Son of the sea foam

by Master of thr forgotten

Not my story it is on ao3 I place it hear for my convinces if u don’t like that deal with it

5. 5

Son of Sea Foam

CaffeinatedFlumadiddle

Chapter 5

Chapter Text

Percy was straight-up not having a good time right now.

How does one react to finding a bunch of kids turned into plants? Gods, they put their names on them... He was going to be sick.

"What?!" Thalia demanded and stepped back with wide eyes. "What are you talking about?" she asked, but Percy grabbed her arm, practically shoving her back towards the entrance. No way. No way was he leaving her here with these sick, sick gods and their-

"Now, now. Let's not overreact."

Percy almost tripped as he stopped by a fountain next to the gate. His hand curled protectively around Thalia as he looked back to find Aphrodite standing there with a slight frown. He glared at her.

"You lied to me," he told her accusingly. "You said the unclaimed kids were safe!" he shouted and absently went to Riptide. "What about this is safe?!"

"I- everything? Darling," Aphrodite said and took a step towards him. Involuntarily, he flinched away. She paused. "Perseus, I don't understand what's upsetting you," she said, voice going soft. "Look. They're fine," she said and gestured to the plants. He shook his head. "Sweetheart..."

"This isn't fine. It isn't."

"What would you have us do?" Aphrodite asked. "We can't kill them. That's cruel."

"This is cruel!"

"How?" she asked, and it struck Percy that she seemed genuinely confused. As if she truly couldn't understand how horrific this was. "They're okay. We will turn them back when the time is right. Demeter put magic on them long ago to preserve them. Nothing dies here. They might age - much more slowly. Even more slowly than your tree," she added with a nod towards Thalia. "But in the end, they'll come back around the same age and perfectly healthy," she said. Percy stared. "You see? Everyone wins. We don't have to worry about the threat of bloodshed, and they'll all live long and happy lives when the time is right-"

"And when is the right time?" Thalia asked. "Whenever you need more bodies for your army?" she asked, voice shaking.

"Do you remember these past six years?" Aphrodite asked her patiently. "No? Well, they won't remember this either. It is just a nap for them. I'm not sure why you are making such a fuss," she said. Percy stared. He didn't know what to say. How to vocalize his feelings into something more articulate. He had known, in theory, that the gods and humans differed. However, he had always assumed... well, that humans were gods with missing divinity. He hadn't considered that gods were humans with missing humanity. Perhaps Aphrodite's logic could be followed to an extent - but how could anyone not just feel the perversion of this situation?

"You're not doing this to Thalia," Percy said firmly. "No. No, Mom... Mom, you can't-"

"You don't know her," Aphrodite said with a shake of her head. "Why does this even matter to you?"

"This is wrong - Mom, please. Please, this is wrong..." he said, quickly moving in front of Thalia when Aphrodite took a step forward. "Please don't do that to her. She hasn't done anything wrong."

"It isn't a punishment," Aphrodite said and tilted her head. "I- this bothers you?" she asked, looking mystified. Well, yeah? Percy nodded in case his distress was somehow unclear. Aphrodite bit her lip. "Very well," she said and shook her head. "Wait here, and I will speak to the others."

Before Percy could respond to that, she was gone, and the gate behind them snapped shut. The bang echoed around them.

"...holy shit," Thalia whispered and fell to her knees. "They... they're going to..." she breathed out and gave a small gasp. "They're just going to turn me back?!" she shrieked and slammed her hands into the ground. "No! No, I-" she began, and Percy fell to his knees next to her, trying to think of something - anything that was remotely reassuring to say. "I barely understand what's going on," she muttered. "I woke up - I don't know how I came back. Just one minute, I was being stabbed in the back with monsters, and the next, Annabeth is six years older, Luke is gone, and I'm being marched to Olympus like a war criminal. What have I done wrong?" she asked.

Percy's hand hovered over her shoulder before that last question hit him in the gut.

She didn't know. Of course, she didn't know. How would she? Thalia had never even made it to camp. He had seen the memory. The campers had shouted about her being a kátara and a daughter of Zeus - but how much had she heard? Had she understood? She was fighting for her life. There was no way she put the pieces together. Thalia would have absolutely no idea why this was happening to her.

"You've done nothing wrong," he said and knelt beside her. She looked at him uncertainly. "Nothing. They're scared of Big Three kids. They call them kátaras. It... is just how you're born. They think you're evil," he tried to explain. Thalia's brows came together.

"Am I?"

"No," he said quickly. "I don't think so. Something happened a long time ago. I don't really know what. All the Big Three kids went crazy and killed a bunch of people. Then this kid pretended to be a Big Three kid and killed people? I don't really understand it," he admitted. Thalia stared. "But you have done nothing wrong. You were just a kid trying to get to safety," he said. Thalia bit her lip. "I won't let them hurt you."

"Why not?" she asked quietly. "Don't you think I'm evil, too?" Percy looked around. Technically, they were alone, but... he didn't know who could be listening in the shadows. He also didn't know Thalia well enough to gauge how trustworthy she was. So instead, he only gave her a weak smile and shrugged.

"I have good instincts with people," he said instead. "I haven't met a... kátara before. I don't know. You seem like a person to me," he said quietly. Thalia opened her mouth to respond, but at that moment, Aphrodite had poofed back into existence alongside a table and three chairs. She sat down. Wordlessly, she gestured for them to do the same.

Great. Percy tried not to look annoyed as he helped Thalia up with her hands still bound and led her to the table.

"I've spoken the council," she said and interlaced her fingers under her chin. "You are lucky your father is Zeus, Miss. Grace. I doubt this sort of leniency would be awarded to anyone else."

Thalia and Percy glanced at each other.

"You're letting her go?"

"Oh, no. No, no," Aphrodite said and raised a hand. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves. You are still a stranger who could kill us all," she said. Percy clenched his jaw. "This is what we have decided: Thalia Grace is to remain on Olympus here. Not as a plant," she added firmly to Percy when he opened his mouth. "You will be trained and monitored where there are no demigods to harm, and the gods can subdue you if needed." Percy closed his eyes. So... a prisoner, then? That was their great compromise? "Then, as you get closer to sixteen, we will evaluate you and decide how big of a threat you really are. Impress us, and you may very well be the prophecy child."

"Prophecy child?" Thalia repeated and shook her head. "What prophecy?" she asked. Percy flinched. It wasn't fair. She literally knew nothing. Is this what would have happened to him if people knew his true parentage upon arriving at camp? "You just want me alive so you can control whatever prophecy is coming?" she asked.

Aphrodite grimaced. "It really was the best I could do, dear," she said. "We can't have you among our children. Apollo would lose his mind," she muttered. Percy frowned. "Oh, you know how parents are," she said and waved her hand. "How would you feel if your baby played amongst crocodiles?" she asked with a curl of her lip. "And, sure, every so often, you have a crocodile who could be a sweetheart, but mostly you expect it to act in its nature."

"She's not a crocodile," Percy said, fists clenching on the table. Aphrodite fixed him with a long look.

"You say that, but she's already making you volatile."

"No! I'm volatile because you're treating her like an animal-"

"Perseus," she said, and something about her voice stopped him. "Wait outside."

The gate door slammed open. Percy stared.

"I won't leave her with you," he said. Aphrodite's eyes flashed. "How do I know you would even keep this side of your bargain? You might turn her into a bunch of daisies the second I leave!" he objected. Thalia quietly cleared her throat. Aphrodite nodded for her to continue from across the table - though her eyes were still firmly placed on Percy.

"I don't mind this arrangement," she said, and Percy jerked his head at her. "Maybe I can call Percy and Annabeth? To let them know I'm okay?"

"Iris Message," Percy cut in. If Thalia was going to give in, then whatever, but Percy would at least have the assurance the gods wouldn't betray her. "We get to Iris Message her every day to make sure she's okay," he said. Aphrodite leaned back in her chair. Then looked at Thalia for a long couple of moments. Finally, she took a long breath.

"Very well. I can convince the others to honor that," she said. "Thalia, come with me. We can meet your father and show you to your room. Perseus," she said and turned to where Percy was still standing. "Go back home. No. Look at me. Home. Not camp. Home. Do not return to camp until you learn not to talk like a sympathizer. I understand where you are coming from, but the campers won't like hearing this spiel," she warned and stood up. "I'm not quite sure how I feel about how comfortable you are around her," she added, and Percy's heart fluttered. Perhaps he had acted too passionately. He had to think quickly.

"The way people talked about kátaras made me think they would have glowing eyes and fangs. This is just a girl," he said. Thalia rolled her eyes. "She looks maybe a little powerful, but not dangerous," he said. Aphrodite's expression wavered. For a second, he felt every emotion he ever felt - and then nothing. The glow in Aphrodite's eyes dimmed.

"You have not seen the damage they cause," she said darkly. Percy wanted to argue. He thought about the dream with Evelyn, Hugo, and Vera. What he had heard about Elliott Parker. People kept saying he didn't know, but... did they? "Go home. We know what we are doing," Aphrodite said, and with one last look of warning, she disappeared - this time taking Thalia with her.

Go home. Go home? Percy stood there in shock. He wasn't sure how much time passed. Go home? Percy wasn't sure what else to do... so he did. He went downstairs and told Annabeth what happened. He got her a cab to camp and just... went home. Aphrodite sent him a sack full of drachmas. He stayed home. Called Thalia. Went to school. He and his mom started going boating on the weekends. He stayed home. Called Thalia again. Managed to not get kicked out of a school (hooray). Talked to Annabeth. Talked to Castor. Talked to Silena. Talked to Grover. Talked to Thalia.

He stayed home.

And then the di Angelos happened.

Bianca and Nico di Angelo. Percy had no idea the chain of events those two names would set off in his life. In years to come, he would think back to his trip to Westover Hall with an air of awe. It started off innocently enough. Grover had asked him and Annabeth to help him grab two demigod kids he had found. They went and found them, learned Dr. Thorn was a manticore (fun!), and prepared to fight when the Hunters arrived and Annabeth... Annabeth...

Percy would get Annabeth back. If it was the last thing he ever did. Not that anyone else seemed to care. Bianca joined the Hunt, and Nico was...well... being Nico. Artemis left to go after some monster that could bring down the gods or whatever, and now everyone had skipped along to Camp Half-Blood on Apollo's super-not-so-fun chariot of death.

So... yeah. Percy was still straight-up not having a good time right now. And guess what? It only. Got. Worse.

"The gods are angry," Grover was saying as he wrung his hands together while they walked. "Thalia is lucky they don't blame her..."

"Blame her for what? What happened?" Percy asked as they lugged Percy's bag towards the Aphrodite cabin. Grover looked around.

"You know the garden you told me about?" he asked. Percy nodded. He hadn't told everyone, but he told the important people. Annabeth had to know, obviously. So did Silena and Grover. He thought about telling Castor but didn't really know what he might think about it. "Well, a couple months ago, the fleece went missing," he whispered. Percy raised his eyebrows. "The gods were really upset. Thalia's security increased and... I don't know. Mr. D said Olympus was angry, but then it got worse," he whispered.

"Yeah, they planned on using that to bring Kronos back, right?"

"That isn't what the person did with it, though," Grover said and swallowed, pupils dilating as he glanced around again. "No, they put it in the garden."

Percy stopped walking for a moment, letting his bag fall to the ground.

"Really?" he asked, aghast. "How? Someone snuck onto Olympus and...? Did it work?" Grover nodded. "No way - the unclaimed kids are back?"

"No, not all of them. Demeter said three of their souls are missing from the plants. Nobody saw the fleece, but that must be how whoever is doing it managed. The unclaimed kids are nowhere to be found either. They must have been brought straight to the titans."

Good for them, honestly. Percy schooled his expression.

"How can someone just casually sneak onto Olympus, though?"

"I don't know. Luke managed to steal Zeus' bolt, didn't he?" he asked. Percy shrugged. Good point. Still, given how paranoid the gods must be at the moment... he shook his head. Maybe it didn't matter how it happened. Hopefully, it happened again. Percy definitely wasn't against unclaimed kids being freed from their disgusting Zen Garden of Souls. Besides, he had... other problems popping up at the moment.

"How dare they? How dare they?!" Silena was saying as she slammed the door closed. "Love is worthless? Oh, I'll show them love is worthless-" she muttered to herself as she marched around the cabin. "I'll pulverize them," she muttered lowly.

'Them' being the Hunters of Artemis. Unsurprisingly, Aphrodite and Artemis did not get along. Who would have thought? Silena was not one to get riled up by strangers either (that was Percy's job), but boy... that lieutenant of theirs - Zoë or whatever - really got under her skin. The rest of the Aphrodite kids were silent as Silena stormed around the cabin with angry mutters and curses before a light knock came. Percy grimaced as Silena swung back around. "YOU THINK YOU CAN COME HERE AND- oh," she cut herself off when she re-opened the door. "Hi."

"Hi," the visitor said. Percy peered over. It was Charles Beckendorf. A son of Hephaestus. Percy wasn't too familiar with him, though he saw the guy around. Huge dude. Calloused hands. Muscles that most people would kill for. Didn't explain why he was here, though. The cabin seemed to lean forward in unison as he glanced around with wide eyes.

"Um, I wanted to see if you were okay?" he asked, rubbing the back of his neck. Silena blinked. "Because, um, you seemed upset and... Well, they're wrong. The Hunters, I mean," he said. Silena stared for a couple seconds - looking a bit like she had gotten punched in the face.

"You think so?"

"Yeah! Definitely!" he said quickly. Silena's lips twitched. "Ignore them. They're just immortal bullies," he said wisely and wrung his hands together. "I... thought I could make you this? Since you were sad..." he trailed off and held out a ring. Silena blinked again.

"For me?"

"If you want it! I just saw your shield and thought about the watch Tyson made Percy last year, and so I thought I could do something similar," he said hastily and tapped the gem in the middle of the ring. It immediately turned into a replica of Silena's current shield. "But I'm no good at jewelry design-"

"It's beautiful," Silena said and smiled. Percy watched in amazement as she looked down, face turning a shade darker. Had Silena ever blushed before? Outside of the powder? "Thank you."

"Yeah. Sure. Totally. Um," Beckendorf closed his eyes. "I- I should go," he said. "But- yeah. Bye," he said and turned around. Then turned back. "Actually, wait. I - do you know what would show them?" Silena raised an eyebrow. "Um, we should go on a date. Prove them wrong."

"You and I?"

"...if you want," he said, voice going small towards the end. Silena smiled at the ground.

"I don't go on dates to piss people off, Charles Beckendorf," she said and crossed her arms over her chest. Beckendorf deflated. "But, if you want to meet me on the beach tomorrow for a picnic..."

Beckendorf practically jumped back to life.

"I can be there. Will. I will be there," he said quickly and flushed. "I'll see you tomorrow at eight?"

Silena giggled. Not the usual giggle she gave, either. Percy had heard her giggle in front of cute boys before. It was usually the kind of laugh that was to make them feel special and important. This was... a little more genuine? He narrowed his eyes. Wait a minute...

"See you tomorrow."

The door shut. When Silena turned, the entire cabin was looking at her. She blinked, and the spell was automatically broken.

"Ooh!"

"Silena has a crush!"

"Silena and Charlie sitting in a tree-"

"Can I be the flower girl at your wedding?"

"Everyone be quiet and do something useful," Silena said, but she was clutching the ring to her chest. Percy hopped down from his bed. "You too," she added to him. Percy ignored her.

"You blushed."

"Hm."

"You blushed," he said accusingly. Silena shrugged. "You like him?" he asked, a little indignant. Silena was, of course, a daughter of love, but... like... no. No, he wasn't down with this. Not at all. Silena dated plenty of boys, but none had made her blush like that. It wasn't a good sign. "But he's a camper!"

"You're a camper."

"Yeah, but you're not dating me," Percy said and lightly shoved her to the side. "Shouldn't you date someone... you know. On your side?" he whispered in French. Silena raised an eyebrow. "I'm just saying! What if you guys hit it off and you tell him the truth, and he betrays you or something?" he asked and then wrinkled his nose. "Or maybe he's a spy? Or-"

"Or what if he's a secret kátara hiding out in the Hephaestus cabin and harassing his sisters over going on dates?" Silena whispered back.

Percy scowled at her. "Not funny."

"A little funny."

"Silena, I'm worried about you," he said, and she gave him a slight sigh as she put a hand on his cheek. He looked around to make sure nobody else around them was listening. They could all speak French too, after all. "Grover told me about some unclaimed kids escaping from the garden..." he said. Silena closed her eyes and slowly lowered her hand.

"I have it handled."

"I could help you-"

"No," Silena cut him off. "I'm not putting you in any extra danger. You're already in the most," she said and grabbed both of his hands. "And all of this has made me see... just how wrong the gods are," she said. "I'm now more sure than ever in my decision."

"And yet... Beckendorf?" he asked her. At that, Silena grimaced, squeezing tightly. It wasn't an answer, but Percy could feel it all the same. She wasn't sure either. She was just... following where her heart led her. It was usually how Silena did things. Just feeling her way through decisions, being guided by emotions. It was a way of life that Percy both completely understood and... didn't at all. Sighing, he just kissed her cheek. "Be careful," he muttered and got his stuff ready for their 'friendly' game of Capture the Flag. He kind of doubted it was going to be friendly, but whatever.

"Drew, could you pass me the sunscreen?" he asked, walking over to one of the vanities. It wasn't particularly bright out, but the number one rule of skincare had been vigorously drilled into him since the second he stepped foot into this cabin: if the sun is out, then sunscreen is on. Even if you couldn't see the sun. It was the number one cause of premature aging, after all. Drew ignored him. "Hello?" he asked. "You okay?"

"I'm not in the mood to deal with you," she snapped. Percy blinked. Well... okay. Percy frowned at her before perching himself on the edge of the table. Drew reached over and threw the sunscreen at him before grabbing some eyeliner. Huh. Percy and Drew had never been super tight, but that was because she had been 'going through something', according to Silena. He had no idea what it was, but... she had delved from something quiet and sad into whatever this was.

"You've been in a bad mood lately," Percy noted as she continued applying her eyeliner. "What's wrong?"

"Maybe that I'm stuck holding up our cabin's reputation to be pretty because the rest of you are slackers?" Drew asked and flipped her hair over her shoulder. "I mean, honestly," she rolled her eyes. Percy stared at her. "What?"

"I... am just confused," Percy said. "You don't normally act like this."

"Oh, I forgot we are just so close," Drew drawled out, hands clenching by her side. "Or is it your magic Aphrodite-powers that everyone drools over? You think you can see inside my head too?" she asked. Percy blinked - a little alarmed. Silena had fussed over his powers. It was to make sure people understood he had them. Grover did as well - though that was mainly because he loved Percy, but still.

"Um, no-"

"Are you even dating anyone yet?"

"I'm fourteen," Percy said, mystified. "And you're only thirteen so-"

"What?! You don't think I can date someone?!" she yelled, making the cabin all pause. Drew turned bright red as she whipped around to glower at them. "Mind your business," she said, and immediately the group all went into a daze before looking away. Percy also found his mind drifting before the realization hit. Just as he went to turn away, he spun back around.

"Hey! What's wrong with you?!" he asked, and Drew rolled her eyes. "Silena says not to use charmspeak like that," he told her sharply. The fact she could even do it on people who weren't the least bit attracted to her (siblings and all) was really a testament to her power, but still. "Seriously, what is going on-?"

"Leave me alone, Percy," Drew muttered and jabbed a finger to his chest as she stood up. "And if you're such a perfect Aphrodite kid, then maybe you should start actually acting like one," she said. Percy spluttered. Had he not been acting like one? Him? After all of this? "You haven't even dated a single person," she sniffed. "Maybe it is time to go to Silena for a palm reading," she told him. Percy stared. For a what? He didn't even know how to respond to that. He didn't have a chance to ask since she stormed out of the cabin. Weird.

"Puberty," Lacy said wisely from where she and Troy were making flower crowns. Percy snorted. Yeah. Right. He grabbed his armor to ready himself for whatever clusterfuck was waiting for them outside. Not that he cared about Capture of the Flag. Not with Annabeth missing. He tried not to let it overtake his thoughts as he set out. Mr. D and Chiron had told him not to go after her, but...

It was Annabeth.

It was all he could think about during the game. Not that he paid much mind to that, either. Also, there were other things to grab his attention than the Hunters duking it out with the campers over some rivalry he could not care less about. Silena had made it her personal mission to destroy them, but given the circumstances... eh.

"Aren't you supposed to be on guard?" he called when he spotted a familiar blonde head underneath a tree. Castor's eyes were closed, sword thrown to the side as he yawned. At Percy's approach, he gave a weak smile in greeting.

"Not really in the mood. Besides, they're going to win," he said. Percy grimaced. Yeah... probably. He sat down next to him. "I've been meaning to talk to you," he said. Percy tilted his head. He had called Castor a few times over the course of the year. He had seemed fairly normal. Maybe whatever was bothering him was what was bothering Drew, too. "My dad sat me down for a talk a few weeks ago."

"Oh no," Percy said stoically. "Did you get a bad report card?"

Castor didn't respond. At least not for a couple of seconds. Then he sat up, fixing Percy with serious violet eyes.

"He said that he knew you and I were friends - and that you saw something on Olympus. He said you would probably tell me about it, so he wanted to tell me first," he explained. Percy's heart sank. Oh. "And now that I know... I can't stop thinking about it," he muttered, pulling his knees up to his chest. Percy ran a hand through his hair. He wasn't sure what to say to that. Not really. "How many were there?"

"A lot," Percy admitted. "If they've been doing this since the 1940s... I guess it builds up over time, but it was pretty big," he admitted. Castor made a noise of reproach before leaning back against the tree. "What did your dad say?"

"Basically, that they did it and that it was to protect them and us," Castor shrugged. "He doesn't really sugarcoat things. He asked me what I thought about it," he said. Percy laughed.

"Bold of him."

"Hm," Castor snorted. "I mean, what do I even say? It's so messed up. And I can't think of anything logical to really counter it. Is what they're doing to Thalia Grace much better? Would it be okay to take every unclaimed kid and just... trap them like zoo animals?" he asked with a shudder. Percy tilted his head.

"You know about Thalia Grace?"

"Yeah, he told me that too," Castor said. "I guess it's different with her. We know she's a kátara, but... I don't know. It was weird. The way people talk, I thought seeing one in the flesh would be... scarier?" He frowned and then shook his head. "It felt like she was the one who was scared," he said and then wrinkled his nose. "I was there when she first came. I was six or seven. Some older kids told Pollux and me to hide, so we didn't see anything. I always wondered..." he said, and then fixed Percy with a thoughtful look. "What was she like?"

Percy considered.

"Moody," he decided, which was fair given... everything. "Really confused. She didn't know what was happening. She was nice, I guess. I would have never known what she was if someone hadn't screamed it out," he said. Castor nodded. From the trees beside them, some leaves rustled, and a couple of silver-clad girls jumped down. Hunters. One spied them and raised her bow.

"We're just talking," Castor said with a wave. "Leave us alone."

The girl snorted.

"Just a couple of boys," she called to the others. "One is that Aphrodite kid, so maybe just wave something shiny at him," she drawled. Percy sneered in return as the others laughed. From their other side, a small yelp followed, and more girls came out with a squirming sack. "What's this?"

"We caught one. Um, sort of," one girl said and dumped the bag. Out spilled Nico di Angelo. His face was flushed, and hair going a thousand different directions as he looked around wildly. "He kind of came to us and asked if we played this card game...?"

"Yeah! Capture the Flag is boring. Mythomagic is way better - want me to teach you?" Nico asked brightly and pulled out some cards from seemingly nowhere. The girls all exchanged bewildered looks. "By the way, do you know my sister? Her name is Bianca. She's new with you guys. Can you make sure she visits lots? She looks a little like me except her hair is really long, and she's taller," he explained. Castor scoffed, and Nico's eyes snapped to them. "HI, PERCY!" he said brightly when he saw him. "Guys - this is Percy! He fought a manticore, and it was really cool. He was like, bam! Bam! Bam!" he shouted, throwing up his hands with a pretend sword (despite the very real sword being tucked in his belt). "I was like 'whoa!' and he was like- hey, be careful! Those are collectibles," he interrupted himself when one girl picked up one of his cards.

"Oh, he looks like fun," Castor murmured. "I bet you were thrilled with that one."

"He... well, he's a kid," Percy muttered. Under any other circumstances, Nico would probably annoy him (and, admittedly, he was a tiny bit annoying), but Percy had enough practice with Troy and Lacy to know how to handle overzealous kids. Plus, Jaime. Oh, gods. Nico and Jaime were around the same age. He hoped they wouldn't meet. That would be... not good.

"So... all of you guys are caught?" one Hunter said and poked Nico in the forehead. Nico stuck his tongue out.

"Yeah, sure," Percy said and stretched out. "We're caught."

Spoiler Alert: They did not win Capture the Flag... though, Silena got a good nick into Zoë, which put her in a terrifyingly good mood. Enough that he braved another conversation with her as she was poking through their underground closet for date clothes (yes, they had an underground closet. It was beneath the cabin, and the clothes magically always fit when you put them on).

"Um," Percy began as she flicked through some blouses (blouses and shirts were not the same, strangely enough). "Can I ask you something?"

"I'm not supporting the lip piercing."

"No, I-" Percy shuffled. "It's the, um, well... Drew said something about a palm reading?" he asked. Silena paused. "I don't really know what she was talking about, but..." he trailed off, flushing. "I thought only Troy could do that stuff?" Silena put down a yellow top, turning to look him over for a few moments before clasping her hands together.

"No, it isn't the same thing. Most Aphrodite kids can do it," she admitted and then ran a hand over her face. "I suppose it is time we have that conversation. You're only getting older," she muttered. Percy reared back. He wasn't sure he liked that... whatever that was. Silena smiled weakly. "So, you know... anyone can fall in love, right? Boy, girl - everything in between?" she asked. Percy shrugged. He wasn't unfamiliar with the concept (having two official mothers, after all). Silena nodded. "So, Aphrodite kids can get an... accurate read on your preferences by looking at your hands," she shrugged. Percy blinked. "There's this ancient philosopher - Anaxagoras - he was a child of Aphrodite and figured out how to do it a long time ago," she explained. Percy nodded slowly. "But it's a complicated subject."

"Why?"

"It's personal," Silena shrugged. "Just because we can figure that out doesn't mean we should. Sometimes it's better for someone to figure it out on their own. Sometimes it is better for them to ask us. No matter what, though, it is theirs." Percy gave her a questioning look. "Meaning that we can't tell anyone else. You don't out people. That's why it is a more... taught practice for us. Not everyone can be trusted to be responsible with that information."

"Who taught you?"

"Mitchell," Silena said. "And there was this girl named Lina who taught him. She died in the mortal world when I was little. Don't really remember her," she explained. Percy nodded. "I doubt you can do it, but... it might be good for people to think you're learning it..." she muttered and bit her lip. Percy looked down at his palm. Then at Silena.

"Could you do mine?" he asked. Silena chuckled. "What? Drew said something about dating, and it got me thinking," he said defensively. Silena's face went sour for a moment before she sighed.

"People are going to expect you to date, aren't they?" she sighed. "I don't want you just playing with people's hearts to blend in..."

"I won't," Percy said defensively. "I mean, isn't it just friendship with kissing? I can do that."

"Um, no. Friendship is a part of it. Kissing can be a part of it. That isn't all it is, though," she said and then shook her head. "You really want to know?" Percy hesitated. Did he? He looked down at his hand. It wasn't like he had a crush on anyone. What was the harm in knowing? He held out his hand. "Alright..." Silena said and took it. Percy waited as she tilted her head, muttering under her breath as she examined his palm and then his fingernails and then the back of his hand. She hummed and nodded.

"What? What does that mean?"

"Shh," she said and then pressed down on the center. Percy yelped. "Thought so," she nodded. Percy scowled. "So, for the most part, you like girls."

Wait. What?

"For the most part?"

"I would say it is maybe seventy-thirty? You also like blondes," she added. Percy's mind flicked to Annabeth, and he felt his face get hot. Quickly, he snapped his hand back. "Actually, wait..." she muttered and pulled it back. "Okay, so... sixty-thirty-ten."

"What's the ten?"

"Gray area for other genders. I'm not seeing a clear attraction, but I'm also not seeing anything that would suggest you aren't," she shrugged. "I'm mainly just getting the blonde thing. You might date literally anyone if they're blonde," she snorted. Percy scowled and batted her away. "What? I'm just the messenger!"

"That's not true!" he objected and Silena laughed. "I'm not shallow enough to only date blonde people!"

"I didn't say that," she said and then smirked. "Just that you really like-"

"I've had enough of this."

"Uh-huh," Silena said. "Either way, now you know," she told him and went back to the clothes. Percy looked down at his palm thoughtfully.

"So I can date anyone I want?"

"I mean, not anyone. You can't date someone from our cabin... and I'm thinking at the very least they might have to dye their hair blonde," she teased, and Percy made a face at her. "Seriously, though. It's the same as it would normally be. If you like someone and if you think it could be more just... go on a date. Figure it out the old-fashioned way," she shrugged. Percy sighed. Easy for her to say. He leaned against a rack of coats with a groan. Then reconsidered.

"This isn't so bad," Percy finally decided. Silena laughed. "Drew made it sound like something awful," he said and shook his head. "Why would she try to scare me? What is with her lately?" he added, sitting up. Silena hesitated. Then shrugged. "She's gotten so mean. I thought that was supposed to be my thing, but... even I can't be that mean," he added. Silena hit his shoulder. "What?"

"You're not supposed to be mean."

"Hermes said I was."

"Oh my gods, are you still on that?" she muttered and then let out a weary sigh. "I... shit," she said and then bit her lip. "Look, Drew is... she needs some time. I know she's being a bit of a nightmare. I'll try to talk to her. Again." She ran her hand over her face. "She's just insecure. Worried about not being Aphrodite enough," she said. Percy made a face. Insecurity was a surprisingly common theme in this cabin. Valentina spent hours nitpicking her appearance. Mitchell once had a breakdown over losing a pound after he missed a couple workouts. Sam seemed to be in a perpetual state of discontent with their clothes being too masculine or too feminine. Silena was a miracle worker for all of them. It was 'Valentina, you're always going to find things if you look up close. Take a step back and notice all the pretty things about you. Have you seen your hair? It's so soft and silky!' or 'Mitchell, sometimes your body changes. It doesn't mean you're suddenly ugly. Besides, you're still pretty muscular to me. You do remember we train to kill monsters every day, right?' or 'Sam, if you want to wear something a little more girly, go for it. If someone tries to say you're a girl over it, then I'll use my stiletto and kill them. And if you want to wear all boy clothes? I still have a second pair of stilettos'.

But Drew? She had never shown any sign of that.

He had a conversation about it with his new best friend, Bessie. Bessie was this adorable cow-serpent thing that he had found trapped in the net. Either Poseidon had gotten lax in dampening his powers or was too distracted to notice Percy sneaking off to hang out with sea creatures under the water because Percy's powers were perfectly stable the last couple of days.

Not that he had much time to hang out with Bessie lately. Not with the most recent news. Zoë had a quest. A quest Percy would not be attending. Though, there were whispers about who would.

Naturally, Percy had a dream about it.

On this fun episode of 'The Mess of Percy's Mind', there was the infamous Evelyn once again making an appearance as she laid on her stomach at the edge of a lake, singing to herself as she flicked her hand to make gentle waves.

"Yes, the strong gets more, while the weak ones fade, empty pockets don't ever make the grade..." she murmured and then smiled. "I know you're there, you knucklehead," she said, and from the shadows, another person melted into focus. A boy with fire red hair and dark eyes. He was wearing suspenders, and a green, flat cap, which really looked out of place in what Percy had decided was Camp Half-Blood.

"Sorry," the boy said. Hugo. Percy almost didn't recognize him now that he wasn't covered in ichor. "You just sing so damn pretty. Like a bird."

"An ostrich, maybe."

"A canary," Hugo said and smiled at her, soft and warm. "I feel a little like a dog. If you sing, I just come running. Can't help it," he shrugged and reached over to tuck a strand of hair in her face. Evelyn flushed, looking down at the water for a moment before sitting up on her knees. "My brother says it is unbecoming."

Evelyn put her arms around his neck.

"I don't mind it," she said, voice dripping with a sort of affection that no child of Aphrodite would need to dissect. "You don't need to come running, but if I sing... would you stay?" Hugo nodded. "Good. Just for you, though."

"Ugh," a groan came, and Percy watched as Vera stormed up out of the trees behind them. "Stop with your cockeyed love talk. Some of us want to go to the lake to swim."

"I'll drown you," Evelyn said, and Vera merely looked at her before falling face-first into the water.

"Do it."

"Is something wrong?" Hugo asked, laughing as he watched her. "Don't tell me your own quest for love has fallen flat?"

"Did you stab the Demeter girl, too?" Evelyn asked distastefully. "Nobody will like you if you stab them."

"Untrue. My mother stabbed my father, and look how that ended up."

"Yes, she ended up with Zeus," Hugo said solemnly. "An unfortunate situation to be in," he said. A loud crack of thunder sounded overhead. "Sorry, my lord," he laughed. "I'm sure your story with Ms. Bates was a lovely one indeed." He kissed the side of Evelyn's head. Vera made a disgusted noise. "Come now, Vera. What's got your goat?"

"Chiron won't let me go on that quest," Vera said and slapped the water, so it sprayed everywhere. "How is it I am the only one who sees how strange this whole conundrum really is?" Hugo and Evelyn exchanged looks. "No - no, no! I am right about this!" Vera told them both as she waded over to where they were on the dock. "It's strange, is it not?"

"For demigods to die? Not really."

"It is when they die like that," Vera mumbled. "It wasn't anything a monster could have done. I think a god did it," she said. Evelyn sighed.

"Gods try to kill us every other day, Vera. Hades has tried to kill me often enough. Do you know how many skeleton warriors I've dealt with?"

"You've dealt with?" Hugo asked, amused. "Nobody can defeat a skeleton warrior outside a child of Hades," he said. "Though I do enjoy saving you."

"I can defeat them!" Evelyn gasped in affront. Hugo smiled at her. "I just like you saving me."

"Come on," Vera whined. "Stop this! I'm serious! And did you notice the markings?"

"Markings?"

"Yes, the markings! The weird dots nobody remembers getting? James had one!" Vera said with a nod towards Evelyn.

"Oh, that? Vera, he probably just got hit weird. He fought like six monsters on the way over. Julia has one too-"

"That's weird!" Vera shouted. "It's weird, and have you noticed only Big Three kids have it? Hugo?" she tried. Hugo gave her an apologetic look.

"I mean, I haven't noticed, but I can look."

"Eli has one too," Vera continued, running her hands over the water. "I'm taking him to the infirmary later. It's strange. Demigods just suddenly show up dead with their eyes burned out of the skulls? Random markings on us? I don't like it. I don't," she said fiercely. Hugo stared at her for a moment - eyes narrowing slightly, but it quickly died away when Evelyn put her head on his shoulder.

"I will take Julia and James to the infirmary if it bothers you so much," she said. Vera rolled her eyes. "But honestly. We have more exciting things to talk about! Hugo has a quest of his own he will undertake soon," she said with a small smile. Hugo chuckled.

"In a few years, you mean," he said and turned to where Vera was still impatiently waiting in the water. "I learned my father has two more demigod children. He has asked me to personally escort them to camp when they are old enough," he said. At this, Vera's previous anxiety momentarily melted away into surprise. "I know," Hugo agreed when her brows raised. "I think he's starting to have hope that his kids might be accepted into this camp. I think we may even get a cabin soon," he said brightly. "Chiron mentioned he's claimed enough kids here to warrant one!"

"That is good news," Vera admitted and tilted her head. "And these two new ones?"

"Yes, I met them last week. They're way too young for camp, but I don't think they're in any danger. My father seems particularly keen on the mother. They're full-blooded siblings," he added. Evelyn hummed. "Not twins, either. He went back to the same mortal twice," he explained. "But, yes, I met them both. Bianca and Nico di Angelo. Sweet kids."

Percy jerked. No way. That was... impossible. His mind went to the unclaimed kids who had been freed. Could they be two of the three kids? No, that didn't make sense. Why would they be put back into the mortal world? Why would Bianca join the hunters? Nico didn't seem the least bit scared of camp. It didn't add up.

"Well," Evelyn said and kissed Hugo's cheek. "They must be like their brother."

"Alright, I've had enough of this," Vera said, getting out of the water. "You are both disgusting. Being so in love," she grumbled and shook her head like a dog. Now that it was down, Percy could see it fell to around her elbows. Evelyn made a face at her. "It makes you both blind. Congratulations on your future quest, Hugo," she added to him.

"But you need to think about your conspiracy theories?"

"They're not- fine. Be like that," Vera said and pointed a finger at them. "Mark my words, those marks are going to mean something... and it won't be good," she said darkly. Hugo frowned after her as Evelyn watched her march away tiredly. When Vera rounded the corner, Evelyn's expression shifted - from annoyed to vaguely concerned. She turned back to Hugo.

"You think she is okay?"

"You care?" Hugo asked, sounding a little amused. Evelyn wrinkled her nose. "I think you two might be friends."

"Definitely not," she grumbled and stood up. "But you know how she is. Always so reckless," she said with a weary sigh and dusted off her dress. "I better go keep her out of trouble... if she'll let me, that is," she said. Hugo laughed and gave her a slight wave. "See you at dinner?" she asked. Hugo reached over and kissed her hand as an answer. "You're a disaster, Hugo Brandt," she told him fondly and blew him a kiss before rushing off in the direction Vera went. Hugo's smile slowly disappeared.

For a second, nothing happened as he looked out over the lake. Then Hugo rolled up the sleeve of the shirt. A red dot sat in the middle of his forearm. He lightly trailed his fingers over it before looking around.

"Are you doing this to us?" he asked suddenly. Percy jumped. Could he see him? Hugo wasn't looking at Percy, though. His eyes were fixed on something off in the distance that seemed blurred and unfocused. "You told me to trust you," he added accusingly. Nobody responded. "To trust you, I need to know what this is. Am I the only one you've been speaking to?"

Nothing. Percy opened his mouth - about to try and get his attention himself, but the colors had suddenly zapped. The scene seemed to zip away like water in a drain, leaving Olympus in its wake.

Thalia stood next to him.

"It seems like a clear path to me," a voice boomed, and Percy looked up to see eleven Olympians in front of them. His blood boiled. What were they trying now? "Artemis has been captured by the titans. We will need a powerful hero to get her. Chiron states a prophecy has been issued to Artemis' lieutenant. Need I spell it out for you?" he asked. A few gods murmured.

"You want to send this girl out to retrieve my sister?" Apollo asked, eyes flashing. "Father, my sister's freedom is at stake. Now is not the time for experiments."

"The girl has proven herself strong," Zeus dismissed. "And well-tempered," he said with a wave of his hand. Thalia's lips twitched. Percy got the feeling 'well-tempered' weren't words often applied to her. "This may be her chance to prove herself a true ally to the gods and worthy of the prophecy," he said. More murmuring. "The Fates seem to wish for her existence. I believe my daughter may be the key to getting Lady Artemis back," he said. More murmuring.

"And what if this girl had been the daughter of Hades or myself?" Poseidon's voice came from Zeus' side. "You are being very generous, brother."

Percy gritted his teeth. It was a good point, but Percy didn't want to hear his father trying to get another kid killed.

"I don't want my children around that thing," Demeter interjected sharply. "If she is to be let loose, then keep her outside of camp and ensure none of our campers join in this quest. If Artemis' hunters wish to accompany her, then... very well," she said, eyes drifting over Thalia thoughtfully. "Child, do you think you are capable of joining this quest?" she asked. Thalia looked around the room before stepping forward.

"I will bring Lady Artemis back and prove my fealty to you."

Percy jerked up. His heart was still thudding in his chest, but all he could think of was the following:

Thalia Grace was leaving Olympus... and Bianca and Nico di Angelo were kátaras.

Annabeth was where Artemis was. Thus, Percy was going no matter what Mr. D and Chiron said. He thought to ask Silena to go with him (she might just follow him, after all), but he couldn't find her. His stomach churned at what she might be doing... but also, there was no time to figure it out. Instead, he just shoved some stuff into a bag before going out the front door.

"Mom won't like this."

Damnit. Percy turned to find Drew leaning right outside the door next to the potted plants. She smiled coyly.

"What?" Percy asked with a sigh. Drew looked at him. "I don't have a lot of time for this. I need to find Annabeth," he said. Drew hummed and walked over to him - eyes studying him with a sharpness that made him nervous.

"You want to go on a quest with hunters to save a daughter of Athena and also help save Artemis. Three of our mother's least favorite people," she clicked her tongue. Percy groaned. Honestly, did Aphrodite even care that much? Athena and Aphrodite were said to be opposites, but it wasn't like the Poseidon vs. Athena rivalry. Besides, she didn't have much to say on his last two illegal quests with Annabeth.

"I'm helping my friend," he told her. "Are you going to tell on me?"

Drew smirked. "I don't know."

"You don't-? You know what? Fine. Tell. I'll be gone before they can catch me. Unless you want to use charmspeak to keep me here?" he asked, voice hardening. Drew's expression turned into a scowl. "But whatever weird thing you're going through? It is making you a jerk," he said and pointed a finger at her. "I would help you. We would all help you. Instead, you're just lashing out as if you have something to prove-"

"I have nothing to prove!"

"Really? I couldn't tell," Percy said and stepped away. "Nothing?" Drew kept silent, but her eyes were narrowed and face twisted in anger. "If I die out there... it was nice knowing you," he muttered and turned away. Part of him expected Drew to start screaming and rat him out immediately, but there was only silence as he snuck towards the stables.

Part of him regretted snapping. If he really did die, then he would hate for that to be his last conversation with her. He just felt so antsy with everything and Annabeth... Annabeth...

"Hi!"

Annabeth somehow was tied for his biggest worry.

"Nico," Percy greeted as he went to find Blackjack. It was strange to look at Nico now. Percy didn't get how he was here or even alive. There was also a small part of him that felt... nervous. This was a real kid from the time everyone went nuclear. Did that make him unsafe?

No. Stop. He couldn't think like that. That was what got them into this mess. Besides, look at this kid. How could he be evil?

"Yep, it's me," Nico smiled and then let it fall as he shuffled his feet. "Are you going on the quest?" Percy hesitated before giving a small nod. Nico let out a small breath of relief before bringing out a green floppy hat from behind his back and presenting it to Percy. "It's for my sister! I think she left it by accident," he explained as Percy slowly took it from him. It was indeed the hat Bianca had been wearing when they found them. However, since joining the Hunt, she had preferred to wear her hair as Zoë did. "I thought maybe she might want it on her quest. Will you give it to her?" he asked. Percy nodded, staring down at the hat. It looked... familiar.

"Where did she get this?" he asked. Nico blinked a few times. For a second, he looked confused before tilting his head.

"I... think our friend gave it to her," he said and furrowed his brows. "The one who took us to the hotel." Percy stared. The hotel? What hotel? "He was really nice, and his girlfriend sang to us," he explained. Percy felt his eyes widened.

"What did he look like?"

"I don't really remember," Nico said, suddenly looking unsure. "His hair was red, and his eyes were like mine," he said and then blinked. "He might have been our cousin?" he said and then gave a slight huff. "I want red hair. I would look cool with red hair. Do pirates have red hair?"

Percy didn't answer. Okay, so... this was a problem. Could Percy leave Nico here? Alone? He inwardly groaned. There was only one thing he could think to do to ensure Nico's safety. He sighed.

"Hey, Nico. Since I'm giving your sister something, do you think you could give something to mine?" he asked and reached into his pocket. All he had was an empty gum wrapper, but it would do.

"Sure!" Nico told him as Percy fumbled for something to write with. Nico handed him a pen. "I wanted Mr. D's autograph," he said as an explanation for the random writing utensil. Percy snorted before scribbling a quick note.

Silena, I've gone off to find Annabeth. Would you mind staying here and watching Nico? Bianca asked me to look after him. I think they're waiting for their mom to claim them soon. If she doesn't, then I think Nico may want to visit his sister a little early. -P

He reread, hoping it had enough hints for Silena to figure out what he meant. He folded and handed the wrapper to Nico.

"Silena's eyes only, alright? Top secret Aphrodite stuff in that," he said. Nico looked at him with utter adoration before giving a solemn nod and putting the note in his pocket. He would call her later to make sure she got it. "Okay, I have to go now-"

"WAIT!" Nico said, and Percy shushed him a little desperately as he looked around. "Sorry. Hi. Just me," he whispered. Percy tried not to roll his eyes. "Can you make sure my sister is safe? Just... make sure she's okay?"

"Nico... that's a big thing to promise."

"Please?"

"I can try," Percy told him. Nico grinned. "I will definitely make sure she gets the hat," he added to him. Nico nodded before just... standing there. "Bye," Percy prompted. Nico jumped.

"Bye! Thank you! I think your hair is super cool," he added a bit shyly. Percy wasn't sure if he found this adorable or annoying. "Your eyes are really pretty, too. Is that because you're Aphrodite's son?"

"Nico, I really have to go," Percy told him. "But you have nice eyes, too."

That did it. Nico looked as if Percy had declared him King of Camp Half-Blood as he beamed with a slight hint of red touching his cheeks. He gave a small squealed thank-you before practically tripping out of the stables with a bright wave over his shoulder. Percy snorted. Okay, maybe adorable was the right word. He still thought that Jaime would eat him alive. Shaking his head, he walked to the other end of the stables.

Hey! It's my favorite lovey-dovey boss!

"Hi," Percy said and unlatched the front of the stall. "Think you can help me out of camp?" he asked, and Blackjack gave a snort. "Thanks," he whispered, pulling out Annabeth's Yankee cap and putting it on. "We're going to have to be fast."

Fast? I think I can handle fast.

And Blackjack really was pretty fast. Mr. D tried to stop him, but ended up letting him go after giving some sort of secret spiel about heroes and whatnot. Percy honestly did not see the resemblance between him and Castor at all. Besides, how could he say heroes were all so awful when he had two of his own? It wasn't like he didn't care about them, either. Castor may be exasperated by his dad, but always thought him to be better than most other Olympians parental-wise.

No matter, though. For those wondering - Percy was still having a bad go of it. Bianca, Grover, and Zoë must have already spoken to the gods because their van had gone to pick a hitchhiker (aka Thalia, who looked as if some god had simply thrown her off of the mountain), and then they made their way to a museum. There was supposed to be another person, but Phoebe, or whatever her name was, appeared to be... indisposed after the Stolls got her.

Naturally, chaos came soon enough. Percy had to fight some skeletal warriors after spying on Luke and his new bestie, 'the General'… whoever that was. Some guy with black hair and stone-cold eyes. Percy wished he could have actually spoken to Luke. He had been nothing but nice and reasonable so far... then this. What was this? Did he know where Annabeth and Artemis were? Was Annabeth safe? Luke wouldn't hurt her. Not Annabeth. Percy did notice that his fun little skeletal warriors were specifically sent for Zoë and Bianca. Not Thalia. Perhaps if he knew Bianca's true identity...

The next time he saw Luke, he would talk to him. He could be helpful when not accidentally setting wild monsters on him.

Then, naturally, the Nemean Lion attacked, which was... less than ideal. Luckily, with the aid of astronaut food, his sword, bows and arrows, and a whole lot of undeserved confidence - the thing was killed, leaving behind its pelt and an angry Zoë.

"Take it," she seethed, throwing the pelt at his face. "You little Aphrodite fools like cloth, do you not?"

"Um," Percy said, a little taken aback. "You technically killed it. You should have it," he said and held it out. Zoë's scowl deepened. "It's not really my style," he told her lightly. An ugly sneer crossed her face as she took a long breath. "It was a joke!" He said quickly.

"You had one good idea to defeat the thing," she said, pointing a finger at him. "I know how rare it is for anything other than pretty clothes or jewelry to cross your mind, so it should be celebrated."

Percy stared. Um. Rude, but sure.

"Percy, how did you find us?" Thalia asked, slapping her spear back on her wrist, so it turned into a bracelet.

"Hello to you too," he said as he got up. Apparently, the lion pelt was his. He slipped it on like a jacket, trying not to feel too foolish in it. "I followed you. Rumor has it that Phoebe couldn't go, and I couldn't let Grover and Annabeth leave camp without me," he said, giving his friend a warm smile. Out of everyone, Grover seemed like the only one who was actually happy to see him.

"Great. As if this wasn't hard enough," Zoë muttered. "Were you the one who poisoned Phoebe?" she asked, voice filled with askance. "The pettiness seems about right for your mother," she told him, and her eyes snapped to Riptide. "And where did you get that?"

"Lord Poseidon gave it to me after my first quest," he said defensively. "And I didn't hurt Phoebe-"

"Oh, I'm sure someone in the Aphrodite cabin charmed their way into allowing those Hermes boys to take the blame," Zoë said snidely. Percy wanted to object to that, but the skeletal warriors were back, and the last thing he needed was Bianca accidentally defeating them. Luckily, Zoë decided not to leave him behind... though it was because 'they couldn't leave a poor little lamb to fend for himself', which felt unnecessary given he had just fought several monsters with them, but sure.

"Duck!" Percy called and sliced through a warrior that had been launching itself at Zoë. It fell into a pile of bones, but only for a few seconds before trying to right itself up… kind of like the skeletons in Super Mario. He fixed his stance and deflected a few blows before pulling Bianca out of the way and helping Thalia ward some off until they got to safety.

"You really shouldn't have come," Thalia sighed when they set up camp for the night. Percy frowned at her. "It's dangerous, and you're..." she trailed off. Percy raised an eyebrow. He was what? "You're just not a fighter," she decided. Was that a joke?

"You just fought with me."

"You know what I mean," Thalia said and put a hand on his shoulder. "You're my friend. I don't want you getting hurt." Percy bit his lip. He wouldn't snap at her. She had enough on her plate. Still... he had to work to keep his annoyance at bay. "And don't let Zoë get to you. She's just jealous you're prettier than her," she winked. Percy shook his head. He got the feeling the compliment was a backhanded one. Based on Thalia's attire, she wasn't the kind of person who normally appreciated 'pretty'. Rolling his eyes, he went to find Bianca.

"Hey," he called and watched as she jumped - almost dropping some firewood. "I have something for you."

"I don't want it," Bianca said quickly, and her hand went to her bow. "I'm perfectly happy without falling in love, thank you."

"...what?" Percy asked and brought out her hat. "Um, Nico wanted you to have this?" Bianca's expression faltered. The guarded gleam in her eyes slipped away as her shoulders fell. Cautiously, she reached out and grabbed the hat.

"Right. Sorry," she said and gave a weak laugh. "I... Zoë just said to look out for you since..." she trailed off. Percy rolled his eyes. Yeah, he was getting the picture. "You probably think I'm crazy," Bianca said. Percy tilted his head. "Um, being a huntress and forsaking love and stuff. You know, as a child of Aphrodite," she said.

Percy laughed. "I don't think you're crazy," he said and then considered. "I mean, you are kind of young to decide something like that, but… I guess demigod lives don't operate like most mortals do. Besides, you've only sworn off one kind of love," he mused. Bianca stopped fiddling with her dagger to look at him.

"What do you mean?"

"There are lots of different kinds of love. How you love your friends, your family, your passions. You're allowed to keep doing that, right?" he asked. Bianca nodded slowly. "There you go. Silena told me that Aphrodite is more than romantic love at this point. All the other gods associated with it kind of ditched their duties awhile ago," he told her. Bianca swallowed and looked down at the hat in her hands.

Percy looked around. He hadn't considered exactly how to address Bianca. Was it good that she was in the Hunt? Bad? He had no idea what they thought of kátaras. They agreed to a quest with Thalia... but that could also be desperation.

"I'm still going to do right by him," she said, and Percy turned to her - bewildered by the sudden announcement. "Nico. I know... he thinks I left him," she said. Percy didn't know how to respond to that. She kind of did ditch him. "But it isn't like that! I've been taking care of Nico for as long as I can remember. He's my only family left, and I would do anything for him," she said, wringing her hands together. Percy wanted to say she didn't have to justify herself to him, but he got the feeling this had been weighing on her for some time. "But, I thought... I mean, this could work, right?" Percy tilted his head. "I can visit him, and he can have a life and make friends at camp. We don't have to always be together. And I can protect him like this, right? I'm stronger now. Better. I'm..." she trailed off. Percy looked at her.

"It's okay if you did it for yourself. Besides, you're a kid too."

Bianca buried her face into her hands.

"No, I'm not," she mumbled. "I can't remember the last time I ever got to be a kid."

She sounded so miserable and guilty that Percy almost wanted to ditch the important conversation and spend the rest of the night reassuring her instead. Uncertainly, he reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I have something to tell you. It won't make you feel better," he said quietly. Bianca turned dark eyes on him. "Do you know what a kátara is?"

The conversation went... well, as well as it could have. Percy obviously didn't tell her that he was also a Big Three child. Based on Bianca's reaction, Zoë had filled her in on the basics. Percy did tell her about his dream and how he suspected her and Nico of being Hades' kids. Bianca couldn't confirm, but he could tell that the suggestion resonated with her.

"I left Nico. In that camp-"

"I have my sister looking after him," Percy said quickly. "I trust her. She won't let anything happen to him," he said, but Bianca still looked like she might throw up. "We'll figure something out. We can sneak you both out, or maybe... I don't know. Get another god to claim you or something."

"Can that happen?"

"I'm not sure," Percy lied. "Might be worth a shot-"

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?" Zoë's voice echoed over the night sky. Percy jumped, reaching for his weapon just in time to see Thalia walking over with a subtle smirk on her lips as Zoë fumed. Grover was scrambling after them with a nervous bleat. What? They weren't being attacked, were they? Percy was about to ask what the problem was when he noticed Zoë dragging something - no, someone with her. Percy stood up, mouth dropping.

"Castor?" he asked, and Zoë took a deep breath. "What's the matter with you? Let him go!"

"I should have known this would be your fault," she hissed and dropped Castor. "Having tasteless floozies follow you around-"

"Did you just call me a floozy?" Castor asked as he got up and dusted himself off. "First of all, screw you. I'm here because I didn't think Percy should be alone with a bunch of Hunters and... well, you," he said apologetically to Thalia. "And I thought Grover might need backup."

"Aw, look, pretty boy," Thalia said, eyes narrowing at Castor. "You got yourself a knight in shining armor."

"Isn't that how most Aphrodite kids win their battles?" Zoë muttered. Percy fixed them both with irritated looks before walking over to make sure Castor was alright. He had a couple of scratches, and his clothes were in dire need of patching up, but otherwise, he seemed okay. Percy gripped his arms before shaking his head.

"How did you even-? Nevermind, does your dad know about this?" he asked. Castor grimaced. "Ah, so I am to be murdered upon my return to camp," he sighed.

"Hey! Come on, he isn't that bad," Castor grumbled. Yeah, right. Percy gave him a small smile anyway. Zoë was not so easily appeased.

"It said five. I put up with you joining because it said five of us shall head West in the prophecy," she said, throwing up her hands. "Now I am to accept a sixth member? Why don't the two of you head back?" she suggested. Percy sighed. Not this again. "We will give you credit if you wish-"

"I'm saving Annabeth," Percy reminded her. "And I'm not leaving unless she's with me. To Hell with all of you," he said and then paused. "Actually, no. I like you," he added with a nod towards Castor. "And you, and so far you," he said with more nods towards Grover and Bianca. "But you're getting on my nerves, and you need to get over yourself," he added to Thalia and Zoë.

"Hey, you annoy me too, princess," Thalia snapped before Zoë could even respond. Percy sneered back at her. "And nobody asked you here. In case you've forgotten, Annabeth is my friend too. She was my friend first, actually. And you had a chance to save her. You know, back when she was kidnapped. Maybe if this evil kátara had been there instead of you, then she wouldn't have fallen off of that cliff!"

Percy flinched. He could see immediate regret in Thalia's eyes but didn't give her a chance to respond. Wordlessly, he went back towards where his bag was, yanking Castor with him.

"What's happening? Are we leaving?"

"No," Percy said through gritted teeth. He wouldn't be leaving unless it was from this world into the Underworld. "I need to fix your clothes," he muttered and reached into his bag to throw him a shirt and pants. "Put those are on. They're clean and not covered in... that," he said with a nod at Castor's current state. He blinked and looked down. "I'll mend the rest."

"You can sew?"

"Yeah," he smiled. "It really pisses Annabeth off," he said. Castor gave him a questioning look as he peeled off his shirt. "Athena is the goddess of weaving and crafts. Aphrodite kids love designing clothes, though. Annabeth is a lot better at it, but I like to mess with her and make it competitive," he grinned. An odd look went over Castor's face at that, but he only nodded as he changed, letting Percy bring out the sewing needles he had packed to set to work.

"Um, are... you okay?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"What Thalia said," Castor said, sitting across from him. "It was... a little harsh," he pointed out. Percy shrugged. Whatever. He could take it. It wasn't like he had already been hating himself for what happened. No biggie. Castor shifted. "You really like her, huh?" he asked. Percy threw down the pair of pants he had been fixing.

"What's that supposed to mean?!" he growled, and Castor jumped. "Annabeth is my friend! Just because I'm a son of Aphrodite-"

"Sorry," Castor interjected. "I didn't mean it like that. Seriously," he said. Percy narrowed his eyes. "Well... maybe a little," he admitted and rubbed the back of his neck. "But I... I don't know. I just wondered because..." he trailed off. Percy waited. Castor looked more uncomfortable than Percy had ever seen him. "Well, I'm sure you know. Being a son of Aphrodite and all," he said, turning bright red. Percy stared. He didn't know. "And it's fine if you... I mean, I... we're friends, and I like being your friend. I don't want to not be your friend, you know?"

What was happening?

"I like being your friend too," Percy said, anger gone to make way for his bafflement. Castor's face dropped.

"Yes. Right. That's... cool," he managed. Percy tilted his head. "Worth a shot, I guess," he said. Percy didn't know what to say. He was reminded of the endless line of boys who came to talk to Silena. They always were trying to-

Wait a damn minute.

"You like me!" Percy gasped. Castor frowned. "Oh, that makes sense. Sort of. Why do you like me?" he asked. There was a beat of silence.

"I... don't... know... I just kind of do," Castor said slowly. "I mean, I figured it was your Aphrodite-ness. Plus, you're just fun to be around. Down to Earth and, um, you know. You look like that," he mumbled. Percy smiled a little. This was an unexpected development. He thought back to Silena's palm reading thing... she did say he liked blondes, didn't she?

But also, he hadn't considered Castor like that until five seconds ago. Was that fair? Now that Percy thought about it... Castor was funny. Smart. Objectively, good-looking. He wouldn't mind dating him. Drew also made that comment about him being behind in that regard...

But he didn't want to date Castor to blend in. That seemed cruel. Unless Percy liked him? Maybe Percy just thought he liked him because he wanted to use him, though. Oh, gods. This was a disaster. He didn't know what to do with this information. And... oh, no. He was blonde. Silena would never let him hear the end of it if she found out. Castor tapped his knee, bringing him back down to the current situation. Percy jumped.

"I... I think I might need some time to think," he admitted. Castor bit his lip. "Only because I've never dated anyone before and... well, I don't want to give them anymore material to work with," he added with a dark look towards Zoë and Thalia. Castor's face softened.

"I get it. And no pressure either. It wasn't really why I came. I just... you know, with Thalia. It made me a little anxious to think about," he said. Percy gave a weak smile in return as he finished off the stitch he had been absently working on throughout the conversation. Wordlessly, he threw the clothes back to Castor. "Huh. You work fast," he commented. "This looks really good."

It better. Silena made him cry three times while learning.

"Thanks," he said as he put his stuff away. Castor got up - probably to get some of the stew Grover made. "And Castor?" he called. The other boy turned back. "I'm... really glad you're here," he said quietly. Castor's smile turned ridiculously sweet before he nodded and went back to where Grover was waiting. Percy smiled a little to himself, too. His stomach was doing small flips as he tried to shake his head free of any residual thoughts of dating. No, he had other things to worry about.

The next day was filled with fun little snide comments and more monster fighting as they took a train West. Percy went out of his way to take on more than his share, but it seemed to do very little to impress his two not-so-best friends. Grover had tried to comfort him a few times, but Percy only shrugged him away. Things only got worse when Bianca came to him the next night when everyone was asleep to deliver dire news.

"I summoned a ghost."

"You-? Why would you do that?" Percy asked, sitting up to make sure everyone else was still knocked out by the fire. Bianca bit her lip.

"I just wanted to try and see. Just to know for sure," she whispered. Percy flopped back on the ground. "The ghost was very nice. His name was Jared. He told me he died while eating tacos," she informed him. Percy peered over at her. "...sorry. Maybe now is not the time." Percy got up, figuring this conversation shouldn't be near anyone, even if they were asleep. Who knows if they had secret eavesdroppers? "What now?"

"Well, we now know you're almost definitely Hades' kid," he sighed. "How did you know how to do it?" He asked her. Bianca frowned.

"I'm not sure," she admitted. "It's kind of like a song is stuck in my head? And once I start singing it, then things happen," she explained with a shrug. Then went quiet. "I'm not, you know, like... them, am I?" she asked. Percy grimaced. "Zoë told me about what the other kátaras did. She was… really weird about it," she said, with a shake of her head. "I don't want to be like that."

Percy nodded. Yeah, he was familiar with the feeling.

"I don't think you are," he reassured her. Then hesitated. "You... don't have a marking on you, right? Like a dot on your forearm or something?" Bianca frowned and rolled up her sleeves. Nothing.

"I have a mole?" she said. Percy laughed.

"No, I think you're good. It was just something else I saw in my dream. One of the Big Three kids was talking about random marks showing up on people. I don't know what it means," he said. Then hesitated. "Hey, since you know how... could you, um, try to summon someone for me?" He asked. Bianca raised an eyebrow. "I think it would be helpful in this Big Three stuff," he explained, wringing his hands together. Bianca shrugged and dusted off her hands.

"I can try," she told him, and Percy sat down across from her. "Who are you trying to summon?"

"Her name was Evelyn," Percy said and brought out her journal to hand over to her (because yes, he had packed that too. Sue him for being prepared). "Would this help?"

"Evelyn Laurent," she read and flipped through the pages. "Yeah, this would make it easier," she said and put it down before placing her hand on the ground. The dirt underneath crumbled, leaving a small hole in its place. Percy watched as Bianca pulled off her pack and dumped some food in there, chanting under her breath. Percy wondered how she knew all of this. Was it really that natural to her? Maybe Hades sent someone to train her like Poseidon did Rhode. Before he could ask, the ground bubbled. Percy held his breath.

Nothing.

Bianca frowned and repeated the chant.

Still nothing.

"What's wrong?" Percy asked. Bianca looked at her hands with a crease between her brows.

"I... don't know. I can't feel any soul there. Maybe she's too deep in the Underworld for me to reach her?"

Percy bit his lip. Maybe... his skin prickled at the hundreds of other places her soul could be. What if all the 1940s kids were all thrown into Tartarus or something? The thought made his stomach flip.

"Try Elliott Parker," he said instead. Bianca looked doubtful but pressed her hands back into the ground. This time when she murmured, there was a soft light. It looked almost luminescent as it spiraled from the center until it almost touched the entire space between him and Bianca. Her chanting got louder - voice growing until it sounded like three Biancas were speaking at once - and then silence. "...did it work?"

"That depends," someone drawled. "Did you mean to summon me?"

Aha.

"Elliott Parker?" he asked. The boy smiled dryly. He was a bit older than Percy, with dark hair and dull gray eyes. It was hard to tell since it looked like someone had sucked the saturation right out of him. It was surprising to see any color on him at all, given how pale and ghostly he was. Still, there was an obnoxious smirk on him and dark bags under his eyes. He was wearing a tie-dyed Camp Half-Blood shirt and jean shorts that stopped at his knees. Percy's stomach clenched at the idea of his head being placed on a spike.

"Depends who is asking."

"I'm asking," Bianca said - her voice hardening into something more stern and confident than Percy had ever heard her. The ghost went rigid for a moment before giving her his complete attention. "Tell us who you are."

"Elliott Parker," he said instantly. "Son of Phorcys."

"Phorcys?" Percy repeated. He didn't have Annabeth to tell him who that was. "So, not Poseidon?" Elliott's face soured. "Why did you lie? Why did you kill all those people?" he asked.

"I just did what I was ordered to do," he sneered. Bianca and Percy exchanged wary looks. "I was told to take the campers down under Poseidon's name. My father is a god of the sea, so it was the best match. I did what I had to," he said calmly. Percy shook his head.

"Who ordered you?" Bianca asked him. "You realize you made Big Three kids look bad?" she asked. Elliott raised an eyebrow.

"That was the point, yes. There had been no Big Three children in many years. Not since the 1940s. The campers didn't remember the fear they caused. They had grown complacent. It was my job to have them remember," he said. Percy stared. Something seemed to click into place. He had no real proof, but...

"Who ordered you?" he asked, echoing Bianca's question. "Was it Kronos?" Elliott looked at him. Then frowned.

"I... I don't know," he said, sounding a little confused. Percy narrowed his eyes. Was he lying? He glanced at Bianca.

"Answer honestly," she pressed. Elliott jerked back. Then shook his head.

"I don't know. It was just... a voice," he said, then looked around. "I don't know," he repeated quietly. There was a gust of wind, and Bianca jumped, quickly waving her hand so that Elliott disappeared. Part of Percy was disappointed at how quickly he had been whisked away, but understood her vigilance. She looked over to make sure no movement came by the fire and then turned to Percy.

"You think it's Kronos?" she asked. "That's a heavy accusation to make."

"I really don't know," Percy admitted, rubbing the side of his arm. "But wouldn't it make sense? I mean, all the unclaimed kids who are scared of being accused of being kátaras? They're going to the titan side. My first thought when finding about you was to send you to them," he said. Bianca bit her lip. "Maybe he knew that. Maybe he purposely sent unclaimed kids to hurt the campers under the Big Three names to ensure any potential kátaras or unclaimed demigods came to his side?"

Bianca bit her lip. "But..." she began and trailed off. "If that's the case, what do I do? What does Nico do?" Percy paused. That was a good question. He had been so excited about potentially figuring out the answer that the implications hadn't settled on him. "If he's the one orchestrating this, then why would I want to join his side? And why join the gods' side if all they're doing is killing us without realizing that we're being framed?" she asked and crossed her arms over his chest. "And none of that explains what happened to the real Big Three kids," she sighed.

"I don't know," Percy admitted. "But it's a theory. If we can get enough proof, then maybe we can figure something out. For now, I don't think you should join Luke, though. Just in case," he said. Luke. Silena. Did they know about this? No, they couldn't. Maybe he would bring it up to them, and Silena can explain how he was wrong. She wouldn't be on the side of someone who did something like that. No way. "Come on. Let's go to bed. Tomorrow we should figure out how we're going to hide you-"

"Percy?" Bianca interrupted. He turned. "Thank you. I don't know why you're helping me, but… thank you," she said quietly and glanced at Thalia's sleeping form. "Are you helping her too?"

Percy grimaced.

"I'm trying," he said and shook his head. "If you don't rat me out for being a sympathizer, then maybe we can call it even," he said with a weak smile. Bianca gave a weak smile and nodded. Silently, she went to the empty roll by the fire and collapsed on top of it.

Another fun thing that happened that night: Percy had a dream about Zoë, and guess what? She knew Hercules and had owned his sword. That might explain why she got a little feral when she saw him using it. He wasn't sure how to approach the situation, though. Instead, he just kept his mouth shut and kept trucking through the quest. It was admittedly a lot easier now that he had Grover and Castor by his side.

Less fun? Skeletons with handguns. Percy managed to cut the bullets through the air, which was kind of awesome. Bianca had stabbed one right in the chest, which made it burst into flames. Luckily, Grover unknowingly saved them by suggesting she had hit a certain spot on it. They didn't have too much time to evaluate with more skeletons after them with bullets (who decided to give skeletons handguns, anyway? What was that even about?). Percy's new lion pelt did a pretty good job keeping him from getting shot. That and Thalia's spear sent one off of a cliff when it got a little too close.

"Come on, pretty boy," she called, yanking up her spear after the last one went toppling over. Percy glowered after her. "You did good. Let's keep moving before they reform again, though," she said. Right. Good. Sure. Cutting bullets with a sword was good, he supposed. Percy rolled his eyes as he bitterly picked up his own weapon to follow.

"I didn't need you to get involved," he said as he caught up to where the others were waiting by the edge of the forest. "I didn't-"

"Percy," Zoë cut in, also looking exhausted for some reason. "It is quite…" she trailed off, making a face. "Romantic of you to join in this quest, but-"

"Romantic?" Percy repeated. "Not this again. I'm here to save Annabeth. My friend. Why can't you understand that I…?" he started but trailed off. Percy was hit with a sudden realization of sorts… Aphrodite kids were renowned for being vain, but now he was wondering how true that even was. With all these sorts of belittling comments and snide remarks… it felt like he had to shout to remind everyone he had done more than be claimed. Swallowing, he shook his head. "Nevermind," he said bitterly. "You don't care."

"Aphrodite kids," Zoë informed Bianca wisely. "They are always very sensitive. Be wary of their feelings."

Percy closed his eyes. No. No, he would not lose his temper and cause a wave of water to squash this hunter into the ground. He wouldn't do it. He was bigger than that. More mature. Castor put away his sword, eyeing Percy warily. Before he could speak, Thalia jumped in.

"Back off," she said, possibly reading Percy's face. As if she was much better. "Look what happened when you pissed off his sister-"

"We had nothing to do with what happened to Phoebe," Percy snapped. "That was the Hermes cabin. If it was us, then none of you would be going on any quest."

"Oh, yeah?" Zoë scoffed. "What were you going to do? Give us all makeovers?"

"Hey," Percy shot back. "You've been part of the Hunt for like a thousand years, right? Did you know Polyphonte personally? Before she decided to go fuck a bear, I mean," he said. Zoë's eyes flashed dangerously.

"You brag about your mother ruining an innocent girl like that?"

"I'm not bragging about anything," Percy said and narrowed his eyes. "I'm pointing out that looking pretty isn't exactly the only thing Aphrodite is known for," he said coldly. "I came here to save my friend. I already saved everyone's asses here at least once. You're welcome, by the way," he said with a sarcastic wave. "So if you want to sit there and pretend that you're carrying my weight, then... well, why don't we keep in mind which goddess is the one we're rescuing?" he asked. "Because it isn't my mother."

"Yeah," Bianca piped up. Everyone turned to her. "Because she's in a net somewhere!"

Silence.

"What?"

"Because... I thought Hephaestus... It's been a while since I've learned any mythology," she admitted, shoulders slumping. Thalia patted her back. "I thought I was onto something."

"Hephaestus does try to trap her and Ares sometimes," Percy shrugged. "Want to try again?"

"Oh, um, sure," Bianca flushed. "Yeah! Because she's probably caught in a net somewhere with her boy toy, right?" she asked. The others looked at one another for a moment before all giving subtle 'oohs' as Percy tried his best to look offended. "Okay, you don't have to pretend it was good..."

"No! It was! I'm trying to think of a comeback-"

"There is no return," Zoë said. "She devastated you with words. Your will is now broken."

"Right, of course," Percy agreed. "I'm devastated."

Bianca narrowed her eyes suspiciously before puffing out her chest when nobody started laughing. Zoë's face softened for a moment before giving Percy another withering look and going back towards... well, wherever those two liked to hang out. Possibly to go annoy poor Grover, who was still trying to recreate the acorn trick. Thalia shook her head.

"Sorry about them."

"About them?" Percy asked warily. Thalia tilted her head. He really shouldn't be ticking her off. She had a temper that was just as bad as his own. He was just... so tired. Frustrated. "You're not much better," he muttered as he pushed back. Thalia grabbed his arm.

"I'm sorry," she said. Percy scowled. "I know you're here for Annabeth. As her friend," she rectified when Percy's scowl deepened. "And I know you're... not like the rest-"

"Finish that. I swear to every god I can name," Percy said and shoved her hand off of him. "My siblings are awesome. Stop knocking them just because - I don't even know why!" He threw up his hands. "Silena is a big part of the reason you weren't killed the second you became de-pineconed, so if you could show the barest hint of respect, that would be awesome," he said. Thalia's lips pursed. "Besides, it's funny," he added coolly. "This is technically my third quest. Silena went on one too. And... this is your first, right? Given that you couldn't even make it to camp alive?"

It was a really unfair thing to say. Annabeth would have broken his nose if she had heard it. Still, he almost wanted Thalia to fight him. He could hold his own against her. He was sure of it.

Thalia didn't lash out like he expected her to, though. Instead, she sighed.

"Normally, I would electrocute you for that," she said and then looked him over. "But I have been giving you a lot of crap recently, haven't I?" she asked. Percy kicked the ground with a shrug. "I'm sorry. For real, this time. Silena did save my life. So did you... and it isn't like I'm a huge Artemis fan at the moment," she sighed, looking over her shoulder towards Zoë. "Maybe I just don't get along with anyone," she said, voice going a little low as her eyes fell to the ground. "I guess... I'm just a little jealous sometimes. Not that - you know - it makes it okay, but-"

"Jealous? Jealous of what?" Percy asked. Thalia's expression went strange for a moment before she slapped her spear back on her wrist, letting it reform into her bracelet.

"Zoë has the hunters. You have your siblings. Bianca had both now," she said wistfully. "My family is... dead, on the titan's side, or kidnapped by the titan's side," she said and swallowed. "And here I am. The Big Three kid that everyone wants dead. I'm pretty sure even my father wishes I hadn't come back," she said, rubbing the back of her neck.

Percy felt his feelings pause for a moment.

"I know that... must be scary. Thinking everyone wants you dead."

Thalia shrugged.

"It's okay," she said, not meeting his eyes. "I, um, just try to... justify it. Being alive, I mean. I guess part of me thinks that if I put everyone around me down, that someone might think I'm important enough to keep alive for a bit longer," she said and gave a wry smile. "Not really a good tactic, huh?"

Percy wished he could tell her how much he understood.

"I don't want you dead."

"No?"

"Not for being Zeus' daughter," he said. "But sometimes you really piss me off."

Thalia's lips quirked up.

"Well, I don't really want you off this quest," Thalia told him. Percy raised an eyebrow. "Not for being a useless Aphrodite kid, anyways... but sometimes you really piss me off too."

Percy laughed.

"I can accept that."

"And it's okay that you aren't identical to your siblings. Aphrodite is powerful. You're powerful. They're powerful too," she shrugged. "You just seem to be the one who is doing anything with it," she said. Percy threw his sword down and collapsed on the log next to them.

"Well, we aren't given a lot of chances to without someone bitching about it," he said. "I would have been fine to sit this one out if it weren't for Annabeth. I wouldn't have even gotten that fleece if it weren't for Grover," he admitted. Thalia hummed before sitting down next to him.

"You didn't smack Bianca down," she noted. "No Aphrodite-tongue with her?" she asked. Percy snorted. He wondered how his father felt about that. Percy's snappy comments and sarcastic sense of humor were always credited to Aphrodite. Apparently, she was two sides of the same coin. The same voice that held the most sugar also held the most venom.

"I thought about it," he sighed. "But she doesn't mean any of it. Besides, what I was thinking was too harsh."

"Ooh. Tell me."

"No. It's too mean."

"I won't judge you for it," Thalia promised. Percy sighed and looked over his shoulder to make sure the rest of the group was far away before answering with a sigh.

"...that at least I was going to actually go back to my siblings," he said. Thalia's mouth dropped. "I know! It was too mean. I couldn't say it. If she's happy, then that's all that matters," he said quickly. It did feel wrong… especially after Bianca confessed her guilt over the whole thing. Thalia bit her lip.

"That is too harsh," she agreed quietly. "I don't know how she did it. I would have never left my brother..." she murmured. Percy jerked up.

"What?" he asked. Thalia's eyes widened. Before she could respond, the air crackled suddenly, and the smell of flowers and the sea filled the air.

"Hello, darling."

Percy got up and frowned. Speak of the devil...

"Mom?" he asked. Aphrodite beamed. She had changed from the last time he had seen her. Percy wondered what that said about him. She wore a dark red dress of satin, hair loose and rolling freely down her back. He was reminded a bit of Annabeth, actually. Though Annabeth didn't have violet eyes. He could still see his mother and Silena alongside some TV show actress he used to have a crush on... which was not what one wanted to think about when looking at one's fake-mother, but here he was.

"Yes!" she said brightly and grabbed either side of his shoulders, kissing his cheeks. "Oh, look at you. You've grown!" she said and put a hand on her chest. "Oh, just so handsome- hello, Thalia Grace," she added. Thalia stood up and bowed. "Oh, no need for that. Just don't tell on me to your father, and we'll call it even," she winked and tapped the end of Percy's nose. "You and I need to talk real fast! Give us a moment?" she asked. Thalia glanced between the two before nodding and walking off towards where the others went.

"Um, why are you-" he began, but Aphrodite's smile vanished.

"And just what... In the name of the gods... Do you think you're doing?" she asked.

Damnit. Drew had been right.

ps not my story