"So how long did you know?" Rhea blinks and turns to her mother as she tore through the night along the dark road. Wind was slamming against the Camaro as rain lashed the window shield. Rhea turns a bit, biting at her lip, "How long did you know about…"

"A year…" Rhea admits, "His eldest," she looks over her shoulder, where Grover sat in the back seat, looking like he was wearing a pair of shag-carpet pants but Rhea knew those were just his legs, his goat legs. She knew she should be telling the full truth, but she had to keep quiet about her heritage… at least until Poseidon decided to tell. But she shakes her head and turns to her mother, "His eldest came to me during the blown up bus incident. I was being attacked by a snake, a snake monster…he said that he didn't like how dad was treating me..cause usually he has someone come and train his demigod children when they turn ten…so he decided to do it himself," she pat Murphy's Pokeball, "Even give me Murphy….so… you and Grover know each other?"

"Not exactly," Grover admitted rubbing the back of his neck, "I mean we never met in person. But she knew I was watching you," his eyes widen when Rhea turns to him with an raised eyebrow, "Not like that! I mean," he waves his hands frantically in front of him, "My job has been to guide you to this moment. Its always an emotional rollercoaster for a young demigod so providing a support system is really-"

"So you are a satyr…not just half donkey from the waist down,"

Grover let out a sharp, throaty " Blaa-ha-ha!" Rhea chuckles having heard him making that irritated bleat a lot over the year, "Goat!" he cried out, "I am half goat from the waist down! There are satyrs who would trample you underhoof for such an insult,"

"And you won't?"

Grover stills, swallowing, "Of course not. I'm your best friend, I wasn't faking that…but I'm also your Protector…which is why I wanted to walk you home because what's chasing us now had found you easily," Rhea grimaces and smiles apologetically at Grover, "Its not your fault Rhea… usually, I can sense danger coming a mile away but this time…none of us saw Dodds coming,"

"So there was a Mrs. Dodds!" Rhea felt a bit of relief at that, "I was told about the Mist but I was surprise to see how fast it worked…thought I was going a bit crazy there,"

"It does that a lot mi estrella," Rhea and Grover turn to her mother, "The Mist is the veil that hides the magical world from the human world. Grover's legs, your teacher's true form, even her absence,"

"How do you know all of this mama?" Rhea asked, watching as her mother grips the steering wheel tightly.

Her mama sighs, "I met your father in Montauk, when I saw his weapon for what it truly was. For as long as I could remember I could see things that no one could ever see and your father…he explained it to me…he told me that I was not crazy, I was gifted," she smiles softly, "we fell in love and then you were coming along…and…"

"And?"

But her mama shook her head, tears streaming down her face, "Please, dear," she begged, hiccupping a bit, "This is hard enough as it is. Try to understand. You're in danger…"

Grover bleats, he shakes his head, looking up at her, "We thought you didn't know. The less you knew, the fewer monsters you'd attract," Rhea frowns as Grover said this like it was perfectly obvious, "The Mist covers the human's eyes. We hoped you'd think the Kindly One was a hallucination…but you already know who you are…that's why we need to get you to camp,"

"Camp…" Rhea whispers but jumps as a weird bellowing noise rises up from somewhere behind them. Grover's eyes widen at the sound, and his hand goes to his Pokeball.

"Rhea," her mama whispers, "there's too much to explain and not enough time. We have to get you to safety,"

Grover nods his head, "Camp is a sanctuary for half-bloods. A safe space where you can learn who you are and what the world is like on the other side of the Mist," he leans forward, pointing down the road, "Uh, its not far, actually, just a little way past the bend up there.

Following Grover's direction, her mama made a hard left, swearing onto a narrower road, racing past farmhouses and wooded hills and PICK YOUR OWN STRAWBERRIES signs on white picket fences.

A bolt of lightning flashed behind them, and Grover and Rhea turned to look as a large bull was revealed to them due to the flashing light. "Is that the Min-"

"Pasiphae's son," Grover stated, "Names have Power. Once the attacks start, they never let up. Okay? Dodds was just the beginning. He is next. He… he is brutal, he is relentless…"

"Is he wearing underpants?" Rhea asked, as the hair on the back of her neck rose up.

Her mama gasps, "Kids,"

"I'm actually, 24,"

"Hold on, please," her mama warned before a blinding flash, a jaw-rattling boom , and their car exploded. Rhea felt weightless, feeling her mama's arm in front of her, trying to protect her. Feeling like she was being crushed, fried and hosed down all at the same time.

Groaning, Rhea peeled her forehead off the dashboard, feeling blood dripping down her face, "Ow…"

"Rhea!" her mama shouted as she tried to shake off her daze. She wasn't dead and the car didn't explode…they had swerved into a ditch, the driver's-side doors wedged in the mud. Looking up, Rhea's eyes widen as she saw that the roof had cracked open like an eggshell and rain was pouring in. "Lightning," she whispers, feeling dread rise up in her. Zeus…he had blasted them off the road…turning her head, her heart skip a beat as she saw a motionless lump laying in the back of the seat.

"Grover!" her friend was slumped over, blood trickling from the side of his mouth. But as he groans out, "Food," she knew there was hope.

"Rhea," her mama whispered, "We have to get…" when she falters, Rhea looks back, a flash of lighting allows them to see, through the mud splatter rear windshield, a figure lumbering towards us on the shoulder of the road. The sight of him made her skin crawl as she got her first impression of the Minotaur. He was seven feet tall, easily, with arms and legs looking like something from muscle magazine- bulging biceps and triceps and a bunch of other ceps that Rhea had no name for, all stuffed like baseballs under vein-webbed skin. He wore no clothes, except for the underpants, big, white, fruit of the loom. It would been more hilarious if they weren't in this dire situation. Coarse brown hair started at about his belly button and got thicker as it reached his shoulders. His neck was a mass of muscle and fur leading up to his enormous head, which had a snout as long as Rhea's arm, snotty nostrils with a gleaming brass ring and cold cruel black eyes. His horns were enormous black and white with points you just couldn't get with a pencil sharpener.

"Rhea," her mama whisper, deadly serious, "Get out of the car," she order as she threw herself against the driver-side door but unfortunately it jammed shut in the mud. Looking up desperately at the hole in the roof, she grimace. It might've been an exit but with the edge still sizzling and smoking, it was not a good idea. With a growl of frustration her mama points to her door, "The passenger side, climb out of it," her blue eyes stare at Rhea with fear and concern, and so much love, "You have to run Rhea. Do you see that big tree?"

Another flash of lightning and through the smoking hole in the roof, Rhea saw the tree her mama meant: a huge Christmas tree- almost as big as the one they put in Castellia Square- sat at the crest of the nearest hill. "That's the property line," her mama explained, "Get over the hill and you'll see a big farmhouse down in the valley. Run and don't look back. Yell for help but don't stop until you reached the food,"

"Mama," Rhea turns to her, her heart clenching at seeing her mama's pale face, "You're coming with me," she said firmly and then shook her head when she saw her mama's eyes turn sad, just like when she looks into the ocean, "No mama! You are coming with me! Help me carry Grover!"

Grover groans again but her mama shakes her head, "He doesn't want us, mi estrella. He wants you and besides, I can't go across the property line,"

Rhea felt anger boiling in her. Mad at her mama, at Grover, at the minotaur…at her father, "Todo esto es culpa tuya, papá... solo tenías que hacer que una mujer se enamorara de un toro," she muttered angry as she pushes the door open into the rain, "We're going together. Come on, mama," she gives a soft glare when her mother opens her mouth, "I'm not leaving you behind, neither of you! Help me with Grover,"

Not waiting for her to answer, Rhea scrambles out of the car, going to the backseat and opening the door. She dragged Grover out of it, blinking at how surprisingly light he was but still wonder how she was going to carry him when her mother came to her aid.

The sound of a Pokeball opening made her look up, her mother having release Leonidas who hisses softly at the rain. Together, they gently put Grover onto Leonidas' back, but before they could stumble uphill through the wet waist high grass, her mother stood in front of Leonidas.

Her mother stares in his blue eyes, and he droops, whining, "Leonidas," she softly whispers, rubbing his chin, "I am entrusting you to protect my daughter, my only child,"

"Mama?" Rhea whispers, eyes wide.

"You have traveled with me for a long time, since I was fourteen years old. You stayed by my side, even when I tried to give you back to Arven," she whispers gently cradling his head, "So..please…do the same for Rhea. Keep her safe from anyone or anything that comes for her, that wants to do harm, that looks at her the wrong way, do you understand me?"

The Miradon whines, but nods his head, leaning upwards to nuzzle her and giving her a big lick that made her mama snort, but Rhea stared with absolute horror, "Mama…"

"Thank you, mi leal amigo," but then a loud bellow was heard and they glance behind them to see the minotaur haunched over the car, looking down in the windows. No, it wasn't like that, Rhea realize, he was snuffling, nuzzling. "His sight and hearing are terrible," her mama said, gently grabbing Rhea's arm and leading her to the grass, "He goes by smell…but he'll figure out where we are soon enough,"

As if on cue, the minotaur bellowed in rage. Picking up Gabe's Camaro by the torn roof, the chassis creaking and groaning, he raised the car over his head and threw it down the road. It slammed into the wet asphalt and skidded in a shower of sparks for about half a mile before coming to a stop…and then the gas tanked exploded.

"Oops," Rhea mutters, remembering Gabe telling her to not scratch up the car before they left.

Her mama looks at minotaur, before she turns to Rhea, "I gotta go now, sweetheart,"

Rhea snaps her head to her, "Go? No mama, I said you were coming with me!"

"Can't…I'm human," Rhea shakes her head, swallowing the lump in her throat as she tries to blink the rain out of her eyes…or maybe it was tears. But her mama gently cradles her face, "You need to be brave now, you must remember what Triton taught you," and oh did Rhea feel a surge of guilt in her. She should had told her mother, she should had told her the truth so long ago, "And listen to me…you are singular…you're a miracle…and you are my daughter," her mama whispers, "Eres mi pequeña estrella, y siempre te amaré. Nunca me arrepentiré de tenerte cuando trajiste tanta luz a mi vida," Rhea chokes back a sob, as her mama kisses her on the forehead, "I love you,"

Rhea sobs at this, her shoulder shaking as her eyes burn in pain from the tears. But another bellow of rage made them pull back, "Rhea…when he sees us, he'll charge. Wait until the last second, then jump out of the way- directly sideways. He can't change directions very well once he's charging," she turns to her, "Do you understand?"

Rhea nods her head, her hand going to Murphy's Pokeball as the minotaur started tromping towards us. "Give me your coat,"

Turning wide green eyes she stares at her mama but does what she said, slipping her red coat off. "Mama? What are you gonna do?"

"He's tracking you, smelling your scent. So if he smells you in two directions at once, maybe I can confuse him," Rhea shakes her head at this, "buy you a little time to get away," before Rhea could open her mouth to argue, her mama smiles at her, "It'll be okay," she whispers but then a growl made them turn, as the minotaur glares, nostrils flaring as he slowly stalks towards them.

"Go!" her mama orders, "Go, Rhea! Separate! Remember what I said!"

Rhea didn't want to split up, but she had a feeling that her mama was right, this was their only chance. "Sorry, bud," she whispers, and slapping her palm against the Miradon's backside, making him yelp and run uphill, carrying Grover on his back.

Sprinting to the left, Rhea turned and saw him bearing down on her. It was only the fact that Zeus may be watching this that she didn't pull out her trident. His black eyes glowed with hate, and her nose scrunched up as she smelled rotten meat from him. And then, he lowered his head and charged, those razor-sharp horns aimed right at her chest.

Rhea stood her ground, even if the fear in her urged her to bolt. She knew she could never outrun him, so she waited until at the last moment, she jumped to the side. The Minotaur stormed past like a freight train, bellowing in frustration and anger. He turned but his head snaps up when a scream rang through the pounding rain.

Rhea turns her gaze to her mother, who glares at the minotaur, "Hey! Look! Stupid! Ground beef!" her mama screams, standing her ground as the monster turns towards her.

"No, no, no no," Rhea stood there, frozen in fear as the minotaur charges towards her. Her mama tried to sidestep, as she'd told her to do, but the monster had learned his lesson. His hand shot out and grabbed her by the neck, "Mom!" Rhea screamed as the minotaur lifted up her mother as she struggled, kicking and pummeling the air.

Her blue eyes caught her, love shining in them as she held out her hand to Rhea, "Go," she chokes out as with an angry roar, the monster closed his fists around her neck. Rhea sobs, a anguish scream as her mama dissolved before her very eyes, melting into light, a shimmering golden form as if she were a holographic projection. And then…she was simply gone, a blinding flash of light, and she was no more.

"Rhea?" she heard Grover cries out but that was all she could hear as her heart pounded in her chest.

"Bo use Fire Pledge!" a column of fire surge towards the Minotaur, hitting his flesh and causing him to roar out in pain, backtracking before he could charge forward Rhea. Turning her head, she blinks as a man with brown hair and wearing a blue runs down the hill, a Braviary flying beside him, "Brav, Brave Bird!"

The Braviary cries out as his body was surrounded by red flames, flying straight towards the minotaur, who lashes out with his meaty fists. Rhea swallows, watching as the Braviary surges upwards, but flinching in pain. The Minotaur roars, getting on all fours and charges at Rhea who tried to jump out of the way at the last moment.

It didn't happen like that. Charging too fast, Rhea noticed that he wasn't on all fours…no he had his arms spread out, so whichever way Rhea tried to dodge, he would be able to grab her.

Time slowed down, Rhea felt her legs tense. She knew she couldn't jump sideways, so she leapt straight up, kicking off the Minotaur's head and using it as a springboard. Flipping in midair she landed on his neck, just as he slammed into a tree. Rhea almost fell off, but she kept her grip as the minotaur staggered back. Thunder and Lighting were still strong, she heard the man cry out, "Brav! Get her out of there!" the smell of rotten meat burned in her nose. She looked up as the Braviary dived down just as the Minotaur tried to grab her off his back, piercing him in the eye and making him roar out as blood gushes down. The monster shook himself around and bucked like a rodeo bull, slamming an arm into an Emboar that had tried to grabbed Rhea off of him. Rhea realize he could only move forward, when he didn't smash her into paste when he didn't back into a tree.

With rain in her eyes, she looks up, seeing a scratch mark in one of his horns. Anger surging in her as she thought about how he had squeezed the life out of her mama, how he made her disappear…gritting her teeth she grabbed his horn, wrapping both hands around it and pulling with all her might. The monster tense, roaring out in pain but before he could fling her off of him, she drove the horn straight into his head, using it as a knife. The Minotaur roared out in agony, flailing, trying to claw at her and then began to disintegrate, not like her mama with a flash of golden light but like a crumbling sand, blow away in chunks by the wind and rain, the same way Mrs. Dodds was.

Rhea fell to the ground, her head smacking against a rock, but as she looks up, the minotaur was gone…the rain had stopped but the storm still rumbled. She laid there, on her back, staring at the storm clouds above her, her head feeling like it split open. She trembles as tears of fear and grief streamed down her face, "Mama…" she whispers.

"Hilbert!" a voice calls out, "Oh by the Gods…is she okay?!'

Rhea vaguely heard footsteps running towards them, as she was gently picked up, "Did you see that?"

"How is that possible?"

"She beat the minotaur,"

"Look! There's the horn,"

"Spoil of war…"

"She must be the one,"

"That's enough Annabeth," a familiar voice rang out, gently placing a hand on her head, "She is still conscious…lets give her some space and bring her to the infirmary…Lee, warn Bianca that she has a patient waiting for her,"

"Yes sir,"

Rhea slowly opens her eyes a bit, even if she feels her vision slowly fading. She frowns at the blurry face that appeared, "Welcome to camp, Rhea Jackson. We've been expecting you,"