THE SON OF NEPTUNE

PERCY

Percy woke up by himself in the middle of ruins. They had obviously once been part of a great house, but it wasn't now. He couldn't see much otherwise; the night was moonless. Where was he? Better yet, who was he? All he could remember was his first name, Percy. The rest was like reaching into a deep abyss. You knew what you were looking for, but it was still too far out of reach. Percy scrunched his face, trying to remember, but nothing came. What had happened to him? A noise like leaves crunching made Percy jump to his feet. Unknowingly, Percy reached into his pocket, pulled out a ballpoint pen and uncapped it. The thing in Percys handonce a penhad transformed into a three-foot-long bronze sword. The sword emanated a dim glow that seemed to give Percy sudden warmth. For some reason, this didnt disturb Percy. He felt like he had a hidden connection to this sword. Why have you brought him here? someone said. Percy spun to the direction of the voice. In front of him, two yellow eyes observed him cautiously. Nearby a female responded, It is the only way, followed by a growl that Percy figured was too loud to be her stomach. Unless if she had an excruciating appetite. Plus, considering the fact that Percy may be on the menu. Then the creature stepped out from amongst the shadows.

The creature was a gray wolf, except that it was twice the normal size. Around seven-feet-tall in height, the creature towered over Percy. The creature illuminated such power that she gave off her own light. Even with peripheral vision, Percy could no longer see the wreckage and debris that once surrounded him. Percy was now in his own world. Just him against a seven-foot-tall menacing wolf. Percy could see that he was wearing a tattered orange T-shirt that may have been used as a wolfs scratching post, blue jeans, and a fivebeaded necklace. Percy positioned his bronze sword pointed at the wolfs heart. (Or at least he thought.) The wolf hissed, baring its razor sharp teeth, each one as long as Percys finger. Percy looked up to find himself surrounded by a dozen strong, gray creatures. "W-who are you?" he asked, his voice more confident than he felt. Percy remembered somewhere that canines could sense fear. So it was technically hopeless for Percy to keep sounding upbeat. "I am Lupa," said the wolf. She was easier to distinguish with her larger size and foul breath. "I train young Roman demigods." The word demigods stirred back some distant memories, but like a fish, it flitted away. "But all of my demigods must first pass 3 tests, Lupa continued. Ones you must pass as well. Come with me." Percy looked around. The yellow eyes of a dozen wolves seemed to bore into him. Percy couldnt tell what they would do if he moved. But Lupa did give him permission to follow her. Even if they did pounce, Percy had an excuse to give the wolves a not-so-pretty haircut. It is necessary Percy, said that other voice again. Necessary for all of our survivals. Percy just couldnt trace back that voice, but it seemed too familiar.

"Hera?" Percy guessed. "Yes," the wolf, Lupa, responded. "Hera is the one who brought you here. We call her Juno." The wolf went silent. She signaled him to come follow her. Percys legs buckled. He knew he couldnt trust her. But it would be smarter to just follow her trail. Percy wouldnt have been surprised if there were any traps that lay ahead. But he had made up his mind. For some reason his body longed for adventure. And Percy had a strange feeling that that was what Lupa was leading him to. He followed.

Finally, after what seemed like a hike over Mount Everest, they stopped. Percy hadnt paid much attention that his face ended up in Lupas rear. She turned and growled. Percy noted that growling may have been one of Lupas hobbies. Because apparently, she was a natural at it. The forest they had been in earlier had become a rocky terrain. There were no trees or plants of any kind from as far as Percy could see. A few feet away from them was a chasm that was at least a hundred feet wide and went on forever. Boiling lava flowed through the chasm, melting everything that it came in contact with into goo. Percy wasnt a bit surprised how easily it took for this Magma Nile River to form. Lupa barked and all twelve of the wolves emerged from a billowing curtain of steam. Percy hadnt even noticed that they had been following him this whole time. Percy couldnt believe how dumb he was. If the wolves had been given any more opportunities, Percy wouldve been dog chow. Lupa jumped across the chasm with ease. The other wolves followed with the same agile motion. Percys knees buckled again. Did they really expect him to jump over the chasm with that much skill?

The she-wolf turned. "No cub of mine will hesitate in the face of danger. Jump or we'll eat you." Percy could just imagine the other wolves slobbering at the mere thought of tearing through his flesh. So with a shrug, Percy jumped.

He had a feeling that it wasn't the dumbest thing he'd ever done. He was falling toward the lava. Without any thought, he thrust out his arms. A welcoming power surged through him. Bit by bit, chunks of rocks began to tear off of the chasm, positioning themselves like floating platforms. Percy didnt know what he had done. But one thing was for sure; he finally had a way to get across the chasm. Percy suddenly remembered his elementary childhood when he used to play hop-scotch with his friends. And that was exactly what he needed. All Percy had to do was land on each of the platforms as if they were hopscotch squares. Besides, he had already landed on one of them. But it was definitely not that easy. The sheer thought of falling into the lava was enough to make his legs start quivering. This enhances the probability of him dropping down into the lava and becoming Percy Soup. Might as well go for it. Percy called forth all of his power and leapedacross to the other platform. And the other and the other. Fear had been his biggest problem. But it had slipped away like gift wrapping. After a few more bounds, Percy had made it across. Percys sea green eyes focused on Lupa. She nodded her approval. "Not bad, not bad at all, demigod. Come with me, you still have two more tasks." And once again, Percy had no choice but to follow the pack of wolves through the woods.

As they ran down the path, Percy realized he had dropped his sword. Once again, he reached into the pocket on the side of his jeans. There was that

pen, a single weight in his pocket. He decided to keep it. He didn't know how long it took for the pen/sword to reappear and when he might need it again. The wolves stopped in front of a river, or at least Percy thought it was a river. All he knew was it wasn't made of water. The wolves crossed and turned back to face him. Lupa chanted, "No pup of mine will bow to pain, hesitate and you will be our meal." Percy carefully submerged himself into the river. He found that it was not water, but acid. It burned him and his clothes. He was on fire. A sense of Dj vu came over him as he felt himself burning to ash. Hold onto something he recalled from, well from somewhere. Hold onto something, anything, it said. But he had nothing to hold onto. Was this how it felt when you were in a near-death scenario? Taking slow, deliberate steps, he crossed. When he reached the other side, the wolves nodded at him in what he thought was an approving manner. Once more, they ran away, giving Percy no choice but to tag along. This time when they stopped, it was at a boulder. The rock was covered by a thick layer of vines. The only opening was the one they had come from. Lupa indicated that he sit on the rock. Percy sat carefully, eyes never leaving Lupa. "No pup of mine," Lupa began, this time the rest of the wolves joined in as she chanted, "shall leave what's important for his weakness. Stay idle if thats what pleases you, until the true enemy comes." Percy reached into his pocket. He had a bad feeling about this. Thats when the voices came. At first they were soft, but the sound grew to a ringing effect. The voices so familiar. Yet so distant. "Help me Percy. I'm making a giant a bridal gown."

"Brother, help me." "Sweetheart I need you." "Percy, the Hunters need you." "HEY! SEAWEED BRAIN! HELP ME! PLEASE! BY ALL THE GODS HELP ME !" That last voice sounded so familiar. That girl needed him so much and her voice did funny things with his heart. But Percy just sat there, waiting for his true enemy. As if on cue, out of the woods walked a boy in his late teens early twenties with a scar down his left cheekbone. Somehow Percy knew that this boy was a son of Hermes. The boys eyes were gold. A double-bladed scythe materialized into the teenagers palm. Lupa and the other wolves turned and walked away. Hey! Percy faced the boy. The way his voice sounded, like scraping a metal against rock, irritated Percy. The boy emanated an ancient aura. His voice sounded ancient as well. Centuries older than the gods even. But something about this boy brought back memories that even Percy didnt want to remember. Luke? Percy said. The boys expression hardened. He thrust his scythe out at Percys chest. Thy name is Kronos. Percy grimaced. When he said that it felt like time froze at the mere mention of his name. Luke is dead. His soul rests in the Underworld. And you are soon to meet him, young hero. Fear me, Perseus Jackson, son of Poseidon. The titan waved his scythe in a circle and finally brought it to his side. As he did this, the titans form changed. Once a teenage boy, the titan became a ten-foot-tall snoring woman with mud-baked skin, raggedy torn robes, and the foulest stench. If you were to not take a bath for over a yearwhich you strictly shouldnt

dothen you wouldve smelled like a fraction of how bad this woman smelled. The woman loomed over Percy. IsnoreamsnoreGaia. Percy figured that it wouldve taken Gaia at least a minute to finish at least one sentence. He hoped that she was also slow. But he shouldnt have underestimated her, because a few seconds later, the Sleeping Giant pounced. Considering the fact that she had mud-baked skin, an incredibly bad sense of style, never in her life had she come amongst soap, and surprising agility. For the most part, Percy felt hopeless. But throughout his journey, Percy had learned that fear was one of his biggest obstacles. And he couldnt just let it win over him. Percy did the most appropriate thing he could think ofhe reached into his pocket and pulled out his ballpoint pen. Wish me luck, Percy whispered to himself. He uncapped the ballpoint pen and soon enough found Riptide embraced in his hand. Yet again, the scythe appeared in Gaias outstretched palm. Percy moved to block her first blow. The scythes blade had become some sort of multicolored slate. Some parts of the blade had a hot red glow, while other parts were pink and purple, and sometimes the dull gray color of plain stone. In a quick swipe, the swords connected. Ah, so you like my blade, Gaia said. It is connected to the Earth, as am I. Gaia continued to attack, Percy waiting for an opening to return the favor. In the meantime, he started sensing for waterthe only thing that gave him power. He found it, a stream just a few yards from the clearing. Slowly, he pulled it toward him, weaving the water through the narrow splotches of lava that dotted the terrain.

Percy held his concentration, but he could still feel his power draining from him. He needed a distraction. Percy knew that great deities loved to brag. "So who are you?" "I?" Gaia saidher voice sounding more ancient and powerful than even the greatest god or titanwhile fighting onward still. "I am the first mother, the mother from which you all came. Yes, even of you, you puny son of Neptune. From me you came and," she paused in both speech and movement. Percy couldn't even fight back anymore. He rolled away as the scythe bounced harmlessly off his shoulder. But that was as far as he could go; because Gaia had cast some sort of magic that made the earth cling onto the soles of his shoes. Percy felt like he was in quicksand. Gaia grinned evilly at him and, still sleeping, finished, "to me you shall return." Once again she brought up her blade. Percy couldn't move, so he did the one thing he knew he could. He called forth the water he had been drawing from the stream. Gaia turned to face her doom. The water rose up in a giant wave and washed on top of the dirt woman. She became a soaking pile of mud. With a roar of fury came from the mass that was dirt lady. A tree branch came from the side of her, grasping a struggling blond haired girl. She looked at Percy with pleading gray eyes, her tan skin covered with patches of dirt. Even as a blob of mud, Gaias voice still echoed in his head, saying, "Without her you won't survive. And if you don't survive, the quest won't either. For a quest can't succeed without a sword, an arm, or," she paused, letting the tension build, "a heart." The tree dissolved into the ground, the girl sinking in with it. The spell had broken and Percy stood there gasping for breath. What in Hades had that been about? Who was that pretty blonde girl? Why did he feel so strong a connection to her? And why couldn't he remember her, but she still felt so familiar? Lupa came up beside him. "Come now, son of Neptune, we must see from where it is Juno sent you."

Whoever he was and whoever Lupa was, Percy had concluded one thing. He was needed somewhere. By someone. And nothing would stop him from fulfilling his destinywhatever it was. Lupa gestured Percy onto her back. Are you ready? she asked. Percy nodded. And with that, Lupa let out a long, thunderous howl, and set off to the unknown.

ANNABETH

Annabeth entered the Athena Cabin and yawned. It had been a long day of strategizing how to find Jason's camp, the Half Blood Legion Training Academy, as well as helping Leo with the plans of his flying boat. Piper was a really big help. But she still seemed too smart to be a daughter of Aphrodite. Annabeths main hobby was to think. Not to mention that she was the daughter of Athena. But without Percy, thinking was the only way that Annabeth could ever fall asleep. And it only worked like half of the time. She just couldnt help it when her mind wondered off about Percy. These things gave Annabeth even more reason to hate Aphrodite, the dumb goddess of love. Just before Annabeth was about to jump into her bunk, Mitchell, her younger sibling, appeared before her with a not-so-good look on his face. And a not-so-good smell. Annabeth sighed. What now, Mitchell? Cant you see that Im about to go to sleep? But! Mitchell whined. Let me guess, girl trouble? Ever since Madeleine came to camp a few days ago, Mitchell wasnt himself. You would catch him combing his hair and all, every time Madeleine was to walk by. Even when people were like: Dude, you so like that girl, Mitchell would deny it. And worse, Mitchell was too a coward to confront her, and since Annabeth was the camp leader, Mitchell expected Annabeth to everything about love.

I was designing a perfume for M-Madeleine. Annabeth couldnt help but roll her eyes. Mitchell stuttered at the mere mention of Madeleines name. Sadly, Mitchell needed a lot of help. No wonder he couldnt even confront her. but one of the Ares kids, Mitchell continued, took it from me, added some muddy water to the content, which altered the whole fruity smell, and poured it on me. At least Annabeth now knew where the awful stench was coming from. Yeah, Ill help you after you take a shower. But this will take forever to get off! Mitchell screamed, waking up the other Athena campers. Good. Quickly, Annabeth shoved him into the nearest bathroom. Unfortunately, Annabeth may have gotten some of the stench on her clothes. She had nobody to impress, so it didnt really matter. Percy was gone, there is another demigod camp whos residents may have caused World War 2, and the world was about to be engulfed in chaos. What wasnt there to worry about? Annabeth closed her eyes, begging sleep to come and take away the pain. Mercifully, it did. But the dream that came later had made things worse.

In her dream, it was the first day of winter break. Annabeth was leaning on what had once been Thalia's Tree. She hadn't seen Percy since August. And now the pain and longing was unbearable. Sure they had messaged each other every chance they got, but it was hard to find accessible rainbows to use for Iris-messages, and the time zones really screwed with things. This would be the first time she'd see him in three months, twenty-three days, and forty-six minutes. A grin spread across her face as a sleek blue Mazda rolled up the drive. Annabeth immediately straightened out herself.

It was Percy. But what if he had found someone else? What if he saw her and realized he didn't return her feelings anymore? Or worse, what if she saw him and realized she didn't love him anymore? Sure they saw each other when they Iris-messaged, but what if somehow . . . "Hello, Annabeth," Percy's mother, Sally Jackson, called out. She looked awfully relaxed in her jeans and t-shirt. "How are you?" "Good, Sally," Annabeth replied as a car door opened and closed. She and Mrs. Jackson had become quite acquainted two years ago when she, Percy, and Thalia went to help Grover retrieve two powerful demigods. "How's the book coming along?" Percy had mentioned that his mother had written a novel. It had become a major hit. Luckily, Percy had promised Annabeth a free copy. "Not sure," Sally answered in a tired voice. "No replies yet." "Oh, Mom, don't be like that," Percy consoled closing the trunk door. "Its like Blowfish said, publishers get a lot of manuscripts. They probably haven't read it yet. That and some of those publishers are in Timbuktu or something like that. They haven't even seen your stuff yet. When they do they'll love it and you'll have a million different deals to choose from." He looked at Annabeth. Annabeth got the message. Moving ever so subtly closer to Percy, Annabeth added, "Yeah Sally, there's a lack of books that incorporate growing up on a farm with Greek monsters. They'll love both your writing and your originality." Sally visibly brightened, "You think so?" "Absolutely." Sally looked from Annabeth to Percy and back. She shook her head. "You two know me too well. I'll leave you guys to camp. See you after winter break." She then proceeded to lean out the window, give Percy a good-bye kiss, roll up her window, and drive away. "Finally," Percy said with a sigh of relief.

"Since when are you happy that your mothers gone?" Annabeth inquired. "Luckily, she wasn't telling any embarrassing stories about me or anything . . ." Her speech was stopped short as Percy pulled her over to him and gave her a hug. Annabeth felt warm. Partly because of the radiation of heat. Partly because Percy was back and the pain in her heart had subsided. "That is why I was happy for my mother to leave," Percy responded to a question Annabeth had forgotten she asked. They were about to turn and walk into camp when the dream changed.

Annabeth was now in a tree. An oak like many of the naiads in camp were. Down below her was Percy. She called out to him, but it seemed he couldn't hear her. Annabeth checked her head, not that her Yankee cap would change Percy's ability to hear her. Astonishingly, nothing was on her head. She called out again, but this time Percy took off, sprinting his way out of the forest. Annabeth wanted to know what was going on, so she chased after her boyfriend. Percy ran through the woods. Annabeth always beat him in footraces. But this time, Percy was running with such speed and stamina that Hermes wouldve been jealous. As he drew farther away, Percy never turned back to see if anyone was following and didn't bring out Riptide, his sword, in case any monsters came at him. Soon, Annabeth began to slow down, her limbs growing heavier with every step. Apparently, Percy did so to, until she was close enough to touch him. Annabeth reached for his shoulder and grabbed it. Percy turned until Annabeth realized that it wasn't Percy at all . . .

Percys form changed from the gorgeous black-haired teenager to a grotesquely entranced female. The woman was exactly as Leo had described her: sleeping, black hair, and made of dirt. Annabeth gasped and tried to run. She pinched herself but she wouldn't wake up. Finally she looked at the woman's closed eyes. "Gaea," she addressed the woman with malice. "What precisely do you want from me?" "Don't give me that," the earth woman retorted. "Since I failed to break lovely Leo, I'm going to give your dashing Prince Charming a try. Even with his memory erased, your voice affected him during his test." "Test?" "Nothing you need to mind," Gaea replied. "You don't actually have me. I'm sleeping in Camp Half-Blood," Annabeth stated confidently. "Yes, well, not anymore," Mother Earth replied. Her expression changed. For a second, Annabeth could see Kronos in her. "You sleepwalked. Ran through that puny camp of yours, yelling, 'Percy, Percy! in your sleep." Her imitation of Annabeths voice was surprisinglybut, annoyinglyaccurate. Annabeth found it slightly unnerving that the sleeping woman was so aware of things. "And they're looking for you now. Gaia paused. Speaking of which," Gaia said. Gaea snapped her fingers. Annabeth awoke, still in the woman's grasp, in the middle of a road that was about three miles from Camp Half-Blood. She struggled, screaming in her captors arms. Gaea sighed, "I hate it when my children are beaten. I'll go to any lengths to protect them and according to my prophet . . ." "What did Medea say this time?" Annabeth said with a dab of thick sarcasm. Suddenly, tears, held back for weeks, had started to leak from her eyes, leaving wet trails down her face. "That the quest would have failed

without Percy? That I would break him? With his memory erased? Yeah right. He's probably fallen in love with some other girl at his new camp." Her voice cracked on the last sentence. It was hard to imagine, Percy, the guy she was so dedicated to had left her. "Oh, my dear," Gaea said, pulling Annabeth closer. "My dear, he hasn't even gotten there to fall in love with anyone. Hera really didn't want his fatal flaw to get the better of him." "Well, didn't he have others with him, like Jason?" That, I cannot confirm. But Percy will returneventually." "She didn't want Percy to have friends?" Exactly. Now, enough chit chat," she said in her sleeping state. The world around them spun and shifted. Annabeth couldn't remember reading anything about Gaea having an ability to travel like this, but she wasn't mentioned much in any mythology after the whole having her kid kill her husband story. Gods knew what powers she was hiding, but being personified as the Earth, it made sense that she would be able to travel across herself. All Annabeth knew was that whatever Gaea was planning it couldn't be good. The spinning came to a drastic halt. Without warning, Annabeth began gasping for air. Tentacles of mud were clinging to her legs, hardening within contact. Instantly, Annabeth reached for her knife. But it wasn't there. Surprisingly, Gaia was smart enough to take away all her chances of survival, and make Annabeth completely helpless. Gaea had let her go and was walking around. They were on a mountain top the San Franciscan Bridge in view. The ruin of a palace lay around them and in the distance a man was holding up something large and uncontrollably heavy. But the man was too tall to be a man. He had power that felt more ancient than the gods.

Indeed, he is my titan son, Atlas, Gaia said. Annabeth grimaced at the sight of this titan. She remembered being captured and tricked into holding up the heaviest thing imaginable. Something, that if dropped, could flatten and destroy the entire world. That something was the sky itself.

REYNA

Reyna knew something was wrong when the black haired, green-eyed boy entered the camp. Lupa, the she-wolf, came bounding into the camp with the boy perched on her back. This boy, whoever he was, had something to do with Jason's disappearance. At least, that's what Reyna's gut told her. It was hard being the Praefectus Castrorum, or Camp Prefect, for the Mars Cohort in the Half-Blood Legion Camp as well as the Tribunus Laticlavius, or second in command. Everyone was always looking up to Reyna to fight the hardest and best of everyone in the Training Academy. Just because she was good enough to lead her siblings, the children of the war god, Mars, into battle. Reyna knew that she didn't have as much pressure as Jason had, being the Legatus Legionis (commander in chief), but with no sign of him for two weeks and no one allowed to look for him under pain of death, everyone was looking to Reyna to take charge. The Training Academy only got that name so that the demigods parents wouldn't be suspicious and wonder about the new school their children had found. Otherwise, it was a glorified military camp, tents pitched in organized groups. The farther in you got, the bigger the tents were. In the middle of it all was the only true building in the entire camp, the castra or main fort. Campers were organized as Roman Legions had been when they were in power. The only difference lay in numbers of soldiers per group since the Academy was far from six thousand fighters large. Even though, the population last summer had increased to five hundred fighters large because of the Titan War. A contubernium was nonexistent, centuria from six to eight people instead of eighty, cohorts 30 to 40 people, and 400 in the entire Legion.

The new boy had obviously never been introduced to that kind of organization or discipline. He slumped onto the ground, plainly exhausted. Lupa came loping up to Reyna, bringing her back to focus. Reyna straightened herself and saluted Lupa as she had been trained. Lupa and the thirty wolves that stood behind her, nodded in return to the greeting. Though they were disciplined, the fighters and leaders at camp weren't strict outside of training exercises. Some of the wolves laid down as the younger ones chased their tails. It was rumored those wolves were demigods that had been favored by Lupa and were offered to be with her for eternity. Unlike her followers, Lupa never relaxed. She stood at attention in front of Reyna. "Any sign of Jason?" Reyna asked. Lupa shook her head. She had expected no other answer, but she still couldnt help but ask. Her eyes floated off to the mysterious boy that now approached them. He looked to be about sixteen or seventeen, in good shape, but not as buff as the Roman campers. His hair was black and eyes piercing green that reminded Reyna of the sea. The clothes on him were worn and dirty, of course they were after the test, but at least they had held up well. Reyna turned back to the wolf. "Who's the newbie?" "All I know is that Hera sent him," Lupa informed her. Of course, that's all Lupa ever knew. She saved questions until after the test. "Well, who's his . . ." the boy reached them and Reyna stopped short. She wanted answers. They would probably come better from the boy himself. If he didn't answer, well, lets just say that Reyna had her ways to getting what she wanted. She wouldn't kill him; just get some answers from him in the way she knew best. "Hi," the boy greeted, with a lazy wave. "Nice place you got here. What's it for exactly?" Lupa answered before Reyna could. "It is a Training Camp for young demigods."

Once again, someone beat her to explaining things. Only this time it was the boy, not Lupa, who knew the answer. "You mean, the kids of the gods?" The boy had his face scrunched as if trying to remember something. Reyna and Lupa exchanged a look that obviously meant shut up. As usual, this was the one order Reyna couldn't obey. She tried, she honestly tried, but failed as miserably as ever. "Okay then, Mr. Know-it-all," Reyna demanded, "what's your name? Where did you come from? How did you know what a demigod was? What else do you know? If you don't give me a straight answer I swear by all the gods that I'll . . ." "Reyna, enough," Lupa ordered. "I understand your upset, anyone would, but that does not give you the right to go threatening strangers. In the old days you know what I would have done to you for speaking out of turn, but I'll show you mercy in these modern times. Reyna looked down, embarrassed. She'd heard the speech often in her years in training, but she never seemed to learn her lesson. Lupa turned to the new boy. "Now, let's start with your name and age, son of Neptune, and then we shall elaborate more." Reyna's eyes widened in shock. A son of Neptune wasn't allowed, not after World War II. So now, not only had Jupiter broken the vow, but Neptune. This was no coincidence coming so soon after Jason's disappearance. When Lupa was done, Reyna was going to take this newcomer to the training grounds and give him an interrogation of her own. Once again the boy's face scrunched up in an effort to remember. Finally, he gave up and responded to Lupa's request. "My first name is Percy. I don't know my last name or my age. UhhI guess nothing seems familiar anymore." Reyna just blinked at this kid. He couldn't remember anything, anything at all about his live, before coming here. In her peripheral vision,

she saw that Lupa seemed to be considering something. Anger settled over Reyna like a blanket. It was times like these that friends of Reyna said she was most like her father, Mars. Her eyes filled with a lust for blood. All of her muscles tightened, showing her bulk. Her lips tightened into a thin line as if holding back a scream. Some would swear that they could see fire burning around her. Not caring what Lupa's orders were, Reyna reached out and grabbed the boy tightly by the arm and started dragging him down a dirt path, his heels leaving a long trail of dust behind. She was going to get some answers, but in her own special way. Lupa called something after her, but she disregarded it. People got out of Reyna's way as she stormed through the camp, heading toward the training yards. "Where are you taking me?" the boy named Percy asked. "I won't make a good sacrifice. And I'm definitely not very good to eat." Reyna wasn't sure if he was joking. He tried to get a better look at her, but she kept him directly behind her. They were almost to the training yards when Reyna sensed Percy reaching for his pocket. She yanked him so his hand jerked away. She wouldnt have been surprised if the boy was armed. Or worse, Percy couldve been a spy for all she knew. So it was then she started questioning him, sure that the growing fear that must be there would soon boil over. "What's your Pegasus's name?" It was always best to start with one he obviously knew. Soon, she'd beat him enough that he'd answer any of her questions. They had finally reached the training yards. Reyna dropped him on the floor like a ragdoll. She balled her hands, ready to strike. Percy's limbs tensed as if in anticipation of a blow to block. His reflexes were probably good, but nobody had been able to withstand any of Reynas attacks. Reyna left her fists in a threatening manner, just inches from Percys face.

"Give it to me," she demanded. "What?" "Give me the pen." Reyna emphasized each word with care, making malice leak into every syllable. But unlike most new campers though, Percy stood his ground. "No." The word came out firm, not a single drop of fear. Reyna was shocked. This kid, Percy, was different, yet nevertheless an upcoming rival. Subsequently, Percy then proceeded to reach into his pocket and pull out a pen. When he uncapped it, the pen became a large bronze blade. The swords blade glowed of celestial bronzean ancient Greek metal. This kid was way too different to even get the chance of being called a Roman camper. Reyna concluded that he was a spy. Maybe from that stupid counterfeit camp that Lupa once talked about. But Reyna wasnt going to back down without a fight. She slung out her gladius, a short curved blade, from her sheath. "Fine, then," she said in a depraved voice. "You'll learn to respect me the hard way." Reyna swung her blade menacingly. The boy Percy stood his ground, not even flinching as the sharp blade came closer. When she judged the time was right, Reyna came in with a sharp upper cut. Percy blocked it with ease. He seemed to sense her moves before she even made them. His speed was more incredible than even Jason's had been. The biggest shock was when she finally made a direct hit blade on Percy's arm. Remarkably, the blade bounced off, not even a small mark was left behind on Percys skin. Reyna was so surprised she let down her guard. This new demigod was quick to disarm her and push her to the ground, the tip of his sword at her neck. Soon she could feel a trickle of blood flowing toward her purple t-shirt. Percy wasn't even breathing hard.

She stared at him in shock. This was not how the interrogation was supposed to go. This was never how it went. She always gave her victims a few scars, disarmed them, and put her sword in the exact spot Percy had his at that moment. No one ever beaten her in a duel but Jason and a few of the immortals she had decided to take on during her quests. Only now did Reyna look around. All the groups from the surrounding yards had come to watch, as well as Lupa and her pack. Reyna glared at all of them, except for Lupa. The old wolf had always said that someone would one day disgrace her publically, but Reyna had never thought the day would come so soon. Percy then demanded some answers of his own. "What's your name?" Reyna couldnt help but bite her tongue. The boy edged even further. Reyna could feel the cold metal brush against her skin. So she finally gave in. The names Reyna." "Who's your godly parent?" Percy continued. "Mars, the greatest god ever." The name brought a look of confusion to Percys face. It came so naturally that Reyna had to think he used it often. "Who?" Percy asked. Reyna rolled her eyes. "The Roman god of war. Father of Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome." "Ares?" the kid said. Reyna had heard it somewhere before. Then it hit her. They had read about the Greek gods one day in ancient history. Reyna hadn't been paying attention. How could you pay attention when some Venus campers kept mistreating valuable artillery. The kids of the beauty goddess were always slacking on their weapons cleaning. But the

name had still lodged itself in her head. She got it after some struggling. Why wasn't Lupa helping her with these answers? "Yes, my father is also known as Ares," she said. Reyna realized her trainer considered this yet another test for her. With that, she made a move to grab the boys right arm. Soon she found him sitting on top of her with no clue how she'd gotten there. It was then that someone from the crowd stepped forward. The girl who emerged from the group was pale with sharp features that defined her face, but not so much that she could be mistaken for a daughter of Mercury. Her thick black hair was held back by a leather tie, with some strands hanging loose. Her eyes, dark brown in color, were surrounded by dark, thick lashes that gave on the impression that the girl was in a daze. Hazel, daughter of Apollo, stood over the two fighters, and scolded, "Reyna why must you fight everyone as soon as they set foot in camp? I realize youre upset that Jason's missing, but that gives you no right to beat upon him." Reyna looked at the ground. Reyna may have been the strongest one in camp, but Hazel was one of the smartest. Reyna listened as Hazel turned to Percy. "Now, I don't know who you are, but this is Reyna, our Tribunus Laticlavius, or second in command. You don't disobey her. If you want an explanation on how things are done here, go see Lupa." Hazel pointed at Lupa. Finally, the boy got up and left. Reyna got to her knees slowly, feeling stiff from having held the boy's weight up on her back. Hazel leaned down as if to help her. Then, whispered fearfully in Reyna's ear, "I wrote another song." Reyna now returned the fearful look. What had Hazel predicted now?

HAZEL

Just a few minutes ago, Hazel had been in her tent considering the meaning of what she had just written in her TAB* workbook when she heard commotion outside. She sighed, knowing that a new kid had arrived. Not wanting the kid to be beaten up too badly, Hazel ran out to show Reyna and Lupa her new prediction.

Now, Hazel understood that it was necessary for the brutality of beating all newcomers so they'd respect the higher officers, but it made something in her stomach twist to think of fighting ever since the past summer. Nowadays, she avoided fights, often skipping training even though she was in charge of it. People would always look away and mutter things about Katie, who, even from the grave, seemed to be haunting Hazel's every step. So, of course, she wanted to stop Reyna from bullying the new kid, (whoever they were?) when she walked out of her tent. However, when Hazel came to Reyna's training ground, she immediately saw something was different about this fight. Usually, people ignored Reyna's interrogations, since they were considered part of camp life. This time though, a crowd had gathered around it and were shouting and hooting comments that Hazel couldnt even repeat. Hazel had pushed her way through the crowd only to find in the center of it all a black haired, green eyed boy sitting on top of their best fighter. Hazel ordered the strange boy away, trying her best to hide her anger. Then, while pretending to care for Reyna, Hazel had told her about

the new song. Keeping on the pretense that Reyna had been injured, Hazel took her toward the healing tent. Since Hazel's tent was right next to it, it was easy for them to slip in unnoticed. Once inside the hot, stuffy tent, both Reyna and Hazel stood upright. The tent was plain but at least comfortable. It had just enough space for a bed, table, two chairs, and a chest. Also, in one corner was Hazels acoustic guitar. She usually kept it there to help the injured campers. Not just to sing them a lullaby, but each chord could heal a certain illness or injury. The good thing though is that Hazel could give the patients a few personal concerts without any annoying complaints "Where is it?" Reyna demanded, tucking a strand of brown hair that had fallen from its tidy bun behind her ear. Trying to look nonchalant, muscles flexing as she did so, Reyna bent over to brush dirt off her practical work pants. But Hazel wasn't fooled. Reyna was scared out of her mind. Her entire showed it as it quivered like a tree in a hurricane. A leave in autumn . . . Quivers on the breeze . . . But when the last one falls . . . Quickly, Hazel grabbed the paper she had written her latest prophetic song on, and handed it to her friend. Hazel had to keep herself from coming up with things like that. She needed to stop having premonitions, but dared not tell her father to stop sending them. He was angry enough with her. Or at least he had been the last time she saw him. Hazel wasn't sure anymore. The gods had stopped communicating with the outside world, so that just made matters worse. Carefully, Hazel picked up her guitar, loving the feel of the strings against her fingers. "You'll understand it better if I sing it," she informed, ignoring Reynas harsh objection. Gently, she sat on the only bench in her tent, balancing her beloved instrument on her knee. Traditionally, predictions were given as poems. But since that summer, Hazel had been making them into songs. Everyone by now knew why. Hazel had been made the Oracle, a demigod that was possessed by a

visionary spirit. At least until they could find another one. Sadly, that had been her father's punishment upon her since the past summer. Hazel still remembered what the punishment was for. "Okay then, sing it," Reyna demanded, leaning against the pole that was the tents main support. The warrior was crumpling Hazel's precious TAB paper in her hand. With a sigh, Hazel started to play. She strummed a simple introduction on the guitar that whispered of danger and darkness. Smoke, gray instead of the green that normally appeared when an Oracle made a prophecy, flowed into the tent from the unknown. It swirled around, going no higher than the Hazel's ankles. In the center of the tent, a cloud rose and formed an image. It was the image of a girl. She had blond hair, gray eyes, and was covered in mud. That mud held her in place more firmly than chains ever could. The girl opened her mouth as Hazel started to sing: Earth took me Mud bound me A Titan's screams surround me Mother wants to nurture son But he keeps father from Embracing the mother For if they do the world comes undone Get the prophet, the warrior, and my love, Who at the moment is lost And you shall find:

An entrance A traitor A clear sighted one To take the burden away Water free me Warrior fight she who took me
And song unite us all

And song unite us all As Hazel played the last chords, the smoke vanished. Another thing that had changed when Hazel became Oracle were that the predictions had gotten longer and more confusing than they had once been. This prediction was by far the longest. An awkward silence filled the tent, making the air seem heavy. Hazel wanted to speak, but her training dictated that she wait for Reyna to do so. Finally, Reyna broke the silence to ask, "What do you think it means?" "I only understand two things," Hazel said. "One), we need to find this girl and, two), we have a quest with her date." That was a partial lie. Hazel understood more than that, but didn't want to say it out loud. She didn't want to say that she soon wouldn't be the Oracle anymore. It would be too good to be true! It brought warmth to her heart that had been cold so long. Then Reyna had to ruin it by saying, "Maybe if Katie were here" But the girl stopped when she saw Hazel look away, eyes filled with tears. Those tears were of sadness and self-pity. Would Katie always overshadow her? Maybe a quest was a good thing

Katie had been Hazel's half-sister and the former Oracle. Hazel was supposed to protect Katie that past summer, but Hazel had failed. As punishment, she became the new Oracle of Delphi.

________________

When Hazel was younger and still living in the modern world, she lived with her mother and sister. Both of them were normal people, or at least had been born into normal families. Her mother, Kristina Turner, was a musician who was good enough to have made it big time, but had chosen not to. Katie had been two years older than Hazel, a smart and charming girl with full blond hair, wide pink lips, and big bright blue eyes. She always got the attention, even from Hazel's father It was a tale that Kristina told her children every Hanukah on the eighth night, lighting all the candles, which made the room so bright that Kristina was forced to turn off every other light in the room. She would sit on a stool, her daughters on the floor, and look down at them. Katie always got an approving glance, while Kristina's gaze slid over Hazel as though she didnt exist. "So, one night I had a gig at a bar," she would always start, "mostly they were songs about being in love and having your heart broken, since I had recently divorced Katie's father." Then Hazel would watch as her mother and sister shared a special smile, so filled with love and warmth, it made Hazel look away wondering in shame why neither of them ever smiled at her that way. Then her mother would go gooey-eyed, "When my performance was over, a man walks up to me. He had pale skin that shined like the sun with bright golden-brown eyes and light blond hair that formed several glorious curls." Once more Hazel would look away because she didn't take after any of her fathers features. Katie however would lean closer, loving the romance of it all. "He said, 'Thy words speak well of thy

heart and mind, I ask for one dance to make you mine.' I said yes as long as he didn't rhyme the whole evening. "After that, we went on a few dates until I bought him home. ThenKristina's eyes would always shine bright in the candlelight, looking at Katie as if she were the god-born one instead of Hazel. "Then I married him one night. A year later, Katie was born. After wiping the tear away, Kristina would continue: "And then, Apollo walked up to Katie for the last time and knelt to her level. Looking her right in the eyes, he told her. You are my chosen one; the next Oracle of Delphi for the demigods of Rome. You can see clearly through the mist unlike most mortals and have a gift for foresight. Into my world, you will be dragged, but there willingly you will stay. He then told me to bring you to a spot seven years hence from that day so your destiny would be fulfilled." Katie would then ask, "Where is it?" "All in good time, Katie," Kristina would say. "All in good time." By then Hazel would slip out of the room. Her mother never seemed to care about her, which is why she never called her mom. The only good thing about living with her was that it gave Hazel access to a wide array of instruments and a recording studio, which had been in the basement of Kristina's house. Yet, every time Hazel would create an album, Kristina would smash it, saying it was terrible. Hazel had kept a box of secret copies of those first albums. When her friends heard them they said they were amazing, but Hazel never got the approval of her mother. Katie got the attention, was allowed to have sleepovers and play dates; got rewarded for good report cards; and was given dance lessons. On the other hand, Hazel had to teach herself all of her instruments, was never allowed to leave the house, and even if she got an A plus, was told she could do better. Hazel was often reminded that she was a lazy stupid, good-for-nothing pig that was a waste of time and space. Katie was nice enough to her sister, but never had time for her. Then when they had arrived at Half-Blood Training Academy, it was more of the same.

Soon, after arriving, Hazel rose to Praefectus Castrorum of the Apollo camp. She was the best healer, archer, and songwriter of all in the Academy; yet, Katie got the attention because she was the Oracle and could predict their fates. Honestly, prophecies were muddled and never beat a good healing, but no one ever thanked Hazel. Even if she fixed a dangerous wound, people took it for granted that she was healing them, not giving a thought to the energy put into it, and never even gave her a smile. Jealousy had made Hazel bitter. Then the last straw came when Hazel was made her sister's personal bodyguard during the Titan War. She had felt she'd never get rid of Katie! This was the exact thought she'd had before monsters had attacked the half protected camp. They'd set fire to some of the tents and despite Hazel's best attempts, Katie burned to death, Hazel right outside the flap. Since the Oracle had died and had no corpse to keep the spirit alive, Hazel's father had put the Oracle's spirit into Hazel as punishment for saving her sister. That had made it definite, that Hazel would never rid herself of Katie; fate had brought them together. And, that last thought, brought Hazel back into reality. She had been wrong to be jealous of her sister. It got her into a bad situation then and it would now. Hazel always thought that she would be remembered as Katie's little worthless sister. What Reyna said next proved it. "Sometimes I wish Katie were still here don't you?" the commander asked. "There was just something about her that made these predictions seem less. Reyna paused searching for a word. "Chaotic," she finally muttered. She had always been good with words, not that anyone noticed of course. "Yes, definitely chaotic," Reyna agreed with Hazel while ever so ignoring her. It was something Hazel had gotten used to over the years. "I guess it was just her . . ." "Enthusiasm," the word came out of Hazel's mouth as half a sigh.

"Yes, her enthusiasm made her prophecies to seem less chaotic, easier to interpret," Reyna stated, finally having gathered her thoughts. "We probably should tell Lupa." "Yeah," Hazel said, not looking forward to the experience. Lupa had always understood Hazel. She was the closest thing Hazel had had to a mother. Lupa was the only one who appreciated Hazel for who she was. Nowadays, however, whenever she saw Hazel, she gave her a disappointed look. It was like Hazel had left a permanent scar in Lupas heart when she couldn't save her sister. "We probably should." And, with that, the two girls left the tent.

PERCY

When the girl was done playing her song, Lupa spoke almost immediately. "Well, then," she began. "Obviously, Hazel is going, seeing as she's our prophet at the moment." The wolf had nodded at the black haired girl when she said Hazel. Percy sensed more behind the wolf's words, but didn't want to ask. The girl she had conjured up in her prophecy was the girl from the grove! The one he felt so deeply connected to! He had to go on this quest, he just knew it! Despite the thoughts tumbling through Percy's brain, Lupa continued slowly. "I believe Reyna is the warrior, but we will discuss it at the Gathering this evening." Gathering? Oh, yeah, Lupa had already explained this. It was a gathering of the whole Legion to discuss tactics and other important topics around a bonfire. "It is also plain that the third companion she referred to was Percy here." Both girls looked at him. He nodded, agreeing with the old wolf despite the danger the prophecy seemed to whisper of. "Why?" the girl Reyna demanded. "Why him? He just got here for gods sake! We don't even know if we can trust him! I think . . ." A growl emerged from the she-wolf's throat as she leaped through the air and onto Reyna's chest. Startled, Reyna fell onto the plush floor. Placing a paw on each shoulder, Lupa glared at the girl beneath her. The ornate chair, which Percy thought couldn't hold his weight, was holding both of them up.

The wolf snarled at the girl. Percy was shocked he hadn't heard any bones cracking. Lupa snarled once more. "I have my reasons," she said, a clear snarl behind every word. "I will explain them to you, but only at the Gathering. Do you understand?" Reyna nodded, biting her lip. "Good," Lupa said, climbing off the girl gingerly. "We can't have anyone questioning orders, can we?" When she made that last inquiry, it was obviously directed at Hazel. The petite girl looked away. Reyna rubbed her arms where the wolf's paws had rested. Then she started to pick up the chair. "Fine," she said glaring at the wolf. "He'll go with us, but there had better be a good reason. Should I get the shield ready?" "No," the wolf replied. "The shield is for those unclaimed, this boy has been." Reyna opened her mouth to protest, but Lupa intermitted: "And there will be no need to tattoo him either." Nodding, Reyna sat perfectly straight in her chair again, waiting for orders. He looked at the girl, Hazel, who was staring at the floor, her guitar now leaning on her arm-rest. When she sensed his eyes on her, she looked up at him. Her dark eyes widened, cheeks turned a dark red, and she looked away once more. Lupa looked from one demigod to the other. "None of you have been properly introduced to Percy here, have you?" she asked. Both of the girls shook their heads. Percy wondered if these two were friends, and if so, how close they were. But, then again, a true friend would notice when the other friend is depressed or needed help, which was Hazel was. Lupa pointed at the girl Reyna with her nose and introduced her as, "Reyna McHenry, daughter of Mars and Second-in-Command of the HalfBlood Legion and," the wolf turned to Hazel, "this is Hazel Adams, daughter of Apollo and Head of the Apollo Cohort." That part confused Percy. "Wait a minute," he said, "all the gods have different names here. So is Apollo still . . .?"

"Yes. Apollo is still the sun god," Lupa interrupted, turning to face Percy, "of all the gods, his name didn't change when he came to Rome." "Now," she said, "here is Percy, son of Neptune. He has no recollection of his past. All I know of him comes from what I observe and what I was told by Juno when she dropped him off." The girls gasped. Apparently, gods didn't drop kids off at this place often, or, in other wordsnever. Percy wondered why the place was so cheerful and welcoming. "Yes," Lupa continued, starting to pace. "A goddess known to hate demigods dropped him off here. Outside of this, I've sworn on the River Styx not to tell." The wolf heaved a sigh. "You should go clean yourselves up for dinner. I have things to do." All three of them got up at once; the two girls saluting the wolf before following Percy to the door. Once outside of it, Percy realized he had no idea which way to go. It didn't help that Reyna stormed out of the room and went in a direction that was completely opposite of the one he could've sworn he and Lupa had come in through. His suspicions were confirmed when a soft voice behind him informed him, "Don't follow her." Though he would never admit it, Percy jumped when he heard the girl's voice. When he turned he saw it was Hazel, Apollo's daughter. "She's heading to her office, probably to bawl her eyes out or throw darts at something; it usually depends on the day." Hazel's voice was sweet and melodic hinting at the voice she had when she sang. "Uh, thanks," he said, unsure how to continue. "Which way should I go?" The look he gave her must have been really confused because Hazel laughed. It looked as though she hadn't done so in a long time but enjoyed it when she did. Percy certainly enjoyed the sound of her laugh, which he thought was like high ringing bells. Finally, when the girl caught her breath, she responded, "Just follow me," and turned in the direction opposite that which Reyna had gone. Percy shrugged and followed her. He had no reason not to trust her and he

might get some straight answers. He had to practically run to catch up with her, but once he had done so she was easy to keep up with. "So?" he began, picking an easy question to get her to talk. "Why would Reyna bawl her eyes out? She doesn't seem like that kind of girl." "Oh," Hazel replied. "She's just been that way since Jason went missing. No one's supposed to know but they were going out when he went missing two weeks ago." The girl looked over at him curiously. "I have a feeling you're connected to his disappearance somehow. It's just a feeling. . ." Okay, he had to get her off this line of thinking, whoever Jason was."How long have you been here?" "Nine years," she replied curtly, displaying her tattoos. There were nine bars, which mustve indicated nine years. "I have never left the camp during all of them. No one does unless they have a quest or there's a war. All we do is train year round and correspond with the parents who don't know their kid's godly parents enough to keep them happy. Not that half of the parents cares enough to actually check if there's a school here." Percy could sense the bitterness in her voice. He wondered if her parent was like the ones she had described. Again, he got simple questions going. "Was there a war recently?" "Oh yeah, there was." A mixture of longing and regret lingered in Hazel's voice. "Everyone went but the weakest and, of course, me." Hearing the sadness in her voice, Percy wished he could do something for her, but didn't know her well enough to do so. Instead, he tried to distract her with his real questions. "What's with that grove during the test thing?" he asked. "I mean Lupa said something about destiny and . . ." "That pretty much sums it up," Hazel said, once more in her business tone. "It predicts the destiny of any demigod that steps there and has them

fight it. If you think about it, it sort of forewarns them of what to look out for." "Like you," Percy stated simply. If he were judging the hallways right (yeah, that was going to happen), they were almost out of the Castra. And if they were, Percy hoped that Hazel would let him stick with her. He'd need a guide so he could survive the camp long enough for him to leave it for his quest. "Yes." Sadness was once more filling Hazel's voice. "Like me." Then, not knowing what else to do, Percy plowed on with his questions about the camp.

ANNABETH

Annabeth yearned for the chance to see her beloved Percy again. Over the summer, her boyfriend had ended up missing. But now it was down to the Annabeth and the other demigods to find him. They had a hunch where he was, but it still wasn't enough. And when the Oracle had described the new demigod, Annabeth had been so overjoyed to finally reunite with Percy that she had woken up at two in the morning, gathered a pegasi-drawn chariot, and headed to the location that the Oracle had given. But, oh, how depressed she had been when she arrived to not find Percy, but another demigod. She felt sorry for being so cruel to Jason, but she couldn't help it. It was as if Percy had died... But Annabeth would not give up hope just yet. As a daughter of Athena, she had a plan. And, right now, she would do anything to accomplish that plan. So, today, Annabeth was training. The only good thing about the loss of Percy was that it strengthened Annabeth's determination. But it also made her extremely grumpy-when she woke up after having another dream about Percy-and have a short temper. But, at exactly this moment, her determination was paying off... This month was January, a Tuesday, and Annabeth was training with Leo, one of the newer demigods. Leo Valdez was the son of Hephaestus, and was not at all ugly. In fact, he wasn't a heart-breaker either. Leo had low-cropped super-curly, brown hair that would destroy any brush that came in contact with it. Since it was winter all of New York was covered

with snow. And it was still snowing hard as if someone had shaken a snow globe during a seizure attack. But, thanks to Dionysus, the weather inside the Camp's perimeter was always sunny and warm. There was only one season here: spring, summer, spring, summer. And this repetition was as boring as Leo's. Now, Leo was getting too repetitive. He kept bringing out Japanese weaponsshuriken, kunai, etc. Piper had said that Leo had tried to impress a Japanese daughter of Aphrodite by reading Naruto. And now Leo had become so obsessed with the book that the next day he came to Camp wearing a kimono. Walking into the Aphrodite cabin was trouble enough, but while wearing a kimono. Well, let's just say Leo walked out with so much mascara that he looked more hideous than a clown. Anyway, Leo was pretty redundant. He just kept on pulling out a shuriken, then a kunai, and followed by another shuriken. And you don't have to be a child of Athena to understand that pattern. "This is boring," Annabeth finally said. "Aw, come on!" Leo replied defiantly. "One more round." Annabeth shook her head "no". "Just look at yourself. You are drenched in sweat. And I don't even have a single drop on me. And plus, the Aphrodite girls won't be pleased by that." Annabeth expressed a disgusted face. "You're right!" Leo screamed, running off back to the Hephaestus cabin. Annabeth sighed. She just couldn't stop thinking of Percy. She looked up at the heavens. "Oh, Percy, where are you?"

____________

As the oldest, Martin Luther King had done everything he could just to keep his younger brother, Timothy, alive. But, Martin could still remember the good old' days. When his family had been a...family. His father, tall, slim, robust. His mother was an African-American with emerald eyes and lightbrown skin. Martin looked more like his father. He had dirty-blonde hair and honey-brown eyes. While Timothy looked like his mother, with his short, black hair and emerald eyes. But then the incident had occurred. A few days before Timothy was born, Martin's father had left the family. Permanently. And then Timothy had been born, but his mother was the total opposite. She looked weak throughout the pregnancy. Her lips were blue and her face purple. She had spoken less; her appetite was the equivalent. And her husband had been nowhere near to help her. She was abandoned, and, now, so was Martin. The only person he left in his life was Timothy-the only reminder of his mother. And, each excruciating day, the hatred that Martin had held in his heart for so long had increased to the full. The cup had overflowed; the sun had set; the balloon had popped, and so had Martin. He still remembered the look of sorrow and surprise in young Timothy's eyes as Martin had grabbed the knife. He saw the fear and worry as he inched the blade closer to Timothy's heart. Timothy had been asleep at that time, and that was the best time to finish his plot. But, to Martin's surprise, Timothy had awaked just as Martin had nicked his bare chest. A little blood had trickled out, and that had been enough to bring Timothy to his senses. To Timothy, Martin had been an armed criminal. So, instinctively, Timothy pulled the knife out of Martin's hand, and, in one fluid motion, stabbed him in the chest. Timothy still remembered that day. His brother crumbled to the floor and, no matter how many gallons of tears he let out, Martin was dead and he could do nothing about it. But in those final seconds of his life, Martin had said these words: "Timmy, you have taken me out of my sorrow. But, before I die, promise me that

you will stay alive. Okay?" Timothy sobbed, but nodded defiantly. And, with that, Martin's eyes froze. The last image of his life was of his brother, weak and fragile, and his mother, pale and blue. So, Timothy ran. He ran until he could run no more. But, where ever he went. The haunting image of his brother was sure to follow. But, Timothy had made up his mind. He had to avenge his brother. He had to stay alive. He had to get stronger.

____________

Annabeth was having another nightmare of-guess who?-Percy, her long lost boyfriend. But, what scared Annabeth the most was Rachel, the current Oracle. Rachel walked into the Athena cabin. She awoke Annabeth with the shuffling of her feet. After Rachel had become the Oracle, Annabeth just couldn't understand her any more. She was no longer hyper; no longer happy. She felt so distant now, as if she were a god. And that's exactly how it felt. Rachel had always been weird, but this was taking it to a whole new level. Rachel hardly ever slept. She was always seen shuffling around the camp, mumbling to herself. But, least that, she had her own room in the Hera cabin. Annabeth sat upright. "What now?" Rachel had walked into the cabin as if she were a marionette being controlled by a drunkard. Her robes were torn and tattered, but Rachel never had cared about what others thought about her-even as the Oracle. Annabeth gasped as Rachel's eyes began to glow green. Her skin also a sickly white and fumes of green smoke clouded around her. "I have a

prophecy for thou," Rachel said distantly. There is a threat that you will meet. If he is a foe then he you must defeat. Kill him or change his paths. Make him an ally before it is too late. You will find this one on the Golden Gate. And then, she stopped, the glow leaving her eyes. The true Rachel had returned. But after each prophecy, Rachel would collapse. But Annabeth was prepared, and she stopped her fall by catching her in her arms and laying her on her bed. But Annabeth was confused. Mostly, nobody ever understood the Oracle. But, still, who was the threat? Percy? She hoped it wasn't Percy. Last time, she had been disappointed when she had found Jason instead of Percy. But, Annabeth was strong. Even if it was Percy, the Oracle had said that they could change the person's way. So even if it was Percy, there was still a chance. Annabeth ran to the Iris cabin, and awoke Butch. "We have to go!" "Where?" he asked. "We have to save Percy." "Aw, not again." But Butch defiantly got out of bed and dressed into his combat-wear. Finally, he said, "Let's go."

ANNABETH

Sure enough, it wasn't Percy. Annabeth had just arrived at the Golden Gate Bridge. But the person they encountered was definitely not Percy. First of all, he was AfricanAmerican. And, second of all, he was too tall to be Percy. Annabeth and Butch had been riding on their pegasi-drawn chariot for over five days. They had already consulted their journey to Chiron, the camp director and a centaur. "You need three more people to join you in this quest", Chiron had said. And, sure enough, Jason, Leo, and Piper were each riding on a pegasi. They trailed Annabeth's every move, and now it was the moment of truth... The boy was lying in the middle of the road as he had passed out. But what was more surprising was that all the cars and trucks and SUVs were frozen. They looked like a giant picture frame. Even the people inside were frozen. Time had stopped, as if it were protecting this boy. Annabeth and Co. dove down with their pegasi. But the boy also moved. He arose and as soon as he saw the demigods, he went into action. He raised his hands upward, and the next thing Annabeth knew, she was frozen. It felt like an invisible hand was holding her tight. She couldn't move an inch. Luckily, Jason, Piper, Leo, and Butch hadn't been noticed. Their pegasi landed softly on the bridge floor. Jason whipped out his javelin from his back-sheath. Piper got a hold of her dagger. And Leo...well he pulled out a shuriken, and instantly threw one at the boy.

But time was on his side. Annabeth realized that the boy had super-fast reflexes. This time, time slowed down, giving the boy more time to dodge the shuriken; he ducked as the shuriken whizzed past his head. But Jason, Leo, and Piper knew each other too well. They were like a telepathic trio; Jason charged Piper right behind him. Electricity arced throughout the javelin. Jason raised his javelin, but was taken aback as if he had bumped into an invisible wall. And that's when the boy attacked. A scythe appeared in the boy's hand. Annabeth recognized it-it was the one that her old friend Luke had used. But the boy must've been too shocked or angry to have noticed it. Jason immediately got to his feet. This fight had been taken to a whole new level. Jason was an excellent warrior. But, so far, this boy had the upper hand. Annabeth wondered what else he had up his sleeve. Jason was obviously taking caution. He had his javelin in-hand, but he hadn't moved. It seemed as if he wanted the boy to make the first move. And he did. The boy charged toward Jason. But Jason just stood there, crouching low. When the boy was within arms' reach, he swung his scythe. The blade arced in an incredible speed toward Jason's torso. But, the scythe moved so fast that all Jason could do was defense; he brought his javelin upward, blocking the boy's swing. Then, everything went from bad to worse. As the javelin collided with the scythe, the boy used the force of the impact to leap into the air and somersault over Jason. He then landed gracefully in a crouch, and swung his scythe at Jason's calf almost immediately. Jason reacted quickly, pushing the hilt of his javelin into the boy's scythe, and then thrusting it toward his opponent's chest.

But, this time, the boy went into a defensive pose. He pulled back his scythe, hindering Jason's thrust. Both weapons collided; the handlers pushing into each other, trying to make the other to fall over. This went on for a while. Until Jason saw something in the boy's eyes that made him cowerhatred. It foamed inside him, bubbling out in an enormous aura. Then Annabeth knew: this boy was definitely a threat.

____________

Not far from the Golden Gate Bridge, someone else was going through some hard times. Reyna, daughter of Mars, counselor of the Mars' cabin, was known not to cry. Even when her mother died of scarlet fever, she still didn't cry. But this was different. Jason, her boyfriend, was the only person that she had ever trusted. Sure, she could talk with her mother about some things, but Jason was far more different; far more important. Reyna still remembered when they had first met. Jason had arrived in Camp Jupiter in the most surprising way. Legend was that he had fallen from the sky. And from that day forward, he had rose to be the most popular and loved person in camp. Reyna couldn't help but be jealous. But just like the other girls, Reyna had had a crush on Jason, but she never showed her emotions. And, make matters worse, she acted as if she hated Jason. She didn't know why, but at least it kept others from finding out about her love secret. But that day had changed. During the mission to Mount Othrys, Jason had been put in charge since he was Lupa's favorite. But that only made Reyna even more jealous, and boy did she show it. Disobeying orders had led to a life-and-death scenario. If Jason hadn't summoned that lightning bolt, Reyna would've died through the hand of the titan Krios.

But Reyna had been unconscious, and when she woke up, she was in Jason's arms. And that's when she couldn't hold it anymore. Tears streamed down her eyes like a river. "'Jason, I am so sorry for all I have done,'" she had said. "'I have been so rotten to you. But all I wanted to say was..." Reyna looked away. Could she really say it? But, by then, she had made up her mind. "I love you." Reyna was surprised that she had actually said it. But was even more surprising was when Jason had said it as well. Jason? Jason Grace? Had said he loved her? She forced herself to look up, her eyes locking with Jason's. His eyes were a beautiful shade of blue. Like lightning itself. Astonishingly, Reyna had the urge to kiss him. "I love you," Jason had repeated. "I always had." Reyna eyes widened with wonderment as Jason kissed her, his lips gently touching hers, but just for a moment. But Reyna couldn't help herself. She grabbed Jason by the neck, pulled down his head, and kissed him back. They must've looked like a weird couple. But the burden that Reyna had carried ever since she saw Jason had lifted. Love had brought them together. Reyna noticed that she was sixty feet in the air. go." As if reading her mind, Jason had said, "Don't worry. I will never let you

____________

Frank Zhang hated Chinese food. Yes, if you can distinguish his last name, he is Chinese. But that still didn't add up. Every since him and his mom had traveled to the United States, Frank had been so relieved. If you must know: Frank loved America. In his first week in America, he had bought an I LOVE AMERICA T-shirt, and had worn it for a whole month.

The only thing that Frank hated about America was how fat he had become. And boy did his mom remind him. "We can't stay in America," she had said. "Look at what it's done to you." And from that day forward, he had tried to lose his weight. But, no matter how much he tried, his complexion stayed the same. The problem was: American food was just too good! Frank to do it, but he couldn't stop himself from sneaking up a bag of Twinkies or gulping down soft drinks as if they were water. His mom had tried, but she soon lost hope, and gave up. But Frank had had enough. And that was why he was in Camp Jupiter. After going to some summer camp, he had found his true gift-archery. It was like a natural talent, and it was how he had learned the truth about his parentage. "Twinkie. Wake up!" "Uhh...?" Frank said. His roommate Stephen shook him awake. "You have to get up," he said. "The meeting! It's starting!" Frank slid out of bed. He hurriedly wore the usual-baggy trousers, a vest that had hidden pockets to hold Twinkies and other sugary treats, and a pair of Nike tennis shoes. After a few minutes, Frank was all set. He sprintedbut then after a few feet, gave up, and walked instead. When he reached the auditorium, everyone was already filing out. Reyna lucidly bumped shoulders with Frank. "Thanks a lot, Twinkie." Frank tried up his hands innocently. "What now?!" "Ohhh, Frank," came a voice that Frank regretted ever hearing. A vine brairded from the ground, wrapping itself around Frank. And Miranda, daughter of Ceres, appeared before him. Frank couldn't say that she was ugly-because she wasn't. She was just annoying. Besides her light blonde hair and tan skin, and boy would've fallen in love with her. But, all things

considered, she was extremely annoying, with her high-pitched voice, and persistent, eager eyes. Frank usually would've walked away by now...if he wasn't trapped. [See, Miranda was persistent.] "What do you want?" Miranda jumped up and down, clapping her hands hysterically. "Lupa has just sent twelve demigods on a quest. Thanks to the Oracle, we now know where Jason is. And guess who I am teammates with...?" Miranda inched closer to Frank. "Me?" "You!" Miranda shrieked, pointing her index finger at Frank. She looked like a cheerleader that drank a gallon of coffee. She then moved in to hug Frank. Sadly, Frank was helpless as he endured the tightest hug that would've pumped the fat out of a bear. "Now you and I will be together all week long!" Frank rolled his eyes. Usually, he ate when he was upset. But grabbing a Twinkie right now was virtually impossible. Now there were two bad things about America. Could this day get any worse...?

LEO

After reading Naruto manga, Leo's entire life now revolved around the Ninja World. In fact, under his jeans, jacket, and t-shirt, Leo wore ancient Japanese armour. It was lightweight and more protective than a Kevlar bulletproof vest (and it cost a fortune). But today was the day when Leo would show off his inner ninja. But it wasn't complete without...Leo pulled on his ninja hood (now you could only his eyes). Now everything was complete. (Leo emphasized that with a really unnecessary warfare pose.) A sudden *thud* brought Leo's mind back into focus. Leo looked toward the sound. Jason had fallen down--hard. Piper rushed over to help him. Leo realized that the telepathic trio--with Piper at Jason's aid--had been brought down to *Uno*. Leoand Butch, who didn't seem like the fighting type--were the only ones left. But, did the boy have any clue who he was up against. For a few seconds, Leo pulled out a copy of Naruto: Volume One. Sasuke, Leo's favorite character (and role model), was the boy that all the girls had a crush on, and was the most popular. Leo clutched the book to his chest. 'One day, I will be a Sasuke,' Leo thought. But, all things aside, Leo had a mission to complete. As Leo charged, he thought, 'What would Sasuke do?' Then it came to him. A few months ago, he had playing Japanese chess with Annabeth.

We had lost every round. But that didn't matter at the time. He just wanted to impress that Japanese Aphrodite girl. -------------------------------------------------------------------"'How do you do that?!'" he had finally demanded. "'Do what?'" Annabeth replied, bending down to pick up all the pieces that Leo had dropped. "'How are you so good at this?'" he had repeated. "'Oh. That. It's all in the art of misdirection.'" "'Huh?'" "'Look. You make them think that you are about to do something--or you just distract them--and then you attack them from behind. The key is: The first move is the decoy. And then you attack.'" Leo repeated that back to himself: 'The key is: The first move is the decoy. And then you attack.' The boy tightened his grip on his scythe. He was getting prepared for an attack. That was his first mistake. Leo threw two *shuriken* at his opponent. The boy deflected them with his scythe. Bingo! Leo threw a percussion-triggered smoke bomb *kunai* at his opponent's feet. The smoke bomb exploded. White smoke clouded around the boy. And now that his guard was down... Leo let out a low whistle. Rudolph, his personal pegasus, swooped down beside him. Rudolph didn't have a red nose, but he was smart, and that's all Leo needed. Leo jumped onto the pegasus's saddle, and patted him twice on the rear. Rudolph took off like a plane. Now the attack. Leo took in a deep breath--doing the Japanese tiger hand sign--and said, "Grand Fireball Jutsu."

A humungous ball of fire erupted from Leo's mouth. It spiraled downward, growing every second. Leo couldn't help but smile. After weeks of practice, Leo had finally mastered the jutsu. The boy looked up at the spiraling inferno. His knees buckled. He dropped his scythe, and fainted. Piper had seen this. And, even if he were the enemy, she couldn't let him die. Besides, he could have useful information. She had made up her mind. "STOP!" she shrieked using every ounce of her charm speak. "STOP!" Leo obediently stopped. He didn't know why. But he did. It must've been Piper's charm speak. So that was the effect it had. The spiraling ball decreased in size until it dissipated entirely, leaving a slight trail of smoke. "Pick him up, Leo," Piper said. "He has to take him back to camp." Leo shrugged. He couldn't afford Piper to stress herself with another attempt at the charm speak. So he obeyed. He patted Rudolph three times on the rear. Rudolph swooped down gracefully, his hooves making no sound as it landed softly. Leo stroked Rudolph's mane. "Good, boy." Leo made a mental note to give Rudolph a bag of carrots later. Rudolph whinnied in agreement, as if reading his mind. Leo slid off of Rudolph's saddle, and headed to the boy. The boy looked like he had been electrocuted. Jason must've done that secretly. 'That brat,' Leo thought. 'Stealing the entire spotlight.' As Leo reached down to pick up the boy, a steak of brown shot to the exact spot where his hands had been. Leo realized that it was spear. But, before he could look up, a pegasus zoomed downthere was a girl on

its back, who picked up the boyand zoomed away, until it was a speck in the sky.