of him besides his face uncovered by his cast. He seems to be healing up nice, albeit slowly.

"So yeah, I'm head counselor for now." Jake says, continuing his conversation with Leo.

"For now?" Leo asks, and Will shoots Jake a dark look, shaking his head almost imperceptibly. Jake's smart though. He can see the smile in the older camper's eyes.

"So where is everyone else, Jake?" Will asks, stepping back from Jake's bed. Jake huffs in annoyance, probably at the situation that he's been stuck in.

"Down at the forges. They're working on that uh… small problem." Will rubs his temples, sighing deeply. How many injuries will he have to deal with today from this cabin alone?

"Ah, anyway. You got a spare bed for Leo?" He says in a rush, eager to change the subject. No use in scaring Leo on his first day more than he already has.

Jake looks Leo up and down. "You believe in ghosts, Leo? Bad luck?" WIll shoots another glare at Jake. Seriously?

Leo seems to take this easily. "Ghosts? Pfft. Nahh. I'm cool. A storm spirit tried to throw me off the Grand Canyon this morning." Will blinks in surprise. What the hell? "All in a day's work, amirite?"

Jake nods as much as he can. "That's good. I'll give you the best bed in the cabin. Beckendorf's." Will looks at Jake with wide eyes, and the other camper shrugs as much as he can in response.

"Are you sure about that, Jake?" Will asks, and Jake just gives him a grin.

"Bed 1A please." He calls out to no one, and Will flinches as the cabin starts to shake, revealing a bed from the floor. Will can't help but stare at it. Well, hot damn. That's the coolest thing he's ever seen in his life.

Leo jumps into the bed and lays down, hands behind his head. "I could get used to this." He says, and Will laughs softly, shaking his head. He has no idea.

"It retracts into a private room below." Jake says, and Will whirls to look at him, his eyes wide. The HELL?

"Oh hell yes. I'll be in the Leo cave. What button do I press?" Will ignores him to gape at Jake some more.

"Hold on, you guys have private underground rooms?" He asks incredulously, and Jake just chuckles softly.

"We have many secrets, Will. You Apollo kids can't have all the fun." Well, Apollo Cabin sure as hell doesn't have THIS much fun. "Our siblings have been excavating the ground underneath this cabin for nearly a century. Still haven't found the end. Anyway Leo, if you don't mind sleeping in a dead man's bed, it's yours."

Leo jumps up like he's been burned. "The guy who died… this was his bed?" He asks, a squeak in his voice. Will gives Jake a 'seriously?' look, which the other camper ignores.

"Yep. Charles Beckendorf."

Leo looks around at the bed, his brown eyes wide. "He didn't like… die in this bed did he?" Will can't help but chuckle.

"No, in the Titan War. Last summer." Will's chest tightens thinking about it. James. He closes his eyes, forcing his feelings down. Don't think about James.

"The Titan War… which has nothing to do with this very fine bed?" Leo asks, and Will pinches the bridge of his nose for a second before speaking. Does he know NOTHING?

"The Titans." Will says slowly. "The powerful guys that ruled before the gods. They tried to make a comeback last summer. Their leader, Kronos, had a new palace on top of Mount Tam over in California. They came to New York and almost destroyed Olympus. A lot… a lot of demigods died trying to stop them." His siblings. Aaron's laugh echoes in his ears.

"I'm guessing this wasn't on the news." Leo says, confusion lacing through his words. Will sighs again, shifting his weight. He really doesn't know jack shit, does he? He shakes his head.

"You didn't hear about Mount St. Helens? Or freak storms all over the country? Or the stuff in St. Louis?" Will asks, looking at Leo in disbelief. The other boy just shrugs.

"Guess I was busy." He says simply, and Will scoffs, scratching his nose. Just great.

"Doesn't matter." Jake says, and both of them turn to look at him. "You were lucky to miss it. Lots of kids died. Beckendorf was just one of the first." Will curls his hand into a fist. No. Daniel was one of the first. "Ever since then–"

"Cabin's been cursed." Leo says like it's a matter of fact. Jake just looks at him, his eyes full of pain. Will's not sure if it's from his injuries or the memory of everything that's happened.

"Well." Jake speaks again. "I should get some sleep." Will makes a noise, nodding. He really should. "I hope you like it here, Leo. It used to be.. Nice." Will reaches out to tug on Leo's arm.

"C'mon, I'll take ya to the forges." He says softly. "Let's let Jake sleep. I'll come back later to check on you, Jake." He says, and leads Leo out of the cabin.

They walk for a bit before Leo speaks again.

"So how did he die?" He asks, and Will feels his blood freeze in his veins. No, no, no, ask me anything but that. "Beckendorf, I mean." Will closes his eyes, breathing out twice before answering Leo.

"Explosion. Beckendorf and Percy Jackson blew up a ship full of monsters…. And other demigods. Beckendorf didn't make it out." Neither did James.

Leo is quiet for a moment, letting Will calm down his heart rate. "So… Beckendorf was pretty popular right? Before he died?"

"He was awesome." Will says quietly. "He gave me my dagger. He was like the heart of this camp. It was really hard on everyone when he died. Jake… it was the middle of the war when he became counselor. Just like.. Just like me." He blinks. He refuses to cry right now. "Jake never wanted to be a leader, he just wanted to build stuff. After the war.. Everything started to go wrong." Will sighs. "Their chariots all blew up. Automatons went haywire, inventions started to malfunction, it's been a mess. People started to call it the Curse of Cabin Nine, and then Jake had his accident—"

"Which has something to do with the problem he mentioned." Will frowns, stopping in front of a door.

"They're working on it. And here we are." He motions for Leo to enter, coming in behind him.

He hasn't been here since Beckendorf gave him his dagger. Everyone stops working when they hear them enter, and Will plasters his most dazzling smile on, channeling his best son of the sun god.

"Hey, y'all. This is your new brother, Leo– uh… what's your last name, Leo?" He looks at the other guy, who is eyeing everything around him.

"Valdez." He says, inspecting all of the kids staring at him. After a moment, Nyssa ushers Harley up and the rest of the campers follow, introducing themselves to Leo. Will watches from the side, arms crossed over his chest. There's more injuries than he can count, and he sees several new ones. His eyes narrow in on a cast on Shane that DEFINITELY hadn't been there before.

"Well, I heard this is the party cabin!" Leo chirps happily. No one responds, and Will winces. Best to leave now.

"I'll leave y'all to it. Can someone show Leo to dinner when it's time?" He asks, clapping Leo on the shoulder. Nyssa pushes forward, nodding at him.

"I got it, Will. Thanks." Will salutes her before ducking out of the forges.

He takes a moment outside to breathe in, turning his face up to the sun. Apollo hasn't answered any prayers in a month. He worries, but at least their healing still works. He heaves out a sigh.

"Thanks, Dad. For the warmth." He murmurs before making his way back towards the cabins. He has to lead his own siblings to dinner, anyways.

Dinner is, luckily, uneventful. Will can't help but feel disappointed that Table Thirteen is empty, just as it has been for two weeks. Where is Nico? He sighs again, and Kayla kicks his ankle under the table.

"Stop looking at Thirteen like a lovesick idiot, or Ten is gonna start taking bets like they did for Percy and Annabeth." She hisses through her teeth, and Will shoots her a dirty look.

"I am not! And there's nothing to bet on." Will protests, and Kayla groans, tugging on the ends of her hair.

"Oh my god, you are so stupid. How can you be so obvious and so oblivious at the same time! This is ridiculous Will! Ridiculous!"

Before he can even retort, the conch makes a loud sound and Kayla stands, stalking away from Will in the direction of the campfire. He can hear her muttering as he ushers the rest of the kids to follow, cursing him and his… idiocy, if he can decipher the Greek she's spouting barely loud enough to hear.

Sohee holds onto his arm, staring at Kayla's back with her wide brown eyes.

"Is she okay?" She whispers to Will, and he can't help but laugh, his shoulders shaking with the movement. He adjusts the blanket draped over Sohee's shoulders, shaking his head.

"Kayla has very strong opinions and is very fiercely loyal to all of us. She just wants the best for every one of us." Sohee nods, biting down on her lip.

"Are you singing tonight?" She asks, and Will shakes his head again, giving her a small smile.

"Nah, I'm not much of a singer, you guys can have all that fun." Sohee frowns, looking up at Will with her big eyes.

"But Wiiiiiiiiiill–" She whines, and Will just pats the top of her head, pulling her towards the campfire. He motions for her to sit down next to him, and she pulls the blanket half over him as well, curling up against his side like a lazy cat, her knees pulled up to keep the warmth in.

Melody settles down on the other side of Will, her light eyes taking everything in. Will can't help but grin at her, and the French girl sniffs, punching him in the arm lightly.

"You really should sing sometime, Will." She says, her accent thick and lilting. Will shakes his head again.

"We all have our gifts, and music is very much so NOT mine." He says, and Melody hums, kicking her feet back and forth.

"But you sing to Father, non?" Will sighs, but nods. Of course he does, when he has to heal people. "Then why do you not sing in front of the camp?" He shrugs his shoulders.

"I don't care for an audience?" He says, and it's sort of a question, but also not. Melody seems to accept this answer, since she just nods once before turning to fiddle with the lyre that she had been learning since coming to camp. A natural, of course. What could they expect from a daughter of Apollo named MELODY?

It doesn't take long for Austin and Melody to take point on the sing-along, and Will wraps his arm around Sohee, keeping the younger girl warm as she sings along, her eyes bright. The golden banner of Apollo gleams in the light from the fire, the embroidered sun and lyre almost glowing. Will can't but think it's Dad doing what he can, even when he can't communicate with them.

After the song finishes, Chiron trots up to the front, greeting all of the campers. Will doesn't pay an immense amount of attention to what he is saying, too focused on roasting his marshmallow just right. They talk about these things in the constant meetings the senior counselors have every day anyways.

One statement catches his attention though. One that hasn't been said before.

"The Great Prophecy has begun."

All hell breaks loose. Will looks at his siblings who are furiously whispering to each other, their eyes wide.

"Will, what the heck is the Great Prophecy?" Austin asks, and Will winces. He hadn't told them this little bit of information before, too worried about them feeling the burden of it. It was a lot as it is for him. He opens his mouth to respond to his brother, but Tony shushes them, his eyes focused on Rachel.

Rachel steps to the front to face the campers before her, and she looks over all of them with a serious expression.

"For those who have not heard the Great Prophecy, it was my first prediction that came in August. Let me recite it again for you all." She takes a deep breath.

"Seven half bloods shall answer the call. To storm or fire, the world must fall–"

Suddenly, one of the new kids, Jason, Will thinks he's called, jumps up.

"Ut cum spiritu postrema sacramentum dejuremus, Et hostes ornamenta addent ad ianuam necem." He says, his eyes wild.

Will swears he could hear a pin drop in the amphitheater. Will has no earthly idea what he just said, but he understands it's Latin. It's probably the rest of the Great Prophecy, based on Rachel's and Chiron's uneasy looks.

"You just… Jason, how did you know those lines?" Rachel asks, her green eyes wide. Jason holds his hands to his head, wincing.

"I don't know. I don't know how I know, but I DO." He says, and his voice shakes.

"And in Latin too. Handsome AND smart." Drew calls out, and there's a bunch of giggles from the Aphrodite campers. Will glances over, and sees Indira and Lacy making eyes at Jason. He wrinkles his nose. Whatever. He doesn't understand all of that reaction. Jason's cute, sure. But seriously?

Jason sits back down, his ears flushed, looking embarrassed, and Will sees Annabeth whisper something to him, making him nod.

"We had hoped that the Great Prophecy would not start for years but…" Rachel looks at Chiron, who nods supportively. "It seems that it has started. Some of the seven demigods are here. Some are not. I just have a feeling, I can't explain it further than that. We don't know exactly what it means, what challenge they will face, but since the first Great Prophecy predicted the Titan War…" Rachel trails off and Will clenches his hands into fists. He breathes out, thinking of his siblings. How many would this one kill?

Rachel continues, a dark look in her eyes. "What we do know is that the first phase has begun. A new major problem has arisen and we are in need of a quest. Hera, the queen of the gods has been taken."

Sohee inhales sharply, grabbing onto Will's hand. He looks down at her, pulling her more firmly into his side. She doesn't say anything, just burrows deeply into the warmth of the blanket.

Wil looks over her head to make eye contact with Lou Ellen a bit of the way over, and his friend shakes her head, her green eyes practically glowing in the dark. She has no idea either.

Rachel launches into a long explanation about everything that had happened over the past day, and Will listens intently, running through a series of events in his mind. None of his siblings can go. He won't go. He can't let any of them go. They're too young, too untrained. He sighs, running his free hand through his hair.

"Jason… what's your last name, actually?" Rachel asks, and Jason shifts, looking extremely uncomfortable.

"I, uh… I don't know." He admits, and Will frowns. What does he mean, he doesn't know his last name? How can you not know your own last name?

"Just Jason, then." Rachel says, clearly reading Jason's discomfort. "It's clear Hera wants you to have a quest." Will looks at Jason. The older boy clenches his jaw, mulling something over, before nodding.

"I accept." He says, determination in his voice. Will blinks. Just like that? Damn.

"You must save Hera to prevent a great evil. Some… king. We don't understand it yet but… you have until the winter solstice."

"The council day for the gods." Annabeth interjects. "If the gods don't know already, they'll realize by then that Hera is gone, and there could be infighting. As usual." A slight tinge of bitterness there. Will hums. He understands. "It's clear that Jason has been chosen to lead the quest–"

"Why hasn't he been claimed yet?" Mark yells from his seat with the other Ares campers, and there's a murmur of agreement. Will frowns. What does it matter if he's been claimed or not? Clearly the goddess wants Jason to lead the quest.

"He has been claimed." Chiron says. There's silence. "Long ago. Jason, if you please, a demonstration?" Jason stands back up, moving forward nervously. He reaches into his pocket and takes out a coin, flipping it over his head. Will gasps, as do the other campers, as it turns into a golden lance. Will's never seen a weapon that color. It's beautiful.

"Didn't… wasn't that a sword?" Annabeth asks with wide eyes. Jason rubs the back of his neck in embarrassment.

"It uh… came up tails this time. I guess it's different. Long range weapon form?"

"Dang, I want one!" Sherman Yang yells, and there's a cacophony of shouts of agreement.

"Way better than Lamer!" Noelle agrees, and there's even more shouting.

Jason says something, and Annabeth and Rachel move back. Jason raises the lance to the sky and a giant bolt of lightning shoots down, conducting through the lance and hitting the campfire. Will shields Sohee with his body, but none of the flakes of burning wood hit them. Will stands up, looking around to make sure no one is hurt. Luckily, everyone seems to have avoided the burning ashes, and he sits back down.

"Are you okay?" He asks Sohee, who peeks out from the blanket over her and nods.

"What was that?" She asks, and Will turns her cheek, making sure she's uninjured.

"Lightning." He says softly. "Means Jason is the son of Zeus." She blinks, and looks over at the blond camper.

"Woah. Cool." She says, making Will laugh. Sure, he supposes. It is kind of cool.

Just as Will turns his attention back to Rachel, he sees her swoon.

"Austin!" He calls, and the pair of them rush forward, catching her with ease. "Kayla!" His sister runs to grab the stool, and they help Rachel onto it, making sure she won't fall. He shares a glance with Austin, and his brother nods.

Green smoke billows out of Rachel, and Will's grip tightens on her. This is strange…

"Child of lightning, beware the earth, The giants' revenge the seven shall birth, The forge and dove shall break the cage, And death unleash through Hera's rage."

She collapses again after giving the prophecy, and Will catches her as she lists nearly off the stool, cradling her. "I got her, it's fine." He says, standing up with her in his arms. Austin gives him a look, and Will shakes his head. He doesn't need help.

He takes Rachel to the corner, away from the prying eyes of the campers. Will presses his fingers to her neck, checking her vitals. Stable, as usual. Just a nasty side effect of the Oracle inhabiting her body. Other than collapsing, she's fine.

He sighs. This one came from Hera, not his father. They haven't had any interactions, any prophecies. The only reason they even knew Apollo was okay was that Will's healing was as strong as ever, if not improving with time and practice. Will makes sure that Rachel isn't in danger of falling before he stands, ready to head back to his siblings.

A loud gasp reverbs through the air and he runs back to the campfire, eyebrows furrowed.

"Hail Piper McLean, daughter of Aphrodite, lady of the doves, goddess of love."

Oh. Well that will do it, he supposes.

Will rubs at his eyes. He did NOT get a good night's sleep. How could he? Between the horrific demigod dreams of death and despair that may or may not come true, endless meetings, Iris messages with the groups trying to find Percy… He glances at the crocheted sun sitting on his desk in the infirmary, the golden threads twinkling in the sunlight.

"Will!" A perky voice rings through the infirmary. "Where are you?" He recognizes that voice.

"In the office, Lacy." He says, raising his voice loud enough that she would be able to hear him. The blonde daughter of Aphrodite appears in the doorway, her blonde pigtails bouncing. "What can I do for you?" He asks gently, and she smiles, her braces gleaming.

"Can I get some stuff for Piper for the quest?" She asks, and Will smiles warmly at her, standing up and brushing his hands off on his shirt.

"Sure thing, why don't you come help me, 'kay?" Lacy nods, and he motions for her to follow him to the storeroom. He hands her a plastic tupperware, the lid open.

"'Kay, so what should we give to Piper, Jason, and Leo to help them? Any ideas?" Lacy thinks about it for a second, her brow furrowed.

"Nectar and ambrosia, right?" Will nods, a gentle smile on his face. He crosses over, taking a small bag full of ambrosia and placing it in the tupperware in Lacy's hands. He sets a water bottle full of nectar down on the shelf next to her.

"What else?" Lacy frowns, and Will just laughs, going around the storeroom and picking out things for a basic first aid kit. He carefully places them in the plastic tin and snaps it closed.

"There you go, kiddo." He pats the top of her head, and she beams up at him.

"Thanks, Will!" She giggles before running off, clutching the kit and water bottle to her chest.

Will watches her go, a sigh leaving his lips. At least he can be somewhat of a help with everything going on. He goes back into the infirmary, sitting down at the desk, papers spread all over.

Reports from Thalia and the Hunters, from Grover, Tyson… Will's one of the most organized of the counselors, due to having to run an entire infirmary, so Chiron trusts him with keeping everything straight. Plus, it's easier having everything in one place close by.

He picks up one of the pieces of paper, a familiar messy scrawl on it.

December 16th. Nothing to report. No signs. I'll keep looking, Annabeth.

Di Angelo.

Will's mouth presses into a line.

Nico rarely comes around camp anymore. Even before Percy went missing, Nico rarely came around. He doesn't understand. Camp is the safest place, the best place for Nico to be. He puts the paper down, shaking his head.

He doesn't understand Nico at all. The younger boy never opens up to him, no matter how much Will talks to him. He can barely get two words out of Nico on a good day, and not even usually about himself. Will frowns, thinking about the last time he actually talked to Nico, his hands moving to pick up the sun on his desk.

Daniel's birthday.

It had been nice, Nico's presence. Weird, something a bit off, but… nice. His brain always feels a little bit fuzzy around Nico, the world feels a bit off kilter. Will shakes his head. He can't think about that now, he has to focus on finding Percy.

Plus, it's not like anything could ever happen with Nico. Not with how closed off he is. Will closes his eyes for just a second, but the conch shell blares, signifying breakfast time, and he sets the sun down.

Not today. He won't think about this today.

"To arms!" He hears a yell, and goes into panic mode. He runs out of the infirmary, his dagger on his hip. He pulls the short blade out of the scabbard, running towards the sound of Kayla's voice. Her arrow is aimed at a huge dragon, and Will gasps. What the hell is that?

"Hey! It's cool! Don't shoot!" Will hears a familiar voice, and Kayla lowers her bow, confusion flitting across her face.

"Leo?" She says, and a familiar face pops up from the back of the dragon. Will sheaths his dagger, feeling a pit of anger flare up in his chest. He could have been seriously hurt, or hurt one of the other campers.

"Everything good?" He looks around, and no one seems to have any injuries. Kayla shakes her head.

"Nothing happened, Will, it's fine. Just scared the shit out of me." He nods, resting his hand on her arm. She gives him a small smile. There's a different sort of bond between him, Kayla and Austin.

Happens when you're the only three to make it onto the other side of a war.

"I come in peace!" Leo crows, jumping off the dragon. Will wrinkles his nose. He smells like oil and dirt. Gross.

"That thing is dangerous! Kill it now!" Noelle shouts, holding her spear in her hand.

"Stand down!" Will turns to see Jason, his blue eyes sharp and dangerous. "Leo, what have you DONE?" He says, looking at the dragon. Annabeth and Nyssa are right by his side.

"You said I could come along if I found us a ride! So I… did. This bad boy is Festus, and he can take us anywhere we like." He says, his eyes gleaming with something that both intrigues and terrifies Will. A dangerous, unhinged look.

"It… has wings." Nyssa says, looking like she's in shock. Will remembers seeing the dragon before, when Jake had his accident. It definitely didn't have wings then.

"Yeah! I found 'em and reattached them." Nyssa shakes her head in disbelief.

"But it never had any wings. Where did you even find them?" Leo looks sheepish, almost scared. Will narrows his eyes.

"In… in the woods. I fixed him up, mostly, so he shouldn't go haywire." Nyssa steps closer.

"What do you mean… mostly?" The dragon twitches and tilts its head, dumping oil all over Leo. Will makes a disgusted noise, stepping back. Extra gross.

"Just a few kinks here and there." Leo chirps.

"How did you even survive… the fire breath…" Nyssa looks almost in awe. Will doesn't understand either. He's treated SO many burns from this dragon alone.

"I'm quick and lucky." Leo hurries through like he's trying to avoid something. Not Will's circus, not his monkeys, he decides. "Anyway, am I on this quest or what?"

Jason looks at the dragon again. "You named him Festus? You know that means Happy in Latin right? We're gonna go on a quest on Happy the Dragon?"

"Damn straight we are." Leo says with a laugh. "Now we should uh… really get going now. I picked up some supplies and stuff… in the woods. Festus is getting a little nervous with all these people aiming stuff at him." Kayla lowers her bow again, looking a little bit sheepish.

Jason frowns. "We haven't planned anything though."

"Go." Annabeth steps forward, her expression unreadable. Will thinks it's a bit sad. "Jason, you only have three days now, and a nervous dragon shouldn't be kept waiting. This is a good sign. You should go."

Jason and Piper exchange a look before getting onto the dragon. Will shields his eyes from the blazing sun his father dragged into the sky and watches the trio fly off. Annabeth sighs deeply.

"We should go to the meeting, Will." She says after a minute. Will nods. Another morning counselor meeting to discuss any new reports from the day before.

"Yeah, give me a second to grab a bite to eat, and I'll head over to the Big House after doing a round." Annabeth nods, turning on her heel, her blonde hair swishing as she walks away.

Lou Ellen meets him at the door to the meeting room, yawning, her arms stretching over her head.

"Mornin', Will." She says, and he can't help but laugh softly.

"Morning, Lou Ellen. Sleep well?" She shrugs, and gives him a crooked smile.

"Same same. You?" He shrugs in return, a grin turning up his lips.

"Same same. Horrific nightmares, reminders of war, the usual." She hums, running her fingers through her hair, messing it up further.

"Well, we can't be hot and mentally stable, can we?" Will laughs in surprise, and Lou Ellen joins him, her giggle reverbing through the room.

"Stop flirting and get out of my way." Clarisse mutters darkly, pushing through the two of them into the room. Will scrunches his nose, and Lou Ellen makes a face at him.

"Like I would flirt with you, Solace." She says playfully, and Will sticks his tongue out at her.

"Likewise, Blackstone."

His friendship with Lou Ellen is easy, like pieces falling into place. She reminds him a lot of Aaron, the way her humor falls into teasing and lighthearted jabs. He missed having someone to mess around with like that.

The meeting starts not long after everyone gathers.

"Have there been any new reports?" Chiron asks, and Will shakes his head.

"The last one came in not long ago, Thalia. She said they hadn't picked up any trails or anything." Annabeth frowns, fiddling with a ring on her camp necklace.

"What about Nico?" Will shakes his head.

"Nothing for a day or two now, I'll let you know if anything else comes in." She nods, her gray eyes flashing with an unreadable emotion.

"What exactly can the rest of us do?" One of the newer campers from after the war, head of the Tyche cabin, Chiara asks. Chiron sighs, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Not much." He admits, looking over the new faces. "Especially since Olympus has closed. We cannot ask the gods for help with this, and it would seem they are not willing as it is. Rachel, other than the prophecy you gave Jason, there has been no communication, yes?"

Rachel nods, sipping from her water bottle. "Nothing from Apollo. That prophecy didn't come from him anyway." Will fiddles with a bandage that he keeps wrapped around his left wrist.

"So we just… do nothing?" Chiara pushes again, and Annabeth looks at her.

"We are doing something. We are keeping on and hoping that word comes from those who have the abilities to keep looking."

"Like Creep di Angelo, right." She mutters.

"Don't talk about Nico like that." Will snaps, and all sets of eyes turn to him. Lou Ellen has a smug smirk on her face, and Annabeth's expression is curious, but wary. Everyone else looks like he has three heads. "What? Nico's out there helping and looking for Percy."

"Doesn't mean I have to like him." Chiara points out, folding her arms over her chest.

"I didn't say you have to, but you could at least be pleasant about it." He says. She snorts, shaking her head, but she doesn't speak again.

Will can't help the anger that flares up in his chest. He wants to scream at her for acting like this. She doesn't even know Nico, how can she say these things?

The rest of the meeting goes off without a hitch, and Lou Ellen pats his shoulder as she's leaving, giving him a warm smile. She doesn't have to say anything, but he knows what it means.

Will pushes open the door to his cabin, weariness weighing down his body. All of these meetings… talking about failures to find Percy…He sighs. What else can they do? The quest for Hera had only started yesterday.

He stops suddenly, his eyes wide. Two pairs of familiar eyes meet his, and a tinkling laugh fills the air. A laugh that he hasn't heard in years.

"Well, aren't ya gonna give your big sisters a hug, Will Solace?" Taylor teases, and Will runs straight into her arms, nearly bowling her over with the force of it.

"Taylor! Chloe!" He says, and it takes all of two seconds for him to break down into tears. He feels Chloe's fingers in his hair, Taylor's hands soothing him on his back.

"There, there, sunbaby." Taylor says, and Will feels his chest heave with pain as her familiar drawl fills his ears.

"I'm sorry we haven't been back in a while, Will." Chloe says softly, and Will pulls back from Taylor's embrace, though he doesn't step out of her arms.

"Oh, let me take a look at you." Taylor says softly, cupping his face in her hands. "You're so tall now. Look at him, Chlo, he's so different. You've grown up so handsome, my littlest Sunbaby." Will can't help the pang in his chest as he realizes she has to look up at him now. He's about a foot taller than the last time she called him her littlest Sunbaby.

Chloe laughs softly, and Will turns to hug her just as fiercely as he had Taylor. He buries his face in her shoulder, his tears flowing again.

"I missed you so much." He cries, and Chloe rubs his back gently.

"Oh, I know you have Will. We should have called more. Especially after everything…" Will pulls back to look at her. Her warm chocolate eyes, the slight furrow of her eyebrows as she looks at him… it's like nothing has changed, and yet everything has.

He sniffs. "It's so… I can't–"

"It's okay, Will." Taylor says, reaching out to grab his wrist, his right one. Her fingers close around the beads on the looped necklace fashioned into a bracelet. "I know. We know. I think it's part of why it's been so long." Will nods, wiping at his eyes.

It's not only Will that has changed. If he didn't know their voices like the back of his hand, Will's not sure he would have recognized his sisters. Taylor's long curls are now straightened and cut short into a bob, Chloe's hair in thick braids that fall down her back. Chloe reaches out to take his wrist, holding it up so she can look at the beads.

"It's Daniel's, isn't it?" She asks softly, and Will nods, unable to make a sound. Chloe pulls him into another hug, and Will hears Taylor sigh.

"We should have been here. At least for the funerals. I'm so… Will I'm so sorry." She says, and she rummages in her backpack for something, taking out a small package. "I know it can't make up for it but… I wanted to give you these." She says softly, and Will pulls back from Chloe's arms to look down at the items in Taylor's hands.

"Taylor… I can't take these." He says, staring at the photos she's holding. Photos from his first two years at camp. Of Lee. Michael. Aaron. Sam. James. Nychelle. Taylor reaches out with her other hand and ruffles his hair gently.

"You think I didn't have copies made? Please, Will, I ain't that dumb." Will takes the photos, sifting through them. He feels a lump forming in his throat. Seeing his younger self with all the siblings he lost.

"Thank you, Taylor." He says softly, and she ruffles his hair again, a sad smile on her lips.

"Anything for you, sunbaby."

"How did you convince Chiron to do this?" Chloe asks, her eyes wide as she looks around the infirmary. Will laughs, thinking about it.

"I think the nine dead siblings did it. And the other dead campers. I think he realized that we needed a better facility, so I worked with Annabeth and her siblings Malcolm and Quinn, and the result is this!" He says, waving his hand. Chloe looks impressed, poking her head into the office.

"You said there's a private room too?" She asks, and Will nods, motioning to a door.

"Doubles as a surgical ward, luckily haven't had to use it yet though. There's a private shower too." Chloe hums, nodding her head.

"We've needed this for ages, truthfully." She admits, and Will huffs out a laugh, nodding. They really had. Will has had to do some crazy things since he became head medic. "I think… I think this will save a lot of lives."

"Will!" He hears a voice call, and Sohee bounces into the office, her ponytail swishing. "I'm here for my…. Oh hi." Sohee flushes bashfully, looking up at the older girl in front of her. Chloe blinks, but a warm smile turns up her lips.

"Hi there. You must be Sohee." His younger sister's eyes flick between Chloe and Will, and then she nods.

"Yeah! You must be…" She squints for a moment, and Will can practically see the gears turning in her head. "Chloe?" Chloe laughs and nods.

"That I am." Sohee's eyes practically sparkle.

"Will talks a lot about you. And I've seen your picture on the wall. He says you taught him everything he knows about healing." Will flushes.

"Well, let's not get crazy now."

"She's right, Will." Chloe teases. "I did teach you everything you know." Will huffs, blowing a wayward golden curl out of his face.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Chloe laughs, her shoulders shaking.

"Sohee, will you go check on Harley? He broke a finger or two working in the forges, go give him a splint and heal him up okay?" Will says. Sohee nods, saluting him with two fingers before bouncing back out of the office. Chloe watches her go with a wistful look on her face.

"I see why you like her." Chloe says softly, turning to look at Will. He looks away, rubbing the trident bead of Daniel's necklace between his fingers. "He loved you most, you know?" Will inhales sharply.

"Chloe, I—"

"I know it's painful." She says, reaching over to take his hand. "But there wasn't a day you two were separated when he was here. You were like his little shadow, and he loved every minute of it." Will feels a lump in his throat and he swallows.

"I have to tell you something." He says softly, and Chloe blinks in surprise, before dropping his hand to close the office door.

"What is it, Will?" She asks softly, and Will shuffles his feet.

"I'm… I know what your dream was about. Three years ago." He admits, and Chloe looks at him.

"What do you mean?" She leans against the desk, and Will sighs deeply.

"I had dreams about the Battle of Manhattan for years before it happened, and what you said to me at the end of camp mirrored what I saw, and what happened. Death, pain, horrendous moments. Watching my siblings die. But not… not all the death you felt was bad." Chloe blinks at him. Will rubs his face in embarrassment.

"There was… is this guy." Chloe can't help the smile that turns up her lips, and Will frowns at her. "Stop looking at me like that, I swear to the gods." She shakes her head.

"Alright, alright, tell me about this… guy." Will groans, wanting so badly to pull his hood over his head and disappear. He tugs on the light blue strings, giving himself something to do.

"He's… son of Hades." A surprised laugh bubbles out of Chloe's chest, and she looks at him for a moment.

"Oh, you're not kidding." Can he just bang his head against a wall to put himself out of his misery now? Please?

"No, I'm not."

"You know, I always thought you had a crush on Percy Jackson." Will's nose wrinkles, making Chloe laugh even louder. "Oh cut that out, Will. It's not like I'm making fun of you. What's this… son of Hades like?"

Will dramatically drops into a chair, covering his face with his hands.

"He's so hard to UNDERSTAND, Chloe. It's like hot and cold. Mostly cold. He's so… and just… ugh." Chloe reaches over and pats his shoulder in understanding.

"Young love." She says wistfully, and Will squeaks.

"Who said anything about love?" Chloe chuckles, shaking her head, the ornaments in her braids tinkling. "I just think he's cute and wanna get to know him… but he won't let me." Chloe shrugs.

"Well, I've never known you to be one to give up on anything once you've put your mind to it. You're just as stubborn as Dad can be." At the mention of Apollo, Will's shoulders fall, and Chloe sighs.

"He should have been here." Will says softly. Chloe's quiet for a minute.

"It's not in his nature, Will. Our dad is… that's not something that he would do. I'm sorry." Will shakes his head. Before he can speak again, there's a knock on the door.

"Chlo, we should head out soon." Taylor pokes her head in the doorway. Chloe sighs, standing up to her full height. "The traffic isn't gonna get any better, and I gotta get back to JFK before my flight." Will feels tears rise up in his throat again. Taylor's eyes focus on him. "Oh, hey, hey, Will." She comes all the way in, wrapping him up in a big hug. He takes a deep shuddering breath.

"I'm gonna miss you guys again." He says softly and Taylor hums, the familiar vibration of her voice soothing Will.

"We are always an Iris away, sunbaby." She says softly, and Will nods, digging his fingers into her sides.

"You guys haven't had any issues right?" He asks, looking down at her as he pulls away, and she shakes her head.

"One thing they don't tell you about making it to college? The monsters leave you alone so that you can cry into your textbooks 'bout music theory." She quips, and Will can't help but laugh. "Haven't even looked at my bow in over a year."

"Be careful, still." He whispers, and Taylor presses a kiss to the top of his head.

"Ditto, little one." She says softly.

Will watches them head out of the camp, his chest warm but still feeling like a part of him is missing.

Will wishes that the days weren't so monotonous sometimes.

Clearly, the gods think this is hilarious. On pizza night of all nights, at that.

Melody is babbling on about some new Taylor Swift album, Sohee and Tony an active audience as she explains some LORE or something, when there's a flash, and suddenly Jason, Piper and Leo are standing on top of the Aphrodite table.

"Well, um… we're back?" Piper says. The entire camp breaks into a million questions, but Will sees Leo hop off the table and run to throw up into the brazier. He hurries to the older campers side, looking at him in concern.

"You good, Valdez?" He asks worriedly, and Leo shakes his head, waving him off. He still looks a little green, but he gives his best smile.

"S'okay Will, nothing like getting insta transpoed by a goddess to fuck up your stomach." He laughs nervously, and Will frowns at him. "I'll be fine, just need a glass of water. Go finish your dinner." Will backs away, holding his hands up in surrender.

Their story is… quite frankly insane, but Will can't help but laugh at the absolute attention his siblings are paying to the trio of returned demigods. Maybe all it took for a bunch of ADHD Theater kids to pay attention was a good quest. Not that Will is about to volunteer for any. Just the thought of it makes a shudder run down his back. No, no. No quests for any of them. He's happy to keep them all locked away in Cabin Seven if that's what it takes.

He wonders if this is how Taylor felt, how Lee, Michael felt. He supposes so. How are you supposed to feel good about the idea of your teenaged siblings, or not even teenaged in some cases, going out and doing stuff that could get them killed?

Before long, Will is ushering the Apollo Cabin back to bed, Sohee half asleep hiked up on his back. She's drooling all over his hoodie, but Will can't find it in himself to care.

"Will." She says softly, apparently still awake, and Will hums, letting her know he heard her. "Is everything gonna be okay?" Will thinks about it for a second, holding onto Sohee's legs so she doesn't fall off his back.

"I dunno, kiddo. But… this prophecy doesn't involve us. All we can do is… keep learning. Keep healing. Keep growing. Keep bettering ourselves. I won't let anything happen to you, I promise." Sohee nods, resting her head on Will's shoulder.

"You're the best brother ever." She says after a minute, and Will feels his cheeks burn. He doesn't always feel like one.

"And you're the best little sister ever." He says back softly.

Before long, Austin is pushing open the door, and Will carries Sohee back to the sleeping area. He leans down, ready to put her back in her own bed, but she slings onto his back, shaking her head.

"I don't wanna sleep alone. I have nightmares. Will, please don't make me sleep alone." She's practically begging, and Will hesitates.

"Just for tonight." He says, and turns to place her down on his bed. She curls into his blankets, burrowing herself into them. Before long, she's fast asleep.

Will takes his time getting ready for bed, showering, changing his clothes. He knows what he is avoiding, but he can't help it. 15 minutes later, he slips into his bed, and Sohee turns, curling into the warmth of his body.

Will stiffens, flashbacks filling his mind. He can't cry. He can't. Sohee murmurs in her sleep, hands fisting into Will's shirt. He lets out a shaky breath, closing his eyes.

She hasn't slept in her own bed for a year, not since the day Phoebe died.

But Sohee is not Penny.

He buries his nose in her hair, breathing in deeply.

He doesn't sleep.

"Hey, Will." Pollux dips his head into the infirmary, and Will blinks, looking over at the older camper.

"What's up?" Pollux tilts his head towards the Big House.

"Meeting. Annabeth and Rachel are back." Will scrambles to his feet.

"Austin, Mel! I've gotta meeting, hold down the fort." He hears the younger two answer before running after Pollux.

Everyone is here, and that fact massively scares Will. Every single head counselor. Sure, they have these meetings a lot but…

Well. Almost everyone.

Will can't help but feel disappointed that there's no familiar head of black hair leaning against a wall, that Chiara keeps whispering in Damian's ear, a smirk on her lips. He shoves those feelings down, settling next to Lou Ellen who is playing got your nose with Miranda. He runs his hand over his face. He has not slept enough for this.

He plays with the bandage around his wrist, wrapping and unwrapping it. Something to help mitigate his anxiety that he'd read in a book. Redirection. Plus… well he's ADHD just like everyone else. It keeps his hands busy.

"Lou Ellen, give Miranda back her nose. Butch, that is quite enough pencils in Clovis's nose, please do wake him up. Jason, Leo and Piper have returned… quite successfully. Demigods.. If you will."

They tell the story of their quest again, and Will really does try to pay attention, but after hearing it already at the dining pavilion last night, he can't be bothered to hear it again. Instead, he tries to decipher the looks that Annabeth is giving, hoping for anything to click into place.

"Hera was just… here. Talking to you." She says, her mouth set in a line. Jason looks sheepish for a second before nodding.

"I don't really trust her but…"

"Good idea."

"But she's not making this up. There really is another camp of demigods. That's where I come from." Will sits up. Maybe he should have been paying attention.

"Romans. You really want us to believe that there's more demigods, but they're Roman AND we've never heard of them before?" Clarisse says, a bored tone coloring her voice. Will gives her a sharp look, but she avoids it. Will doesn't think he's lying, that's for sure.

"Every time they meet, they try and kill each other." Piper says, leaning forward. "That's why the gods try so hard to keep us apart." Will purses his lips. More children of Apollo? His dad's name is the same in Roman…

"Respect." Clarisse says, and Will sighs. "But we really haven't even run into each other on quests before?"

Chiron sighs. "Well… not exactly. You see, those that have, their memories have been wiped." Will frowns. "This rivalry goes all the way back to the Trojan War, you see. How the Greeks invaded Troy and burned it to the ground." Will shifts. His dad had been a part of that battle, and… not on the Greek side. His dad had guided the arrow that killed Achilles. "Romans worshiped the same gods, just under different names with different aspects."

"More warlike. More united, more about… conquest and discipline." Jason says, and Travis makes a face.

"Gross." Jason frowns at the other camper, who just shrugs. Will gets it. It's not a side he likes of the gods, but… well his dad is the god of archery. War is in their nature.

"The Romans hated the Greeks in turn. They made them a part of the Roman Empire." Annabeth cuts in, swinging her knife around casually.

"Well… not exactly." Jason says, and all eyes turn to him once more. "They were… jealous? And the Greeks thought they were barbarians, but respected the military culture. It's a bit more complicated than people make it out to be. So they started to divide…"

"And it's been that way ever since." Annabeth says with finality. "What about the Titan War? Where were the Roman demigods when the world was ending, Chiron?"

"I defeated Krion myself. We crumbled Mount Othrys. We helped." Jason says, and Annabeth shifts in her seat, a little embarrassed. Will can't help the smile that tugs on his lips. It takes a lot to make Annabeth Chase look uncomfortable. Respect.

"So we need to find the other camp, correct?... The Bay Area. We were always told to stay away from there, weren't we? Is that where it is?"

Chiron shifts. "I was never allowed to know its location. And Jason's memories have been burned away. He doesn't know either."

"We have to try. You have to build Leo's ship and get help from the Romans." Rachel says. Will blinks. Woah, woah, woah, what's this about a ship?

Oh. The Great Prophecy.

"Foes bear arms to the Doors of Death." Rachel says, and Annabeth nods.

"The Doors of Death are open, the worst monsters are getting out to attack us. The Romans and Greeks must unite, find the doors, and close them."

Will blinks. Is Nico one of the Seven? He's the son of Hades, who better to close the Doors? His hands start to shake, and Lou Ellen grabs onto his wrist, her green eyes flashing in concern. He shakes his head.

"I'm going. Jason, once the ship is done… let me come with you." Annabeth says. One.

"Of course, I was hoping you'd offer." Jason says back. Two, Will thinks. Leo and Piper must be three and four… who are the other three?

"Why Annabeth?" Leo asks, a frown on his face. Jason and Annabeth share a look.

"Hera said it was an exchange of leaders." Jason says slowly. "For us to learn about each other." Will feels his mind working a mile a minute.

"So?" Leo replies, and Will taps his fingers on his leg.

An exchange. Two ways. Memories wiped, demigods stolen from camps. Will's eyes widen as he realizes, just as Jason says the obvious.

"Percy Jackson is at the other camp, and it's likely he doesn't even remember who he is."

Well… shit.