Completely ignoring the looks he got at that, Nico asked, "Who is reading next?"

"Maybe Chiron could," Percy offered, knowing the gist of the next chapter. The trainer of heroes had no choice but to take the book from Ares and begin reading.

"I am offered a quest," Chiron read.

Hazel looked away from her brother, "Wait, you were twelve for your first quest?" When Percy nodded, she looked at Frank – seemingly for help.

"And," Frank began, "which quest is it that you... fell six hundred feet?" He whispered the last part, not wanting anyone else to hear.

Percy grimaced, "That was this one." The others, having noticed the conversation but having missed the part Frank whispered, looked on concerned.

The next morning, ... I got to sit at my own dinner table,

"So not only are the cabins divided, but those alone have to sit alone?" Reyna spoke up. She got nods from the Greeks. She sighed, not agreeing with how they did the sorting.

pick all my own activities, ... And I was absolutely miserable.

Some of the campers looked at Percy confused; they had always wanted to have that, why wouldn't he?

Just when I'd started to feel accepted, ... I'd been separated out as if I had some rare disease.

Nico could relate to that. He'd never seen how similar he and Percy actually were.

Hazel laid the arm that wasn't around Frank around Percy's shoulders for comfort. She saw Percy as her cousin – maybe even a sibling – and didn't like her family being cast out.

Nobody mentioned the hellhound, ... They could even invade a camp that had always been considered safe.

"We were," Katie confessed. "Talking about the hellhound, I mean." She felt obligated to make sure Percy knew everything they had been saying behind his back.

The other campers steered clear of me as much as possible. ... Fifty more repetitions."

"Fifty?" Dakota asked. Luke merely nodded; he didn't feel like he had the permission to talk to anyone, he'd fucked it up for them enough.

Annabeth still taught me Greek in the mornings, ... as if I'd just poked her between the eyes.

The girl looked embarrassed that everyone was reading about her as a twelve-year-old.

After lessons, ... Got to make a plan . . ."

Percy grimaced lightly, shuffling closer into Hazel's embrace.

Even Clarisse kept her distance, ... I'd rather get into fights every day than be ignored.

Thalia didn't like how ready Percy was to be punched if it meant being 'liked'. It had to be a reflection of his home situation, but it seemed her cousin sometimes almost thought it was part of a relationship — platonic or not.

It worried her.

I knew somebody at camp resented me, because one night I came into my cabin and found a mortal newspaper dropped inside the doorway.

Percy searched in Luke's eyes for confirmation that he hadn't done anything. He couldn't find it, of course, but one could hope. They'd still been friends at that point.

A copy of the New York Daily News, ... The phone number was circled in black marker.

Percy's closest friends – his cousins, Frank and Leo – had to quickly breathe out so they wouldn't curse anyone out.

I wadded up the paper and threw it away, ... I had my worst dream yet.

At the alarmed looks on the sea deities' faces, Percy said, "Don't worry, that's by far not the worst dream I've had. I have demigod dreams quite often—" He cut of his own rambling with a sheepish look, realising he was only making them pale faster. "I'll just shut up."

I was running along the beach in a storm. ... Like a kindergartner fighting over a toy.

By now, everyone had figured out who the two gods were and were trying to keep a straight face. Demeter and Aphrodite snorted at the commentary regarding two ancient gods.

The waves got bigger, ... Come down!

Everyone sobered up at that.

The sand split beneath me, ... sure I was falling.

At those words, those that sailed the Argo II knew immediately where the voice had come from.

I was still in bed in cabin three. ... sure I was in huge trouble.

"You're not the best at being subtle, are you, Grover?" Leo joked. The satyr blushed and shook his head.

For days, ... They kept their eyes on the storm.

"And that didn't help with them not trusting you, did it?" Gwen asked with her melodic voice. Percy shook his head with a sad smile.

Grover and I walked up to the front porch of the Big House. ... "Our little celebrity."

Piper and Leo snorted, having read the Harry Potter series together at the Wilderness school.

I waited. ... "Spontaneous combustion is a form of harm, Mr. D," Chiron put in.

Dionysus was subtly hiding from the glare Poseidon sent his way.

"Nonsense," Dionysus said. "Boy wouldn't feel a thing.

"He's right," Hermes said lightly.

Nevertheless, ... "What did you make of the hellhound?"

"Isn't that obvious?" Triton sniffed.

Just hearing the name made me shudder. ... "It scared me," I said.

Will snorted, "You told the truth because you 'didn't feel like lying'."

"If you hadn't shot it, I'd be dead."

That made the demigods shudder; how would everything have happened if Percy had died?

"You'll meet worse, ... Will you accept it?"

"Girl, what?" Piper blurted out. Leo snickered at her slip up, resulting in a glare from the girl. "I mean... 'his quest'? He's been there for a week!" She glanced nervously at the gods — she'd corrected herself, but her semi-openly questioning their decisions was not the best idea.

Luckily the gods seemed pretty relaxed; they hadn't done anything super weird since everyone had arrived there. It seemed almost too good to be true — knock on wood — but Piper sincerely hoped this was just how the gods normally were. You know, when they weren't about to be killed off by their older relatives.

Her mother was the first one to respond, "It's supposed to be a great honour to go on a quest, especially so young. You are trusted to do whatever it is you're assigned to do. I am not sure what Chiron is thinking sending young Percy on this mission, other than that he's apparently the only child of the big three, right then."

"We're probably about to hear why," Frank spoke up, the rumbling of his chest waking up Percy, who'd been dozing off, laid across Hazel and him.

I glanced at Grover, ... I wished I hadn't opened my big mouth.

"Oh, but your big mouth is something that had kept you from being killed," Chris commented. When Annabeth looked like she wanted to refute that statement, he said, "It confuses them or endears them to you. I'm pretty sure that you're the only one that can pull it off, but you somehow do."

"The weather since Christmas has been weird, ... Chiron ordered.

Hazel looked furious at the quick dismissal of Grover. "'Hush, satyr'? That's not something you can just say to someone! Grover is an amazing person, and he was right to be excited."

Chiron bowed his head and apologised.

"But it is his quest!" ... "A what?"

"Poseidon's spawn is right; a what?" Zeus spoke calmly, but everyone could hear his barely concealed anger.

"Do not take this lightly," ... My mouth fell open.

"Girl, what?" Leo mocked Piper. "No, but actually, what? Why is Percy being accused?"

Luke spoke up, "Because of the rivalry between the two younger brothers and Percy being the only child of the big three in... forever, the lord of the skies saw it fitting to accuse that twelve-year-old of stealing his symbol of power." He had to be careful not to say too much, since he didn't want to incriminate himself before everyone had to know.

"At least" ... Zeus is crazy!"

People opened their mouths to say something; either to defend Percy, or to be offended by him.

Percy had a sour look on his face, "I... apologise for calling you crazy, uncle." Everyone shut their mouths and turned their heads to look at him.

After a silence that was just way too long, Chiron started reading again.

Chiron and Grover glanced nervously at the sky. ... He looked at me as if he actually expected me to remember question thirty-eight.

"Well, he probably wont, right seaweed brain?" Annabeth joked.

How could anyone accuse me of stealing a god's weapon? I couldn't even steal a slice of pizza from Gabe's poker party without getting busted.

Percy was slightly worried about some of the inhuman noises that he heard at that. (He could've sworn he heard Thalia make some kind of growling noise.)

Chiron was waiting for an answer. ... "But I'm just a kid!"

A lot of the gods flinched at the reminder.

"Percy," ... "Most thinking observers would agree that thievery is not Poseidon's style."

Stupid. Stupid, stupid, this had been a huge hint as to who had stolen the bolt.

But the sea god is too proud to try convincing Zeus of that. ... "Bad?"

The slowly building tension, disappeared.

"'Bad'," Jason choked out. He, Piper and Leo were doubled over laughing, so deeply entwined that it looked like they were melted together.

"Imagine the world in chaos. ... "Bad," I repeated.

While everyone had stopped laughing for Chiron to read, most started laughing again just at the thought of Percy's face back then.

"And you, ... "Good reason."

"I disagree," Nico spoke up for the first time in a while. "I think you should be told regardless. Then you at least have the choice to agree or decline to the quest. This is basically just lying by omission."

"You agree then?"

Nico gave the book in Chiron's hands a dirty look, but kept quiet.

I looked at Grover, ... we will talk more."

"Whoa there, partner," Leo said in an exaggerated Texan accent. "'Assuming you're still sane' implies that people have gone or are likely to go insane. What's that about?"

Will, as the only one that hadn't cringed themselves to death, answered cryptically, "You're about to see, but Rachel had only been the Oracle for like... three months when you came to camp."

Four flights up, ... The smell of snakes.

Percy and Will grimaced — both for different reasons.

I held my breath and climbed. ... a mummy.

"Referring to 'mom', right?" Gwen squeaked.

Not the wrapped-in-cloth kind, ... she'd been dead for a long, long time.

Percy pulled a face, trying not to look Nico's way.

Looking at her sent chills up my back. ... just looking for the bathroom.

Quiet chuckles were heard all around the tree.

But I forced myself to take a deep breath. ... "What is my destiny?"

"To be a sassy young man," Thalia answered, faux-seriously.

The mist swirled more thickly, ... It was Smelly Gabe and his buddies.

Those of the sea sneered at the book.

My fists clenched, ... You shall go west and face the god who has turned.

No one said anything, too deep in thought — or, like Athena, too busy writing down exactly what the oracle said.

His buddy on the right looked up and said in the same voice: You shall find what was stolen, and see it safely returned.

Percy would never say it out loud, in fear of getting smote, but he thought he saw Zeus pump his fist into the air quickly.

The guy on the left threw in two poker chips, then said: You shall be betrayed by one who calls you a friend.

Luke flinched at that. He'd never fully heard the prophecy Percy had been given then, but to know that Percy had probably been fearing being betrayed by one of his friends when his fatal flaw was loyalty, was hard.

Finally, Eddie, our building super, delivered the worst line of all: And you shall fail to save what matters most, in the end.

Those who didn't know the prophecy and how it had played out, looked dumbfounded. 'What would Percy fail to save?'

The figures began to dissolve, ... My audience with the Oracle was over.

Apollo nodded.

"Well?" ... "She said I would retrieve what was stolen."

Hazel patted Percy's shoulder.

Grover sat forward, ... "This is important."

"Is it? You're not going on the quest," Percy grumbled.

My ears were still ringing from the reptilian voice. ... "Anything else?"

Only Frank, as the designated pillow, could hear Percy mutter 'yeah, go fuck yourself' to himself.

I didn't want to tell him. ... "That's about it."

"It was only half of the prophecy, but you know..." Dakota trailed off.

He studied my face. ... "Hades."

"I'm sorry, uncle. I was told it was you, and while we found out it wasn't, I'm apologising for all the times we're about to accuse you of things you didn't do."

Hades looked up with a small, bitter smile, "Don't worry, Percy, wouldn't be the first time."

Chiron nodded. ... "That's two major gods who want to kill me."

Grover sighed dreamily, "The times when it was just two." Percy snorted.

"What do you mean? How many are there now?" Poseidon worried.

"Well," Percy started. "Hades doesn't want to kill me anymore, so one less... but there are Athena, Ares, Phobos, Deimos, most of the titans and primordials — do those count? — and Eros, but that's more on principle." After he was done listing the names, but trying not to give too much away, he complained to himself about how unfair it was that they all hated him when he'd done nothing wrong. All the while Poseidon looked at his son, horrified.

"But a quest to . . ." ... The desire for revenge.

Hazel looked down at Percy, concerned.

Hades had tried to kill me three times so far, ... I was ready to take him on.

The lord of the underworld looked vaguely offended at the insinuation that a twelve-year-old boy could beat him.

"Don't worry, father. He didn't try to beat you up," Nico said, trying to be reassuring. "Nor did he succeed!" He added hurriedly. At least not then...

Besides, ... Hades is a god.

Hades nodded smugly, while Percy tried not to laugh.

Grover was trembling. ... "You're saying I'm being used."

Poseidon winced.

"I'm saying it's no accident Poseidon has claimed you now." ... haven't you?"

Percy could feel his own emotions at the idea that Chiron had also, kind of, been in control of the chess board all the gods used the demigods on as pawns.

"I had my suspicions. ... "That's about right."

Jason looked constipated, or at least, that's what Percy thought.

I looked at Grover, ... "I can't ask that of you."

Grover gave Percy the Empathy Link Equivalent Of A Flick Against The Forehead™ for acting like the satyr hadn't been desperately trying to go on a quest.

"Oh . . ." ... but I felt better knowing he'd be with me.

Aphrodite and Hestia smiled at the familial love the two had for each other.

"All the way, ... So we just get on a plane—"

"No!" Poseidon was frantically shaking his head.

"No!" ... "Who else would be stupid enough to volunteer for a quest like this?"

Annabeth looked slightly annoyed at being talked down to, but before she had a chance to say anything, Chiron had already begun reading the next sentence.

The air shimmered behind Chiron. ... I'm the best person to keep you from messing up."

Nico, who had only seen Annabeth as Percy's friend who he'd fight across the entirety of America for, couldn't shake the feeling that there was something off about the encounter. She was trying to get approval to go on the quest, why was she insulting the quest-leader? Especially before it was decided whether she could go.

"If you do say so yourself," ... I needed all the help I could get.

"You are allowed to choose your quest-mates, right?" Jason asked. "As in, Percy could have denied Annabeth's request to go with and have asked someone else?"

For that question, he got a dirty look from Annabeth and a small nod from Chiron.

"A trio," ... "I think you should all get packing."