Chiron calls all the heads of the cabins to a meeting the next morning. 

"The Oracle has confirmed what we expected, that this quest will proceed toward the Underworld, where you will confront the god who has rebelled against his brothers." Chiron explains, "Hades." 

Chiron then turns to Percy, "The entrance to Hades's domain lies under the city of Los Angeles. This is where you will journey to. Time is short. I have selected our most compelling candidates, from which you will choose two to join you on this quest and ensure that we succeed." 

"Annabeth," Percy cuts Chiron off. 

"Customarily, one waits to at least hear a name or two before choosing." Chiron says wearily, "Are you sure you don't wanna hear more?"

"This thing, Zeus's master bolt, we need to get it back, right?" Percy counters.

"Yes." Chiron answers.

"And it's gonna be hard to get, yes?"

"Extraordinarily."

"And if the mission required someone to push me down a flight of stairs for it to succeed... you'd want someone who won't hesitate when they do it." 

"The first quest-mate shall be Annabeth Chase!" Chiron declares and Annabeth steps forward. 

"Now, on to the other candidates." Chiron continues before being cut off again.

"Eurydice and Grover." 

Eurydice looks up surprised. No one has ever considered her for a quest before. 

"A quest is always undergone by three people, not four Percy." Chiron points out.

"It's ok Percy," Eurydice says, "I don't have to go."

"Annabeth, Eurydice, and Grover, or I don't go." He challenges, staring down Chiron.

"Annabeth, Eurydice, and Grover it is," He concedes. 

After everyone is dismissed Luke and Eurydice walk off to her cabin together as Percy runs off to find Grover. 

"I'm starting to understand how you felt when I went on my quest," Luke confesses softly. 

Eurydice looks up at him sadly.

"I have to go Luke." She explains.

"I know," He sighs, "I just wish you didn't have to leave." 

"I love you," She kisses him and smiles up at him. 

"I know," Luke says sadly seeming to think about something for a moment before shaking it off, "I love you too." 

The two spent their night packing up Eurydice's stuff and then cuddling. Neither of them really slept that night, too anxious to fall asleep. They just help each other hoping that if they held on tight enough, in the morning they wouldn't have to let go. 

Unfortunately, the sun rose and it was time to say their goodbyes. Luke heads back to his cabin for a little while, he said he had something he wanted to give Percy, but he would be there to say goodbye to her. 

Annabeth and Eurydice stood at the top of the hill talking to Thalia in hopes that she could hear. 

"The most powerful being in the universe's best idea to save his daughter's life... was to turn her into a tree?" Percy asks Grover as the two walk over towards Annabeth and Eurydice. 

"She was the bravest demigod I ever knew." Grover admitted. 

"She fought valiantly, and she met a hero's fate." Annabeth said defensively.

"She met a pinecone's fate," Percy quips and Eurydice flinches at the words.

"Forbidden children are always in danger, even the strongest ones, even Thalia." Annabeth brushes off Percy's comment, "And you are not Thalia. Do exactly as I say, and maybe you survive this. Are we clear?"

"Does she think she's in charge?" Percy asks.

"Who'd you think would be in charge?" Eurydice responds. 

"I guess I assumed we'd do a show of hands or something." Percy sighs. "Oh Luke wanted to say bye before we left. We'll wait for you."

Eurydice walks down the hill over to Luke. 

"I'll be back before you know it. I promise."

"I love you." Luke sighs placing his forehead against hers.

"I know," She laughs doing a bad impression of Luke. "I love you too. Always" 

"Always."

"Break it up," Annabeth calls from the top of the hill, "We need to get going!" 

"Bye Luke." Eurydice says pulling her hand from his following the trio on the top of the hill. 

The four of them get on a bus heading towards Los Angeles. Annabeth tells them to sit at the back of the bus near the bathrooms.

"Hero's quests are world-defining events. They have made and broken empires... altered the course of human civilization... changed the balance of power on Olympus. A quest is a sacred thing. And to be charged with one is to be in conversation with the gods themselves." Grover explains to Percy. 

Eurydice rests her head on the window putting in earbuds and playing some music softly. She tunes out the conversation between Percy, Grover, and Annabeth opting to take a nap since she's gotten barely any sleep recently. 

She wakes up a few minutes later to Annabeth yelling at them, "Guys, you need to open that window! Now!"

"I don't think these windows are supposed t-" Eurydice cuts herself off when she sees the fury moving towards them. 

"Oh no," Grover says.

"Go, go, go, go, go!" Percy calls the four of them banging on the window trying to force it open. Eventually it does open an alarm sounding through the bus. 

"Annabeth, let's go!" Percy yells grabbing the girl's arm trying to get her out the open window, when all of a sudden a second fury comes flying in the open window. 

The second fury turns towards Percy, but before it can attack Annabeth calls, "Hey!" getting it's attention, she throws a dagger at the fury striking it in the chest. 

The fury turns into ashes and Annabeth grabs her dagger moving towards the window.

"We're done here. Let's go." She tells the others, jumping out the window. The rest of the group follow her out into the wooded area surrounding the road. 

"Somewhere up ahead, this turns into a satyr path." Grover points out.

"What's a satyr path?" Percy asks.

"It's a road through the wilderness." Eurydice answers.

"Satyr explorers use them." Grover adds, "Harder to track us."

"That's great," Percy says, "but if we stay in the wilderness, how are we gonna find a phone?"

"What do we need a phone for?" Annabeth asks Percy.

"So we can call camp." Percy responds, "T... To get help."

"We don't need help. We're fine." Annabeth counters.

"We're fine?" Percy scoffs, "We haven't even gotten to Trenton, and we're wandering through a forest. I didn't even know they had forests in New Jersey, but we've found one. I would say we're the opposite of fine."

"We were sent on a quest by the Oracle, by the gods. What'd you think, it would be easy? It's supposed to be hard. That's why only certain people are chosen. If we call camp, we're basically saying it was a mistake to choose us." Annabeth argues angrily turning on Percy.

"I'm completely comfortable with that." Percy argues back, "Everyone makes mistakes."

"Why are you so afraid of who you are?" Annabeth presses.

Eurydice and Grover look at each other shaking their heads at the other two arguing. 

"What?" Percy asks Annabeth, caught off guard by her question. 

"You know, what's interesting about this particular satyr path is it's actually the one my Uncle Ferdinand took when he set out on his own quest." Grover says trying to defuse the tension.

"What was that supposed to mean, afraid of who I am? I'm not afraid." Percy ignores Grover.

"Yes, you are. You aren't just a kid." Annabeth insists, "'Just a kid' doesn't do what you did to Clarisse back at camp. 'Just a kid' doesn't have Hades sending top lieutenants to retrieve them. You know, you are a part of something so much bigger than we can understand right now. We have to move forward, whether you like it or not, whether you want to or not." 

Eurydice sighs thinking about how sad it is that they truly can't just be kids. 

"You don't want to call camp, fine." Percy concedes, "Then, at least let's call your mom." 

Annabeth and Eurydice freeze at that the older putting her hand on Annabeth's shoulder knowing how the mention of her mom would affect her. 

"Excuse me?" Annabeth asks.

"Athena? Your mother." Percy says, "I'd call my father, but we aren't exactly on speaking terms. You know, because of the lifelong neglect and all, but you and your mother seem close. So, why don't we ask her for help?" 

Annabeth turns to Grover, "Grover, will you explain to your friend that he needs to pull himself together?"

"You can't ask her, can you?" Percy prods, "When was the last time she talked to you?"

"Grover," Annabeth warns at the same time, Eurydice says, "Percy, stop." 

Percy ignores Eurydice turning to Annabeth, " I don't know why you keep pulling him into this. He's on my side."

"What makes you think that?" Annabeth challenges.

"He's my Protector, it's his job." 

"He was our protector first," Eurydice mumbles under her breath wishing they would all stop fighting. 

"First?" Percy asks, finally acknowledging Eurydice, "What do you mean 'first?'"

"Very exciting, getting to walk in Uncle Ferdinand's footsteps." Grover deflects and Eurydice sends him an apologetic look, "Next best thing to getting to talk to him again."

"Thalia, Luke, Eurydice, and Annabeth had a satyr Protector." Percy began to put it all together, "That was you. Why didn't you tell me?"

Grover pauses smelling the air. Eurydice following shortly after noticing the savory smell of food. 

"Do you guys smell that?" Grover asks the group.

"Grover, I'm not kidding..." Percy presses.

"No, neither am I. Just shush." Grover motions for the rest of them to smell the air too.

"Hamburgers," Eurydice says. 

Grover begins to move towards the smell. 

"Grover." Annabeth asks worriedly, "What are you doing..."

"Somebody's making hamburgers in the middle of nowhere, on a satyr path. Whoever it is... they're from our world." Grover tells the rest of them.

"That's not necessarily a good thing," Eurydice mutters, but she follows the rest of them anyways. 

They move into a courtyard with a sign that reads Aunty Em's Emporium. The lawn is covered in stone statues, and Eurydice gets a bad feeling. 

"Oh, come on." Annabeth sighs.

"What?" Percy asks her.

"Aunty 'Em' has a garden full of petrified stone folks. Yeah, this is someone from our world, all right." Annabeth point out, "Anyone wanna guess what 'Em' is short for?"

"Shit," Eurydice says at the same time that Grover says, "Oh." 

"Let's get out of here, please, while we still can." Annabeth grabs Eurydice and Grover's arms turning them around, but it's too late. The same fury from the bus, Alecto, stands in the way of the path, blocking their way out.

"You should have accepted my offer when you had the chance." Alecto tells Annabeth.

"Offer?" Eurydice asks looking at Annabeth.

"What offer is she talking about?" Percy asks. 

Getting ready to fight Alecto the demigods grab pull out their swords, but a soft voice from behind them all stops them. "Not today, friends. Not on my doorstep."

The four demigods instinctively turn towards the voice before quickly hiding their faces realizing who was speaking. 

"If you have something to resolve, why not come inside and I'll help?" Medusa tells the kids and they hesitantly look up realizing that for now at least they were safe. "Alecto? Will you be joining us?"

Alecto winces at the mention of her name still avoiding all eye contact. 

"No, well I wouldn't think you would." 

The four demigods stand still unsure what to do. "She won't bother you as long as you're with me. But it isn't as though she'll leave either, not if it means reporting that she failed to retrieve the son of Poseidon."

Percy looks shocked, "How did you-"

"A forbidden child has been claimed." Medusa answers cutting Percy off, "How long did you think that secret would keep?"

"It's a pleasure to meet you, son of Poseidon." She gestures for them to enter the house. "I'm Medusa."

"Percy, don't." Annabeth warns sending a glare Medusa's way, "She's a monster."

"We all choose who we make our monsters, but, right now, that one wants to tear you limb from limb... and I'm offering you lunch. The choice is yours." Medusa says.

"I pick lunch," Eurydice says and Grover nods along as Medusa moves into the house. 

"I think we can trust her." Percy turns to the other three.

"What?" Annabeth asks indignantly.

"I can't explain it, I just. My mom used to tell me her story, and the point was always that she isn't what people think. And I definitely trust my mom." Percy tells the group, "So I'm going in. You guys do what you want." 

"What are you..." Annabeth begins before sighing and following the other three through the front door of the house. 

"You must be hungry." Medusa calls from a few rooms over, "I left snacks on the table while I get something proper going."

"You think it's safe to eat?" Percy asks, but Eurydice had already taken a bite of a burger not even considering that it could be poisoned. 

"Percy, I'm not gonna lie to you, I'm really hungry, and I'm ready to take that chance." Grover says.

"Me too," Eurydice mumbles over a mouthful of food. Annabeth rolls her eyes at the girl she considers her older sister. 

"Thanks for coming." Percy tell Annabeth.

"This isn't the same for me as it is for you." Annabeth admits softly.

"Why?" Percy asks genuinely.

"You're concerned I would hold a grudge against you simply because you are a daughter of Athena?" Medusa enters the dining room, "You shouldn't be. We're not our parents after all, and you and I might have more in common than you think. Please, sit and eat."

"So you're not a monster," Percy asks, "what are you then?"

"A survivor." Medusa answers.

"You must be a little more than that." Percy challenges, "There's a Fury out there that seems terrified of you."

"Because she knows what I think of her, I don't like bullies. When one shows up on my doorstep, they end up spending a lot more time there than they planned for. The gift the gods gave me is that I cannot be bullied anymore." 

"What my mother did to you wasn't a gift," Annabeth speaks up, "it was a curse."

"You are loyal to your mother." Medusa says not as a question, but more as a statement.

"Yes." Annabeth responds easily.

"You stand by her?"

"Always."

"You love her?"

"Of course, I do."

"And so did I." Medusa says sadly, "Do you know the story of how I came to be this way?"

"I do," Grover answers.

"Do you?" She asks as a bell tolls in the background.

"Do I?" Grover asks unsure. 

"Athena was everything to me." Medusa began, "I worshipped her, I prayed to her. I made offerings, but she never answered. Not even an omen to suggest she appreciated my love. I wasn't like you, sweetheart. I was you. I would have worshipped her that way for a lifetime in silence. But then one day, another god came, and he broke that silence. Your father. The Sea God told me that he loved me. I felt as though he saw me in a way I had never felt seen before. But then Athena declared that I had embarrassed her and I needed to be punished. Not him. Me."

"She decided that I would never be seen again by anyone who would live to tell the tale."

"That isn't what happened." Annabeth defends, "My mother is just, always."

"The gods want you to believe that, that they are infallible." Medusa counters, "But they only want what all bullies want. They want us to blame ourselves for their own shortcomings."

"That is not what happened." Annabeth challenges, "You're a liar." 

Medusa pauses for a moment and Eurydice shifts in her seat getting ready to run. 

"Something's burning," Medusa says turning her attention to the kitchen, "Would you give me a hand in the kitchen? I think lunch is ready." Percy nods following after her.

"Grover, Eurydice," Annabeth warns, "Get ready to run." 

"One step ahead of you Annie," Eurydice says stuffing a few of the snacks on the table into her pockets. 

Percy leaves the kitchen in a rush a few minutes later. The other three take this as their cue to run. With Alecto still outside they make a run towards a door in the house that seems to lead to some sort of basement. 

"This way!" Eurydice whispers to the other three leading them all down the stairs. She pushes them behind her pulling out her sword as they hear the floorboards above them creak. They hear the door open and turn to move further into the basement hoping to hide. Eurydice lets out a small gasp when she sees the thousands of statues in the room. 

"There's three of us and only one of her." Grover plans, "If we split up, she can't be watching us all at once."

"I don't think it'd be that easy," Eurydice tells the satyr. 

"It could be." Grover counters, "Here's the plan. I'll get in the air, I'll draw her attention. As soon as you hear me say, "Maia," you guys start..." The shoes Luke had given Percy immediately start flapping their wings pulling Grover up into the air.

"Oh, boy! Okay! Um..." He fights with the shoes, "Off. Down." 

As he flies off Annabeth turns to the other two, "So, we're gonna need a new plan."

"We are not our parents, until we choose to be." Medusa's voice echoes slowly moving closer, "You three have chosen." 

The three demigods hide behind different boxes holding their breath, hoping she wouldn't find them. 

"A daughter of a self-righteous mother, who chose self-righteousness for herself. A daughter of a woman who fell in love with the enemy, doomed to follow in her footsteps. And you, you could have shown your father what it means to stand up for someone you love." Medusa moves towards Percy. 

"You could choose to save your mother instead of doing your father's bidding." Medusa tells Percy moving closer and closer to where he is hidden, "If none of you will help teach these lessons, perhaps you should be the lessons."

"When I ship your statues to Olympus..." Medusa turns to Percy who hides his eyes from hers, "...maybe that will get my point across even better."

"Stand up," She tells Percy, "Let's have a look at you." 

Grover yells still flying through the air above us, "I really didn't think this through." 

Annabeth jumps out from her hiding spot placing her hat on Medusa's head, "Now!" She yells while Medusa is invisible. 

Percy pulls out his sword and slices blindly. They hear a thud on the ground and assume, that he had succeeded in cutting off her head. Percy feels around the ground before finding what he hopes is the head. 

"You found it?" Annabeth asks.

"Hope so." He responds holding the invisible head in his hand at an arms length away. 

"Want me to take it from here?" Annabeth offers.

"No, no, I got it." Percy insists.

"Just make sure it's pointing in the right direction before you take my hat off." Annabeth tells Percy.

"Good tip." Percy takes the head walking up the stairs to take out Alecto. Eurydice, Annabeth, and Grover stay in the basement. 

Grover walks up to one of the statues sadly. Eurydice places a hand on his shoulder to comfort him, pulling him into her side. 

"What is it?" Percy asks coming back downstairs noticing the somber atmosphere. 

"Uncle Ferdinand." Grover answers. 

"Oh, no." Percy says, "Grover, I'm so sorry."

"This is as far as he got on his quest. We aren't even to Trenton. But look at him." Grover chuckles softly, "He's not like the others, he... He doesn't look afraid." He wipes the tears from his eyes