O yea im prolly going to abandon this in like a week, just a heads up.

I JUST FOUND OUT A NAME FOR THE STORY!!!!!!!

O yea if u want me to post chapter 1 i wanna see some comments.... dont be shy, i wont make your life miserable!

Hey hey! Sooooo I know I said I was taking a break on the wall but I said just this once soooooo yeah but its good and when the thingy ended I was like whaaaaaaat? So plzzzzzzz continue!! Even if I'm not for a while but of course I'm just gonna nelglect it again and comment but plzz post!

i might post 2 morrow

Ok this is long... just saying. This is dedicated to some guy i met on the internet, he was the only 1 that had the balls to at least make a comment. I see like 100 views and 5 comments, lol how does that happen, o yea the guy is called fireyes.

Watch this take you like an hour to read lol.

Chapter One.

3rd Person.

Reyna's soft breathing and the crackling of the fire was the only noise around for miles. The tranquility settled over Percy, and he allowed himself to finally relax, for the first time since he left camp. He had all but begged Lupa to let him go home. And she had agreed eventually; reluctantly, but still only allowed him a week. One week away, not counting the travel there and back. The amount of walking and hitching rides from whatever gods weren't currently trying to rip his guts out seriously deserved more time in New York than a measly week, but you simply did not argue with Lupa when she put her foot (paw) down. The older he got, the more hesitant she was to let Percy leave. Her reasoning was fair enough—attachments to the mortal world were increasingly dangerous (apparently), and leaving the safety of Camp Jupiter was risky the older and more powerful he got—but Manhattan would always be home to Percy, and he'd never been one to act out of logic.
Not that Camp Jupiter wasn't home, because it was, but it just wasn't... the same. There was tension and worry and frustration and all-around pressure circling him constantly, and somewhere in the deep recesses of his mind he might just admit that he felt suffocated. The buildings and the campers right down to the very property itself held its breath at camp. And could you blame them, really?
Apocalypse. It was a word no one would dare speak aloud. It appeared in hushed thoughts and the worst of nightmares, beating along with the steady drum of the demigods' hearts. They all felt it; it started as a dull pitter-pattering, and manifested itself in the tingling in their fingers and the goose bumps on their arms. Every once in awhile someone would be caught staring forebodingly into the swirling fog that hung above Mount Tam, like something out of a bad soap opera. No one ever saw anything. It didn't matter. Eyes could be so terribly deceptive.
Reyna shifted her body so she was facing him, propping her head up with her arm. "I offered to take first watch," she reminded him.
He glanced over at her. "You might as well sleep. I can't anyway."
There was such a fine line between exhaustion and insomnia. Reyna's clever eyes combed him over skeptically, but it was too dark for her to see the purplish-stained skin under his eyes, he hoped. It wasn't like her to let him slide like that, but he figured she was offering him a silent truce: promising she wouldn't order him to get some rest if he didn't point out the frighteningly translucent state of her skin from abusing her body for too long. She simply stretched and groaned, laying back down with a thud. Percy followed suit.
The absence of talking was verging on awkward, which was pretty pathetic. Percy couldn't remember the last time he'd kept anything from Reyna. Maybe he'd never done it at all. He didn't like keeping the lid on his feelings. It was awfully un-Roman-like, but it was so much easier to let everything leak out and allow people to react however way they wanted to. People wasted so much time with façades.
Reyna's fingers twisted and overlapped with practiced ease as she braided a strand of her hair methodically. "My sister is always complaining about how I keep her up."
Most of the tension peeled away as her words lingered in the air, thankfully. Percy chuckled. "When is Hylla ever not complaining?"
"Gods, I know," Reyna groaned. "She's a... high maintenance."
"I'm with her on this one, though," he admitted. "You're kind of a... restless sleeper."
She cracked a grudging smile. Reyna didn't have many flaws (that he knew about, and he was sort of an expert on her by then), but the ones she did have were nasty. Nasty flaws that made him do things like waking up and finding the person who was supposed to be up watching for monsters that had fallen asleep and then sleep-walked away, getting Percy's heart rate up to double what it should be in the process.
"I—" Reyna started, then apparently thought better of it and closed her mouth. Percy sighed. He'd known Reyna and her sister basically as long as he could remember. She'd also been born in Manhattan—a fact that comforted Percy when he was amidst the slew of campers that had been born on the West Coast—and demigods had a way of finding each other. She and Hylla weren't officially apart of the Legion, but they stayed at camp when they needed to. Lupa wasn't particularly happy about it, but they were capable warriors, and she bent the rules a little if they promised to aid in fighting, if the situation arose. It didn't sound like such a bad deal to Percy—more freedom, and no tattoos burned into your arm—but it bothered Reyna to no end. Hylla dragged her just about everywhere, which was hard on her. As far as Percy could tell, Hylla didn't notice her sister's desire to become part of Camp Jupiter, or she simply didn't care. Lately, Reyna had grown more and more closed off. It wasn't a drastic change, and Percy didn't notice it at first, but it was becoming increasingly obvious to him. He'd decided to just back off and give her space. Sometimes asking Reyna questions only made her guard go up and caused her to shut down.
"I want to go home," she whispered up to the stars. Percy looked at her from over his shoulder. Her deep brown hair—shorter than usual; just past her shoulders—was splayed out in the grass, reflecting the silvery glow of the moon. She twisted and untwisted a strand of hair around her finger, like she always did when she was pensive. The soft moonlight made her skin look even paler. Reyna had the type of skin that just didn't tan, no matter how long she sat in the sun. She let out a breath that could be seen in the crisp air, then sat up and hugged her knees to her chest.
"Percy?" Reyna ventured.
He smirked to himself. Here it comes. "Yeah?"
"Do you ever feel like... like something's about to happen?"
Percy frowned. "Something like... what?"
Reyna bit her lip. "I don't know like... like you're restless, and something big is about to happen, but you don't know what it is or when?"
"Well..." Percy considered. "I guess so."
She herself wasn't even sure what she really meant. She just knew that she'd been on edge because of some weird intuition that she'd been feeling lately. "I just like... I feel like things are starting to, I don't know, happen?"
"Yeah, I guess I know what that's like."
"I've been having this... dream."
"Recurring?" Percy asked, mildly concerned.
She sighed and nodded. "For weeks now." She inhaled calmly and pulled her knees tighter to her as a shudder passed through her body. "I see... I see people watching me."
He froze. "You see gold eyes, watching you?"
Reyna's eyes widened. "Yes! And sometimes I hear... laughter, too." She shuddered again.
"Oh my gods," Percy breathed, thinking of how many nights he'd woken up in a cold sweat from that very dream. He'd been having it for as long as he could remember. Sometimes it talked to him in a raw, scraping voice that haunted him. Percy had fortunately stopped having it when he was around eight, but lately, it had started coming back. It definitely was enough to seriously disturb him. His dreams always proved to mean something sooner or later, especially if another demigod was having the same one. The thing watching him—whatever it is—had an air so pungently evil that it was hard not to get completely freaked out.
"What... what is it?" She asked him. Her eyes were large and fearful, and he could tell that she didn't really want to know the answer.
"I started thinking that it might be a—" he caught himself. "a god,"
"What?" Reyna asked, looking up at him through her eyelashes. "You weren't going to say god, were you?"
Percy didn't answer.
"Titan," she whispered. She exhaled heavily, like she was relieved that she'd finally said it aloud.
He shifted his eyes to look back at her without turning his head. "But Reyna, that's... crazy."
And it was, right?
"Not really." She said ominously. "I mean... think about it, Percy," she continued quickly. "If you were an all-powerful Titan ruling the world as you wished, you'd be pretty happy, right? And then if your own kids plotted against you and overthrew you, how angry would you be? Wouldn't you want revenge?"
"If I was a crazed killing machine, yes," Percy admitted.
"Which the Titans are, right?"
"Look, Rey-rey," Percy sighed. "Yeah, the Titans want revenge. But they can't do anything without Saturn backing them. And Saturn is cut up into like, a bazillion pieces, rotting in the darkest pits of the Underworld. He can't come back."
It was a comforting enough statement. If he said it enough times, he might actually start believing it. The thing was... he was only eleven, going on twelve. But he'd still seen enough to know that things often don't happen the way you expect them to; the way that makes sense. For gods's sakes, the entire basis of the universe didn't even make sense. There were no explanations in the world he lived in, and he'd begun to notice that if everything clicked together perfectly with an explanation to back it up, it was undoubtedly too good to be true. Maybe it was just Percy's imagination, but he thought he felt a slight chill in the air when he said the Titan Lord's name aloud. He sighed and shook his head. "Reyna, are you sure that's all that's bothering you?"
She stroked her chin, pretending to contemplate the statement. "Yes," she said slowly, nodding.
"Promise?" he asked.
She smiled and held out her smallest finger. "Pinky promise."
Percy laughed. "Seriously?"
"We're still kids, aren't we?" Reyna pointed out. "Maybe we aren't six anymore, but a pinky promise is a pinky promise."
He shrugged and linked their fingers together. Briefly, Percy wished that they could go back to being six, when pinky-promising was the most trouble you could get yourself into. "You should seriously sleep, Sunshine."
She chuckled softly. "Why do you always insist on taking first watch?"
He didn't like seeing the sun come up. The light exposed everything; bringing it into focus and giving you a clearer picture. Percy liked things the way they were. New days meant you were all the more closer to things becoming different. It was so much easier to pretend that the day never started nor ended; that it just kept spiraling forward, sprawling and devouring new time and compressing it into one day. One simple day, where you didn't have to ever wait for tomorrow, you just had to wait. You couldn't procrastinate or push things back until tomorrow, because tomorrow didn't exist. Percy liked it better that way, when there were no fresh starts and nothing was forgotten, because forgiving doesn't mean forgetting at all. Without a new day, you could still go back and make the current day better.
But he couldn't say that aloud; not even to Reyna. Because verbalizing meant admitting and admitting meant exposing and exposing meant things would change.
"Because, if I'm on first, then I don't have to wake up at a certain time to relieve you."
"But we're still sleeping for the same amount of time."
"That's what you think," Percy laughed.
Reyna punched him playfully on the arm. "I'm waking you up by ten, Kelp Head," she warned, then curled up on the hard ground and passed out almost instantly.
Percy kicked a rock and watched it roll into the diminishing flames. He knew it wasn't smart to have a fire going, but the monsters had been oddly scarce on that trip, and he didn't feel like shivering and being completely by himself in the pitch blackness. He didn't know where they were, but he hadn't seen real civilization for quite sometime, and there was absolutely no light pollution whatsoever.
He wished he could just ignore Reyna and her speculations and think about something else, but he had a hollow feeling in the pit of his stomach. Lupa had taught him to trust his instincts and let his senses lead him, but then he just wanted to tune everything else out and get back to camp. There was always some problem or another brewing, but it usually blew over before escalating into a catastrophe. This would do the same, he reassured himself. It was probably just something stupid, like Jupiter and his father fighting again.
"She's right, you know." His head snapped up in the direction of the woman's voice. "You're both right, actually," she added as an afterthought.
"Juno." He muttered. He wished he could be surprised, but he'd been expecting this for too long. She kept coming in dreams; dreams he wanted nothing to do with. He ignored them. Lately, he'd even taken to not sleeping. Drastic measures, perhaps, but it was easier than actually responding to her.
The goddess narrowed her icy blue eyes.
"You'd think heroes would have some more respect," Juno sniffed
"Why do you keep appearing to me?" Percy demanded, ignoring her comment.
"Why, why, why," the goddess sighed, picking at her nails. "Always straight to the point. I'd thought you'd gotten less stubborn over the years, Perseus."
"Don't call me that," he snapped angrily.
Juno's cold lips turned into a devious smirk. "As you wish, Perseus."
"It's Percy," he corrected through gritted teeth. He was still incredulous that his mother had chosen to name him after a son of Zeus; basically his alter-ego. Her reasons made good enough sense, but it still drove him crazy.
"Mmm," she murmured lazily, looking up from her nails and focusing her eyes on him. Juno's irises seemed to see right into Percy. "See, Percy, you keep shutting me down whenever I try to visit you in dreams. I had not wanted to come and see you in person, but you leave me no choice."
"Why do you have to see me at all?" Percy asked skeptically. He knew that when gods cross half-bloods' paths, it didn't normally end well.
"I just told you," Juno said calmly. "Because you're right."
Percy's mouth went dry. "I figured that."
"And, of course," she continued, "You're going to help me."
Which just went to show that he didn't have a choice. Juno's plans were never simple, and always dangerous, or just completely insane. She messed with too much; went too far, and then she blamed it on something else. Things were going to get really messy really fast.
His stomach twisted. He had a pretty good idea of what she was going to ask. She'd been lecturing him on Greek history for weeks, and some of the things she said confirmed rumors that Octavian spread around the camp. There were few things Percy hated more than when the scrawny legacy was right about something, but it did seem like a Greek camp existed somewhere.
The edges of her lips curled up into something that could be described as a smile, but it only held cruelty and malice. "As Romans are to Lupa, Greeks are to Chiron."
Percy wished he could make her take it back; gather up the words floating freely in the air and cram them back down her throat, one by one. He didn't want to know. Now that he was within the circle of knowing, she could use him. He felt the shift in the air; the change that had come because of that simple statement.
Percy stiffened. "You want me to—"
"Switch, Percy," she confirmed. "I want you to switch.
He almost laughed. She couldn't be serious.
The goddess laughed bitterly. "Oh, child, I have great expectations for you. You will be my champion, if only you allow me to..." she stopped. He found the pause unsettling. "assist you."
The tone in which she spoke was hardly believable. He narrowed his eyes. A pity; such beautiful eyes should not be filled with hate. "How many heroes have you given that speech to?"
The goddess laughed again, but lightly. Musically. As if something was genuinely funny, which she knew would annoy him. "You are wise, Perseus," she taunted. It was anything but a compliment. He was all too aware of the tricks she had up her sleeves; a fact for which she hated him. "What does it matter if I have given this speech before? It is only the truth."
"You're a liar," he spat. "Just admit it: you don't care what happens to me, as long as I do as you say."
"I do care," Juno insisted. "I would not send you if I did not know that you were capable," she admitted.
That caught Percy off guard. Whenever he saw Juno, it was usually just so she could criticize him on something, anything, everything.
"How about sending a certain favorite hero of yours?" He snarled, not quite ready to buy into her little game just yet. Something was off. He could feel it. She was hiding something; cleverly dodging something that might squelch any chance of him agreeing.
She looked startled for a second. Unfortunately, she quickly regained her composure. "You mean Jason?" She asked, though, of course, she knew the answer already. "Please," she said, amused; a smirk painted on her lips. "I highly doubt he'd handle it well there."
If that didn't set off the alarms in his head, nothing would. She never said anything negative about Jason.
Juno gritted her teeth, silently cursing Lupa. She had taught him far too well, and far too much, at that. She couldn't earn his trust if his guard was up. She decided it might be good for a topic change. "The stronger the Titan Army gets, the less likely we are to win. The sooner the Prophecy is fulfilled, the better."
"Wait a second," he held up a hand. "The Prophecy? You mean the Prophecy of the Seven?"
"Not exactly," she muttered. "I believe Lupa told you two years ago?"
Percy's face darkened. Lupa claimed it to be the right time for him to hear it, for reasons completely unbeknownst to Percy. The Great Prophecy was hushed and guarded. He'd never talked about it with anyone else. Not even Hazel and Jason, who were sitting in the same boat. They probably didn't even know it existed. "Oh. That prophecy."
"It may very well not be you, you know."
The strangest thing was, he knew it was somehow tied to him. It wasn't some intuition or anything like that, it's just that there weren't many children of the eldest gods. He should've feared it, but it didn't bother him the way you would expect it to. He saw it as a guarantee that he'd turn sixteen, which was good, because he never would have guessed he'd live that long. "I'm the oldest."
"Let's say it is you," she reasoned. "Don't you want to make the right decision? Don't you want to save the world?"
What kind of question was that, anyway? The glint in her eyes freaked him out. She was backing him into a corner, but he couldn't figure out how. "Yeah, of course."
"And you'd be willing to do whatever it takes in order to do that?"
"Um, I guess so." He'd like to think nothing would stop him, but in those type of situations, you just couldn't be sure until you faced it head on.
"Well that's encouraging," Juno muttered, with heavy sarcasm. She held his gaze for a second, before clearing her throat and continuing. "You have a lot of friends, and you have a lot of enemies, but as long as your friends outweigh your enemies, you're in good shape. See, everyone trusts you. Everyone likes you. There's something about you that makes people feel at ease. These are qualities that you need to be a leader."
Percy huffed, exasperated. "What does this have to do with Greeks?"
"They need a leader."
He was about five seconds away from deciding she'd completely lost her mind. Her reasoning didn't make any sense whatsoever. If they needed a leader so desperately, someone should stand up and fill that position. A Greek should stand up.
She answered his questions, as though reading his thoughts (which she probably was). "Don't you get it? The Great Prophecy and the leaders of the camps are connected. I don't know about you, but I would not want to rush into a war being lead by someone who I knew couldn't put an end to it."
Any other Roman would've jumped at the chance to go conquer a new camp, but Percy had never wanted power. He didn't like the spotlight, although it seemed he was always forced into it. There were so many others who were so much better cut out for a situation like that. Even if he did agree, did she actually think the Greeks would accept him? Who was he to go in and demand respect from a camp who had their own way of doing things? They wouldn't want his leadership, and they would never put him in a position of power.
All at once, Percy realized why she was asking him, of all people; why she'd been keeping her discussions with him a secret; why no other Roman would want to take the job. It wasn't about power at all, it was about conformity. And lying.
She was asking him to give up his whole life.
"Camp Jupiter has two capable leaders," Juno said. She spoke quietly and carefully, choosing her words with extreme precision. "Humbling yourself is something you do best, Perseus. I was hoping you'd put that into action and do what you know is right."
Percy cursed under his breath. What was he supposed to say to that? She'd set it up in such a way that he couldn't refuse. Typical. She made it look like he had a choice in the matter. He was pretty sure that even if he did refuse, she'd force him to go. But really, what had he expected? That's the way Juno worked. And she'd already decided his future for him.
. . .
"Get up," Reyna ordered, nudging him with her foot. She'd been up for hours and was bored as heck. The sun was up. They had to move. And frankly, mornings drained all the compassion out of her.
"No," Percy moaned, wishing he wasn't on the ground so he had a pillow to bury his head under. "Go away."
He'd reached the conclusion that no sleep at all was better than limited sleep. If you did rest, you were all groggy and irritated when you woke up. Sleep deprived demigods rarely did well in the real world.
"Come on," she insisted and kicked him harder in the ribs. Percy winced and groaned. He whacked her foot away before she could kick him a third time and rolled over.
"I'm sick of being in the woods, and I'm starving. Into the mortal cities."
Percy opened his eyes just enough to glare at her tiredly and raised a hand to shade his eyes from the intrusive sunlight. "Sleep first. Food later."
"I don't think so," Reyna shook her head firmly, hands on her hips. "Anyway, I decided to time you. I went to bed at nine, got up at three. It's ten now. You should be thanking me for giving you an extra hour."
"It's too early for math," Percy pointed out, sitting up slowly. Everyone knew math was completely pointless anyway. It's not like you were going to stand around calculating the speed of which a poisoned chimera tail was whizzing toward you.
"You got eight hours of sleep! Quit complaining and get your lazy butt up."
"I'm up, I'm up!" Percy insisted, raising his hands in a sign of surrender. "Jeez, Rey-rey."
"We have a really long way to go, too," she rambled on, already starting to walk away. "I want to get there already."
Percy was pretty sure she kept talking after that, but he mostly just tuned her out. Reyna was in a sunny mood that morning; she'd probably had a dreamless night. Lucky her. Percy's typical dream had come back again, followed by a series of random but disturbing images that kept him up the majority of the night.
Reyna plowed forward and Percy stumbled along behind her; story of his life. She was headstrong and determined, and he was always faced with the simple choice of whether or not to tag along or let her hike off by herself. Finally, she had the decency to slow down a little, after lecturing herself got boring.
"Someone had a bad night," she teased, nudging him with her shoulder playfully.
"I don't wanna talk about it," Percy muttered.
"You're worse than Hylla," she rolled her eyes. "Such divas, you two."
"What's her deal, anyway?" Percy had been waiting to ask that for ages, but the time never seemed right. Reyna's family was always a touchy subject. Sometimes she was fine sharing, and sometimes she would get defensive.
She shrugged and exhaled loudly. "She's... a perfectionist. And a feminist. And prideful. She wants to do what she wants to do, so she does it, and expects everyone to be on board with the idea."
"No, I know all that," Percy recalled. Both sisters had an agenda, and if you stopped them from completing it, they'd leave you in a lacerated pile. "What I meant was... what's going on with her lately?"
Reyna's typically warm eyes hardened. "Her and Lupa don't get along very well. She doesn't approve of a lot of things that Lupa does. Like the way she shows favoritism." Her steps got a little bit more forceful. "Hylla doesn't want to have to depend on Lupa or the camp for anything. I'm her little sister, so she just assumes that I'm with her, but I don't agree."
"You really don't have it that bad. I mean... being a part of the legion isn't exactly a walk in the park," Percy admitted.
"Yeah, but at least you're apart of something!" Reyna exclaimed, a little louder. "Gods Percy... I would kill to be in your place."
Percy blinked. "There's nothing special about me."
Reyna laughed. She couldn't help it. He could be so painfully blind to his own success sometimes. "Please. Everyone knows you. Everyone loves you. You have a life established for you!" She continues, gradually becoming more worked up. "You have your friends, you have your spot in the Legion, you have weapons and professional training... gods, you even have a mortal parent."
"It could've happened to anyone."
"That's what's so annoying. Why couldn't it have been me?"
"Wow, thanks Rey."
"That's not what I meant!" Reyna insisted, laughing.
"Oh, sure. Watch you kill me in my sleep and steal my life."
"Yeah, totally," Reyna mused. "I'll tell them it was an unfortunate hellhound accident, and because I feel so guilty about it, that I feel inclined to serve in your place."
"How perfect!" Percy said with mock enthusiasm.
Reyna laughed, shook her head, and kept walking.
It'd always amazed him how she managed to do that. Reyna would open up about something; make herself raw, vulnerable, and exposed, and then be able to joke about the same thing thirty seconds later. Gods, did Percy ever wish he could be like that.
. . .
The wolf sat by the dwindling fire, alone in the dark. Slowly, a young girl emerged straight out of the flames. The wolf's eyes flickered to her, before she directed them back onto the fire.
"Vesta."
The girl bobbed her head with a childlike eagerness, her vibrant red eyes studying Lupa's face.
"What brings you here?" Lupa asked, still not looking at her. The young girl sighed.
"I just thought you might like some company," the goddess answered matter-of-factly. "You looked lonely."
The wolf laughed; so sharply contrasting with her personality and everything she stood for. A sound such as Lupa's laughter was rare, yet not unpleasant.
"And I bring news."
"Of course you bring news," Lupa said, rolling her eyes. "No god has ever come otherwise."
Vesta just shrugged.
"I spend more time here than you think."
"Yes yes, I know, I know. Always in the background, aren't you now?"
She did not respond to this, only sat down next to Lupa, resting her hands on her legs and her head on her hands. She looked so human, no one would guess that Lupa was talking to one of the eldest goddesses of all time.
"My sister will stop at nothing to get what she wants."
The wolf smirked; as much as a wolf can smirk, at least.
"Which sister is this?"
"My youngest sister," Vesta answered.
"That is your news?" Lupa asked, but not disrespectfully. "We have known that since she took the throne as Queen of the Heavens."
Vesta gently smiled. "Yes, that is true. But sometimes we need to be reminded," she replied, choosing her words carefully. "It's not always a bad thing, however."
Lupa turned to look at her quizzically.
"You see, she knows what she wants, and she knows what is right. Those two things don't always contrast. Sometimes, what she wants is what is right."
Lupa focused back on the flames, which had grown higher because of Vesta's presence.
"Why is this relevant?" The wolf asked. Vesta sighs.
"Like now, for instance. What she wants is what is right."
"And what is it that she wants?"
The goddess took a deep breath. "She wants to send one of your campers over to Camp Half-Blood."
Lupa's mouth dropped open. She had seen it all. It took a lot to surprise her, but this did it. "For how long?" She demanded, shocked that the Olympians would even entertain such a ridiculous notion. Vesta simply shrugged again.
"Depends on when she decides to send them. Of course, she needs their permission."
"Oh," Lupa said, admittedly relieved. "Well, that changes things. My students would never agree to that."
Vesta laughed wryly. "Well, that would depend on the circumstances."
Lupa did not reply to this, wondering what it would take for one of them to betray her. She wondered briefly if Chiron's students would ever betray him. Loyalty is a quality that she had never allowed to be taken lightly. She knew she pushed them to their limits, but she would never push them past their limits. She took pride in her pupils—the ones that did not turn out to be failures—striving to pay each one the attention they deserve. She was misjudged often. So many teachers think that each of their students deserved equal treatment. Perhaps that's what made her different. Her half-bloods must earn their respect. She didn't make it easy, either. But she loved them all the same, and she would do anything for them. But even for an instructor who was disgusted with failure and hated too much emotion, it was hard not to wonder if the feeling was mutual.
. . .
"Hey, have you guys seen Harry anywhere?" Nick asked upon entering the Lounge, directing his question at Gwen, Jason, and Percy, who were currently (rather loudly) occupying the corner.
Riley, who had been quietly working by herself, looks up from her paper. "Who's Harry?"
Gwen abruptly became serious, eyes growing wide. "Oh gods, Harry's missing?"
Nick nodded mournfully. "I was sure he was there last night..."
"Who's Harry?" Riley repeated.
"How could you let him get away?" Demanded Gwen. "What's wrong with you?"
"I don't know! Someone in my cabin probably—" Nick frowned. "Hey! Nothing's wrong with me!"
"Who is Harry?" Riley yelled, slamming her notebook down on the table in front of her.
"Jeez, Dakota. Chillax." Percy says.
Riley rolled her eyes. "Just answer. And don't call me that.""
The other kids exchanged glances, making her want to scream.
"You can't tell her," Gwen whispered. Riley couldn't hear her, but she'd always been a pretty good lip-reader. "She'll flip."
Jason and Percy nodded, looking anywhere but at Riley, who drummed her fingers on the wooden table impatiently.
"Well, Nick?" She singled him out.
Nick paled slightly. "Um..."
"You obviously know the most about him."
"My pet tarantula," Nick admitted. She immediately tensed, then remembered that this was Nick she was talking to. She shot him her so-not-funny look.
"You're such a jerk," Riley growled, her cold grey eyes boring into his head.
"I'm serious!" Nick insisted, looking at the others for support.
"It's true. Harry's his pet tarantula," Jason clarified, and the rest nodded in agreement.
"How... how did we not know about this? That's illegal!" She sputtered. "And you let it get away? What is wrong with you?"
"I'm sorry!" He moaned/, his face looking ashen. Although Riley was furious and terrified, she could tell the apology was genuine. She could never understand why he was so afraid of her.
"Gods, it's really out?"
"He!" Nick interjected.
She continued as if he hadn't spoken, her voice steady and controlled, "roaming around the camp freely," Nick nodded,"and nobody has seen it?" Nick nodded again.
"Oh my gods, Nick, I swear if that thing comes within a mile of me, you are a dead man!" She shrieked, pulling her legs up onto the couch and hugging them to her chest. Percy tapped her shoulder and she screamed, leaping off the couch.
"It's not funny!" She wailed, while they struggled to keep straight faces. Nick stared at the ground.
Jason sighed. "Okay, okay guys, seriously. We need to find this thing before it finds a child of Minerv—"
"Don't say that!" Riley shrieked again, jumping as a strand of her long, dark hair tickles her neck.
"Well, speaking of which, you should probably make sure one of Minerva's kids hasn't already seen him." Percy suggested.
"Percy, please," She groaned, scratching her arms and shuddering.
"I'm just being realistic! That's what he's looking for."
"PERCY!"
"Sorry! Gods. You'd be so dead if a certain teacher of ours was to hear about this little episode, you know."
"Wow, thanks. I really needed that!"
"Guys!" Gwen cut in. "Will you break it—" her voice broke off suddenly as her eyes focused on something on the floor.
"What?" Riley demanded, her head snapping in the direction Gwen was looking in. She inhaled sharply and froze. "Oh gods oh gods oh gods oh gods oh gods oh gods..." she whispered, her mouth barely moving; unable to take her eyes off the dark patch on the floor. Percy grabbed her arm and gently pulled her back, positioning her behind him.
"Harry!" Nick cried happily, scooping up the repulsive little beast into the palm of his hand. Nick started towards the door, and Riley pressed against the wall in sheer terror.
"Other door," Percy said, pointing at the other side of the room.
"Oh. Right," Nick replied, turning around.
Riley didn't sleep very well that night.
. . .
"I don't understand!" Riley ranted. "It's not fair!"
"Oh give it a rest, Riles," Gwen cut her off tiredly, picking at her nail polish. The fuming girl glared at her friend; a gesture lost on Gwen.
"You know what, Gwen? Last time I checked you weren't even allowed in the First Cohort's cabin."
"Oh please," Gwen brought her eyes up to the ceiling and back around again.
"I'm with Gwen, Dakota," Percy agreed. "We, get it, already."
Riley hurled her silver hunting knife and spears the cabin wall with perfect preciseness; missing Gwen's head by inches.
"Riley!" Gwen shrieked, and moved from the cabin floor to one of the empty beds.
"Can you please not destroy our cabin?" Percy grumbled. Riley rolled her eyes and muttered a half-hearted apology.
"What did she even say?" Gwen asked, still absorbed in her nails; which miraculously managed to stay long and perfectly manicured, despite all of the training. Percy chuckled to himself.
"Shut it, kelp head." Riley snarled.
He raises his eyebrows. "Kelp head. That's a first."
She sticks her tongue out.
"Not as good as Dakota, though," Gwen cackled. "Keep trying, Riles."
Riley narrowed her eyes at Gwen. "One day, I'll come up with something that will be better than any nickname I could have possibly gotten stuck with."
"Nah," Percy shook his head. "You never will."
"Y'know what, Percy..." she snapped.
"What?"
She made a growling noise in the back of her throat and refused to answer.
"You still didn't tell me what happened," Gwen reminded her.
Riley threw her hands up in the air and cursed colorfully in Latin. "Lupa only comes what, once a year? And when she does, it's only to insult us!"
"She just... made a comment about the Hunters of Diana, that's all," Percy informed Gwen.
Gwen winced. "Ouch."
The whole camp was aware of Riley and Diana's bad history. Riley had been one of Diana's Hunters for several years, but when Venus stepped in, things took a turn for the worst. Venus simply wouldn't let go of the idea that Riley was meant to be with a boy. Riley would repeatedly deny this, swearing her loyalty to Diana. The goddess believed her, until she caught her talking with a boy, and overreacted. Riley cursed Diana for mistrusting her. The goddess didn't have the heart to kill a former Hunter, no matter how deeply she had offended her, so she dumped her at Camp Jupiter. That was a year ago. The campers had gotten used to Riley's adult mindset trapped in her twelve-year-old body, but no one wanted to discuss Diana and the Hunters with her.
"Riley, seriously, calm down. She's rude to everyone." Percy interrupted. Gwen bobbed her blonde head in agreement.
"She's not rude to you." She sniffed, crossing her arms.
"That's... different."
"Oh really? How? How is it different?" Riley demanded. "I'm a member of the First Cohort, for gods' sakes! What do you have to do to get on her good list, anyway?" The girls both looked at him expectantly.
"I just... she just knows me."
"So you're saying she chooses favorites based on years of service." Riley summed up.
"I'm not her favorite," Percy countered.
"Yeah, okay," Gwen rolled her eyes. "She even calls you her 'Romulus.'"
"Oh my gods," Percy insisted, "that's a joke."
"Alright Percy, whatever you say," Riley sighed.

so... i get lots of views but no comments. Any 1 going 2 post a comment other than me and that other guy?

Lol could job! I am pleasantly surprised about how good this is. Lol its such a good iea, and totally works. Continue if you want <3

AWSUM!!! took me a while to read buttt awsum!!! and by the way imma girl NOT guy but honestly this is great!!!

i always assume people are guys.. just like how girls asume people are girls. it goes both ways sorry fireyes

Ill post in a few days most likely is thursday-saturday

^holly shit dude! this is awesome! u r my master! (hehe kidding) ^(^0^)^

rlly? i had low expectations.

Hey!!!! I'm back the reason I wasn't on was cud I was reading the MoA and I don't have that much time in the day butttttt now its the weekend! So post soooooooon or now now would be better though.

lol i gave u guys 2 of my chapters thats like 30 regular chapters lol

Lol :)

Chapter 3

Percy

"The plan is go to Yancy. Get 'discovered.' Blend in."
"So that's just... it?" Sally asked incredulously. "You're just... staying there?"
She winced when his face darkened, then shut down. She hated having to pry.
"Yeah. Until one of the Olympians sends me back," Percy answered quietly. He was still in shock that it was really and actually happening. After three years of waiting, preparing and arguing with Juno, he finally had to actually go. Plus she took his sword, which he was not happy about. He liked his sword. So basically: unarmed for the first time since he was a toddler, leaving his home camp, all of his friends, his teachers, and going over to the Greeks (ugh). Plus he had to go to some kleptomaniac wasteland and wait to be "discovered."
And Juno had the nerve to tell him to be optimistic. "You never know, you may learn to like it there."
As if.
. . .
"You're leaving tonight?" The Daughter of Pluto questioned sadly.
Percy nodded. "Back to New York, finally."
"No I mean like... leaving leaving."
He cleared his throat. "Yeah."
Hazel shook her head in disbelief. "I can't... how could you just... pack up and leave?" She asked, her eyebrows drawing together. "I didn't even consider leaving, when she asked me, and I've only been here for a year. I just..." her voice trailed off and the two locked eyes, an unspoken understanding passing between them.
"Guess this is goodbye, then," Hazel whispered, smiling sadly and giving him a hug.
"I guess so."
"But I am so not waiting four years to see you again. I'll be dropping in on you, you know, saving your ass and stuff," she snickered, and he rolled his eyes. He was smiling, though.
. . .
"I heard you and Reyna are heading back to New York," The wolf said steadily. It was rare for Lupa to come to Camp Jupiter, but she paid an occasional visit when things were tense, and tense didn't even begin to sum up the level of unease.
"Yes, ma'am," Percy replied, looking her dead in the eye and trying to figure out where she could be going with this.
"Maybe it's no more than animal instincts, but I'm usually not wrong," she continued, holding his gaze with her liquid amber eyes. "You're not coming back, are you?"
Gods dammit. (AN: get it gods? lol)
"No. I'm actually not." He answered calmly.
She didn't respond immediately; just stared him down. Her expression reminded him of the day he first met her; out by the Wolf House. She hadn't said anything then either, just waited for Percy to make his move.
"Well, Percy, it's been awhile since I've been this sad about seeing a camper go." Her voice was completely emotionless, but Percy could tell by her eyes that she meant the words. Praise had never come easy from Lupa, which just made it all the more shocking when she did pay you a compliment.
"It's been a long time since I've been so sad about leaving a place." Percy kept his voice strict and formal, the way Lupa had always scolded him to do.
"You're the only one out of this entire generation who's managed to grasp what I teach; my modern day Romulus. You're one of my favorites, Percy. Don't disappoint me. I look forward to the time when we will meet again."
. . .
The woman who had just answered the door gasped and brought a hand up to her mouth.
"Reyna!" She cried happily, and the two embrace. "I wasn't expecting you for days. It's been too long."
Minutes later, they were seated at the quaint kitchen table, catching up.
"So, sweetie," Sally asked her, "what brings you here?"
Reyna's face darkens automatically. She toyed with the last remaining cookie crumbs. It was supposed to be rude or whatever to always accept food from people, but honestly, Reyna would like to see someone actually manage to turn down Sally Jackson's cookies.
Sally gave her a sympathetic look. "That bad, huh?"
"It's been awful," she clarified. "my sister refuses to stay put. She keeps saying that she doesn't want me to see the 'horrors of war,' or whatever. But I'm the daughter of a war goddess, and a child of Rome. I can handle it."
"Hylla is a smart girl, Reyna. She just wants what's best for you," Sally spoke up. She knew Hylla well enough to know. The sisters had spent many a night in her apartment, and if there was one babysitter she trusted, it was Hylla.
"I know, I know. And I'm thankful for that, and I do respect her decision of not wanting to see war," Reyna admitted. "but I don't feel the same way. I want to live for something. I want to fight for something. I want to stand my ground, instead of packing up and leaving whenever things get a little unstable."
"Well, it's not like you and Hylla are joined at the hip," Sally countered, clasping her fingers around the green coffee cup. "If you just told her what you wanted, I'm sure she'd understand and let you stay at camp, even if she decided to leave."
"I know. I have to talk to her. Soon." Reyna twirled a piece of her hair around her finger absentmindedly. "I... I saw my dad last night," she whispered, staring at the kitchen table.
Sally gasped. "How is he?"
"A mess," she said bluntly. "I didn't even recognize him."
"Raymond..." she whispered. She shook her head slowly and blinked away forming tears. Sally knew better than to press for more information. "Oh, Reyna... I'm so sorry."
"Thanks, I guess, but I don't need your pity." she bit her lip. "I can handle it."
"I know you can, Reyna. But you don't have to do it alone." The woman gave her a warm smile and hugged her tightly.
"Do you know where Percy is?" Reyna asked. Sally's dull snort sufficed for a response.
"Do I ever know where he is?"
. . .
"Hey, Sunshine," Percy greeted her. By now, he'd grown used to the sight of Reyna sprawled out on his mother's couch, so he didn't think anything of it.
"Oh, hey," she replied, sitting up.
He scanned her face. She looked distracted. Her body was there, but her mind was miles away. He slumped down next to her.
"Are you going to tell me what's wrong, or not?"
"How do you always know?"
Stupid question. One that barely required an answer. So he merely responded the way he always did: "Because I know you, Reyna."
Reyna gnawed her lip. She wasn't sure why she bothered trying to keep things from him. He always wrenched it out of her eventually.
"I saw my dad last night."
"How did it go?"
"Horribly," she massaged her temples. "He... he hates me, Percy."
"Reyna, I don't think—"
"No, he really hates me. He wouldn't even look at me." Her voice was brittle angry, but also thinly laced with hurt.
"Reyna," Percy turned to face her and forced her to look him in the eye. "What happened to your father was not your fault. He got what he deserved, and you don't need to feel guilty about it. Maybe he does hate you. I don't think so, but maybe. Even if he does, it's just because he's looking for someone to blame for his own mistakes. You didn't do anything wrong."
"Maybe if I would have... I don't know..."
"Stayed home and let him abuse you?"
Reyna winced. Percy knew his words were harsh, because apparently even demigods were susceptible to Stockholm Syndrome, but he also knew that when Reyna was upset about something, she automatically blamed herself. If he didn't say something harsh, she'd make up irrational ways that she could have handled the situation "better."
"He never really hit me... just Hylla," Reyna argued.
Percy knew that was a flat out lie. He remembered the bruises. "Even if that was true, you still did the right thing. Would you rather have your dad in jail, where he belongs, or be stuck in that house, listening to him hit your sister?"
"I guess you're right," she whispered. "I just wish things could have been different."
"Thinking about what could be never gets you anywhere," Percy reminded her.
She nodded. "I know."
"Is anything else wrong?"
"I had a dream last night... it looks like things are getting really bad at camp," she said, talking fast and tugging at her hair; a sure sign that she was worried.
Percy figured she'd say that. He'd had the same dream.
"So go," he replies quietly, after a few moments.
"But... I need you to come with me," she said slowly, frowning.
He shrugged, struggling for a casual attitude. "I'll catch up. We just got back."
She blinked. "Well, yeah. But they need us."
"A few days won't hurt them," Percy insisted. Of course, he wanted nothing than to sprint back to Camp Jupiter with Reyna as fast as possible, but he knew he needed to stay put.
"Um... what do you mean? You have to go back." She let a little bit of irritation leak into her voice.
He wanted so badly to tell her, but the guilt just continued to churn inside him. He kept his eyes on the corner of the coffee table. "You go. I'll catch up with you later. I haven't even had a chance to talk to my mom yet."
Reyna hesitated. "I don't know if that's such a good idea..."
"It'll be fine," he reassured her. Percy wondered if she knew he was lying through his teeth. Reyna didn't seem to pick up on it, but he still felt awful.
"I don't like splitting up," she shook her head. "I have a bad feeling about it."
"Reyna, I will see you again. Don't worry."
She cast her eyes downward and laughed lightly. "Jeez. Okay."
"You should go back."
"And you should come with me," she pushed, nudging him with her shoulder. "But, okay. You better make it back,"
"I will."
"Pinky promise?"
He laughed again and linked their fingers together. "Yeah. I'll be back."
She laughed and pulled him in for a hug. "Bye,"
He took a deep breath. "Bye, Reyna."
. . .
"Hey, Percy," Grover bleated, running up to him. "I just had the most crazy—um, hi," he finished awkwardly, glancing at the girl standing next to him.
Hazel beamed. "Hi!"
Percy rolled his eyes at her bubbly attitude. "Grover, Hazel. Hazel, Grover. She's... a friend. I've known her for awhile."
"Hazel. Um... nice to meet you. Do you go here?"
"No," Hazel said simply, with no intention of explaining.
She'd been keeping her word: she did drop in, popping randomly out of the shadows and scaring him half to death. He had never been quite as close with her as he had been with Reyna, but Hazel always got it. The two were born only one day apart—him on the eighteenth and her on the nineteenth. If there was anyone who understood, it was Hazel. She herself had been just on the verge of agreeing to transfer, but he beat her to it (not that she really minded). She never stayed long, but it broke up the year anyway, making the burden ever so slightly more bearable. She didn't stay at camp—only when it was absolutely necessary—her main reason for going most of the time had been to see him. They had both needed someone to unload on. True, Percy had Jason, but Jason was a year younger. As they had learned: a year made all the difference in the world when it came to war. When she was with Percy, she could catch a break; and thus her visits became more and more frequent, and gradually longer as well. It wasn't like they wanted one of Pluto's kids hanging around anyway.
Grover sniffed the air and his eyes narrowed on her.
"Problem, Grover?" Percy asked him, struggling to repress a laugh.
"Um... no. I don't... think so—it's just... um—is she...?" he stuttered, then shook his head. "Nothing. Nevermind."
Hmmm seems like Grover can smell other demigods, maybe even monsters. It would be good to keep him around for a little more.
"Enchiladas today," Percy reminded him, nodding at the growing lunch line that snaked around the room. "Better hurry."
Grover sucked in his cheeks and mumbled something, then ran off to the line.
Hazel arched an eyebrow. "Enchiladas?"
Percy splayed his hands. "Don't ask me."
"He almost had a seizure, or something," Hazel laughed, shaking her head. "We must smell."
"Reek, I'm sure."
"Aw, I feel bad. How much does he know?"
"He doesn't know anything," Percy specified. "He especially doesn't know that I know."
"That's quite a secret you've got there." Hazel bit her lip, tapping her fingers on the lunch table. "Secrets, actually."
"And it's only going to get worse," Percy sighed, staring out the window. "I don't know if I really knew what I was agreeing to."
"Percy, it's not your fault. You didn't have a choice."
"Except I did have a choice, and I decided to lie. To everyone."
"You're not lying to me."
"You don't count."
"Gee, thanks Percy," Hazel said sarcastically. "But honestly, what could you have done? Even if you didn't agree, she would have forced you."
"That might be better though, because then I wouldn't have to feel guilty about it."
"You worry about everything but yourself, you know that?"
. . .
Unexpectedly and almost against his will, Percy started to appreciate the mortal world. It was hard not to, when it was surrounding you. He was both disgusted and amazed with their ignorance—they really had no idea. Jupiter and Neptune's fights had been labeled as some kind of freak weather pattern. Yeah right. He wished.
Aside from the Fury, monsters left him alone. Not that it mattered much anyway. Whether he was getting attacked or not, he still felt restless. Vulnerable. Cut off.
Still, almost without him noticing, he began to blend in (as much as a dyslexic, ADHD kid can blend in, actually). With every homework assignment, every lecture, every quiz that was passed out, he started to feel like maybe he could do this. After all, it'd been months without so much as a monster sighting.
But of course, he couldn't make it home safely. Something had to screw everything up, just like always.
The Fates cut the string. Percy didn't have much time to worry about whose string it is.
. . .
"It was strange," his mom told him, pulling a blue gummy worm out of the candy bag, "getting a call saying they were watching you."
"It was strange being watched." He was no stranger to being critiqued, but being sized up and tested was a different matter.
"I never knew what that was like," she sighed. "You were always on the other side of the country."
"Yeah, 'cause you kicked me out before I turned five," Percy teased.
"I was supposed to hand you over right after you were born, you know."
"I know, I know." He'd heard the story at least fifty times, but she still insisted on telling it once every visit.
"I wanted to keep you near me, but it just wasn't possible. I couldn't let you out of my sight." Sally's eyes got a little misty, but she turned her face away so Percy couldn't see. "You know, this is where we met."
"I wish you hadn't." The words came out before he could stop them, and he winced as soon as they were out of his mouth. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean that."
"Yes, you did," Sally sighed. "I'm not surprised."
"Nah, I don't wanna be mortal." He did like knowing the truth, instead of blindly living life while people sacrificed themselves to save him. He liked being a hero.
"But?"
"Did it have to be Neptune?"
Sally chuckled. "I suppose it didn't have to be, but that's just the way it worked out."
"Apollo's pretty cool. And he meets a lot of women on the beach, too."
She laughed outright, throwing her head back. "God of poetry, too. I could see it."
"And then I wouldn't have to deal with any of this."
Sally pursed her lips. "Well Percy, that might be good for you," she said honestly, "but I think it would be really terrible for the rest of the world."
. . .
Percy knew he was in trouble, but he never would have expected to be followed by the Minotaur himself. He ripped his horn out for good measure. He'd hated the monster ever since the incident in the supermarket.
Finally, he was at Camp-Half Blood. After almost five years of Juno begging, arguing, training, fighting, and waiting, he was at Camp-Half Blood, for better or for worse.
He wasn't really sure how he felt about that.
. . .
He woke up feeling like crap, and cursing Juno. It took him a few minutes to place where he was: the camp infirmary. Then it all came crashing back.
Crap. This is Camp Half-Blood. Crap crap crap.
Pretty sucky way to arrive, he would say. And again, it's all Juno's fault, because nobody should have to fight the Minotaur unarmed. She did it on purpose, obviously. Pay back because he told everyone she was his least favorite goddess (whoever said 'the truth hurts' was spot on).
His eyes focused on a glass on the table next to him. He recognized it instantly: nectar.
"Careful," said someone behind him. Grover. He'd really rather not talk to him right now, but it wasn't like he had a choice.
He ignored him anyway, instantly feeling better when he took a sip. He tuned Grover out for the most part, feeling depressed and unhappy: he shouldn't be here. His mother can't really be gone... mortals don't die that way... thoughts like that. Thoughts that would drive him insane if he didn't stop them.
"You've been out for two days. How much do you remember?" Grover finally said. He stifled a laugh. Two days? That's it? After all, he's been out for much longer than two days. He couldn't say that, though. He asked about his mother, and then listened to Grover ramble on about what a hopeless failure of a protector he was. Percy wasn't in the mood to be a good friend and tell him it wasn't true, even though he didn't blame Grover. He may be the protector, but Percy was her son, and it had ultimately been his job.
To make him feel better, he toyed with Grover. It was terrible, he knew, but it was just so damn fun to watch him squirm and try to dodge Percy's questions. Lupa would be proud, and if he kept Grover occupied, he could delay his meeting with Chiron. There was still time to back out if he didn't speak with the centaur. Grover offered him the Minotaur horn. He took it grudgingly and cursed Juno in his head. No thunder, but he knew she heard.
It was definitely more beautiful there; he would give them that: picture perfect strawberry fields, beautiful architecture, rolling hills, perfect weather.
"Come on," Grover said finally; the words he'd been dreading. "Chiron and Mr. D are waiting."
Great. Just great.
He noticed the campers first; bright orange shirts that so sharply contrasted with the deep purple he was so used to. Then the cabins. Beautiful architecture, but so obviously Greek. For the millionth time, he thought how wrong it was. He should not be here. The weirdest thing of all is that he was nothing to anybody. It was strange, being overlooked. Strange, but not unpleasant, ok that was a lie it was very annoying. Though he'd always been lacking in the power-hungry department, he just felt too weak.
Two men sat at the end of the porch, playing cards. The blonde chick was leaning against the porch rail behind them.
"That's Mr. D," Grover was saying. "He's the camp director. Be polite. The girl, that's Annabeth Chase. She's just a camper, but she's been here longer than just about anybody. And you already know Chiron..."
Actually, he already knew all of them. Dionysus, god of wine. He knew him as Bacchus, but still. He didn't know how much Juno had told him. As for the girl... well, he knew her type. A daughter of Minerva for sure... or rather, Athena. Probably an obnoxious brainiac who thought she knew everything.
Dionysus looked at him with bloodshot eyes and heaved a sigh.
"Oh, I suppose I must say it. Welcome to Camp Half-Blood. Now don't expect me to be glad to see you."
"Uh, thanks," he muttered. He expected Dionysus said that to every camper, but still, the look in his eyes told Percy that he definitely knew exactly who he was, and he clearly meant to say he was not welcome.
"Annabeth?" Chiron called to blondie. She stepped forward. He resisted the urge to glare at her. Thinking of Riley helped slightly. They looked freakishly alike: same calculating expression, same stance and build, and their faces could be mistaken if their hair was the same color. Even the disapproving look she gave him just screamed Riley! "This young lady nursed you back to health, Percy. Annabeth, my dear, why don't you go check on Percy's bunk? We'll be putting him in cabin eleven for now."
"Sure, Chiron." Blondie—Annabeth—answers. She couldn't be older than thirteen, but the way she spoke gave off the impression that she was much older.
"You drool when you sleep," is the only thing she said. Yep, obnoxious brainiac who thought she knows everything for sure, bitch.
"I must say Percy," Chiron turned back to him, "I'm glad to see you alive," Percy almost laughed when he said that. Chiron was happy when his campers survive. Lupa is the main reason that her campers didn't survive. They told the little kids that Lupa eating weak demigods was a myth, but Percy would be the first to tell you it really had happened more than once. "It's been a long time since I've made a house call to a potential camper. I'd hate to think I've wasted my time."
"House call?"
"My year at Yancy Academy, to instruct you. We have satyrs at most schools, of course, keeping a lookout. But Grover alerted me as soon as he met you. He sensed you were something special, so I decided to come upstate. I convinced the other teacher to... ah, take a leave of absence."
"You came to Yancy just to teach me?"
"Honestly, I wasn't sure about you at first," Yeah, and I'm still not sure about you, he thought darkly. "We contacted your mother, let her know we were keeping an eye on you in case you were ready for Camp Half-Blood. But you still had so much to learn. Nevertheless, you made it here alive, and that's always the first test."
At least the first test was the same. But Percy highly doubted the second test would be whether or not you would be eaten by your future teacher. That didn't seem to fit Chiron's style.
Dionysus barked a few orders at Grover, who looked about to pass out. Percy almost felt bad for him. Almost. Unfortunately, he was pretty sure he knew why Chiron would make a house call to assist Grover, of all satyrs.
"You do know how to play pinochle?" Mr. D eyed him suspiciously.
"I'm afraid not."
"I'm afraid not sir."
"Sir." Bacchus, seems much more annoying in greek form. Of course because he is greek.
"I can hear your thoughts you know.Well well back to pinochle, it is, along with gladiator fighting and Pac-Man, one of the greatest games ever invented by humans. I would expect all civilized young men to know the rules." He clearly referred to the Roman's brutal ways. Percy decided he liked Bacchus much better than Dionysus.
"I'm sure the boy can learn," Chiron said coolly.
"Please, what is this place? What am I doing here? Chiron, why would you go to Yancy Academy just to teach me?"
"Percy, did your mother tell you nothing?"
Percy so badly wanted to answer honestly, just to see Chiron's reaction. No, she didn't tell me anything. She didn't have to; by the time I saw her again, I already knew everything. Lupa is very good at explaining things. His mouth would drop open, and he'd demand to know how he knew about Lupa... instead, he just lied. It was easier than he expected. He'd met enough newbies to know how to act.
He kind of tuned the rest out, nodding absently in places that required a response. Juno had drilled him endlessly on how respond to certain situations. She'd be proud. He continued the conversation in a daze, thinking about his mother. His act was completely fake. But his grief was real.
Finally, Chiron rose out of his wheelchair into his full centaur form, top half a man, bottom half a white stallion.
Chiron must have passed Percy's quiet mood off as pain from loss, which was more than fine with Percy. He wasn't in the mood for conversation. The only thing that really caught his attention was the cabins. They must have organized campers by godly parents here, which didn't make much sense to him. It was too unpredictable. He noticed that his cabin—the Poseidon cabin—was particularly nice, which was refreshing after hearing about all that son-of-Neptune-bad-omen crap. And, thank the gods: also empty.
Chiron caught sight of Annabeth, reading a book on the porch of what had to be the Hermes cabin. They made their way over to her. Riley would definitely never be caught reading a book. Another difference. Too bad. If Annabeth were like Riley, they might have a chance of getting along. Unfortunately, it seemed as though Percy tagged her exactly right. She looked over him skeptically.
"Annabeth, I have masters' archery class at noon. Would you take Percy from here?"
"Yes, sir."
"Cabin eleven," Chiron said, gesturing back to the building. "Make yourself at home."
Percy glanced at Annabeth, this will be a long day.

Awwww the chapter ended. I was reading then it ended :( so post soon!:)

arent i like the best poster on fanpop?

Uh nope oldies ftw, but this is pretty good.

This is awshumness!!!! (Usurper high pitched girly voice<--) okay I'm running out of things to describe how this is because I'm starting to see that AWSHUM cant describe how completely. AWSHUM this is :)

ok ill post maybe tomorrow

Yes! *fist pump*

Awshum!

Time goes by so slowly, *sigh* dumb chronos

ok im a lier.

Awwwwwww. When u post? Cause really I really need to read another chapter.

plz post soon!!!!! I just found this place and it is great!

Heeeeeeeeeeyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!!! I'm back mah wifi is on so post right now.

hmm...... im really laze-e maybe

Ive also had the chapter for a while i dint feel like posting it. I just need to edit a few things then ill post.

Its finally here can u believe it? (if you cant believe it got see a doctor)
This took me a while, i finished it like 5-10 days ago or something but i didn't post it cause i thought nobody was reading this anymore or cared.
well here it is then:

WAIT WAIT!!!! 1 more thing, this will prolly take you 35-60 mins XD so get ready to pull an all nighter if you just joined my forum.

Chapter 4

In his time at Camp Jupiter, Percy had to deal with a lot of annoying kids. He'd seen basically all of the disbelief, stupidity, and bitterness he could possibly see in one lifetime. Newbies are right up there with monsters on the Avoid At All Costs Scale.
So, when he decided to combine every arrogant, obnoxious remark he'd ever gotten from a newbie into his response of "finding out" he was a half-blood, he only naturally felt a little bit guilty. It wasn't really their fault he had to be there; but at the same time, it was. So, he pushed the guilt down, because if he had to go through hell, he was dragging them along with him.
. . .
"This is difficult," Luke stressed. "I've had it used against me. No laughing at Percy, now. Most swordsmen have to work years to master this technique."
This time, he couldn't even conceal his laughter. He got a few strange looks, but everyone was mostly watching Luke. It was a difficult technique, and it did take a long time to master. And maybe Luke was the best swordsman the Greeks had seen in three hundred years, but Percy had been trained twice as hard and twice as long as Luke had. Just in case you were wondering.
Luke advanced, and before he knew it, his sword was on the ground with Percy's sword at his throat. Luke studied him, obviously confused and not at all happy that a twelve year old just disarmed him without even trying. Percy smirked, but didn't do it again (but only because Juno would have his head if she found out).
It was things like that that kept him alive and focused here: messing with them. Yes, it was very immature. Yes, it was probably stupid as he should be trying to get along with them. And no, he would not stop.
Blondie was the most fun. For someone so smart, she was really kind of gullible. On some days, he'd act like himself: quickly grasping the concepts of the myths he'd known his entire life. But on other days—the fun days—it was like she couldn't even comprehend how someone could not understand something so simple. She'd frown and her mouth would drop open and she'd go through it for the third, fourth, fifth time.
It was hysterical.
The worst of all of it was pretending to be friendly with Luke, when in reality, Percy was disgusted with him. Luke had it all. He didn't really know or care about Luke's history, but he doubted it even mattered. He'd heard some pretty horrific stories that he imagined were much worse than anything in Luke's worst nightmares. For someone to just turn their back on their friends, family, their entire life was just... it was horrible. And that was an understatement.
After the first few days or so, it grew extremely boring. It was an awkward stage—waiting to be "claimed" and to be offered a quest. The summer solstice was eerily close and rapidly getting closer, and it made him uneasy. It was pretty obvious that Chiron was too. Dionysus clearly had his "I don't care" act down to a science, but Percy could tell he was getting nervous as well. If Zeus' bolt wasn't returned soon, he was going to have to side with one of the fighting brothers. Whichever one he didn't pick would become an enemy in the future—and you definitely didn't want that. But as far as then went, Percy added it to his list of things that he wasn't supposed to know, but he did. Thankfully, he wouldn't have to pretend forever; only until they offer him a quest. But as for everything else... he was stuck pretending. Or faking, you could say. Or lying. Take your pick; because it didn't matter to him.
. . .
"It's been too long, Perseus," she sighed.
He silently agreed. Juno he couldn't stand, but he had always liked Vesta. Or Hestia. Whatever. Even the way she phrased things; the way she carried herself just made everything seem better. If Hera would have said that exact same thing, he would have responded angrily. It was just... different with Vesta, and it always had been.
"So..." she asked casually. "How do you like it here?"
Percy snorted. "Fine," he muttered, drawing out the word. "I hate it. They're not focused enough. They have no respect for the gods. They're obnoxious. They get their demigods when they're too old. And, I mean, really, how can they not know what's going on? And the Hermes cabin... what is up with that? And all the undetermined? Every Single one of them is going to turn on them and we're going to lose this war."
Hestia blinked. "That's quite an opinion."
"Maybe I'm a little biased."
"Really? You don't say!" she exclaimed, her personality shifting into more of a Roman form. The goddess pursed her lips and slowly reached out to touch his arm, her fingers lingering on the mark the branded him as a Roman. Hestia looked up to meet his eyes.
"Look," she began with a slow exhale. "I do not expect you to agree with them in any way. We both knew that you'd hate it here—at first. But,"
And here comes the speech... he thought to himself. Not that he minded, really. Her advice was usually helpful and wise, but right now he didn't want to hear about what he should be doing or what he was doing wrong or whatever she was about to yell at him for. She caught on to his irritated body language and flashed a warm smile to ease the tension.
"You do need to accept them and adapt to the changes. I know you will eventually; it's only the first week. But I'm just warning you; if you're bitter, it'll get in the way of doing what you have to do."
He didn't respond, but he knew she was right.
Hestia suddenly cocked her head and frowned. "How did they not notice this?" She asked, touching his tattoo again. He shrugged, not really caring one way or another. The goddess snapped her fingers and created a small flame that danced across the tips of her nails.
He slowly backed away from her and she laughed. "It won't hurt," she promised, touching the skin on his forearm gently. Slowly, the tattoo vanished, but just as quickly appeared again. Percy frowned and looked up at her for an explanation. "It won't be completely invisible, but it'll do. For the most part, it won't be visible unless you want it to," she continued, while pulling her hand away. "Unless you meet someone who sees things as they are."
"Like... a mortal who can see through the Mist?"
"Yes, they would see it. But it doesn't quite work the same way as the Mist does. If someone unjaded looks at it, they'll see it. Someone free of burdens. Unfortunately, most people aren't like that, so you shouldn't have to worry about it."
"Is that why I can still see it?"
"Well... no. You can see it because you're a Roman."
"So mortals with the Sight, Romans, and unjaded people?"
She nodded. "Which brings me to the rest of my speech..."
Percy couldn't help but roll his eyes, but not obnoxiously (like he did with Hera). She chuckled. "Do you even know why you're here?"
"Because they 'need a leader'," he recited, using his fingers to make air quotes around the words.
She moved her head back and forth, as if to weigh the legitimacy of his answer. "Well... yes and no. See... right now, Luke is their leader. They might not even realize it. But when he turns on them at the end of the summer, the camp will crumble and fall if no one steps in and takes his place. The thing is... those are big shoes to fill. And nobody is willing to try." She paused for effect, carefully formulating her next words. "Destiny is a funny thing, Percy. As much as you're Roman, you're Greek too. You were born a Roman, but you were always meant to lead the Greeks. You were always meant to be here, to turn from everything you knew and step up to lead them. And you'll be a better leader than Luke ever was, or could ever hope to be. You were born to lead. When you talk, people listen. And when you believe in something; be it right or wrong, people will follow you. I know you're not happy right now, but you need to be open and accepting. There is a reason we chose you."
"And why is that?" he asked, though he had a feeling he knew what her answer would be.
"Because it's your destiny," she replied simply.
. . .
The days kind of passed in a depressing blur after his conversation with Hestia. Being accepting had never really come naturally to him in the first place, and any compassion he'd once had had pretty much been trained out of him. It was his natural instinct to reject anything that was different, but he forced himself to at least try to remain open. Each day, faking grew easier and easier, which almost scared him.
Days turned into weeks. He was claimed, finally. To the camp, it was a shock. To Percy, it was a message; his father telling him to, "get the damn bolt, already."
"You know what this means, right?" Hestia asked on that night. "The gods are getting restless, and if you don't step in, things are going to go downhill pretty fast. If Chiron doesn't address the matter soon, you're gonna have to just leave on your own,"
Percy didn't understand why he couldn't just leave. It would move things along a lot faster and he could have some breathing room. He didn't bother to voice any of it, not even when Hazel came by to ask how he was doing. It was a simple question Percy didn't know the answer to anymore.
"You have to take Annabeth," Vesta told him the night after a rain storm hit Camp Half-Blood. Percy barely had the energy to protest. Vesta wouldn't allow him to win an argument anyway, so there was really no point in complaining.
"And you know, maybe if you would quit torturing the poor girl, you might actually like her," Vesta admonished before vanishing in a wave of heat and flame.
Percy huffed. "Yeah, that'll happen."
. . .
"You'll meet worse, Percy. Far worse, before you're done." Chiron said.
It didn't matter. He needed to get out of here, and if it was by packing his bags for the Underworld, then so be it. It was exhausting to fake something all the time, for weeks in a row. There was a part of him that wanted to not hate it so much. But there was also a part of him that hoped he would never start to like it, because then he wouldn't be... him. He was a Roman. If he lost that part of himself... well, then what did he really have left?
"Done... with what?" Percy asked.
"Your quest, of course. Will you accept it?"
Yes, yes, hell yes, I thought you'd never ask...
The minutes were painful as Chiron supposedly "told" Percy all the details. He probably knew the details better than Chiron, and maybe even Dionysus. Gods, they were ignorant here.
Percy hated playing the waiting game. He had never gotten along with Jupiter; his uncle was far too stubborn to ever respect him as a hero, and Percy was far too stubborn to respect Jupiter as a god. If the Sky God had anything; anything at all to use against him, he would. He liked to believe that the gods would realize that he would never do something like that, but over the years he had figured out that the gods didn't act logically. Even Athena often allowed her personal opinions get in the way of her decisions from time to time (though nobody was stupid enough to say that out loud). Especially when they were in their Greek forms. Even worse, their Americanized Greek forms. With every move they made, the gods changed a little bit. They slowly got more and more reckless and less and less powerful. They made important decisions with gradually increasing haste, caring less with each one. They respected almost no one but themselves anymore, and it showed. It was... unsettling.
It started to rain again. The heavy droplets pounded on the ground with a relentless pressure.
"All right," he said eventually, though he was itching to leave. "It's better than being turned into a dolphin."
Which was not necessarily true in his current state of mind. Dolphins didn't have to fulfill prophecies.
"Then it's time you consulted the Oracle," Chiron said. "Go upstairs, Percy Jackson, to the attic. When you come back down, assuming you're still sane, we will talk more."
Percy noted Chiron's nonchalant tone. He didn't know much about Oracles. They were very unpredictable, so the Romans never used them. Augurs were much more reliable and considerably less freaky. Still, Percy had heard all too much about that Oracle. Most of it was rumors, but the last thing he really wanted was to go find out if they were true.
The attic was eery. It smelled like reptiles and musk, and something told him nobody had been up there for quite some time. It was filled with tons of junk from Greek heroes: armor, swords, shields, etcetera. It was still so strange seeing it displayed proudly on the walls, when back at camp they would've burned it; laughing.
By the window, sitting on a stool, was a mummified Oracle. It was a horrific sight, really. Her eyes were just glassy-white slits, but he had the feeling they were staring right at him; piercing straight through him. Apparently the rumors were true.
Mist pours out of her mouth, coiling around his feet like snakes. He heard a voice. The mummy—the Oracle—wasn't actually talking, but like Lupa, he could hear her. Or it, rather.
I am the spirit of Delphi, speaker of the prophecies of Phoebus Apollo, slayer of the mighty Python. Approach, seeker, and ask.
He paused, considering. "What is my destiny?" he asked finally. It was a question to himself as much as her. He knew she would just spout a prophecy about his latest quest, but he wished she would give him some form of guidance. Destiny is a funny thing, Hestia had said.
Suddenly there are four men sitting around the table, playing cards; an illusion of the green smoke. Gabe and his hideous friends. Why she would choose them and not his Roman friends; he doesn't really know. Maybe she was saying that that part of his life is over... for now, at least.
You shall go west, and face the god who has turned.
You shall find what was stolen, and see it safely returned.
You shall be betrayed by one who calls you a friend.
And you shall fail to save what matters most, in the end.
Oh, how lovely. Prophecies often had double meanings. Sometimes the answer was staring you straight in the face. Sometimes it was right under your nose. Or sometimes the words were twisted so you would never think of it that way, so that you couldn't have possibly deciphered it before the events actually came to pass. As usual, he so desperately wanted to know more, but he knew it was useless.
His audience with the Oracle was over.
Chiron was nosy as ever, but he didn't get anything much out of Percy. Grover was trembling as the details of the quest slowly unravel and it dawned on him that they were headed to the Underworld.
"You don't have to go," Percy tried telling him. "I can't ask that of you. " No such luck; looks like he was stuck dragging Annabeth and Grover along with him. Speaking of Blondie...
The air shimmered behind Chiron. Annabeth became visible, stuffing her Yankees cap into her back pocket.
"I've been waiting a long time for a quest, seaweed brain," she said. "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."
Anger flashed through him so intensely it was hard not to get up and smack her. Had she been a guy, he would've without a second thought. Reyna would murder him if she heard him say that out loud. You sexist pig! What, a girl can't take a punch?
He missed her. He missed her a lot.
"If you do say so yourself," he snarled, struggling to keep his temper. She had no idea what he's capable of. Oh, and how many quests had she been on? Right, none. "I suppose you have a plan, wise girl?"
Her cheeks colored.
“We should also bring Luke, we need a good swordsman” she said, “Us four would make a great team, I would obviously be the brains, seeing as how I’m the smartest.”
At that Percy took a swing at her but she must have knew she would get that reaction and slipped away with her invisibility.
"A trio," Percy sighed. "That'll work, I will not have Luke on this quest, bad enough that you're here." He said in the direction that he assumed Annabeth was at.
Unless it wouldn't, in which case they were screwed. They would probably end up killing each other, and it was pretty much a suicide mission.
"Excellent," Chiron said a bit too eagerly for Percy's taste. "This afternoon, we can take you as far as the bus terminal in Manhattan. After that, you are on your own."
Ooh, ominous music, right? Please.
. . .
Obviously, it didn't take long to pack. Just a change of clothes, some ambrosia, and a few drachmas. If he didn't get his sword back soon, he really might lose it. Being unarmed made him feel anxious; understandably.
They waved good-bye to the other campers, took one last look at the strawberry fields, the ocean, and the Big House, then hiked up Half-Blood Hill to the tall pine tree that used to be Thalia, Daughter of Zeus.
Chiron was waiting for them in his fake wheelchair. Next to him stood Argus, head of security. Chiron introduced them and told them he would be driving them. Percy turned to the sound of footsteps behind them. It was Luke, running up the hill and carrying a pair of sneakers.
"Hey!" he panted. "Glad I caught you."
Aren't you now, traitor?
Annabeth blushed like she always did when he was around.
"Just wanted to say good luck," Luke told Percy. "And I thought... um, maybe you could use these."
Percy was automatically suspicious, and he had a good reason. He didn't want anything Luke had had his filthy hands on.
"Maia!" Luke commanded, and the shoes sprouted wings and started flitting about like drunken pegasi.
"Awesome!" Grover exclaimed.
Luke smiled. "Those served me well when I was on my quest. Gift from Dad. Of course, I don't use them much these days..." His expression turned sad. The shoes triggered memories for Percy as well. Nick had a pair just like them. He wished, for about the billionth time, that he was going on this quest with him and Reyna, instead of two Greeks. Luke then tossed him the sneakers.
"Listen, Percy..." Luke looked almost pained. "A lot of hopes are riding on you. So just... kill some monsters for me, okay?"
Yeah right. What he really meant was, I hope you don't come back so I don't have to deal with you myself.
Percy and Luke shook hands. Luke patted Grover's head between his horns, then gave a goodbye hug to Annabeth, who looked like she might pass out.
After Luke is gone, Percy told her, "You're hyperventilating."
"I am not!"
"You let him capture the flag instead of you, didn't you?"
"Oh... why do I want to go anywhere with you, Percy Jackson?"
She stomped down the other side of the hill, where a white SUV waited on the shoulder of the road. Argus followed, jingling his car keys.
Percy picked up the flying shoes like they were poisonous (they might have been, for all he knew). "I won't be able to use these, will I?"
It was more of a statement than a question, really, but Chiron went ahead and answered it anyway.
"Luke meant well, Percy. But taking to the air... that would not be wise for you." Actually, Luke probably did not mean well. But for some reason, he didn't want to just throw the shoes away. So he handed them to Grover.
Before Percy could follow, Chiron caught his arm. "I should have trained you better, Percy," he said. "If only I had more time. Hercules, Jason—they all got more training." Percy only just barely suppressed a laugh. I have more training than you would believe old horse.
"That's okay, I just wish..." He let his voice trail off, desperately hinting at Riptide.
"Oh, what am I thinking?" Chiron said suddenly. "I can't let you get away without this!"
Mission accomplished. Finally.
He pulled a small bronze pen out of his pocket, and handed it to him.
"Percy, that's a gift from your father. I've kept it for years, not knowing you were who I was waiting for. But the prophecy is clear to me now. You are the one."
"The sword has a long and tragic history that we need not go into," Chiron continued. "Its name is Anaklusmos."
"Riptide," Percy translated, uncapping it and fingering the wickedly sharp blade. Of course, he knew all about this sword. He was still a little bit bent out of shape about having to switch swords, but that was the least of his worries.
"...And I should warn you: as a demigod, you can be killed by either celestial or normal weapons. You are twice as vulnerable."
He didn't mention imperial gold, Percy noted. He continued talking to Chiron for a little while longer, playing dumb about stuff he already knew. He finally capped Riptide and placed it back in his pocket.
"Chiron..." He began, experimenting. He wondered exactly how much Chiron knew. "When you say the gods are immortal... I mean, there was a time before them, right?"
"Four ages before them, actually. The Time of the Titans was the Fourth Age, sometimes called the Golden Age, which is definitely a misnomer. This, the time of Western civilization and the rule of Zeus, is the Fifth Age."
"So what was it like... before the gods?" The question didn't seem to bother Chiron. He'd figured out over the past few weeks that Chiron wasn't a very good actor, so he probably knew even less than the gods.
"Even I am not old enough to remember that, child, but I know it was a time of darkness and savagery for mortals. Kronos, the lord of the Titans, called his reign the Golden Age because men lived innocent and free of all knowledge. But that was mere propaganda. The Titan king cared nothing for your kind except as appetizers or a source of cheap entertainment. It was only in the early reign of Lord Zeus, when Prometheus the good Titan brought fire to mankind, that your species began to progress, and even then Prometheus was branded a radical thinker. Zeus punished him severely, as you may recall. Of course, eventually the gods warmed to humans, and Western civilization was born."
"But the gods can't die now, right? I mean, as long as Western civilization is alive, they're alive. So... even if I failed, nothing could happen so bad it would mess up everything, right?"
He knew he probably sounds like a little kid. He wasn't talking about this specific quest, he was talking about the Great Prophecy as a whole. Sadly, if he did fail, it would mess up everything. But right now, he didn't want to hear that.
Chiron gave him a melancholy smile. "No one knows how long the Age of the West will last, Percy. The gods are immortal, yes. But then, so were the Titans. They still exist, locked away in their various prisons, forced to endure endless pain and punishment, reduced in power, but still very much alive. May the Fates forbid that the gods should ever suffer such a doom, or that we should ever return to the darkness and chaos of the past. All we can do, child, is follow our destiny."
There was that word again.
"Our destiny... assuming we know what that is."
He sighed and trekked down the hill, feeling more weighed down than ever.
. . .
"Well, maybe if you hadn't decided to jump into the fight—" Annabeth protested.
"What did you want me to do? Let you get killed?" He couldn't just leave them behind. It was pathetic to run from a fight and let others defend you. And, as much as he hated it, he couldn't accomplish this quest without them.
"You didn't need to protect me, Percy. I would've been fine."
"Sliced like sandwich bread," Grover put in, "but fine."
Percy studied Grover for a moment. For the first time, it occurred to him that Grover might not be that bad after all. The realization hit him suddenly and almost made him feel... ashamed. All he had to really do was tack "faun" onto him and Percy never would've had a problem in the first place. Annabeth on the other hand... well, he doubted they'd ever get along. If there was one thing he couldn't stand, it was people acting like they were above him. His reasons went beyond pride or arrogance, it just didn't seem fair that people could write him off as stupid or unworthy before they'd even met him. Percy had never had a problem with insults, but he would never allow people shove him into the mold they'd concocted.
"Shut up, goat boy," Annabeth muttered.
They continued to walk in silence, until Annabeth matched his pace. "Look, I..." her voice faltered, and she took a deep breath. "I really appreciate you coming back for us, okay? That was really brave."
He kept his eyes forward, analyzing the legitimacy of her words. "We're a team, right?" It was one of the only honest things he's ever said to her.
"It's just that if you died... aside from the fact that it would really suck for you, it would mean the quest was over. This may be my only chance to see the real world."
"You haven't left Camp Half-Blood since you were seven?" Percy asked slowly.
"No... only short field trips. My dad—"
"The history professor."
"Yeah. It didn't work out for me living at home. I mean, Camp Half-Blood is my home." Her words came rushing out so quickly they stumbled over each other.
She really had no idea how lucky she was. It pissed him off a little, sure, but it also made him kind of... sad. It depressed him when people couldn't see how good they really had it.
"At camp you train and train. And that's all cool and everything, but the real world is where the monsters are. That's where you learn whether you're any good or not."
It was a good point. Camp could only give you so much help. He'd learned that only very recently, after another lengthy fight. Jason was skilled, and they were almost matched. Their duels always lasted for outrageously long periods of time, sometimes gathering crowds that dispersed after they realized the winner wasn't coming out anytime soon. Percy generally won, but only because he tended to get bored and reckless. Jason liked to play by the rules.
Yes, Jason, that's technically against the rules, the praetor, Olivia, had said after Percy had won a rather shady victory. but I don't think the rules really matter once your opponent has a sword at your throat.
Life had rules, sure. But monsters didn't play by them.
"You're pretty good with that knife," Percy admitted.
"You think so?"
"Anybody who can piggyback-ride a Fury is okay by me."
He couldn't see her clearly, but he could swear he caught her smile. The thing is... he actually meant it.
. . .
The last time he was there, he was with Gwen and Ethan. Percy and Ethan both hated LA: the people were nasty, and it was swarming with celebrities, cameras, and people even weirder than the ones in New York. Gwen, being Gwen, adored the place. She'd somehow talked both boys into traveling through LA, simply because she was bored. They'd spent the entire time running rampant through the streets of the enormous city, hiding and slaughtering monsters; their boisterous laughter echoing off the buildings. They eventually collapsed on the sidewalk, laughing hysterically.
Nobody but them knew about that day. He hoped Gwen and Ethan would keep it that way.
A year later, accompanied by two very different people, he still didn't like Los Angeles. It would never be San Francisco, and it would certainly never be New York, but the memory made him smile.
. . .
"Father," he sighed, kneeling before Neptune. Or Poseidon, rather. The difference between the Sea God's forms was more pronounced than many of the other Olympians. The ocean is an ever-changing mystery: enchanting, but forbidding. Stunning and gorgeous, yet deadly. One side is reckless, wild, and dangerous, while the other is calm and collected. As powerful as Zeus was, those were qualities he would never posses. The Lord of the Sky was not nearly as versatile as his brother. Perhaps that was why he viewed his brother as such a threat. People were... enticed by the ocean. Poseidon drew people in.
"Should you not address the master of this house first, boy?" Zeus snapped. Percy kept his head down, but rolled his eyes. Shoulda woulda coulda, but he didn't, and he wasn't going to.
"Peace, brother," Poseidon said calmly. "The boy defers to his father. This is only right."
That was the way it had always been. If Zeus thought going to the Greeks would ever change that, he needed a reality check.
"You still claim him then?" Zeus demanded menacingly. "You claim this child whom you sired against our sacred oath?"
Ever the hypocrite. He sired two. The conversation was ever present. Percy's relationship with Jupiter had always been rocky. He was sired against the oath, yes, but he hated the way Zeus lead, and went out of his way to offend him. It wasn't smart, he knew, but he could care less. The only Olympians against him were Jupiter and Minerva (Now Ares is against him as well; but it's pretty easy to figure out that Ares is all talk). There was no way the Council would ever take action against him (he thinks).
"I have admitted my wrongdoing," Poseidon replied frostily. "Now I would hear him speak."
Wrongdoing. Way to make your kid feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Gee, Dad, thanks. Remind me why I'm always saving your sorry ass, will you?
"I have spared him once already," Zeus grumbled. "Daring to fly through my domain ... pah! I should have blasted him out of the sky for his impudence."
"And risk destroying your own master bolt?" Poseidon asked calmly. "Let us hear him out, brother."
Zeus grumbled some more. "I shall listen," he decided. "Then I shall make up my mind whether or not to cast this boy down from Olympus."
"Perseus," Poseidon ordered. "Look at me."
He winced at his name. It was like nails on a chalkboard for him. It was not the first time he had met his father, but it was one of his only. He looked up, putting years of hatred, disapproval, and anger in his eyes. Every thought he'd ever had against his father ran through his mind again, every time he was left on the outside for being better than the others, every time that a child of Zeus got what he deserved; what he had worked for.
"Address Lord Zeus, boy," Poseidon said finally. "Tell him your story."
So he told Zeus everything, just as it happened. Slowly Percy retrieved the metal cylinder, crackling and sparking in the Sky God's presence.
There was a long silence, broken only by the crackle of the hearth fire.
Zeus opened his palm and the bolt flew into it. As he closed his fist, the metallic points flared with electricity, until he was holding what looked more like the classic thunderbolt, a twenty-foot javelin of arcing, hissing energy.
"I sense the boy tells the truth," Zeus muttered under his breath.
After so many years of serving them, it still shocked Percy how little respect they had for their heroes. Had he ever lied to them before? Why wouldn't he be telling the truth?
"But that Ares would do such a thing... it is most unlike him."
"He is proud and impulsive," Poseidon growled. "It runs in the family."
"Lord?" Percy interjected.
"Yes?" the two gods answered in unison.
"Ares didn't act alone. Someone else—something else—came up with the idea." He saw recognition flare behind Zeus's eyes. He was treading on dangerous territory, but someone needed to address the issue.
He described all his dreams, and the feeling he'd had on the beach, that momentary breath of evil that had seemed to stop the world, as well as the activity on Mount Tam. He didn't even bother mentioning Luke; they would find out soon enough.
"In the dreams," Percy continued warily, "the voice told me to bring the bolt to the Underworld. Ares hinted that he'd been having dreams, too. I think he was being used, just as I was, to start a war."
"You are accusing Hades, after all?" Zeus demanded. Percy took a deep breath, struggling not to snap at Zeus. He hated the god, but he had no wish to turn into a pile of fried, smoking molecules.
"No," He said firmly. "Lord Zeus, I've been in the presence of Hades. This feeling on the beach was different. It was the same thing I felt when I got close to that pit. That was the entrance to Tartarus. Something powerful and evil is stirring down there... something even older than the gods. You can't avoid it any longer. It's inevitable."
Zeus and Poseidon had a quick discussion in Ancient Greek, until Zeus held up his hand angrily. "We will speak of this no more," he ordered. Percy gritted his teeth, but kept his mouth shut.
"I must go personally to purify this thunderbolt in the waters of Lemnos, to remove the human taint from its metal."
Zeus rose and studied the young hero at his feet. His expression softened just a fraction of a degree. "You have done me a service, boy. Few heroes could have accomplished as much."
Saying Percy was shocked would be an understatement, but he maintained his composure. "I had help, sir," he forced himself to say. "Grover Underwood and Annabeth Chase."
Zeus nodded thoughtfully. "To show you my thanks, I shall spare your life. I do not trust you, Perseus Jackson. I do not like what your arrival means for the future of Olympus. But for the sake of peace in the family, I shall let you live."
They really might want to start treating heroes better. It was no mystery to Percy why Luke joined the Titans, which could only mean hundreds of demigods would follow suit. Heroes were underappreciated and disregarded far too often. After all the times he'd risked his life to help them out, after every little errand he'd run for the gods, Zeus still didn't trust him.
"Um... thank you, sir," Percy managed to get out.
"Do not presume to fly again. Do not let me find you here when I return. Otherwise you shall taste this bolt. And it shall be your last sensation."
Thunder shook the palace. With a blinding flash of lightning, Zeus vanished.
"Your uncle," Poseidon sighed, "has always had a flair for dramatic exits. I think he would've done well as the god of theater."
"Sir," Percy attempted, "what was in that pit?"
It was not really a question, he just wanted to see a god actually stand up and face it, for once.
"Have you not guessed?" Poseidon cleverly stepped around answering.
"Kronos. King of the Titans."
Even in the throne room of Olympus, far away from Tartarus, the name Kronos darkened the room, made the hearth fire seem not quite so warm.
Poseidon gripped his trident. "In the First War, Percy, Zeus cut our father Kronos into a thousand pieces, just as Kronos had done to his own father, Ouranos. Zeus cast Kronos's remains into the darkest pit of Tartarus. The Titan army was scattered, their mountain fortress on Etna destroyed, their monstrous allies driven to the farthest corners of the earth. And yet Titans cannot die, any more than we gods can. Whatever is left of Kronos is still alive in some hideous way, still conscious in his eternal pain, still hungering for power."
"He's healing," Percy insisted, annoyed. "He's coming back."
Poseidon shook his head firmly. "From time to time, over the eons, Kronos has stirred. He enters men's nightmares and breathes evil thoughts. He wakens restless monsters from the depths. But to suggest he could rise from the pit is another thing."
"That's what he intends, Father. That's what he said."
Poseidon didn't speak for a long time.
"Lord Zeus has closed discussion on this matter. He will not allow talk of Kronos. You have completed your quest, child. That is all you need to do."
"As you wish," Percy just barely managed to utter the words. "Father,"
There was so much venom and malice combined into that one word that the Sea God winced, although a faint smile played on his lips. "Obedience never did come naturally to you."
Percy didn't respond. Of course he'd been told that before, but people just had to keep throwing it back in his face.
"I must take some blame for that, I suppose. The sea does not like to be restrained." He rose to his full height and took up his trident. Then he shimmered and became the size of a regular man, standing directly in front of his son. "You must go, child. But first, know that your mother has returned. You will find her at home. Hades sent her when you recovered his helm. Even the Lord of Death pays his debts."
Unless he found a loophole, which he nearly always did. But that didn't matter. His mother was alright. His mother was home, waiting for him, right where she should be. Safe. Percy found himself sighing with relief, and realized just how worried about her he truly was.
Poseidon's eyes took on a little sadness. "When you return home, Percy, you must make an important choice. You will find a package waiting in your room."
Percy arched an eyebrow. "A package?"
"You will understand when you see it. No one can choose your path, Percy," Poseidon sighed. "Not even Juno, though she will try. You must decide."
It seemed as though she already had. He was just so hopelessly confused he felt like he had no choice but to follow her instructions.
"Your mother is a queen among women," Poseidon said wistfully. "I had not met such a mortal woman in a thousand years. Still... I am sorry you were born, child. I have brought you a hero's fate, and a hero's fate is never happy. It is never anything but tragic."
Percy didn't respond, only let the weight of Poseidon's words sink in. He knew that. It was something no half-blood could ignore.
Percy slowly turned to leave, bowing and saying only a slightly awkward goodbye. He made it about five steps away, when he heard, "Perseus." He still tensed at the sound, but not as much as usual. His name was a part of who he was. Percy turned, slowly. He saw... pride in his father's eyes. That would be a first.
"You did well, Perseus. Do not misunderstand me. Whatever else you do, know that you are mine. You are a true son of the Sea God."
As he walked back through the Olympic City, all activity stopped. The citizens of Mount Olympus turned and knelt for him, their faces filled with gratitude.
. . .
"So the Mighty Percy Jackson has returned from his quest," Hazel mused, sitting down next to him at the beach.
"Hey, Hazel," he replied. He was actually in a good mood for the first time since he left Camp Jupiter, and even her teasing didn't bother him. He studied her expression. "What's wrong?"
She shrugged, throwing her hands up in an annoyed gesture. "It's been a long time, Percy." She said quietly.
He sighed. "Yeah... I know... there's a lot of time left?" He replied, not quite understanding what she was getting at. She knew he had to stay until he turned sixteen.
"They're really worried."
It was like someone flicked a light switch from on to off. His demeanor immediately darkened. "I don't want to talk about this."
She backed off. "Okay, okay. Fine. I just thought you should know."
Percy stared at the waves. They were only a little bit higher than usual. Really.
"Look," she said softly. "I know this is hard for you. I can't imagine what it must be like. I... I really admire you for doing this."
He blinked and slowly turned to face her, meeting her eyes.
She did her signature shoulder bump. "Don't get too used to the compliments. It's just... I chickened out, and you stood up and faced it. That shouldn't be taken lightly." She shifted awkwardly. "I don't want you to just drop off the face of the planet. I feel like I have some kind of duty to keep you in the loop."
"Are they really that upset?"
She nodded, her eyes wide. "You have no idea, believe me."
Percy groaned and bit his lip.
"I'm sure Reyna will come back to New York soon. You may want to let your mom know..."
"I don't want to lie to her, Hazel."
"But you may have to," she said softly. She gave a tentative smile and a hug. "I should go. See you soon." She stood up and ran up the beach, vanishing into the shadows of the forest.
. . .
The days passed under a thick haze of summer heat and fake smiles. He really couldn't tell you anything much that happened after his quest; the days all blend together in a pathetic excuse for a memory, a depressing blur. He longed for the times when Hazel Dropped in. He'd become quite dependent on her, and he didn't particularly like it, but it was so refreshing to drop the act for a little while and have an honest conversation. She was the only one who knew the truth, and it just felt good to have her around. He ached for home—his home, the only home that he'd ever known.
He went through the motions of being a normal Greek, alarmed when they started to have meaning. He was kind of happy that he can accept the Greeks... hating ate up a lot of energy. But it also scared the heck out of him. He was at war with himself, unable to decide what he should do or how he should be feeling. And before he had to make a final decision, he was heading back to Manhattan. He could finally breathe again. He could finally stop faking everything and it just felt so damn good that he didn't know how he would be able to make himself go back next summer. But he would just have to cross that bridge when he came to it.
. . .
Her lips curled back over her teeth and a low growl escaped her throat. She flicked her tail sharply, slicing through the air and making a shrill sound. She growled again and snapped her jaw together. Slowly, she turned and fixed her eyes on the goddess before her. She bore her teeth and made a low, continuing rumble in her throat that only grew louder as the goddess explained.
"I do not agree with this, Juno," the wolf replied frostily, each word like the snap of a breaking icicle.
A raspy, dark chuckle came from Juno. "I don't care, Lupa. It's not yours to decide. Maybe you should blame your precious little camper."
Lupa inhaled sharply and looked away from the goddess in an attempt to calm herself down. "I do not blame him," she answered bitterly, each word forced. "because it is not his fault."
Juno snorted and shrugged. "I gave him a choice. He didn't choose you."
The wolf looked down and sighed heavily. "You might've given him a choice, but did you let him choose?"
The goddess arched an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"
"Well, knowing you, you probably gave him a choice, but set it up in a way that he couldn't say no."
Juno laughed again. "But of course. Is there any other way?''
Lupa studied her face, then shook her head sadly and looked away.
. . .
The first time you get attacked by a monster after leaving camp always sucked, no matter which camp you were from. When you were in the mortal world, you could at the very least put your demigod life on hold, if not forget it completely for a while. But a monster attack always jarred you back to reality; reminded who you were and where you should be right then: helping out at camp, solving some godly problems, etcetera. But it was about a million times worse when you didn't feel much devotion to the people you were supposed to be helping.
Sadly, faking everything had become a routine. He didn't even think about it anymore. Like an actor, he slipped into this character; this... this fake-self that he had created who said things without thinking and looks like he didn't know what he was doing, who fought with a celestial bronze sword and wore an orange camp t-shirt and a clay bead necklace. It was so easy that he actually started to wonder how much of it was really fake. He always came up with the same blank wall of nothing.
And this is what was running through his head while he should be concentrating on, oh, I don't know, staying alive? Or, you know, keeping the giant bronze fire-breathing bulls from invading and destroying the camp? But hey, he managed to do both without concentrating at all. Or, rather, the other campers and Tyson managed to do both with a little of his help, but who's counting? He would've stepped in if he had to.
Thalia's Pine Tree was in a less-than-awful state; the branches drooping, shriveled, and yellow; a huge pile of pine needles covering the ground underneath it. In the center of the trunk, you could see the poison still oozing out of it, slowly choking the life from the tree and the camp alike. He'd heard about it, from Hera (who had refused to come to him as Juno ever since his first day at camp, and couldn't stand to hear her Roman name), naturally, but it was still kind of shocking to see this place in such a sorry state. It was slightly depressing too. He realized that he missed the way it was last summer, even though in this state the camp is a bit more like the Roman camp. That sort of attitude simply didn't suit the Greeks. It was odd to see them so somber. And it actually kind of bothered him—somberness didn't suit them—but he shoved the feeling down and refused to think about it anymore.
. . .
"You can't do that," she insisted, her lip quivering ever so slightly, just a touch of vulnerability showing in her eyes.
"Control yourself, girl," Olivia snapped, firmly setting her jaw. "You heard me. We need all the help we can get, and I'm not wasting my campers on fruitless searches."
"But maybe they won't be fruitless! You can't just... give up like that!"
"You remember who your talking to," she ordered venomously, holding the camper's disapproving gaze. "And I absolutely can. Watch me," she paused momentarily. "And in my opinion, there's no point in searching for someone who doesn't want to be found."
"That doesn't even make any sense! He has no reason to leave! You know he would never just abandon us!" Reyna shouted, not even afraid of Olivia's response.
Olivia glanced maliciously at the empty throne beside her. It was her co-praetor's job to handle the campers' problems. She preferred to glide over the situations and focus on the bigger picture. She needed to keep the camp up and running. The other praetor was always telling her she was too sensitive to be dealing with the kids anyway, and this only proved him right, but Olivia had a persona to keep up, and she intended to do it.
"I'll admit it seems out of character for Percy," Olivia stated calmly, "but until you can produce a more logical reason, we're going to have to cut off searches."
She hated to do it. For gods' sakes, Percy was just a little kid the last time she'd seen him. A child. But he still gave Olivia a run for her money on the camp knowledge and was an admirable swordsman. He was so innocent. So young. She remembered the way he used to stroll into the principa like he owned the place, and when he looked her in the eye Olivia hadn't doubted that the principa would indeed be his someday. It seemed like such a waste of a hero to her. Percy could've really been something. Still, the sensible voice inside her nagged that he couldn't be helped now.
"You don't even care!" Reyna shrieked, outraged, catching her teacher by surprise. Reyna was never one to act out—that was always Percy's job. She wasn't even technically a camper, giving her even more reason not to push the boundaries. Reyna smashed her fist on the table, cursing under her breath as she stalked out of the room, not waiting to be dismissed.
She looked so miserable Olivia can't bring herself to punish her.
. . .
"So what, we're under like, house arrest or something?" Gwen asked.
"Seems like it," Reyna admitted tiredly. All of the anger-fueled energy has drained out of her, leaving her like a deflated balloon: sad and useless.
"That's ridiculous," Gwen insisted, crossing her arms over her chest.
Riley bit her lip. "Well... it's been almost two yea—" the glares from the other two girls silenced her. She cast her eyes down.
"September," Reyna said quietly. "So it's been twenty-two months."
"I'm just saying, I can see where she's coming from," Riley admitted.
Gwen took a deep breath. "She may be right, Rey," she whispered, as if afraid that saying it out loud would make it true. "I mean... two years without a trace..." she pressed, choking slightly on the words. "Maybe he's..."
"He's not dead, Gwen," she argued stubbornly.
"Reyna, you're not the only one that's upset, but you have to face the facts sooner or later. I mean... you're kinda losing it."
"Wow, thanks, guys," she remarked dryly, running a hand through her hair frustratedly.
"Look, Reyna. I'm not saying he's dead—" Gwen tried
"Yes you are!" She argued, cutting her friend off. "That's exactly what you're saying! And I'm telling you, you're wrong." Her voice edged into slight hysteria—gods, even to herself she sounded crazed. Oh gods, maybe she was losing it.
"How do you know?" Riley challenged fiercely, her gray eyes dull and lifeless.
"Because I just... know." Reyna admitted, her eyes downcast. "I can feel it. And you guys know my intuition is almost never wrong."
Neither girl had the heart to answer.
"If... if he was dead... I would know. I just... somehow I know he's still out there alive."
. . .
"Remind me why you're here?'' He mused, laughing. She sighed.
"How many reasons do you want?"
Percy paused to consider. "All of them.''
Hazel chuckled. "Okay, well, number one, I'm bored,"
Percy rolled his eyes.
"It's just number one!" She defended herself. "Two, you're my friend, and I like being with you."
"Oh really?"
"Shut up. You know I didn't mean like that," she whined, punching him in the arm, although she was struggling not to laugh. "Three, the praetors like, went insane last night and put us on like, house arrest or something," she cut off the question he was about to ask by holding up her hand, "so I'm hiding out here. Four, I'm kinda worried about you, to be honest,"
"Why?" he demanded, before she had a chance to silence him again.
"'Cause you're not yourself lately... you haven't been for months. Sometimes you look like you're considering throwing yourself off a building."
Percy merely looked at her. "Oh, come on, Hazel."
"No seriously! You look sad." she insisted. "Anyway, five, I'd say we have about a day before they ask me if you're dead, and I have no idea what to tell them... and six, I have things I need to tell you, as always."
"What do you mean, house arrest?"
"She won't let us leave. Which also means, lucky you, we're calling off searches."
Percy frowned, considering this. "Um... why?" he asked finally.
Hazel shrugged. "Things are getting really nasty. Mount Othrys is growing like, crazy fast, and they don't want us out of their sight. But I'm pretty sure at least one of them knows where you are and doesn't see the point in letting them search if she knows they won't find you."
His frown deepened.
"See! There's the look again."
"Do you want me to be happy about that?"
"Well, no, but it'd be nice to see you happy in general."
"Look who's talkin'."
"Oh, shut up." she said again, flitting her hand as if to wave him off. "Anyway, when they ask, what am I supposed to say?"
He spread his hands. "I have no idea."
"Peercyy," she whined, drawing out the word. "You're not helping!"
He sighed. "Alright alright, fine! Just tell them I'm dead."
Her eyes grew wide. "I can't tell them that! They'll be distraught!"
"They're obviously pretty convinced, or they wouldn't bother to ask. They've already faced it."
"Oh, but you know Riley. She makes all these horrible hypothesis things, but when she's proven right, she's absolutely miserable. And Gwen's petrified of finding out for sure—most of them are. Everyone's all depressed, and if they find out you're dead, it's only gonna get worse."
"But then they can move on."
"Yeah, great plan, except you're not really dead!" she said sarcastically. "Eventually you're coming back, and you don't want them to be totally over you when you do."
"I'll deal with that in a few years," he argued, unfazed. Hazel took a breath and didn't say anything for awhile. "Okay, fine," she began softly, her voice just above a whisper, "but you have Reyna to think about. I honestly don't think she'll believe me. She's absolutely positive you're alive—and she's right."
He sighed and bit his lip, sadness seemingly aging his face. "So let her not believe you, then. Nobody will take her word over yours."
"But then she'll look like a crazy person!"
"Then that's the way it has to be," he said bitterly. They sat in silence for a few minutes. "And what about the news?"
"I already told you most of it. But Mount Othrys is looking like a serious threat. No Roman half-bloods—that I know of, at least—have joined, but the army's huge and growing anyway."
He shifted nervously, and she nodded understandingly. "So if anyone goes missing, search San Francisco," she informed, laughing.


Ok what did you think? rate it on 1-10. 1 being i will commit suicide, that was so terrible!. 10 being OMG IM OBSESSED going 2 read it again!

10, actually I've now read it three times, and totally AWSHUM!!!!!! So yeah post soon and don't worry I'm not disappearing I have wifi now so post soon

honestly, i think it was a 7 and it is very very VERY long

why did u read it 3 times???? ive never read anything that is over like a page in a book more than once.

Guess im just not feeling the love!!!!!!

I read it three times because A) I love this story so much B) I'm just that awshum C) because I'm crazy.
and ya no I just realized that on your first comment you said that odds are you would just stop in a few weeks, that first comment was two months ago. So congrats, and wish me luck. My first basketball game is tomarrow, and post soon!

great job at the chappy!!! plz post again soon! It is very interesting to see things from this point of view. I am going to rate that at a 7.5 because that was really good but I have read things so good I cried over every word of the ending and even some of the middle and I never cry. so great job!

good luck

alright i may post sunday/saturday

YES!!!! . . .

NNNOOOOOO that is 4 or 5 whole days away!!!!

when are you posting?!?!?!?!

uh... idk

plz post!

THIS IS AWSHUM!!!

hm.... should I or should I not post. I had time before cause it was during school, but since I have break I have abolutely like 5 minutes of time a day. Thats why im hardly on fanpop recently. Also Chance that I will post in the next 5 days is about 30% but who knows, maybe I will somehow get time. O yea Im like half done it

PLEASE POST THIS IS AWSHUM!!

But take all the time you want. It's your story if you don't have, well hey who cares. Just post. Or I will hunt you down and kill you.

Oh fucking yea? really? you will hunt me down and kill me, id like to see you try!!!!! XD

I'll kill you somehow....

Okay I hate my wifi. Okay first off if you kill him we don't get more chapters. Two post soon three why is there an exact copy on fanfiction?