Juliette has tried to hate Rachel Dare.

Out of solidarity for Annabeth, Julie has woken up early each morning she plans on hanging out with the redhead just to have time to look in the mirror and repeat a mantra to herself.

"Rachel Dare is not your friend," She'll say. "She is not welcome. You don't like her."

Then she'll nod, finish her get-ready routine, and immediately fall back in love with the girl as soon as they meet up with her.

Sorry, Annabeth. She tried.

But, Rachel is just hard not to love. Ever since discovering Juliette's passion for fashion design, Rachel's been giving her nonstop tips for her sketches. She even taught Julie how to sew on, like, their third day hanging out. Granted, Julie's pretty sure that was just so she'd be distracted practicing, and Rachel and Percy could get some alone time, but the skill has been useful and she didn't want to watch them make goo-goo eyes at each other anyway.

Sewing is exactly what she's doing when a shimmering image of Percy's face appears in their bedroom and scares the living daylights out of her.

"Jules, I need a favor."

"OW! Shit, Percy, I'm holding a needle!"

"So, put the needle down. I gotta talk to you about something." His face screws up in confusion as he looks down at her hands. "Wait, why do you have the camp breastplates?" He asks.

Julie flushes and kicks the pile of armor under her bed. "Don't worry about it. Just mending." She clears her throat awkwardly as he raises a skeptical eyebrow. "You needed something?" She reminds him.

"Oh, yeah. I need you to keep an eye on Rachel until she leaves." Percy requests with a worried frown. Julie matches it.

"Why? Is she in trouble?"

Percy sighs. "I'm not sure. I've just been having some dreams. Something's happening with her, and I'm worried."

Julie nods and crosses her legs. "Okay, yeah, no problem." She knows better than to question demigod dreams. Especially Percy's. "How did the raid go?"

His face drops.

Over the past year, Juliette had been working with Percy and Charlie Beckendorf on constructing maps from her memories of the Princess Andromeda. The plan was for the three of them to sneak on board and blow the ship up from the boiler room, but Percy had put his foot down last minute and declared Juliette was not going anywhere near that ship ever again. Honestly, Julie hadn't put up too much of a fight.

"The ship is gone. But, Beck, he..." Percy trails off. He looks tortured.

Julie closes her eyes and presses her palms to her forehead. "Crap." She mutters. She glances down at the pile of armor on the floor. "Silena?" She asks.

Percy hesitates. "Not great. She's grieving. She'll be okay, I hope."

Juliette nods and looks back up at him. Guilt and...something else is shining in his eyes. Something like dread stirs in the pit of her stomach.

"That's not all, is it?" She asks. Percy looks stricken. He seems to be considering whether he wants to share more. Julie glares at him. "Don't you dare keep secrets from me, Percy Jackson."

He sighs again and pinches the bridge of his nose. "Look, it's hard to talk about. Just..." Percy scans her face like he's committing it to memory. "If anything happens to me, look after my mom, will you? I know she's got Paul now, but...Keep her safe."

Julie blinks at him. It takes her a moment to find her words. "I-...Duh, stupid. But, nothing's going to happen to you, okay?" Her words accidentally come out more as an order than a comfort.

Percy smiles at her. "Yeah. Love you, Jules." He says softly.

Julie's heart squeezes.

"Love you too, Percy. Be safe, okay?"

"Yeah, you too."

So, that's how Juliette finds herself perched on a stool in Rachel Dare's penthouse bedroom while the girl aggressively flings black and purple paint at a canvas the size of a billboard.

"So, what is this exactly?" She asks.

Rachel glances at her over her shoulder. "I'm not sure. Something I saw in a dream."

That catches Julie's attention. "What kind of dream?" She asks. Rachel turns to her with a frown.

"You were in it." The redhead states. Well, color Julie intrigued. "You, and Percy, and a kid I didn't recognize. Black hair. You guys were in some kind of..." She bites her lip in worry, and Julie leans forward.

"Some kind of what?" She prompts.

Rachel screws up her face in discomfort. "Some kind of dungeon."

Well, that isn't good.

Julie tries to keep her face neutral. "Huh. Weird." She says nonchalantly.

Rachel scowls at her. "'Weird'? Really?" Julie shrugs, and Rachel rolls her eyes. "This doesn't worry you?"

Juliette stands up from her stool and goes to put a hand on her shoulder. Then, she sees the paint smeared there and thinks better of it. She settles for a nod instead. "It's not spectacular, but prophetic dreams can mean a lot of things. They might not even be prophetic. You are mortal, after all. They could just be dreams."

Rachel looks at her doubtfully. "You really believe that?"

A sigh tears through Juliette's lungs. "I don't know, Rach. Even if they do mean something, what are we supposed to do about that? It'll come to pass regardless of how we react." She points out. Rachel seems to consider this and eventually nods her acceptance. "Besides, I have weird dreams all the time. Well, not so much lately..." Julie trails off worriedly.

In truth, Juliette's nerves have been shot for months. The better part of a year. Ever since she was twelve, Julie's dream visitor had come around every couple of weeks. At most, he'd be absent for a month. But, ever since that day in Sally's kitchen - ever since the name Kronos was passed between them - it had been utter radio silence.

Do you ever miss someone so much it feels like you've lost a limb?

That's a really weird feeling to have for someone when you don't even know their name.

Rachel tilts her head in question. "You got something you wanna talk about?" She asks.

Julie considers the offer. Yeah, she could do with a gossip sesh. "Sure. It might take a while, though."

"I'll make popcorn."

"Wait, wait, so let me get this straight. You have a magical connection with some boy where whenever either of you dream, you show up wherever the other is. And only you two can see each other."

"Yes." Julie confirms. Rachel hums and looks up at the ceiling. They're both laying on their backs on her bedroom floor with a half empty bowl of popcorn between them.

"Is he hot?"

Julie chokes on a kernel.

She sits up and coughs until she can breathe again, glaring at her friend. "That's what you want to know?"

Rachel narrows her eyes. "Answer the question, Aster."

Julie sputters. But, then she thinks about it. Golden blonde hair, pretty blue eyes, muscles for days. He's taller than her too. That's honestly rare given Juliette's above average height. She shrugs at her friend. "Yeah, I guess he's kinda hot." She admits. "He is a demigod, after all."

Rachel rolls her eyes. "Does that mean all of you are unfairly gorgeous?"

"I'm gonna pretend you didn't just say that while thinking about my brother."

"Fake brother."

"Same difference."

"So, where has Dream Boy slipped off to, then? If you haven't seen him." Rachel asks.

Julie rolls her eyes at the nickname. "Ugh, you and Sally both." She props herself onto her elbows and glares sadly at the half finished painting on the wall. "I don't know. Sally mentioned Kronos, and he like...fizzled out. I haven't seen him since. Not here and not in my dreams."

Juliette tries to tamp down the fear that the thought sends surging through her. She doesn't want to consider explanations for why they may be unable to contact each other. For what may be happening on his end.

Rachel clicks her tongue thoughtfully. Suddenly, she sits bolt upright like something's occurred to her. Julie raises an eyebrow as the redhead rounds on her. "You said he usually shows up when you're scared?" She asks urgently.

Julie nods. "Yeah? Not every time, but usually."

Rachel smirks at her and reaches up to pull the TV remote off her desk. She presses the power button and an entire wall of her bedroom lights up Netflix red.

"I know how to make you scared." She grins evilly.

The lights dim as she begins scrolling through movie titles, and Juliette curses her mother for passing on her loud mouthed tendencies.

They're right at the climax of a movie when it happens. The final girl is creeping up the stairs of the house, shotgun in hand, heading for the room where she hears the intruder's footsteps. The second baddie she hasn't noticed yet is slinking along behind her, waiting for just the right moment to strike.

Juliette and Rachel are huddled together on the couch, the popcorn scattered across the floor from a jump scare two films ago. Horrified tears are streaking down both of their faces as they watch, whispering warnings to the character that go unheard.

The baddie is raising a knife above the girl's back. She's not turning around. Why isn't she turning around? He starts to slice it downwards and-

"What in the gods names are you watching?"

Juliette screams. Which makes Rachel scream. Then, they're both screaming because the other is screaming.

Soldier Boy looks bewildered.

"Don't do that!" Julie shrieks at him. She chucks a pillow and it goes sailing through his midsection. "Why do you always do that?! Why do the men in my life love terrifying me so much?"

Soldier Boy laughs and puts his hands up. "Sorry, sorry, it wasn't my intention." His smirk says otherwise.

Julie's heart rate slows down enough that she remembers this was the goal all along. She relaxes and gives him an exasperated smile. "It's good to see you." She breathes.

Rachel picks herself up from where she'd dove behind the couch. "Did it work? Is he here?" She asks in intrigue.

Julie rolls her eyes. "What do you think?"

"Ssh, I'm just excited. I can't believe that worked. You so owe me, girl." Rachel snickers. Juliette glares at her.

"You think we can have some privacy, maybe?" She snips.

Rachel crosses her arms. "Um, you're in my bedroom. Take your hunk out on the balcony if you want to be secretive."

Juliette throws a blanket over the redhead's face pettily, but does as she says. She pushes the glass door to the deck open and steps into the muggy summer air. Soldier Boy fazes through the wall and joins her, settling against the handrail and sending her an identical look of relief.

"So, no mortal danger?" He asks.

Julie snorts. "No. Thought I'd test out a theory of hers. I was..." Lonely? Scared? Missing you? "Worried. When I didn't hear from you for so long." She explains.

And it really has been a long time. She takes in the sight of him now. He's even taller than before, now forced to look down at her when they're face to face. His blonde hair has grown out a little from the buzz cut it's been in since they met, and Julie can see the beginnings of a curl pattern starting that makes her itch to grab some mouse and a diffuser. His face has narrowed, and his jawline is sharper (which Juliette traces with her eyes for a completely normal amount of time). He's not in PJs this time around - instead dressed in a set of golden armor similar to what she'd seen him in the first time they ever met. He's clean, though, and doesn't look like he's fresh out of battle. Still, Julie frowns.

"Did you go to sleep in your armor?" She asks incredulously.

He glances down. "Oh, yeah. I'm trading off with Reyna. We're sort of in charge now. Need to be prepared." He smiles at her tiredly, and Juliette notices the shadows under his eyes. He gestures at her. "It's good to see you too. I'm not sure what's been keeping us from talking, but I've been needing to share some information with you for a while."

Julie nods and leans forward seriously. "Hit me."

Soldier Boy's posture straightens, and something in his voice hardens. "What we talked about last time we spoke. I've been handling it on my end. We found the Titans' base on Mount Othrys." He states.

Julie's eyes widen. "What do you mean you've been 'handling' it?" She asks.

"I mean they've been sending waves of monsters at us, so we're going to take it down. Reyna and I are leading the charge." He raises a hand before Juliette can protest. "I know there's more to this than just their base. You're on the East Coast, right?"

Julie nods.

"Right. I can assume there's just as much happening over there as there is here. So, I'm here to tell you," He steps up to her, nearly chest to chest. "You and your friends do what you need to do on your side. We'll handle Mount Othrys. And, once it's handled, we can finally come together and figure out what exactly has been going on this whole time."

His eyes burn into hers, and Juliette can't get her lungs to inflate. His presence is intense, commanding. She runs her hands down her arms to hide the goosebumps that arise. Julie pulls her gaze from his and wracks her brain for something helpful to say.

"August 18th." She mutters in realization. Soldier Boy nods at her to go on. She tries to match his intensity. "Everything is happening on the 18th. They'll be lured away to the East, so that's when you need to strike."

He studies her face and nods solemnly. "Alright. Thank you."

They stare at each other for a while. Then, they both try to talk at once.

"You know, I-"

"I've really been-"

Julie laughs, and Soldier Boy clears his throat. "You first." He offers.

Juliette shuffles her feet. "I was worried something happened to you. It's been nice getting to see you like this. I missed it."

He softens, and the skin around his eyes crinkles. "I did too." His form flickers, and he looks behind him. "I think Reyna's about to wake me up. I'll see you soon, okay?"

Julie tries to push away the fear in her gut. "Okay. Be carefu-"

His form sweeps away in the summer breeze, and Juliette is alone on the balcony.

Rachel heads out for her family vacation the next morning. Juliette does not go with her. She'll be safe away from the fighting, and there's no way Julie is leaving her friends to face this war alone.

So, when she gets home from dropping off the tweaked breastplates back at camp to find Mrs. O'Leary taking up the majority of the living room, Julie's ready to leap into action. She gives the hellhound a quick scratch behind the ears as appeasement and then squeezes past into the kitchen. Paul and Sally are sitting on one side of the table facing an anxious looking Percy and Nico. Julie clears her throat, and they all look over.

"What's going on?" She asks warily. Percy seems to gulp.

"We, uh, have a plan." He stammers.

Nico nudges a chair out from the table. "You'll want to sit for this."

By the time the boys are done explaining their "plan," Juliette is ready to pull her hair out by its roots. "Guys, this is crazy."

"It's our only chance." Nico defends.

"Percy, it's dangerous." Sally whispers. "Even for you."

"I know, Mom." Percy sighs. "I could die. Nico explained that. But if we don't try -"

"We all die." Nico finishes grimly. "Ms. Jackson, we don't stand a chance against an invasion. And there will be an invasion."

Juliette buries her face in her hands. "This is all so messed up." She groans.

"An invasion of New York? Is that even possible?" Paul asks. "How could we not see the...the monsters?"

Julie shakes her head. "Yeah, it's plenty possible. The Mist is a crazy thing. It'll probably rebrand it as a terrorist attack or something."

"World War III..." Percy mutters in agreement. "Typhon's trampling across the country right now, and the mortals think he's a storm system."

Nico stands up and interrupts them. He looks at Sally intensely. "Ms. Jackson, Percy needs your blessing. The process has to start that way. I wasn't sure until I met Luke's mom, but now I'm positive. This has only been done successfully twice before. Both times, the mother had to give her blessing. She had to be willing to let her son take the risk."

Sally deflates visibly, tears springing to her eyes. Paul laces their fingers together on the table. "You want me to bless this?" She shakes her head. "Percy, this is crazy, please-"

"Mom, I can't do it without you."

"And, if you survive this...this process?"

"Then, I go to war." Percy states, like he'll be grocery shopping. "Me against Kronos. And only one of us will survive."

Juliette gets up then. She can't sit still with the terror rolling off of Sally and Percy right now. She hunches over the kitchen sink and tries to will her dinner to stay put. "This is permanent, Percy." She whispers. He looks at her sadly.

"I know."

"Achilles...His ending was one of the worst."

His eyes flit down to the table. "I know. I don't have another option, though."

A sob escapes Sally. "You're my son...I can't just..."

Juliette closes her eyes to calm the stinging sensation in her cheeks. It's Paul that speaks up next.

"Sally." He sounds hesitant, but pushes on. "I can't claim to know what you and Percy have been going through all these years. But it sounds to me...It sounds like Percy's trying to do something noble. I wish I had that much courage."

Julie looks over at the boy she's come to love as a brother. He's saved her life over and over again. He's her best friend. The person she trusts most in this entire world. She'll be an incredible demigod one day if she manages to emulate even a teaspoon of the courage he carries with him. Paul is right, and he doesn't even have any idea just how right he is.

"Percy," Sally chokes out. There's pride in her pained smile even as the tears continue to fall. "I give you my blessing."

Juliette, Percy, and Nico shadowtravel with Mrs. O'Leary to Central Park, and Juliette loses her dinner to the nearest patch of bushes. Percy holds her hair back for her, grimacing.

"Yeahhh, it's not for everyone." He laughs.

Juliette groans.

"The Door of Orpheus." Nico introduces, pointing at a large pile of rocks.

"The dude with the harp."

"Dude with the lyre," Nico corrects Percy. "But yeah, him. He used his music to charm the earth and open a new path into the Underworld. He sang his way right into Hades' palace and almost got away with his wife's soul."

Juliette sits up, accepting the bottle of water from Nico's outstretched hand. "Wait...he was-"

"A Heartbreak Child." Nico confirms. "Yes. Your kind have influenced the Underworld quite a bit throughout history. For the better and for the worse."

Julie squeezes her eyes shut. Orpheus was a sore subject for her. He'd been one of the few of her kind to make good use of his talents. He used his music to strip away the pain of his audiences, leaving them in bliss and relaxation. He'd won the heart of Eurydice, a daughter of Apollo, through his relentlessly kind nature and determination to be the exception to his curse. He'd loved her more than anything. Only to lose her to death.

He'd traversed the perils of the Underworld with nothing but his music, only to lose her again.

Dionysus killed him later. Juliette doesn't think she can ever respect him because of that.

"So, this is the Door of Orpheus," Percy inspects the pile of rocks like he's hoping it'll suddenly change shape like a transformer. "How does it open?"

"We need music." Nico states. "How's your singing?"

Julie snorts, and Percy flushes. "Um, no. Can't you just, like, tell it to open? You're the son of Hades and all."

Nico shakes his head. "It's not that easy. We need music. Juliette?" He looks at her with raised eyebrows.

"Does it have to be good?"

"Please not her." Percy pleads. "I have a better idea. GROVER!"

When they take their first steps into the tunnel, images flash in front of Juliette's eyes.

She sees a young man with curly brown hair. He's dressed in a white chiton and clutching an ornate golden lyre in a white knuckled grip as he steps forward into the passageway.

She sees a burly man in a lion's skin and Greek style armor. His face is harsh and angry as he takes the first steps into the Underworld, his scarred hands wrapped around the handle of Anaklusmos.

She sees a young woman with strawberry blonde hair and green eyes. Wrapped around her shoulders is a purple and white letterman jacket, which she clutches with trembling hands as she descends down the passageway. Across her back, yellow lettering spells "GRACE."

Juliette's regular vision returns and she teeters off the edge of the step she'd been aiming for. Nico narrowly catches her before she eats a face full of cement.

"Woah, careful!" Percy cautions her like she hadn't already tripped. He steps around them and continues following Mrs. O'Leary into the darkness.

"Gee, thanks for the warning." Julie snips. She looks to Nico as he lets go of her shoulders. He seems distracted. On edge. She matches his meandering pace and frowns at him in concern. "You okay?"

He glances at her. "Fine. Just keep moving." He says flatly, speeding up.

Percy glances back at them at the rude dismissal. He quirks an eyebrow in question and Julie shrugs helplessly.

They follow Nico in silence until they reach a rocky cliffside. Over the edge, turbulent black waters filled with countless broken objects rush across a black sand beach. Juliette feels a presence call to her from the depths. She reaches out and takes Percy's hand. His fingers are trembling.

Mrs. O'Leary brings them a human leg bone, and Juliette throws it off in a random direction. The hellhound bounds after it out of sight.

"So, Nico...How do we do this?" Percy asks. His voice cracks a bit at the end. Julie squeezes his hand.

"We have to go inside the gates first." Nico says. They both turn to him in confusion.

"Why?" Julie asks. "We're here for the Styx, right?"

Nico glares at her harshly, and she reels back in surprise. He hasn't looked at her that way in a while. "I need to get something." He snaps. "It's the only way."

He turns on his heel and marches towards the distant black palace without waiting for a response. Julie looks to Percy uneasily.

"Do you know what that's about?" She whispers.

Percy frowns and shakes his head. "No. But, he's gotten us this far, right?" He offers with a shrug before following the son of Hades towards the towering obsidian gates.

Juliette watches their retreating backs and clenches her jaw. She trusts Nico. She does. But, she also knows her powers pretty well.

And, she can't think of any good reason for Nico to be feeling so guilty right now.