Predicting the future might not be easy, only those with clear minds can see though the madness
Nathan groans hearing knocking at the door, groaning as he goes to open it.
"Percy! Open the door, we need to find the others, we have to get to the big house!" Grover shouted, Nathan opened the door and saw Grover looking surprised seeing Nathan.
"Nathan! What are you doing here?" Grover asked, Nathan yawns.
"Got kicked out of Hermes and Percy offered us a place to say, what's up?" Nathan said, Grover shook his head.
"Wake the others, we need to go" Grover said, with Nathan nodding.
"Give us a minute" Nathan said, closing the door and turning to the others all sleeping.
"WAKE UP ASSHOLES!" Nathan shouted, waking everyone up..
"HOLY SHIT" Percy shouted, getting up.
"BARIUM, cobal, Elstein, COCAINE!" Terry shouted, looking around freaking out.
"SIR YES SIR" Katie saluted jumping out of bed.
"5 for minutes!" Sydney complains, Kate glares at her.
"GET UP AND MAKE YOU BEDS" Kate shouted, pushing Sydney off.
"HEY! What the hell?!" Sydney shouted, Nathan sneezed as Terry jumped away.
"SOCIAL DISTANCE, 6 feet, 6 feet '' Terry pulls out a broomstick, keeping a distance away from Nathan.
"Why are you using the broom?" Percy asked, seeing Terry pointing a broom at Nathan.
"Keeping my distance Percy, you should do the same" Terry said, Nathan shakes his head.
"It's fine Percy, I would do the same" Nathan said, would do the same as Terry as he puts on medical gloves.
"FIX YOU BEDS!" Kates shouts, everyone running around, fixing their beds, keeping their distance and more.
Glover listens to the shouting, beds moving, sticking breaking, cats screeching? And a chainsaw?. Honestly Glover, amazed Percy lets them live with him.
The door opens with 5 forbidden Demi-gods children looking no worse to wear.
"Is…is everything alright?" Grover asked, they looked at him.
"Yeah everything's fine" Percy said, everyone else nodding.
"But…the noise…and is something broken?" Grover asked unsure about this, but Sydney giggles.
"Oh Grover, it's our morning routine" Sydney spoke, everyone nodded.
"What's the emergency?!" Kate growls, scaring Grover.
"Right follow me" Grover walks with the other's following.
Over Long Island Sound, the sky looked like ink soup coming to a boil. A hazy curtain of rain was coming in their direction.
"Do we need an umbrella?" Percy asked, seeing it looked like it was raining.
"No, it never rains here unless we want it to." Grover said, Nathan looks at the storm.
"Using god magic to rain on crops and stuff" Nathan spoke with Terry grinning.
"Oh weather magic, climate change at my control" Terry grins at the unnatural weather, Kate smacks his head.
"Don't mess with the weather idiot" Kate glares, Terry glares about.
"I won't mess with the weather" Terry spoke out, pushing up his glass.
"Yeah, controlling Climate activists is the goal isn't it" Sydney points out, Nathan groans.
"You mean the climate freaks you started" Nathan points out, making Sydney smile.
"They have a good cause" Sydney said, Percy shakes his head.
"When there is no disturbing traffic or ambulances" Percy states, Kate looks at the satyr.
"Do the gods not care for their children or rule the world?" Kate asked him, getting a scared look from Grover.
"Of course they do, the gods get stressed out and sometimes bad weather happens, it's common." Grover glanced uneasily at the sky.
"I feel the godly power in that storm, it massive" Terry signs, seeing the pure static electricity rushing through the air on a scale far greater then what Percy gives oozed off when he was using his power or was in the water.
At the volleyball pit, some kids from Apollo's cabin were throwing a ball around with a few satyrs, normally playing games but not feeling like it.
Dionysus's twins were walking around in the strawberry fields, trying to fix the damage the skeletons and Cerberus did the other day.
Everybody was trying to go back to their normal business, but they looked scared and a little tense. Staring at the storm and jumping from any shadow.
The five demi-gods and satyr walked up to the front porch of the Big House. Dionysus sat at the pinochle table in his tiger-striped Hawaiian shirt with a six pack of beer, seeing a few empty bottles around, honestly the bastard looked happy then on the first day.
Chiron sat across the table in his fake wheel-chair and a bottle in his hand as well. They were playing against invisible opponents-two sets of cards hovering in the air.
"Well, well, our little celebrities. Welcome" Mr. D said, not looking at them, taking another drink.
"I thought you were in rehab" Sydney asked, sitting down.
"Nope, Zeus got bigger problems than me drinking, and after your brother choking me, I need it" Mr. D said, taking another drink, Nathan giving the table a wipe.
"He not our brother" Katie growls, sitting down glaring at the drunk god.
"Nathan, why are you cleaning?" Grover asked, Nathan looks with his face mask on.
"My friend, I'm the son of the chaos god of plagues, so I need to double down on my germaphobe and cleanliness to not make everyone sick with the next black plague" Nathan spoke out, looking at Chiron.
"By the way, I need a lot of cleaning supplies and medical tools as well to not get anyone sick from me" Nathan asked, not going to spread his father's gift at all, getting a nod from Chiron. Mr .D turns to Percy.
"And.. just so kowtow to you, do expect me to kiss your ass, just because old Barnacle Bearfather." Mr. D said, a net of lightning flashed across the clouds. Thunder shook the windows of the house.
"BILLILLA" Dionysus blows a raspberry at the clouds. Chiron takes another sip while focusing in his pinochle cards. Grover covered by the railing, his hooves clopping back and forth.
"If I had my way, BURP" Dionysus burp, getting a disgusted look from Sydney.
"I would cause your molecules to erupt in flammmeeeees, we'd sweep up the ashes and be done with a lot of trouble" Mr D said, seeing the glares he was getting from both Percy and the children of chaos.
"Chiron seems to feel this would be against my mission at this cursed camp: to keep you little you safe from harm but I more worried about the four chaos spawn would do, then I….would do something that gets….their parents attention" Mr. D start to shiver as he chugs another beer before opening another.
"Have you met them yet?" Nathan asked, Mr. D shakes his head.
"No and I don't want to….Skull taker….dieses…liar…princess of pleasure" Mr. D grins at that last one.
"You don't want that last one my ... .parent doesn't use a safe word" Sydney spoke out, seeing the lustful look about her chaos godparent.
"How are you feeling?" Percy asked her, seeing she was the daughter of a very dangerous chaos god or goddess?
"Yeah I'm fucking super thanks for asking Percy, don't know to curse my mother or father, or their gender binary…thing… oh god, this LGB shits is fucking with my head" Sydney curse herself, holding herself in distress, Grover tires to comfort her.
"Hey Sydney it ok" Grover tries to say but Sydney slaps his hand.
"OK?! Bitch I'm daughter of hedonism incarnate, knowing nothing but 'sex, drugs, rock and roll'" Sydney cries out, hitting the table as she covers herself.
"Use it against you god Sydney, I now know who I'm going to kill" Katie said, pulling out a knife as she scratched the table with it.
"Kill your dad" Nathan spoke, getting a nod from Kate.
"That bastard is the reason my life is a living hell, I have nothing but rage and contempt for everyone and everything, and I know who to blame" Katie grits the knife, looking at the symbol of her father. Terry nods while swaying his head back and forth.
"I know exactly how you feel Katie, everything I do was my choice, but now." Terry spoke with a mad laugh.
"Terry" Percy asked, but it not stopping Terry
"hahaha I don't know if I'm in control, if my father is puppeteering my body, fate now is controlled by him, am I even real or just my Father's avatar! Are any of you real!?" Terry looks at himself then to the others.
"Here we go again" Nathan sign, another episode from him
"Greek gods don't exist! Yet they do with a god right here! What if this isn't real!? What if this is a dream!? But who? Percy, Me a random god, Are we even original?! A copy of a copy?! But adding us?! With Chaos from 40K and fantasy?! Is Jesus even real?! Oh holy Emperor or Sigmar AHHHHH" Terry rants before slamming his head on the table, knocking himself out.
"Terry! Are you ok?!" Chiron checks on the boy.
"Leave him knockout Chiron, thank whoever knock him out" Sydney waves Terry concerns off,
Terry's hand shoots up with the bird, pointing it at the screen.
"Who's he giving the bird too?" Nathan asked, Percy looked turn to Mr. D.
"Are you doing this?" Percy asked the god of madness, but he shook his head.
"Brat, I wouldn't touch that with a six foot pole" Dionysus relented, with a long sigh finishing his drink, Dionysus rose, and the invisible players' cards dropped to the table.
"Well I'm off to Olympus for the emergency meeting. If Percy comes here when I get back, I will turn you into a dolphin and throw you to the sea, free Willy style" Dionysus said.
"Willy was a killer Whale, Cough Cough" Nathan coughs, making Dionysus jump back.
Dionysus picked up a playing card, twisted it, and it became a plastic rectangle. A credit card? No. A security pass. He snapped his fingers. The air seemed to fold and bend around him. He became a hologram, then a wind, and then he was gone, leaving only the smell of fresh-pressed grapes lingering behind.
Chiron signs as he finishes his drinks looking at everyone already seated down, laying his cards on the table, a winning hand he hadn't gotten to use.
"Seem you children have a lot to deal with, but Percy" Chiron asked the only sane one here.
"How are you?" Chiron asked, making Percy think.
"OK I guess," Percy said, not thinking about it.
"Beside the flag game, the skeletons, giant dog, daemons and…the shadow devil" Percy said looking at his friends.
"You'll meet worse, Percy. Far worse, before you're done. All of you" Chiron warns them.
"Done ... with what?" Nathan asked the horse man.
"Your quest, of course. Will you accept it?" Chiron stated, not telling them what was going on.
"What quest? You told us nothing, Chiron!" Kate frowned at the man before him, a touch annoyed with him.
"Well, that's the hard part, the details." Chiron grimaced, Thunder rumbled across the valley. The storm clouds had now reached the edge of the beach, everyone looked up, feeling the power in the sky.
"Poseidon and Zeus, they're fighting over something valuable ... something that was stolen, aren't they?" Percy said, everyone looking at him. Chiron and Grover exchanged looks, Chiron sat forward in his wheelchair.
"How did you know that?" Chiron asked.
"The weather since Christmas has been weird, like the sea and the sky are fighting. Then I talked to Annabeth, and she overheard something about a theft. And ... I've also been having these dreams." Percy spoke,
"Dream?" Kate asked, looking at him with the others.
"I knew it," Grover said.
"Hush, satyr," Chiron ordered.
"You get them too?" Nathan asked Percy, Sydney stares at him.
"Yeah I remember a dream with you all in it see with your daemons at different points in time" Percy explains the three looks at each other, Terry stands up.
"Must you tell them Percy, thought it was our secret" Terry spoke.
"Tell us what Terry?" Kate asked, gripping her knife.
"We were in our parent's domain, and Percy somehow hitched a ride, he appeared in your dreams at different times, Percy appeared in my dream Wednesday" Terry explains to them.
"So you know Be'lakor before we did" Sydney clarified but Terry shakes his head.
"I didn't ask Percy about the future, need to keep whatever time stream in check, you know time travel is bullshit half the time" Terry states, not wanting to change what already happened in the future, or past.
"Of course, someone as smart as you is useless, what else is new" Nathan figures, glaring at Terry for not helping them or the camp.
"Fascinating, dreaming of chaos" Chiron stroked his bristly beard.
"Nevertheless, back to the topic, Percy, you are correct. Your father and Zeus are having their worst quarrel in centuries. They are fighting over something valuable that was stolen. To be precise: a lightning bolt." Chiron spoke.
"The Masterbolt you mean, the original lighting bolt, powerful enough to make the Hydrogen bombs look like firecrackers, The thing that Zeus used to defeat his father, that Masterbolt?" Terry asked, The Centaur nodded grimly.
"Yes, that masterbolt. A weapon of such awesome power it can level cities, destroy Titans and Gods... a weapon unlike anything else. It was stolen…"
"By who?"
"By whom," Chiron corrected. Once a teacher, always a teacher.
"By you... Percy, I mean." Chiron points at him, there is silence as he looks at everyone staring at him.
"At least"-Chiron held up a hand-"that's what Zeus thinks. During the winter solstice, at the last council of the gods, Zeus and Poseidon had an argument. The usual nonsense: 'Mother Rhea always liked you best,' Air disasters are more spectacular than sea disasters,' et cetera. Afterward, Zeus realised his master bolt was missing, taken from the throne room under his very nose. He immediately blamed Poseidon. Now, a god cannot usurp another god's symbol of power directly- that's forbidden by our divine laws. But Zeus believes your father convinced a human hero to take it
"But I didn't-" "that-" "Fucken-" law and order my ass-"
"Patience and listen, children," Chiron said, stopping the children.
"Zeus has good reason to be suspicious. The forges of the Cyclopes are under the ocean, which gives Poseidon some influence over the makers of his brother's lightning. Zeus believes Poseidon has taken the master bolt, and is now secretly having the Cyclopes build an arsenal of illegal copies, which might be used to topple Zeus from his throne. The only thing Zeus wasn't sure about was which hero Poseidon used to steal the bolt. Now Poseidon has openly claimed you as his son. You were in New York over the winter holidays. You could easily have snuck into Olympus. Zeus believes he has found his thief." Chiron states.
"But I've never even been to Olympus! Zeus is crazy!"
Chiron and Grover glanced nervously at the sky. The clouds didn't seem to be parting around us, as Grover had promised. They were rolling straight over our valley, sealing them in a coffin lid. Kate growls, stabbing the knife in Khorne's symbol.
"You're telling me the god of the... everything is blaming a child who literally just found out he was a demigod... for something he had absolutely no means to accomplish?" Katie growls ready to break the table, lighting flashing in the sky.
"Told you he was a cunt" Nathan states, more lighting flash in the sky.
"The bolt was stolen during the winter holidays, correct?" Terry asked, his eyes narrowing at Chiron.
"Correct" Chiron nods as Terry turns to Sydney.
"Sydney your camera, now" Terry demands, Sydney looks at him but goes to her little bag, pulling out her small digital camera, Terry grabs it and messes with it.
"Hey don't break it, it was a gift" Sydney complains, but Terry doesn't stop until he smirks.
"Here, evidence Percy was with us during the winter holidays" Terry shows the photos of Percy with Terry, Katie, Nathan and Sydney.
"Oh yeah, I took those photos to celebrate us passing the test" Sydney jumps on the photos.
"Here we are drinking coke, here Nathan vomiting near Percy, here Katie nearly killing a thug, here me kissing Percy cheek, here Percy sleeping on his bed" Sydney showing off the photos, even one of Percy sleeping in his bed.
"You took photos of me sleeping?" Percy asked,
"IT doesn't matter this proves you didn't steal the bolt, photo proof and 4 witnesses to testify on his behalf" Terry points out, both Nathan and Katie nod.
"Yeah Zeus is the god of justice, that cunt can't condemn Percy cause we have proof he was never there" Nathan points out, Percy smiled but Chiron frowns.
"I'm afraid it won't help" Chiron was raining on their parade.
"And why the fuck not?! We have bloody proof Percy wasn't in that fucking mountain to steal his stupid bolt" Katie shouted in rage, not caring about the storm bellowing around them.
"Because Be'lakor was there," Chiron states, that drain the blood from everyone.
"Thaat bastardddd was thereeee" Sydney spoke in fear, remembering the Daemon prince, Chiron sighed, remembering the terror of the dark master.
"Long story short... Zeus has demanded that Poseidon return the bolt by the summer solstice. That's June twenty-first, ten days from now. Poseidon wants an apology for being called a thief by the same date. I hoped that diplomacy might prevail, that Hera or Demeter or Hestia would make the two brothers see sense. But he appeared in the shadows" Chiron spoke gravel.
"Be'lakor travels around the gods, taunting them, scaring them before disappearing. Zeus is more paranoid there ever. Unless someone intervenes, unless the master bolt is found and returned to Zeus before the solstice, there will be war. And do you know what a full-fledged war would look like" Chiron said to them.
"Very bad" Percy shuddered, but the chaos children looked at him.
"Nature at war" Nathan spoke in an echo.
"Obliteration" Terry spoke in wonder.
"Massacre" Sydney speaks in the distance.
"Chaos unleashed" Katie roars, everyone look at the children of chaos
"The Gate of Chaos will open, and the Chaos Gods will rise again to take back what was once there's" All four children of chaos spoke together in a creepy way. Everyone stares at them; Volleyball players stopped their game and stared in stunned silence at the sky.
"What the hell?" Annabeth spoke out of nowhere, Percy turned to see Annabeth take off her hat, the children were scared.
"Holy shit you…guys too?!" Nathan asked, holding his head in pain.
"I saw the gods fighting and the world turning" Terry slapping himself.
"Our parents are involved in this as well" Sydney spoke out in fear, holding herself but Katie glared at her father's symbol on the table.
"And all-out war will empower my father" Katie stabs the symbol with her knife, turning to Percy.
"So I have to find the stupid bolt, and return it to Zeus." Percy said, the children of chaos nodded in agreement.
"Whatever Be'lakor or Khorne's plan is, stopping the war will help" Nathan states, no war no chaos.
"What better peace offering, than to have the son of Poseidon return Zeus's property?" Chiron said,
"If Poseidon doesn't have it, where is the thing?" Sydney asked, Percy doesn't have it or Poseidon.
"I believe I know. Part of a prophecy I had years ago ... Well, some of the lines make sense to me, now. But before I can say more, you must officially take up the quest. You must seek the counsel of the Oracle." Chiron's expression was grim, Terry glares.
"The hell do we need to talk to an Oracle? Can't you just tell us this theory now" Terry asked with annoyance.
"Because if I did, Percy would be too afraid to accept the challenge." Chiron states but Katie growls.
"If he doesn't accept, Zeus will kill him and trigger a world war so devastating our parents may come out" Kate looks ready to kill the horse man.
"We are going" Kate states to them.
"So I am I" Nathan, with Terry and Sydney agreement.
"All right, it's better than being turned into a dolphin." Percy said,
"Then it's time you consulted the Oracle," Chiron said, pointing at the attic.
"Go upstairs, Percy Jackson, to the attic. When you come back down, assuming you're still sane, we will talk more." Chiron warns while Percy chuckles.
"I stopped questioning my sanity a while ago," Percy said, heading up the stairs.
"Sane? Why would knowing a prophecy make you insane?" Sydney asked,
"Cause people are obsessed with made-up prophecy" Terry spoke annoyed with the oracle.
"It's how we get a quest Terry" Annabeth spoke out.
"You don't need permission from some bitch that sees a possible future" Kate said against this as well.
"Come on guys, maybe the oracle can help?" Nathan spoke unsure about this.
"We should have ordered Be'lakor to kill himself" Kate said, knowing it would stop their problems with chaos.
"Please Kate, we should have told him to tell us everything about our parents" Terry spoke out, seeing they could have learnt about chaos.
"Learn? We could have frozen him forever, killing him may send him back to chaos" Nathan said, killing him could send him back or try to manipulate them.
"Come on guys, that bastard tires to screw with us, we should torture his ass and make him our bitch" Sydney states with a grin, wanting to torture the Daemon prince for messing with her.
Chiron sign hearing them argue about Be'lakor, lucky they banished him from camp.
LINE
Percy walks down with everyone looking at him.
"Well?" Chiron asked, but Percy shook his head.
"There was no one there" Percy shrugs, Chiron looks alarmed.
"WHAT?!" Chiron stands out of his chair, Grover looks concerned.
"There was no one up there, it was empty" Percy shrugs, Chiron walks inside with Grover following.
"Is the oracle on holiday or something" Terry asked, the chaos children and Percy walked inside the place.
Everyone followed up a wooden ladder clattered into place. The warm air from above smelled like mildew and rotten wood and snakes. Chiron looks around the area with Percy, Grover and the chaos children.
The attic was filled with Greek hero junk: armor stands covered in cobwebs; once-bright shields pitted with rust; old leather steamer trunks plastered with stickers saying ITHAKA, CIRCE'S ISLE, and LAND OF THE AMAZONS. One long table was stacked with glass jars filled with pickled things —severed hairy claws, huge yellow eyes, and various other monsters. A dusty mounted trophy on the wall looked like a giant snake's head, but with horns and a full set of shark's teeth. The plaque reads, HYDRA HEAD #1, WOODSTOCK, N.Y. 1969.
Other than that is just another dusty antic.
"Why would an oracle live here?" Sydney asked, looking around the area.
"She bound here, never to leave" Chiron panics trying to find the oracle.
"COUGH COUGH, Jesus no one cleans this place" Nathan complains, seeing dust everywhere.
"Ah you guys shouldn't be here, only people with a quest should be here" Grover spoke nervously about standing here. Kate pushes over some stuff, knocking them on the ground.
"If they quit they should tell someone" Kate calls out, annoyed as they look for the oracle. Terry sways back and forth, getting aggravated.
"No no, I'm not looking up, no I'm looking down, down down down" Terry spoke looking down on the ground, Percy looked at him.
"Who are you talking to?" Percy asked him. Terry kept looking down.
"Someone telling me to look up, but no one tells me what to do, they can suck my dick" Terry stubbornly spoke, not looking up as heart feels something telling him to look up but he is not doing it.
Percy looks confused as he looks up, before gasping in shock.
"Holy shit" Percy spoke out, everyone turned to look and gasped in shock.
On the ceiling is a female body shrivelled to a husk. She wore a tie-dyed sundress, lots of beaded necklaces, and a headband over long black hair. The skin of her face was thin and leathery over her skull, and her eyes were glassy white slits, as if the real eyes had been replaced by marbles.
She has a noose around her neck hanging in the ceiling.
"The Oracle!" Chiron disappears, he tries to get her down, Nathan helps him out.
"A mummy the oracle" Nathan said in shock, helping Chiron been down the suicide victim.
"It's the same oracle from the past" Kate spoke as well, a woman rotting forever.
"Who could have done this?!" Grover spoke out in horror, seeing a suicide.
"Be'lakor could have done this" Kate said out loud, seeing this could be something the master of shadow could have done.
"That demon!" Chiron in hate, seeing the oracle has hung herself.
"Screw prophecies you prick, I don't want to hear it" Terry covers his ears, getting more annoyed the longer he stands there, Percy looks at him then at the dead oracle.
"Wait, Terry your Dad the god of fate and destiny and stuff, you know the prophecies" Percy spoke out, Chiron looks at Terry.
"The Spirit of the oracle is talking to you Terry, you must let the spirit speak the prophecy" Chiron said, Terry shakes his head.
"No way, I'm not letting anyone, not some bitch oracle takeover my body, I have enough things in my head already," Terry says.
"Terry we need to hear this prophecy" Nathan spoke out.
"The hell we do, prophecies are for idiots, like we agreed" Terry gets pissed at them.
"You also said they spoke in riddles, you don't" Sydney points out; Terry hates prophecy and won't tell bullshit lies.
"Let the spirit takeover or I'd knock you out" Kate is ready to knock Terry down, but Percy stops her.
"Listen Terry, we need to hear this, it is the only way to move forward, besides maybe you can learn something about it" Percy calmly negotiates with Terry who looks like he considers it.
"Oh fuck me side way" Terry complains as he turns to Chiron.
"Oh right hero trainer, train me how to speak random bullshit" Terry asked, while Chiron signs.
"Close your eyes, feel the spirit of the oracle" Chiron spoke as Terry closed his eyes, learning to the side a little but stopped, opening his eyes.
"Good you feel her, you should be seeing vision now, don't worry whatever you see just let it out" Chiron spoke out, seeing Terry slowly standing straight as everyone waited in anticipation.
"HORRIBLE! HORRIBLE THINGS ARE GOING TO HAPPEN!" Terry freaks the fuck out, scaring everyone.
"IT GOING TO HAPPEN TO YOU AND YOU AND YOU AND YOUUUUUU" Terry points at Grover, Percy, Nathan and Kate.
"OHH NERLY!" Terry screams, running toward the window.
SMASSSHHHH
And he jumps out of the window.
"Oh gods" Grover said, seeing Terry freaking out and jumping out of the windows.
LINE
Everyone turns to see Terry on the table from the broken window.
"Terry! Are you ok?!" Annabeth asked, seeing Terry on the table.
"WOOOOOOOHHHHOOOO" Terry screams jumping off the table scaring everyone.
"CAMP HALF BLOOD HEED THIS WARNING" Terry proclaimed jumping off the table, running across the field and grabbing two spears, swinging them around while running in a circle.
"WESTERN GOD IS TURNED! WESTERN GOD IS TURNED! THE GAME HAS STARTED! THE GAME HAS STARTED" Terry chants while running around, dropping the spears then falling over.
"WABWABWABWABWAWBWAB" Terry talks running around the floor with everyone looking at him.
"Chiron! Do something?!" One camper calls out, Chiron and the others can see.
"THE BOLT WILL RETURN! THE BOLT WILL RETURN! THE BOLT WILL RETURN!" Terry screams, jumping up and running away.
"Terry! Stop running!" Nathan shouts, the friends trying to stop Terry.
They chase after Terry, seeing him run in the Hermes's cabin, the campers running out screaming.
"BETRAYAL! BACKSTABBER! DECEPTION! SELLOUTS! TREASON! DOUBLE-CROSSING PIECE OF SHIT!" Terry shouts, throwing everyone stuff around and making a mess, Luke gets everyone out of there.
"What's going on?!" Luke calls out, Percy runs to Terry.
"Terry! We talked about your insanity privilege but you're really breaking it!" Percy threatens, but it doesn't stop Terry, he points him with a furious look.
"FAIL! YOU WILL FAIL TO SAVE HER! YOU LOST HER IN THE END! IN THE END YOU FAIL TO SAVE THE ONE YOU LOVE MOST!" Terry shouted at him, scaring Percy walking back as he turned to everyone staring at him.
"BELIEVE ME WHEN I SAY THERE WILL BE NOTHING BUT BLOOD! YES BLOOD AND SKULLS! THE GODS WILL BURN AND DESTROY THIS WORLD UNLESS PEACE ARCHIVED! ONLY THROUGH PEACE AND LOVE WILL THE WORLD KEEP MOVING! BELIEVE ME ON THIS! BELIEVE MEEEEEE!" Terry shouted, until Sydney and Kate threw buckets of water on Terry.
Stopping him as he takes a deep breath, Terry looks around confused.
"Hey…..what's everyone looking at…and why am I wet?!" Terry asked, looking around at them.
"Terry! You were ranting prophecies!" Percy spoke out, Terry looked confused.
"Prophecies? Percy I hate prophecies" Terry states, everyone looks confused, Chiron walks toward them.
"It's ok, heroes! Terry was seeing a prophecy! everyone helps clean up" Chiron states, everyone starts to calm down as Kate grabs Terry.
"Hey let me go" Terry states but Kate keeps pulling, heading back to the table with Chiron, Percy and the others.
"Did anyone get what he was saying?" Percy asked, exhausted, Nathan looked at Terry.
"Beside horrible things happening, betrayal, failure, war and world end, Terry did say the bolt will return, so that's good" Nathan shrugs remembering the things Terry chants.
"I knew it," Grover said, seeing a good thing about the bolt returning. Chiron shakes his head
"It's fine Percy, know this: the Oracle's words often have double meanings. Don't dwell on them too much. The truth is not always clear until events come to pass." Chiron signs, grabbing another bottle of beer and taking a sip.
"Or Terry's just making it up" Kate glares at the son of chaos.
"Kate I have no idea what you talking about" Terry rubs his head in pain.
"Okay, so where do we go? Who's the western god?" Percy said, seeing Terry words from his own prophecies.
"Ah, think, Percy, If Zeus and Poseidon weaken each other in a war, who stands to gain?" Chiron said.
"Our parents" Sydney states, but Terry shakes his head.
"Our parents benefit no matter who wins," Terry said, "Chaos doesn't side with anyone.
"Well yes, but I'm speaking of someone who harbours a grudge, who has been unhappy with his lot since the world was divided eons ago, whose kingdom would grow powerful with the death of millions. Someone who hates his brothers for forcing him into an oath to have no more children, an oath that both of them have now broken." Chiron speaks the obvious.
"Fuckin Hades." Nathan said,
"The Lord of the Dead is the only possibility." Chiron nodded.
"No" they all turn to Kate frowning at them.
"Of the entire Greek pantheon, only Hades remains…somewhat decent compared to others" Kate spoke, not willing to blame Hades for the thief of the bolt without truth.
"A Fury came after Percy and you all" Chiron reminded her.
"She watched the young man until she was sure of his identity, then tried to kill him. Furies obey only one lord: Hades." Chiron reminds her, Nathan signs.
"And since the three gods took that oath to no fucking, which lead to WW2 for some reason, guess Hades rather kill Percy before he matures" Nathan figures, understanding Hades motives.
"There were hellhounds in the forest, those can only be summoned from the Fields of Punishment, and it had to be summoned by someone within the camp. Hades must have a spy here. He must suspect Poseidon will try to use Percy to clear his name. Hades would very much like to kill this young half-blood before he can take on the quest." Chiron explains.
"Guess the spy didn't expect Cerberus to show up with the skeletons" Sydney chuckles
"Great, that's two major gods who want to kill me." Percy muttered, rage and fear awash in his voice.
"Hades sent a minion to steal the master bolt," Chiron insisted.
"He hid it in the Underworld, knowing full well that Zeus would blame Poseidon. I don't pretend to under-stand the Lord of the Dead's motives perfectly, or why he chose this time to start a war, but one thing is certain. Percy must go to the Underworld, find the master bolt, and reveal the truth." Chiron explains to them
"Look, if we know it's Hades," Percy told Chiron, "why can't we just tell the other gods? Zeus or Poseidon could go down to the Underworld and bust some heads."
"Beside Chiron only suspecting Hades of it without any proof" Terry points out getting a glare from Chiron but he doesn't care.
"Gods can't enter each other's territories without invitation, so they bribe heroes and humans to do whatever they say without repercussions" Terry explains why the gods let their kids do the dirty work.
"You're saying I'm being used." Percy gets pissed.
"Poseidon did claim you when Zeus accused him of stealing his bolt" Sydney smiled while Percy groaned.
"So let me get this straight, I'm supposed go to the Underworld and confront the Lord of the Dead."" Percy said.
"Check," Chiron said.
"Find the most powerful weapon in the universe."
"Debatable" Terry mutters.
"And get it back to Olympus before the summer solstice, in ten days."
"Sums up the whole quest" Nathan states.
"So where do we go? Terry said western" Percy said.
"The entrance to the Underworld is always in the west. It moves from age to age, just like now, of course, it's in America."
"Los Angeles?" Kate said.
"Yes, how did you know?" Chiron looked surprised, Kate shrugs.
"Oh," Percy said. "Naturally. So we just get on a plane-" but Grover stop him
"No! Percy, what are you thinking? Have you ever been on a plane in your life?" Grover shrieked,
"Percy, think, you are the son of the Sea God. Your father's bitterest rival is Zeus, Lord of the Sky. Your mother knew better than to trust you in an airplane. You would be in Zeus's domain. You would never come down again alive." Chiron said, overhead, lightning crackled. Thunder boomed.
"You seriously make this more difficult than it needs to be asshole!'' Terry shouted, thunder booming again but Terry just flips the bird.
"So road trip it is" Sydney spoke out.
"Okay, I'll travel overland." Percy said, determined not to look at the storm.
"That's right, and two companions may accompany you, you have to choose" Chiron said, but the four turn to him.
"No Chiron we are all going" Nathan states, the four children of chaos nodding.
"While it's true, three is a sacred number," Chiron explains.
"The big three," Kate asked, getting a nod from Chiron.
"What of the other three? The six Olympians or nine, twelve Olympians, aren't they scared too?" Terry figures, seeing different numbers making Chiron think.
"That would be lucky…Ok fine Percy you can take a minimum three or a maximum twelve" Chiron signs, seeing four chaos children who don't care for tradition.
"Ok, Kate, Terry, Nathan and Sydney, that five" Percy counts getting a smile from the four, Percy looked at Grover, who gulped down the ace of hearts.
"Did I mention that Maine is very nice this time of year?" Grover asked weakly.
"You don't have to go, I can't ask that of you." Percy told him.
"Do we really need him?" Kate asked him,
"Oh ..." Grover shifted his hooves. "No ... It's just that satyrs and underground places ... Well..." He took a deep breath, and then stood, brushing the shredded cards off his T-shirt.
"You guys saved my life. If ... If you guys are serious about wanting me along, I won't let you down." Grover said with determination.
"Six" Percy counts,
"I've been waiting a long time for a quest, seaweed brain," Annabeth said to him.
"Athena is no fan of Poseidon, but if you're going to save the world, I'm the best person to keep you from messing up." Annabeth said.
"If you do say so yourself, I suppose you have a plan, wise girl?" Percy said.
"Do you want my help or not?" Annabeth's cheeks coloured.
"Personally I don't think we need you" Sydney spoke annoyed at the daughter of Athena. Annabeth glares at Sydney but Nathan stops them.
"The more the merrier" Nathan shrugs, happy for more help.
"That'll work. Brains from Terry and Annabeth, Strength from Kate and Nathan, speed from Sydney and Grover, we got a solid team" Percy grins at them.
"Excellent, this afternoon, we can take you as far as the bus terminal in Manhattan. After that, you are on your own." Chiron said. Lightning flashed. Rain poured down on the meadows that were never supposed to have violent weather.
"No time to waste, I think you should all get packing." Chiron said, everyone runs to their cabins to pack up there stuff.