It didn't take me long to pack. But it took even longer for me to say goodbye. As I made my way to the big house, I was bombarded by, 'good luck', and 'don't die out there.' Almost everyone I passed seemed sad, as if I was signing my own grave. But I didn't let it deter me.

Annabeth was bringing her magic Yankees cap, which she told me had been a twelfth-birthday present from her mom. She carried a book on famous classical architecture, written in Ancient Greek, to read when she got bored, and a long bronze knife, hidden in her shirt sleeve. I was sure the knife would get us busted the first time we went through a metal detector.

Grover wore his fake feet and his pants to pass as human. He wore a green rasta-style cap, because when it rained his curly hair flattened and you could just see the tips of his horns. His bright orange backpack was full of scrap metal and apples to snack on. In his pocket was a set of reed pipes his daddy goat had carved for him, even though he only knew two songs: Mozart's Piano Concerto no. 12 and Hilary Duff 's "So Yesterday," both of which sounded pretty bad on reed pipes.

Percy seemed to carry the least out of all of us. He had some spare clothes, some toiletries, and some drachmas and mortal money for emergencies. We waved good-bye to the other campers, took one last look at the strawberry fields, the ocean, and the Big House, then hiked up Half-Blood Hill to the tall pine tree that used to be Thalia, daughter of Zeus.

Chiron was waiting for us in his wheelchair. Next to him stood the surfer dude I'd seen when I was recovering in the sick room. According to Grover, the guy was the camp's head of security. He supposedly had eyes all over his body so he could never be surprised. Today, though, he was wearing a chauffeur's uniform, so I could only see extra peepers on his hands, face and neck.

"This is Argus," Chiron told me. "He will drive you into the city, and, er, well, keep an eye on things." I heard footsteps behind us. Luke came running up the hill, carrying a pair of basketball shoes.

"Hey!" he panted. "Glad I caught you." Annabeth blushed, the way she always did when Luke was around. "Just wanted to say good luck," Luke told Percy. "And I thought...um, maybe you could use these." He handed Percy the sneakers, which looked pretty normal. They even smelled kind of normal.

"Maia!" Luke yelled. White bird's wings sprouted out of the heels, startling Percy so much he dropped them. The shoes flapped around on the ground until the wings folded up and disappeared.

"Awesome!" Grover said. Luke smiled.

"Those served me well when I was on my quest. Gift from Dad. Of course, I don't use them much these days..." His expression turned sad.

"Hey, man," Percy said. "Thanks."

"Listen, Percy..." Luke looked uncomfortable. "A lot of hopes are riding on you. So just . . . kill some monsters for me, okay? You too Y/N" We shook hands. Luke patted Grover's head between his horns, then gave a good-bye hug to Annabeth, who looked like she might pass out. After Luke was gone, I told her, "You're hyperventilating."

"Am not."

"You let him capture the flag instead of you, didn't you?" Percy smirked.

"Oh...why do I want to go anywhere with you, Percy?" She groaned. Argus strolled down to the van, jingling his car keys. Percy seemed to look at Luke's shoes, cringing slightly.

"I won't be able to use these, will I?" Percy asked. Chiron shook his head.

"Luke meant well, Percy. But taking to the air, that would not be wise for you." Percy nodded, disappointed, but seemed to light up.

"Hey, Y/N. You want a magic item?" I looked at the sneakers, shuddering slightly.

"Thanks for the offer, but...I think I'm good." Percy shrugged, before turning to Grover.

"What about you G-man?" Grover's eyes lit up. "Me?"

Pretty soon we'd laced the sneakers over his fake feet, and the world's first flying goat boy was ready for launch. "Maia!" he shouted. He got off the ground okay, but then fell over sideways so his backpack dragged through the grass. The winged shoes kept bucking up and down like tiny broncos.

"Practice," Chiron called after him. "You just need practice!"

"Aaaaa!" Grover went flying sideways down the hill like a possessed lawn mower, heading toward the van. Before we could follow, Chiron caught Percy's arm. "I should have trained you better, Percy," he said. "And you as well, Y/N. If only I had more time. Hercules, Jason-they all got more training."

"That's okay. I just wish-" Percy paused, deciding not to continue.

"What am I thinking?" Chiron cried. "I can't let you get away without this." He pulled a pen from his coat pocket and handed it to Percy. It was an ordinary disposable ballpoint, black ink, removable cap. Probably cost thirty cents.

"Gee," Percy said sarcastically. "Thanks."

"Percy, that's a gift from your father. I've kept it for years, not knowing you were who I was waiting for. But the prophecy is clear to me now. You are the one."

Percy took off the cap, and the pen grew longer and heavier in his hand. In half a second, he held a shimmering bronze sword with a double-edged blade, a leather-wrapped grip, and a flat hilt riveted with gold studs.

"The sword has a long and tragic history that we need not go into," Chiron told him. "Its name is Anaklusmos."

"'Riptide,'" I translated, surprised the Ancient Greek came so easily.

"Use it only for emergencies," Chiron said, "and only against monsters. No hero should harm mortals unless absolutely necessary, of course, but this sword wouldn't harm them in any case."

I looked at the wickedly sharp blade. "What do you mean it wouldn't harm mortals? How could it not?"

"The sword is celestial bronze. Forged by the Cyclopes, tempered in the heart of Mount Etna, cooled in the River Lethe. It's deadly to monsters, to any creature from the Underworld, provided they don't kill you first. But the blade will pass through mortals like an illusion. They simply are not important enough for the blade to kill. And I should warn you: as a demigod, you can be killed by either celestial or normal weapons. You are twice as vulnerable."

"Good to know." Percy muttered.

"Now recap the pen." Chiron added. Percy touched the pen cap to the sword tip and instantly Riptide shrank to a ballpoint pen again. Percy nervously pocketed it, possibly afraid he would loose it.

"You can't," Chiron said.

"Can't what?" Percy asked.

"Lose the pen," he said. "It is enchanted. It will always reappear in your pocket. Try it."

Percy seemed wary, but threw the pen as far as he could down the hill and watched it disappear in the grass.

"It may take a few moments," Chiron told him. "Now check your pocket."

Sure enough, Percy reached down, pulling out the pen from his pocket.

"Okay, that's extremely cool," I admitted. "But what if a mortal sees him pulling out a sword?"

Chiron smiled. "Mist is a powerful thing, Y/N."

"Mist?"

"Yes. Read The Iliad. It's full of references to the stuff. Whenever divine or monstrous elements mix with the mortal world, they generate Mist, which obscures the vision of humans. You will see things just as they are, being a half-blood, but humans will interpret things quite differently. Remarkable, really, the lengths to which humans will go to fit things into their version of reality."

"Chiron..." Percy said. "When you say the gods are immortal...I mean, there was a time before them, right?"

"Four ages before them, actually. The Time of the Titans was the Fourth Age, sometimes called the Golden Age, which is definitely a misnomer. This, the time of Western civilization and the rule of Zeus, is the Fifth Age."

"So what was it like . . . before the gods?" Chiron pursed his lips.

"Even I am not old enough to remember that, child, but I know it was a time of darkness and savagery for mortals. Kronos, the lord of the Titans, called his reign the Golden Age because men lived innocent and free of all knowledge. But that was mere propaganda. The Titan king cared nothing for your kind except as appetizers or a source of cheap entertainment. It was only in the early reign of Lord Zeus, when Prometheus the good Titan brought fire to mankind, that your species began to progress, and even then Prometheus was branded a radical thinker. Zeus punished him severely, as you may recall. Of course, eventually the gods warmed to humans, and Western civilization was born."

"But the gods can't die now, right? I mean, as long as Western civilization is alive, they're alive. So...even if I failed, nothing could happen so bad it would mess up everything, right?" Percy questioned.

Chiron gave him a melancholy smile. "No one knows how long the Age of the West will last, Percy. The gods are immortal, yes. But then, so were the Titans. They still exist, locked away in their various prisons, forced to endure endless pain and punishment, reduced in power, but still very much alive. May the Fates forbid that the gods should ever suffer such a doom, or that we should ever return to the darkness and chaos of the past. All we can do, child, is follow our destiny."

"Our destiny...assuming we know what that is." Percy muttered.

"Relax," Chiron told him. "Keep a clear head. And remember, you may be about to prevent the biggest war in human history."

"Relax," Percy said. "I'm very relaxed." Chiron smiled thinly, before turning to me.

"Did you think I forgot about you, child?" He questioned, smiling.

"Well..." but I trailed off, seeing the familiar face of Lucy, or rather, my mother, standing behind Chiron. She slowly walked up to me, a small smile on her face.

"If you're here to convince me to stay, I'm not goi-"

"I'm here to do no such thing," she scolded gently. Her expression softened, and she reached out, clasping my hands. "I am simply...worried."

I nodded, smiling sadly. "I know, Mom. But I have to go," I replied.

A small smile graced her lips as she looked into my eyes. "Of course you do," she murmured. With a soft touch, she reached over to my right hand, gripping it tightly. A sudden warm sensation travelled up my arm, surprising me.

As she pulled away, a rose-colored bangle, an inch in thickness, encircled my wrist. It was intricately engraved with designs, depicting images of fire and comforting scenes. It seemed to dance with the gentle flicker of flames.

"This is a gift from me to you," she said. "It is a magical bracelet, a token of my love and protection. While I'm not one for violence, I can't say you won't need it. It can transform into any weapon your heart desires, as long as you harness your creativity. Use it wisely to defend yourself and others." She glanced at Percy briefly.

"Like Percy's pen, it is enchanted. In the rare case it comes loose, it will reappear back on your wrist after some time."

"Thank you, Mom." She smiled warmly, before pulling me into a warm hug.

"Be careful out there, my son." She whispered. With a final smile, her figure rippled, like flames in the wind, before disappearing.

"Ok," Annabeth muttered behind me, "I guess your Mom is kind of cool."

When I got to the bottom of the hill, I looked back. Under the pine tree that used to be Thalia, daughter of Zeus, Chiron was now standing in full horse-man form, holding his bow high in salute. Just your typical summer-camp send-off by your typical centaur.

...

Argus drove us out of the countryside and into western Long Island. It felt weird to be on a highway again, Annabeth and Grover sitting next to me as if we were normal carpoolers. After two weeks at Half-Blood Hill, the real world seemed like a fantasy. I found myself staring at every McDonald's, every kid in the back of his parents' car, every billboard and shopping mall.

"So far so good," Percy told Annabeth. "Ten miles and not a single monster."

She gave him an irritated look. "It's bad luck to talk that way, seaweed brain."

"Remind me again why do you hate me so much?" Percy sighed.

"I don't hate you." She muttered

"Could've fooled me." Percy huffed. Annabeth folded her cap of invisibility.

"Look... we're just not supposed to get along, okay? Our parents are rivals."

"Why?" Percy pressed.

"How many reasons do you want?" Annabeth muttered. "One time my mom caught Poseidon with his girlfriend in Athena's temple, which is hugely disrespectful. Another time, Athena and Poseidon competed to be the patron god for the city of Athens. Your dad created some stupid saltwater spring for his gift. My mom created the olive tree. The people saw that her gift was better, so they named the city after her."

"They must really like olives." He murmured, a small smirk on his face.

"Oh, forget it." She replied, exasperated.

"Now, if she'd invented pizza-that I could understand."

"I said, forge-"

"Guys! Please." I raised my voice slightly. "Lets not argue in the first hours of our quest." A warm felling washed over the van, and I poured meaning into my voice, like Selina taught me. The tension in the van lifted, and the two demigods calmed down a bit. In the front seat, Argus smiled. He didn't say anything, but one blue eye on the back of his neck winked at me.

Traffic slowed us down in Queens. By the time we got into Manhattan it was sunset and starting to rain. Argus dropped us at a Greyhound Station. Taped to a mailbox was a soggy flyer with Percy's picture on it: HAVE YOU SEEN THIS BOY? He ripped it down, grumbling quietly.

Argus unloaded our bags, making sure we had our bus tickets, then drove away, the eye on the back of his hand opening to watch us as he pulled out of the parking lot. As Grover began to talk to Percy, I glanced to my right and noticed Annabeth fidgeting with her hat nervously.

"You okay, Annie?" I asked, concerned. She whipped her head around to face me, her cheeks slightly flushed.

"Don't call me Annie again!" She snapped. "And, to answer your question, no, I'm not." Her voice quivered slightly.

"Nervous?" I asked in a softer tone.

"Of course..." Annabeth paused, her gaze dropping. "A bit," she admitted quietly.

"You know, I feel nervous as well," I said, offering her a warm and understanding smile. "But if we stick together, I'm sure we can come out on top." Unknowingly, a warm rush of hot air passed over me, leaving Annabeth's cheeks slightly coloured. With a strange expression on her face, she leaned in towards me, giving me a tight hug.

"Thanks, Y/N. That helped alot." She murmured. Both Grover and Percy stared at her with surprised expressions, while I tensed up, stiffening from the unexpected touch. A moment passed by as Annabeth recoiled with an angry look on her face, blushing up a storm.

"Stop that!" she exclaimed, her voice accusing as she pointed a finger at me. It took me a moment to realize what had happened, and I couldn't help but feel a twinge of embarrassment myself.

"Sorry," I mumbled, my cheeks matching her hue. "I didn't mean for that to happen."

"It's fine," she said, her voice less confrontational now. "Just stop charm speaking...or...whatever that was."

I nodded "I will."

"Hey! Where's my hug at?" Grover whined.

Annabeth rolled her eyes but managed a small smile. "Shut up goat boy," she teased.

Finally the bus came. As we stood in line to board, Grover started looking around, sniffing the air.

"What is it?" Percy asked.

"I don't know," he said tensely. "Maybe it's nothing." But I could tell it wasn't nothing. I started looking over my shoulder, too. I was relieved when we finally got on board and found seats together in the back of the bus. We stowed our backpacks. Annabeth kept slapping her Yankees cap nervously against her thigh. As the last passengers got on, Annabeth gasped audibly.

An old lady had just boarded the bus. She wore a crumpled velvet dress, lace gloves, and a shapeles sorange-knit hat that shadowed her face, and she carried a big paisley purse. When she tilted her head up, her black eyes glittered, and Percy seemed to scrunch down in his seat.

Behind her came two more old ladies: one in a green hat, one in a purple hat. They sat in the front row, right behind the driver. The two on the aisle crossed their legs over the walkway, making an X. It was casual enough, but it sent a clear message: nobody leaves.The bus pulled out of the station, and we headed through the slick streets of Manhattan.

"She didn't stay dead long," Percy said, his voice quivering. "I thought you said they could be dispelled for a lifetime."

"I said if you're lucky," Annabeth said. "You're obviously not."

"All three of them," Grover whimpered. "Di immortales!"

"What's wrong?" I hissed urgently.

"Just The Furies." Annabeth said, thinking hard. "The three worst monsters from the Underworld. No problem. No problem. We'll just slip out the windows."

"They don't open," Grover moaned.

"A back exit?" she suggested. There wasn't one. Even if there had been, it wouldn't have helped. By that time, we were on Ninth Avenue, heading for the Lincoln Tunnel.

"They won't attack us with witnesses around," Percy said. "Will they?"

"Mortals don't have good eyes," Annabeth reminded him. "Their brains can only process what they see through the Mist."

"They'll see three old ladies killing us, won't they?" I added. She thought about it.

"Hard to say. But we can't count on mortals for help. Maybe an emergency exit in the roof . . . ?"

We hit the Lincoln Tunnel, and the bus went dark except for the running lights down the aisle. It was eerily quiet without the sound of the rain.One of the old ladies got up. In a flat voice, as if she'd rehearsed it, she announced to the whole bus:

"I need to use the rest-room."

"So do I," said the second sister.

"So do I," said the third sister. They all started coming down the aisle.

"I've got it," Annabeth exclaimed. "Percy, take my hat."

"What?"

"You're the one they want. Turn invisible and go up the aisle. Let them pass you. Maybe you can get to the front and get away." She whispered furiously.

"But you guys-" Percy began.

"There's an outside chance they might not notice us," Annabeth said. "You're a son of one of the Big Three. Your smell might be overpowering."

"I can't just leave you." He insisted.

"Don't worry about us," Grover said. "Go!"

Percy seemed to have second thoughts but he took the Yankees cap and put it on. When he put it on, his body shimmered, and disappeared. I watched nervously as the 3 old ladies made their way down the isle, my heart pounding in my chest. As they reached our seats, they smiled evilly, before transforming. the old ladies were not old ladies anymore. Their faces were still the same-I guess those couldn't get any uglier- but their bodies had shrivelled into leathery brown hag bodies with bat's wings and hands and feet like gargoyle claws. Their handbags had turned into fiery whips. The Furies surrounded us, lashing their whips.

"Where is it?! Where?!" They hissed angrily.

"He's not here!" Annabeth yelled. "He's gone!" The Furies raised their whips. Annabeth drew her bronze knife. Grover grabbed a tin can from his snack bag and prepared to throw it. My mind raced as I thought of anything to do, but I froze up, unable to move.

With a sudden jerk, the bus lurched to the left. The passengers screamed as we were flung to the right, and the 3 furies screeches they connected with the windows. Sparks flew against the side of the bus as it grinded on the