So, I was tagged. Wonderful. I blame @FunnyMimi367 and @hello_im_brooke but that's beside the point.

1. Favorite Color?
Blue or Green or Red
2. Favorite Animal?
Panda or Turtle
3. Favorite Movie?
Pokémon: Lucario and the Mystery of Mew
4. Favorite Song?
As of right now? NateWantsToBattle's StopRewind
5. Fictional Crush?
... who crushes on fictional characters that's just-
Historia Reiss
Don't judge me
I can just feel myself being judged
6. Guilty Pleasure Ship?
Alright so I'm hardcore Percabeth but I'm a sucker for a good Perciper or Perzoë
7. Secret About Yourself?
No one in my real life knows I write fan fiction
8. Five Facts About Yourself?
I'm going to be a junior
I can't eat spicy food
I have a knack for remembering birthdays
I only eat green grapes cuz I'm complicated like that
I watch more anime than is healthy but that's okay

Nicknames?
Poke Master is my actual nickname
Eye Color?
Blue
Hair Color?
Brown
Facts About Me?
I take Latin in school
It's the only subject I'm good at
That's why she's the only teacher who likes me
Favorite Color?
Red or Blue or Green
Favorite Place?
My Room
Favorite Celebrity?
NateWantsToBattle
Favorite Song?
StopRewind
Favorite Band?
Imagine Dragons
Favorite Book?
I'll get back to you on that one
Tag Ten People?
... this is the part where I ignore this entirely and hope the tag dies with me

As I was saying, fun

Now enjoy the real reason people bothered opening this book at all!

"So," Percy started awkwardly, "Should we just ignore the fact that the Poop Pile just tried to eat us?"

"I blame you."

"Annabeth! Why?!?"

"I don't know, maybe because you keep calling it the Poop Pile?"

"Just look at it!"

"Tug!" Will cried happily, "You're here!"

You were gone five seconds and you almost died. Of course I needed to be here.

"Wait," Will stepping back from the Ranger Horse, "Five seconds? We've been here for a week!"

Tug snorted at him like he was crazy. Did you hit your head?

"No!" Will protested, "I mean- Well, yes I did hit my head, but not that hard."

Before he could ask Tug exactly what was happening there, Annabeth's voice came from where Zeus's Fist used to be.

"Hey, guys?" She called warily, shakily, "Come check this out."

Will gave Tug one last glance before heading over to where the hole was, finding the rest of the group already crowded around it. He tossed a rock down, listening for the sound of it hitting the bottom.

There was none.

Will prided himself on his Ranger abilities, his affinity for climbing, and his Halt impression. But above all that - okay, maybe not above his Halt impression, he was really fond of that one - he had razor sharp senses.

Yet, he heard no sound. The pit went so far down the ping of the impact couldn't even make its way back up.

A thought struck him, and before he could write it off as ridiculous he remembered that in that day alone he'd met winged horses, a boy with one eye, and was nearly killed by a mound of rocks.

Maybe it wasn't just deep, but endless.

A haunted look appeared in Percy's eyes as he stared down into the infinite darkness. The same look that Annabeth had, one that made two people he had never known to be anything but strong look gaunt, broken.

"It can't be," Percy breathed, his voice turning frantic and frenzy appearing in his eyes, "Annabeth, tell me it's not. It's not. It can't be. Please."

The daughter of Athena said nothing. Like her words had been stolen from her brain, caught on her tongue.

Apparently that was all the answer Percy needed.

He choked on air, shaking his head, his knuckles going white as he gripped Riptide tightly. Alyss put a reassuring hand on his arm.

"Percy," she murmured gently, "Tell us what's down there."

He stared up at her, sea green eyes wide and afraid.

"Tartarus."

A beat of silence.

Horace tilted his head at him. "Is that like what happens to that sauce Leo was eating when it goes bad?"

"Horace!" Evanlyn growled, elbowing him, "You know that's obviously not what's down there."

"I was just trying to break the ice."

"Your humor leaves a lot to be desired."

Annabeth backed away slowly, sitting in the grass. Percy collapsed next to her, and if the way they instinctively moved closer together wasn't indication enough, you could tell just how bad Tartarus was in the way their eyes stuck to the pit, unwavering, as if to look away for a second was to forfeit their lives.

"Tartarus is Greek Hell," she whispered, "It's the place of monsters, it's the prison of wicked souls, it harbors eternal torment."

She took a shuddered, leaning farther into Percy and continuing before anyone had the chance to respond. "The air is poison, the ground, broken glass," Annabeth's voice rose, breath quickening, "Its rivers are misery and despair and liquid flame and the monsters are stronger and nowhere is safe. Demigods can't heal and it kills you down there, physically and m-mentall-"

She couldn't finish, cutting off as if someone had punched her in the throat.

"When the campers say you've been through Hell," Will realized, "It wasn't figurative, was it?"

They shook their heads, attempting to calm themselves down. "Alone, we would have died, for sure," Percy told them, "We made sacrifices, we drank fire from the River Phlegethon just to stay alive. Without Bob and Damasen there's no way we would be here today. A Titan and a Giant, but they were heroes, not monsters. We saw Tartarus himself, and I was paralyzed."

He grit his teeth in frustration, a fire burning in his eyes that Will had never seen before. "The most important moment of our lives, the one that decided who lived and who died and I dropped my sword. Of all the things I've done wrong in my life, that's the one I despise myself for the most."

"The time gap that no one will tell us about from Rome to Epirus," Horace murmured, "No stories with you guys at least. They don't know, or they do and even the thought of it pains them?"

"Both," Annabeth said darkly, having calmed down, "We told them what happened to us, but you couldn't understand unless you were down there, not truly."

She shook her head. "Look, guys. Stay away from the pit for now. Tyson, you should probably head back to Poseidon's. We're going to have to find a way to cover it, and to get you back home without Zeus's Fist, alright?"

"What about Trobar?" Will fretted, "Where is he? Is he okay? What do we-"

Halt clapped him hard on the back. "Gorlog's Beard, just breathe for a second, boy, is that so hard?"

The demigods stared at him quizzically.

"Gorlog?" Percy repeated slowly, "Like, a bearded, blood covered... log?"

Halt thought for a second. "A religion. A god. And burly men in horned helmets."

Evanlyn waved it aside. "Never mind that for now. We opened a pit to Hell. Now what?"

"Like I said," Annabeth told her, "We cover it as best we can, assume Trobar reached your home through whatever portal Zeus's Fist was hiding, and make a plan of attack to-"

She was cut off by a rumbling in the ground that had them all scrambling to their feet.

The pit shuddered then widened, pulling everything around it down into the abyss, though with far less force than before.

"It's about three feet wider in diameter," Halt noted quietly, "And it's been around half an hour since its first appearance. If it keeps growing like this..."

He trailed off, leaving the threat hanging in the air. Will eyed the group solemnly, finishing the statement.

"It will swallow your Camp."

_______________

"What?!?"

"Zeus's Fist is trying to eat us all?"

"There's a pit to Tartarus in our Capture the Flag Woods?"

"Everybody calm down!"

"Thank you, Piper," Annabeth said with a nod, "And yes. It's true. All of it."

"I honestly don't know why you guys are so surprised," Travis told them, flippantly waving his hand.

"This is pretty much par for the course," Connor finished.

"Humanity has-"

"A problem-"

"And it's-"

"Dear old Zeusy's-"

"Fault."

"Only in the sense that it was Zeus's monument," Katie cut in quickly, a hand smacking her boyfriend upside the head, "Because we don't actually know what's going on."

"It's nice to see some people still respect the gods," Rachel said.

Travis scoffed. "It's rare to see some gods that still deserve respect."

"I remember the days when just saying the gods' names was dangerous," Katie sighed in false nostalgia.

"I can't remember days when we weren't fighting for our lives because of them," Connor grunted, rolling his eyes.

"Is it always like this?" Evanlyn asked, leaning towards Percy a little.

"No."

"So it's usually more professional-"

"Usually they're crazier. And also there's Cheese Whiz."

Evanlyn's smile became strained, struggling to understand how their home was in danger and they were joking around like nothing was wrong.

Percy shot her a sideways glance, murmuring softly. "Demigods have to fight to stay alive. But people need to laugh to make it a life worth living."

Her face softened, and she nodded her understanding, watching the way the bickering relaxed everyone. The way the Stoll Brothers teamed up against Demeter's Head Counselor and were somehow still losing, the way Clarisse was casually sharpening her spear at her seat, and even Clovis, who was napping in the corner, seemingly oblivious.

They all cared. And when it came down to it, they knew what needed to be done.

"That's respectable and all," Halt muttered behind them, the cowl of his cloak up and shadowing his face, "But they do need to be making a plan for what happens when this all goes to Hell. Figuratively and literally."

Percy's eyes hardened. "Not when. Not if. I am not letting this place go down. I've fought for five years to keep it safe. I'm not about to give it up now."

"Alright," Percy called out, silencing everyone immediately, "Piper and Halt are right. You all need to chill out, and we need to figure out how to stop the pit from growing."

"Maybe if I go and take a look at it," Katie suggested, "I can at least do damage control with the nymphs and cover it with grass so no one can fall in."

"Counselor field trip to the hole in the ground?" Percy grinned, "Fun."

No sooner did they all exit the Big House than the war horn was sounded across the Camp.

And a horde of monsters attacked.

"Wargals!" Will yelped, his bow already mocked and sending an arrow into one's eye, "But how?"

"These are hellhounds, Ranger Boy," Leo corrected him, one going up in flames, "What in the Styx are Wargals?"

"I-I'm not sure."

"What a shock!"

Within minutes the last of them were reduced to golden ash on the ground.

"What were they doing inside the barrier?" Will Solace panted, flopping to the ground, "Thalia's Tree and Peleus should be holding strong."

"I wonder where they came from," Clarisse growled, glaring daggers at the newest members of Camp, "Don't say I didn't warn you, Prissy. We're not safe here anymore, and that's because there's a monster spawner on the inside."

A cacophony of shouting started up.

"We should start evacuating Campers to New Rome."

"And abandon our home? You're kidding me!"

"Well what else can we do? Monsters can strike at any moment."

"Then we start the patrol back up. We've done it before, we can do it again."

"We did it when the stakes were far lower and there was no other option."

"Well I'm not giving you an option, either, you coward! This Camp has protected everyone for years. It's time you repay the favor."

"Guys, we can't-"

"Don't tell me-"

"Calm-"

But among the yelling, even the voices of reason were forced shut by the infinitely more important green smoke that swirled in the air.

Complete silence. Utter awe.

And above all, an unmistakeable, smothering resignation.

Resignation to a destiny now beyond their control.

Rachel opened her now glowing green eyes, and spoke in a voice that was no longer her own.

"When time is tested by his blade,
When ancient bounds become unmade.
Warriors of past and present collide,
To fight for a realm that has already died.

An alternate time, a separate world,
The layer of secrets that will be unfurled.
A perilous path, the celestial gate,
The twin god's Archer to decide their fate."

"The next Great Prophecy," Annabeth breathed, her hand finding Percy's and her eyes glued to the Campers helping Rachel stand.

"And I get the feeling," Travis added, staring over at them, "That you guys are at the center again."

"It's like Connor said, right?" Percy chuckled weakly with a smile that was more of a grimace.

"Par for the course."