Hope you're all enjoying your three day weekend! I should have called this chapter One Last Explosion, haha. Happy Memorial Day to my American followers, for everyone else, enjoy your Monday treat!

PJOPJOPJOPJO

Beckendorf...the dark feelings still resided in him as his eyes fluttered open...yet Percy woke up feeling more relaxed than he had since...well since he first woke up without his memories. It didn't take much imagination to figure out why.

He could still feel Annabeth pressed against his back. She was sitting upright, he could hear pages of a book flipping. He smiled with a strange sense of deja vu, a hazy memory he tried to grasp like smoke. This was not the first time he'd awoken like this, but it felt new and invigorating as he yawned and stretched for another day.

She smiled and reached out for him the moment he was awake, but stopped herself, her fingers going slowly back around the book without a change in expression as she stretched too to get up.

Alex came into the room today wearing green slacks and a button up pink shirt that was far to loose on him like he was heading for a casual day at the office, there was even an untied, yellow and blue seashell patterned tie around his neck. All that was missing was a briefcase. His hair though, was all feathered up in a massive pompador style right out of the 60's.

"If you're trying to impress my dad, that outfit might do it," Percy grinned.

"The style spoke to me for many reasons," she nodded appreciatively to Percy before announcing, "oh, and it's he/ him pronouns today."

Percy sighed in exhaustion, just because he knew he was going to get that wrong at least once and he always felt bad getting the stank eye from Alex even while they made fun of each other for it.

Annabeth couldn't help but study him with the sharp, fascinated eyes of someone seeing something for the first time. Like everyone else, she'd never met a genderfluid person before, and like everything new she ever encountered, she wanted to know more.

Jason came shuffling in last. His face tight, eyes averted to the ground but shoulders straight as he went back to sit beside Nico.

Thalia let him without a word. She knew that kind of anger, she wouldn't let it stay bottled up forever, but Percy and Annabeth were being the life of the party, laughing over what she'd managed to read so far last night and how it all seemed so much simpler back then. She was teasing him about how his guinea pig face must have blushed upon seeing her in that dress while Thalia picked up the book.

Hopefully at lunch she could snag her brother for a private word, perhaps on the roof where he was least likely to cause property damage and try to explain herself again-

"Hey Annabeth," Will leaned forward anxiously in his seat before Thalia could get her thoughts together and start. "Did Rachel ever come to Camp or try to contact you guys?"

Thalia blinked, then her heart did a somersault of guilt as she realized what he was asking.

"No," Annabeth watched him carefully for that tone. "I reached out of course, to see if she had any visions of where Percy was, but-"

"She was in here," Thalia said with numb lips, looking at Magnus's suddenly stark white face. "She, I would have thought Oceanus would send her back and she would have gotten a hold of you-" she stopped with horror as Magnus jumped up.

"But, Hearth-" He'd been an idiot, he'd been an absolute fool to let him get sent anywhere! He might as well superglue a target to his face because Blitz was going to kill him if he didn't die of shame first-

"Whoah, whoah, whoah," Annabeth stood up and came towards him, but he backed away with a guarded look towards her, only to bump into the couch and fall flat back.

She took a step back and spoke to the room at large, only biting at her lip for a moment before speaking with confidence. "Oceanus might seem incompetent, but he knows better than to mess with, um, her." Only to some of them did they understand she meant an Oracle, a blessed of Apollo. The others just thought she sounded very naive; except Percy, of course. He believed her without question even if he wasn't sure why as he rubbed his temple. " I'm positive he didn't do anything to harm her or, um, Hearth. IM's have still been down, or glitchy at best, so she probably couldn't get in touch that way. If he meant to pull me in here and couldn't manage it, I'm sure he just sent them, somewhere they, shouldn't be," she finished with her own confused frown. She couldn't even hope it was inside the continental US, considering how out of touch he seemed.

Magnus heard her through a low buzz, anger at himself at war with panic. Hearth wasn't exactly helpless, but he'd been assuming this whole time he was in some elfish fantasy world with Blitz having the time of his life without being responsible for him. They had to get out of here and, and...his head was swimming. He didn't even know how to start looking for him, let alone what he was going to tell Blitz. Maybe he had some magic dwarf powers and had already found him-

"Nothing's changed then," Alex's voice cut through the fog of his panic like a sword about to behead him. "We need to get out of here, we've only been given one clear way to do that," he sounded so contemptuous and stubborn all at once as he gestured at the books.

The very large pile of books they still had left.

Magnus swallowed a painfully dry throat, trying to hold onto the idea that Alex had been practicing his ASL, he was getting pretty good and Hearth was going to be so pleased when they finally met up again, but gods did that feel as unattainable a life right now as just getting a new pair of socks used to.

"Well let's get to it then," Percy reached out and took Annabeth's hand, giving it a squeeze, before releasing her. A silent promise she could go wherever she wanted in this room and he'd be right here. Rachel was as resilient as her, he scolded his racing heart. She probably couldn't get a hold of anyone from her private island because the satellite her dad owned was having a bad day, it was just his luck, not anything happening to her.

Annabeth backed up slowly, eyes on her cousin, but sat back down beside him.

"Can't get any worse," Jason agreed, his voice rough like he'd been screaming into a pillow half the night.

Nico and Will exchanged miserable looks, feeling as usual the spectators in everybody else's life.

Nobody tried to stop Thalia as she huddled up tight in her seat with a miserable feeling. Some leader she was. If Zeus could see her he'd probably laugh himself stupid off his throne.

"I Meet Some Fishy Relatives," she told the room with a faint smile, Percy had always managed to bring that out in her whether she liked it or not.

"Talking fish?" Magnus asked with interest that even to his own ears felt lackluster. The one time he'd like to be able to shut his brain off and curl up in his sleeping bag, but he didn't want to leave either. This place had always felt like a dream, an escape from his miserable life the moment that door had opened. Hearth was okay, he'd keep telling himself over and over. He was wicked smart and resourceful and probably knew all kinds of elf things he'd never told Magnus about he could yell at him for later.

"All fish are talking fish when Percy meets them," Will chuckled.

"I'm worried it means fishy like suspicious. He blacked out in the ocean, what if Poseidon's enemies captured him," Jason frowned.

"Maybe for once we meet nicer relatives of Percy's, the only one who hasn't wanted to kill him is Tyson," Nico sighed.

Percy looked desperately to Annabeth, and for once, she gave him a commiserating look as she asked, "why are they trying to guess when they could just shut it and find out faster?"

"Thank you!" Percy shouted with such gusto a floom of bubbles left his fingers, "I've been telling them that from the get go!"

"Let them have their game, the actual chapters are usually death and destruction. At least these are fun," Will shrugged.

Thalia wholeheartedly agreed, and added, "maybe he meets the original Pegasus, that'd be a fun play on words."

Percy groaned while Annabeth at least gave Thalia an indulgent smile until the mild laughter subsided and Thalia properly started.

Demigod dreams suck.

"Pretty sure I had a dream last night about a platypus juggling," Alex gave him a sad nod.

"Why you gotta brag man?" Percy sighed.

Alex didn't even point out he was just sharing his awesome dream, it had been a bit of a brag too it wasn't about Loki again.

... never just dreams. They've got to be visions... mystical stuff that hurts my brain.

"Why do you even need the Oracle?" Magnus looked sickened at being hounded by this world even in your sleep. Percy had just watched his friend die, couldn't it ever cut him some slack? "Sounds to me like you guys get enough hellish visions without the green smoke."

"The Oracle's actually more vague than our dreams half the time," Percy agreed with the gripe.

Annabeth gave them both an exasperated look, one Percy associated with having asked her this once before and he'd tuned out the answer, which he only vaguely realized he was doing now as he saw her mouth moving but wasn't taking in a word until she shot Will a dirty look as he snickered and interrupted, "my dad would have smited them already for asking that anywhere else. Can we move on?"

Annabeth obviously didn't agree, but Thalia was more than happy to do so.

...Mount Tamalpais, in California.

Percy's hand slipped back into Annabeth's. Slowly, cautiously, but she only smiled without a trace of rejection. He smiled right back, taking any excuse he could to have her close as memories of that place swirled to easily to mind, her grimy face begging Luke for help, Kronos's golden eyes watching pitilessly as Beckendorf closed his eyes and reached for his watch. This place meant nothing but death.

...Atlas, holding up the sky.

Thalia gave herself a calming breath. It wasn't Annabeth and Artemis back under there, he was still trapped and he would stay that way.

Two other giant men stood over a bronze brazier, studying images in the flames.

"Where's the midget Titan?" Percy sighed. "Why are they all stocking up on Wheaties and three times the size of me?"

"You needed a growth spurt," Annabeth smirked.

...face was covered in a war helm with a ram's horn curling on either side.

Jason's blood ran cold, and it was something more than the idea of the Titan. It felt like a memory, like his presence was a sheer force of icy wind trying to bow him over he'd fought against-

"Jason?" Nico's hand was warm as he gave him a friendly nudge, the shock of it so far from where his mind had been trying to loop him into it easily knocked him out.

"Yeah, yeah," he murmured quietly, quickly, hoping Thalia hadn't noticed. What else about his past was she hoarding to herself? He didn't want to deal with any of it right now.

She'd noticed, and was pretending she hadn't just as easily.

"It doesn't matter," the other said.

Percy's anger flared so harsh, all of their vision burned white for a moment as the ocean turned painfully hot in seconds. Beckendorf's sacrifice didn't matter?! Taking out a whole battalion had made them brush him off like a bit of grass!

"Percy!" Annabeth's voice was startled more than afraid, but he hadn't realized he'd yanked his hand out from hers as they balled up into fists. Like he'd vanished right from her side without warning.

"Sorry, I'm sorry," he gasped, taking her hand back gently and curling his fingers tight around her weathered hands, cupping her in both of his as everyone around him blinked and a few even waved their hands in front of their eyes to chase away the spots.

... reminded me of Apollo, except the light was harsher, expression crueler.

If Percy hadn't been using every last bit of his usually useless concentration to keep him here in this room, his anger would have been absolute enough to borrow some of that power and explode something. His body remembered this guy like his mind couldn't, it wanted to help him, churn the ocean to his will and finish what had once been started...but there were no Titans in here, and he would keep a lid on himself and not hurt them!

... "Krios, you shall remain and guard Mount Othrys."

The white specks still dancing in Jason's eyes weren't doing well to chase away the image of stars in the water, the darkness just out of touch in the room. In a better mood he would have liked to speak with Percy how interesting it was he experienced his own anger and how it felt tight, almost painful without a release he wasn't giving and what to do with this feeling, but he wanted to understand this more than his stupid ideas right now.

... always get the stupid jobs. Lord of the South. Lord of Constellations...babysit Atlas."

Nico was impressed at the look that passed over Jason's face, almost a sneer of intimidation just begging to laugh. The sort of confidence that certainly would have made him consider before drawing his own sword.

... "Let me out, curse you! I am your greatest warrior.

Alex scoffed so hard it sounded like it hurt. "He was out of there for how long and got absolutely thrashed by everyone he met."

Thalia gave him an unimpressed look for that cocky attitude. Even Artemis had to trick him back into taking his burden, Zoe and Percy had been a mere annoyance in the meantime.

Annabeth didn't remember much of her time beneath the sky, mostly just black fuzzy pain she'd have given anything to be away from, but she'd heard Atlas's voice speaking to Luke and knew it was the cause of her pain. She did her best to suppress a shiver and shove that memory back away to wherever it was. How had Percy been taking all of this so calmly? Just one whisper of a memory of her past and she felt like crawling out of her skin.

Take my burden so I may fight!"

Nico chuckled for himself. He felt like that was the real punishment, not even the sky itself. That Atlas had to rely on someone else to take it, that he couldn't force his burden away. It was something he was sure his dad had thought up.

.. "Our treacherous nephew in the tuxedo will not do you much good in a fight."

"Tuxedo?" One of Alex's brows shot up with interest. "Who's showing up to the party in all their glory?"

"I volunteer Alex fight them if he's that invested," Percy sighed. "Fashion runway faceoff maybe."

"Don't tempt me," he smirked. "I can resist everything but temptation," rolling the last word on his tongue and savoring it. Magnus swallowed and looked quickly away from those lips.

..."He gets to erupt into flames. I get to wear these stupid ram's horns."

If he didn't like them so much, Jason would be happy to rip them off. The feeling sat clenched and painful until his mind was forced to move on, he could feel a sharp breeze tugging at his clothes he wasn't consciously aware of. Somewhere in his memories, he knew that as much as Crius resented his placement in the cosmos, he had known how to use those powers.

...outside the pavilion, hiding in the shadows —my friend Nico di Angelo, the son of Hades.

Nico smiled in surprise Percy had once considered him a friend. Surely that placement had stayed in the months since, despite everything that had happened...until he'd been forgotten about like everybody else.

"You were just casually spying on Titans?" Will sighed, in a very exhausted kind of way that already meant he knew his worry would fall on deaf ears.

He was right, he might as well have been talking to Hearth. "Uhhu," Nico nodded. "I pulled Percy into that dream. Something I was experimenting with, pretty cool it worked, huh?"

Annabeth sighed, Percy looked startled, but Will grinned faintly, like he was impressed. There weren't Titans around anymore to worry about Nico continuing to do this, but Will still hoped he might be able to provide backup one day anyways.

Nico was imagining the same thing, and fought hard to suppress a laugh at Will trying to blend into the shadows with that blond hair. It wasn't working very well.

... Do you really think you can beat them without my plan?"

"That plan?" Percy groaned, knowing full well the answer was buried somewhere in his head and the current source of his headache.

The room was collectively silent in answer, though Jason and Alex looked a little put out too like they would have backed Percy up on getting an answer to that sooner rather than later. Thalia decided to keep reading before that broke out into more.

...My head felt like it had been microwaved in aluminum foil.

"Well, nothing else has got his brain firing on all pistons, someone was bound to try this eventually," Thalia chuckled.

..."Beckendorf?" I asked hopefully. "No, brother."

It was the first time everybody wasn't excited to hear about Tyson. The quiet, heavy weight of the room still circled around that name, not even a moment to hope it had been true before Thalia had taken it away.

... "Tyson?" My brother broke into a toothy grin. "Yay! Your brain works!"

"Debatable," Annabeth smirked.

Percy had never looked so thrilled to be insulted by someone. It was sort of cute, and kind of sad as Annabeth had yet taken her eyes off him, the lines under her eyes hardly less than yesterday.

... more like I was hearing vibrations inside my skull, not the regular sounds.

Jason stirred with interest first, looking quizzically at Percy, then around the room. "Isn't Tyson still in Neptune's Kingdom? Did someone bring you there?"

"Makes sense," Percy nodded wearily. He had last blacked out in the ocean, that ship would have sent a massive echo throughout the deep waters attracting everything, plenty of creatures who would know where to take him. Even for once, getting an answer right as he woke up, couldn't overpower his still settling knowledge that Beckendorf couldn't have survived the same.

... a bed made of silky woven kelp... Glowing pearls provided light. I was under water.

"Next time, Poseidon should kidnap us outright," Alex huffed. "His digs sound way nicer than what we got."

Annabeth nodded in agreement, but Percy saw the sadness creep over her face as she looked around. He could only imagine what was going on in that big, beautiful brain of hers, and what she might suggest to their current prison-lords on how to spruce up the place.

... "Where—"

"Daddy's palace," Tyson said.

Jason was starting to look a little put out why they weren't all hearing each others voices through the vibrations in the water, and why they'd been foisted to some old Titan instead of the central hubbub of an Olympian's palace.

Nico sighed in exasperation as Alex was still muttering about that too, and he vividly remembered how unhappy Oceanus was about them even being here. There was just no pleasing anybody when it came to kidnapping.

... never visited Poseidon's realm, and I'd been dreaming about it for years.

"Why haven't we been hearing about those dreams?" Magnus sighed. "All we've been hearing is death, and potential death, and threatening's of death."

Percy thought about it for a moment before offering, "I think there was one where Bessie and I sat around blowing bubbles. She was green for some reason."

"I accept that," Magnus chuckled in surprise, "I honestly was starting to doubt you could have normal dreams."

... I still felt like I'd been trampled by a Laistrygonian soccer team in cleats.

"Wearing short shorts," Alex just had to add to the trauma. "Doing speckys off one another and smelling wretched!"

"He's just like that. All the time." Percy told Annabeth's calculating face upon him.

"Ah," she nodded as if she'd come to much the same conclusion.

"Nobody's going to ask what a specky is?" Alex asked in disappointment.

"Nobody was foolish enough to think you weren't going to explain," Jason promised.

"They jump off one another!" He shouted.

"In the, cleats?" Magnus asked in concern.

"Well they don't take their shoes off during the game Magnus," he sniffed.

"Right," he sighed while Thalia uneasily looked down at the book and decided to keep reading before Alex wanted to start demonstrating.

..."The Princess Andromeda?" "Went ka-boom," Tyson confirmed.

It was a mark of how bad things were Tyson had put no enthusiasm into one of his favorite activities. Likely because the big guy knew from personal experience how ships going ka-boom could be dangerous, since he'd been in the middle of one.

...Beckendorf had a girlfriend his whole life ahead of him. He couldn't be gone.

The pain in Thalia's voice as she read that stunned them. She hadn't even known Beckendorf, yet it sounded so personal to her...as her eyes flickered to Jason.

Annabeth felt like she was still caught in the middle of that hurricane if she thought about that to long. That someone she considered a sister had a past, a secret sibling she'd never shared a word about. Something had happened to him, this she easily devised. These exact feelings Percy expressed was probably as close as Thalia had ever come to dealing with the loss of him being out of her life.

Jason watched her, studying her with those same vibrant blue eyes. The anger was still there, but it was cooling now to calculating, a type of focus Annabeth knew all to well. Checking your opponent for their weakness, he was analyzing her to see how much she meant that. Annabeth knew her well enough to know she meant every painful word for him.

...Nico warning me that I'd never beat Kronos without his plan...avoiding for a year.

"How is it," Alex redirected easily onto Percy her frustration with the universe, "that even when you finally know something before the last second, we still don't get to hear it!"

Percy wanted to tell them. He sighed and opened his mouth and would have, but the moment he tried his tongue felt swollen, the pain in his head amplified like a comet heading towards his butt. There were things, memories, experiences connected with Nico's plan that were hard to tie together into one cohesive explanation for Alex.

"I feel just as out of the loop," Annabeth quickly intervened, that look of pained frustration on his face she'd do anything to help ease away. "I know the outcome and I wasn't given any forewarning of this. Percy made a plan without me!"

Magnus chuckled for her, the stiff silence in the room mellowing away, but it lingered as Percy let out a shaky sigh instead of joining in.

...Tyson looked worried. "Daddy will explain. Come, he is blowing up monsters."

"Monsters?" Magnus emphasized the plural in concern. "A blast like that from a god didn't incinerate anything in the ocean he wanted?" His voice squeaked at the end, Annabeth felt rather bad the news seemed to hit him so hard.

She felt even worse she didn't have a better answer for him than anyone else.

... As we rose up I caught my breath—well, if you can catch your breath underwater.

"I'm still concerned where the bathroom leads," Nico frowned, "physics has fallen pretty far down the ladder."

...The paths were lined with glowing pearls like Christmas lights.

Thalia sounded delightfully greedy. She could pin Percy down and never get these kinds of details about such an amazing place only a handful of demigods would ever visit. The idea did give her a sense of vertigo though, imagining herself so far off the ground traversing over this...even while being underwater which seriously made her stomach churn in confusion and fear.

... shark teeth. They don't show you stuff like that in The Little Mermaid.

"But they should have," Alex's eyes gleamed with interest as he ran a hand through his green hair. "Let's see how many kids still want to reenact Part of Your World with sharkteeth!"

"You, and maybe Percy," Jason snorted.

"I bet there's plenty of kids out there into the ocean who would still get a kick out of these guys," Percy defended the random sea-loving children of the world.

The others just started snickering Percy hadn't denied he'd jumped on a rock and tried to do that dramatic scene with waves and all at least once.

...Greek fire, which can burn even underwater.

"Wait, so how do you put it out?" Magnus asked in concern, vividly remembering kids casually using this on each other during those chariot races.

"A god has to personally put it out," Annabeth shrugged.

"Mr. D puts it out in the jars sometimes when we annoy him," Percy huffed.

... Even my heat-sensitive eyes couldn't make out exactly what was going on.

Magnus still had moments where he just sat there and realized none of these guys were human. Even after all the crazy shit he constantly heard of Percy doing, he looked like just a regular guy. They talked and laughed and it just wasn't a thing until Percy himself pointed it out in moments like this.

..."Daddy," Tyson said, pointing to where the light had come from.

Percy beamed with pride at his father's power. He imagined some huge Hollywood monster coming up to the surface and terrorizing a beach, only for that streak of light to flash across the surface. Then a fade to black, and "Tentacles," and the credits to roll or something. Last time he'd seen such godly power, Thalia had been shaken and wondering if it was her own father who tried to kill her. Hera manipulating their quest for what she wanted. His dad proved that kind of might was used for good too.

Poor squid though.

..."I have been, fixing weapons," he mumbled.

"He's keeping Tyson safe," Annabeth said as Percy frowned, but it was strange for her to try and explain that. Her parents had never bothered trying with her, so it didn't sound like much to her ears Poseidon had apparently tried with his younger batch.

...I know this might sound weird to people with, like, regular parents,

"None of which are in this room," Will snorted. He didn't even need to look at Alex and Magnus to guess as such, and the two exchanged a look without bothering to deny it only proved that.

...just a regular dolphin, but it was staring at the map intently.

"Any, guesses?" Alex asked hesitantly, like he wasn't sure himself for once if he was supposed to poke fun at, any of that.

"Um, I vote the double-tailed merman," Nico offered. "He's trying to be a part of his warriors."

"I was going to vote the chick, or the dolphin," Alex shrugged, "I see no reason he'd confine himself to one shape."

"If he's just being weird and deciding to be those mosaic tiles, I reserve the right to freak out," Magnus grumbled.

Jason and Thalia exchanged a look, before Jason quickly looked away, but they knew they'd been thinking the same thing. The green eyes and smile wrinkles, the human traits he passed onto Percy nobody could really miss. Nico was half right in that he was showing the shape of his kingdom, how rundown it was from the constant stress of this war their father would never dare let show.

... We have to neutralize those leviathans."

"Has anybody got Atlantis on the phone for backup?" Will asked hesitantly.

"Pretty sure that place is Atlantis," Annabeth reminded. It was a common fight in her cabin to out due each other with who could prove the strangest myth mortals blamed on Greek mythology. So far Clause was winning with some secret organization he was close to uncovering, though he'd only shown enough proof to convince them they even existed last she heard, he was still working on specifics.

...I looked in dismay at the old man. It didn't seem possible, but, "Dad?" I asked.

The others winced, Alex muttering it was more about losing his guess than pity for a god, but nobody believed him.

..."What, happened to you?" Tyson was shaking his head so hard it might fall off,

"We already knew Tyson had more sense than Percy ever will, no need for him to show off," Thalia snorted.

Annabeth found herself smiling at all of the strangers though that not one of them looked mildly concerned at Percy blabbing the first thing that came to his mind to a god. At least they'd been getting to know the real him.

...I'm afraid you just missed my lieutenant Delphin, God of the Dolphins.

"There's a god of Dolphin's!" Magnus's spluttering wavered between a laugh and disbelief. "Is, is there a god of all animals? Is there a god of snails?!"

"The god of bears would be so much at once," Alex grinned in a wolflike way that left no one in doubt he'd make a bid for one of those thrones.

Percy chewed on that for a minute before deciding, "I have no idea, but it wouldn't surprise me."

"No, there's not," Annabeth properly answered with a shake of her head at Percy. "Delphin carried Amphitrite to Poseidon, and he made him a constellation in thanks."

"Oh yeah," Percy nodded, vaguely remembering the story now that she'd said it, while Magnus grinned in thanks at his cousin. She smiled readily back. As strange as it was to have him around, it at least wasn't unpleasant.

... "Excuse me, my lord. I am needed in the battle." She swam away.

"Brrr," Will mock shivered while Thalia gave Percy a look like, 'be grateful.' Will felt so lucky his dad hadn't actually managed an immortal wife for this reason alone. Nico's time around Persephone only reinforced that.

...Amphitrite probably didn't like that much.

"I think I'd prefer that than being turned into a dandelion," Jason shivered at the sudden, heavy knowledge that sank in. Hera was his stepmom! Crap!

She hadn't ever seemed to do anything to Thalia, that she'd mentioned anyways, but he had a very confident sense of doom there was a story there all the same.

..."Your son and heir," the green dude corrected.

"Percy, I don't think this court likes you very much," Alex told him in dismay. "They clearly haven't heard of your amazing travels as Lord of the Bathroom."

"Supreme Lord of the Bathroom without question," Percy said grandly, clearly tired of trying to convince Alex otherwise to stop bringing that up. Magnus shook his head as Percy fell into the 'join them' category. "Which is obviously all your fault Alex," Percy smirked, "you haven't been spreading word fast enough of all my deeds."

"I don't know what you're talking about, you're trending on the vine," he chuckled.

"The gossiping trees don't count," Percy huffed while Annabeth looked between the two, half amused, half concerned. Thalia nodded behind Percy's back to assure her this was just how the two of them got on.

...like I was a slightly amusing dog that had barked for him or something.

Nico laughed, a terrifying, quiet kind of noise that sent a shiver up their spines. This minor god had no clue what all Percy had done, how Percy had been gifted everything Poseidon and Sally had to offer and was the best of them all for it.

Percy smiled in surprise at Nico's creepy laugh clearly being used in his defense. That was a nice change of pace.

...He nodded politely to Tyson. How come I didn't get that much respect?

"Clearly he needs to be kidnapped and taught a lesson next," Alex sneered.

Will winced and resisted the urge to cover his ears at the idea of kidnapping gods, even minor gods, to teach them a lesson. That sounded like a recipe for disaster with lots of dead bodies more than any nice life morality lessons happening.

...The monster burst into a million goldfish, which all swam off in terror.

Magnus felt something shake loose in him and swim off like a goldfish too. He hoped it was his last shred of sanity so he'd stop being so surprised by this. Most likely it was his bladder just abandoning him.

"My family is anxious," Poseidon continued as if nothing had happened.

Percy nodded. He'd been abashed by his poor showing at this 'family reunion.' It didn't surprise him in the slightest he'd have to earn his dad's side of the family respect just like he did any god, if he ever even wanted it.

"The battle against Oceanus is going poorly."... riding a chariot pulled by crawfish, and instead of a sword he wielded a live serpent.

"Well that's, interesting," Jason sounded almost complimentary.

"I'm just grateful he didn't post the crawfish as centries at the door," Percy scoffed. It was extremely frustrating this Titan's abilities seemed to trump his own and he couldn't escape. His dad showing his age, fighting against this constantly for years, it made all the more sense.

...Oceanus would not commit unless he was sure he could pick the winning side."

"Which clearly didn't work out very well for him," Thalia sneered.

"Yeah, and his punishment is somehow us," Jason said dully. It was the first time he'd acknowledged her, purposefully spoken to her. His premonition about Hera lingered, Mr. D's punishment an easy point to make.

Thalia winced and looked away this time, all but confirming Jason's suspicion.

..."Daddy will tie it in knots," Tyson said firmly.

Annabeth hadn't seen that serpent around his palace, and honestly did wonder what had happened to it. Where had Tethy's been during this battle? Who had approached whom for this deal to be struck for them to be here?

... We have been at war almost a year now. My powers are taxed.

Magnus didn't realize their powers could be taxed. Wasn't that the point of being a god, unlimited power? He knew they could fade, he knew they could have flaws, but now hearing this, his brain kept nitpicking over the specifics of what made them a god then? What key element was it that separated them from us, other than their uncanny ability to disintegrate whatever they wanted.

... his hundred arms spinning like the blades of a motorboat.

Alex smiled fondly for all of the freakish things down there that were defending their home without question. When Percy was the outcast of that place, he had a feeling he'd love to fit in. He longed to make a sculpture of Braries, he wished that the Loch Ness monster or some ancient world turtle would appear to cap off this day of extravagant new beings he was hearing about.

...Beckendorf was only one of thousands. I'd never felt so angry and helpless.

They could see that. The water began bubbling around Percy's head like an angry vat, he let out a breath and steam made a hissing noise that made Will shiver. He'd let go of Annabeth's hand as if on instinct to switch into battle mode.

"I know," Annabeth promised, reaching for him without fear. Her hand hovered just out of reach above his, feeling the heat but not pressing in. To her, Luke had been the first casualty of Kronos's war, convincing him to abandon her, them all.

Percy's anger didn't quite shimmer away, more clicked down to a low simmering boil. He could hear everything she hadn't said in those two words, and for now, his conflicting feelings outweighed his anger on the outcome of it all when she brought up Luke, again.

... Beckendorf chose a heroic death. You bear no blame for that.

Percy didn't want to hear those words, especially coming out of Thalia's mouth. They both knew a heroic sacrifice could easily be in vain.

..."But we didn't kill him, did we?"

Percy didn't need to see his friends wincing and avoiding his eyes. He already knew.

... a Titan lord wouldn't be so easy to kill.

Anger bubbled in Percy's chest, he found himself glancing at Annabeth for an answer just like always. She knew what it would take to defeat him and wasn't telling him, just like Thalia. Was it for the better? Probably, but that didn't make it feel okay right now when Beckendorf deserved answers at his final resting! He studied his hands, stress radiating from his gut at what he'd done, what he might be capable of to achieve that kind of power.

..."There were demigods on that ship," I said, thinking of the kid I'd seen in the stairwell.

Jason swallowed his impulsive answer. The dog eat dog nature of war; that had been those kid's choice. It bothered him greatly that was his first thought, because it matched nothing about what he'd woken up feeling. Being here, having to hear Percy's story wasn't really his 'choice.' Sure he could sit out, nobody was making him be in here but his own curiosity. He had a suspicion those kids had been given even less say. If they'd run away from camp or home, with no satyr to guide them on their way back, but instead were raised in an environment where you learned to fight or this was your fate.

..."They were brainwashed! That's supposed to make me feel better?"

"Nobody expects you to feel okay about this Percy, let alone better," Will promised, his voice one level off from being choked up. "And if your dad does, well, that says more about him than you."

Percy sighed, biting down hard on Riptide's pen cap, enough he would have ruined any other ballpoint pen. His dad rarely showed this kind of callousness like the other gods. It didn't feel dismissive, which was worse. Poseidon clearly understood Percy didn't agree, but wanted him to.

...Tyson was too big and stubborn. He hugged me whether I wanted it or not.

Annabeth couldn't help a giggle in surprise. Percy looked so aggrieved, and it was one of the things she liked best about Tyson, how he could always get through to Percy even when she couldn't.

"Not your fault, brother. Kronos does not explode good. Next time we will use a big stick."

Everybody in the room laughed in delight, each one able to think of a specific and different memory of why they'd like to help hit Kronos with the biggest stick they could find. Alex was personally imagining whacking him with Yggdrasil a few times.

... "Beckendorf's sacrifice wasn't in vain. You have scattered the invasion force."

It was the most comforting thing his dad could offer, even if it didn't do him much good. He wished his mom were there, or here. She'd know the right thing to say about Beckendorf, about all of those kids who had to die so Kronos could just keep scheming another day.

... "You've had enough sorrow for one day. Ask Chiron when you return to camp."

"Because that's Chiron's specialty, delivering the worst news," Magnus groaned.

"Sometimes he delegates to Percy," Nico muttered his agreement.

"Return to camp?" I couldn't believe I was hearing this. I looked at Tyson for backup.

"Doesn't sound like Tysons's getting to help as much as he wanted either," Annabeth shook her head.

"Teaming up might get the job done," but Percy knew a lost cause when it started. As far as he knew, they were his dad's youngest kids, they had the least leverage of anyone in that court no matter how many tantrums they threw.

..."Dad, I can help," I said. "I know I can. You're not going to hold out here much longer."

Will still winced at Percy all this time later. How he imagined his voice rising with anger, telling a god that they couldn't do this without a mortal's help, that they were weak. Percy would have been fused with Poseidon's throne as a footrest if he were any other god.

... sending mermen tumbling through the water. Poseidon winced as if he'd just been stabbed.

Alex imagined it must feel something like that every time a tanker full of oil exploded, or a storm blew to much trash to tangle up his echo system. The god was clearly overtaxed. It made him feel very human, as his son's sea-green eyes flickered with pain for him.

..."You must hear the entire prophecy." I didn't need to ask him which prophecy.

"You sure you don't Perce?" Jason said with a tired grin. "You've somehow managed to strangle an answer out of every one you've been there for, so unless there's some secret great prophecy you've been sitting on," he trailed off with a laugh, but he sounded exhausted, and he started rubbing at his temple like the joke was funnier to himself than he expected anyone else to get.

... a decision that would decide the fate of the world—but no pressure.

"Which is weird because you work best under pressure," Magnus rolled his eyes. "Clearly you're at maximum power down here."

"Ha, ha, ha," Percy said dryly, though he smiled along as Annabeth chuckled for real.

"What if this is the decision? Staying here to fight, or leaving? What if I leave and you-"

"You've already tried to convince yourself once in twenty-four hours what the decision was," Annabeth told him in exasperation. "It wasn't even your birthday yet!"

"You know I hate sitting around waiting for things," he groaned, "I once made the sewers back up standing around for a bus one winter I was so bored."

"You once threatened to eat your homework before you'd do it," she rolled her eyes. "Clearly you can successfully avoid whatever you want."

"I've never been able to avoid you because I've known you for years," he huffed, "clearly the timing is more important than a stupid grade."

"Oh, it's my fault?" Her brows went up, but her tone was quickly growing amused.

"You're the one who wouldn't shut up about me being the big Propechy kid when I first showed up," he needlessly reminded. "I wasn't even conscious and you were putting pressure on me about this!"

"How long can they go on like this?" Nico loudly stage whispered, almost going unheard under Annabeth's response.

"A while," Will and Thalia both sighed. She had the book though, so she finally reached across and began thwacking it between them like a teacher at a school dance preaching to leave room for Jesus.

They leaned back, both looking a little bashful they'd clearly forgotten anybody else in the room.

...reduced to nothing, imprisoned in the depths of Tartarus like Kronos had been.

For a horrifying moment Percy wondered if that's what had happened to his dad. If he was down here because some enemy had meant to trap Poseidon in some unescapable prison but snatched him instead. Percy didn't know how he'd get him out, but he'd try, at least as hard as he would for anybody else in his family.

...Kronos knew your plans. You have a spy. We will hold here. We have no choice."

He didn't have to win, he just had to give everything he had left, Percy frowned. It didn't seem like much of a choice to him.

... "Percy, be careful! Do not let monsters kill you dead!"

"Only in Percy's line of work does he have to emphasize the dead part," Thalia said with a forced smile. "The rest of us, kill usually means dead, but nooo, Percy needs that clarification or he'll just pop up at his funeral again."

Percy chuckled because he knew that's what Thalia wanted, but it was a somber noise. She knew as well as he did, coming back from the brink of death didn't always feel like a victory.

..."You should trust him," I said. "Not try to protect him."

Thalia's wrist jiggled her bracelet around, the clinks of her chain going unnoticed as often as she readjusted herself. She wanted to fidget with it now, but couldn't with the book in hand. She had come the closest to parenting in this room, and while the others were all muttering in agreement with Percy, she got it. She looked at Annabeth, stiff lip and frustration on her face at another parent not trusting their child. Then she dared another look at Jason, who she hadn't been able to protect any better.

It hurt to wish for Luke, even for a second, to commiserate this feeling with, so her mind flipped easily to Grover. He'd fostered more kids than anyone taking them to camp. He'd found that perfect balance to strike between trusting them and protecting them.

Her hesitation had been brief enough nobody noticed the pause except the small clicking of her bracelet.

..."Oceanus approaches," my father said. "I must meet him in battle."

"After you and Tyson are safely out of the way, huh?" Magnus asked with a sad smile. It had been a long time since he'd gotten even a hint of what a protective parent was willing to do, though he still remembered every day. "Coincidence? I think not!"

Percy wasn't very impressed by his joke any more than his dad. He'd already done the impossible four times over, all he was asking was his dad to trust him like Paul and his mom did.

... I didn't see how my dad could face this Titan and win.

A horrible thought struck Percy. What if he hadn't? What if that was why his dad hadn't made contact this whole time? Oceanus had said Poseidon had stepped in, but that easily could have been a lie to gain his trust.

While listening to all of this, Annabeth's mind had still been whirling and connecting and cutting at least a hundred plans and ideas now for what could be going on as well, and she had her suspicions while looking at Jason why her own prayers, why everybody's prayers at camp weren't going well. She reached gently today, expecting Percy to jump as her fingers graced his wrist, but he merely breathed a sigh of relief and looked around at her with worried eyes. She squeezed, just there, and he smiled and nodded as Thalia kept going.

... still have the birthday gift I gave you last summer?"... it didn't fit the vending machines.

Which at least got the others to all crack up again. Percy grinned unabashedly and looked exaggeratedly down at his necklace that housed no such thing and said, "hey, maybe I finally got someone to trade me for a hotdog with everything on it?"

"I want to know which snack you found so tempting you tried in the first place?" Alex grinned.

"Bag of Cheez-Its, I had a craving," Percy shrugged.

"I had you as more of a goldfish kind of guy," Alex admitted.

"I'm loyal to no snackage," Percy scoffed.

"Well at least I know he'll never call my cousin a snack," Magnus muttered, causing Alex to laugh raucously and Thalia to read loudly before anybody asked what he'd said.

...I will see you for your birthday next week, and we will have a proper celebration."

"A party that will make all previous parties seem lame." Will chuckled, but more because Percy didn't understand the joke. At camp, whenever someone managed to live long enough to turn eighteen, they all petitioned on the best way to get Apollo to throw a massive blow-out party. It never worked.

...  I sensed a wave of fear roll through the armies below us.

"That retired old fart could cause all of that?" Percy said in disbelief.

"Guess we just got a hint of how he's hiding us from the gods," Annabeth agreed in a quieter murmur, more of awe. "If he and Poseidon combined their powers..." she trailed off with a smile.

Percy didn't think it was all that cracked up a skill. He'd never voluntarily hidden from a fight, his dad knew that about him, so this forced protection once again wasn't any more well received.

... the power is so great that any mortal looking on him will disintegrate.

"I bet Jason would try to hug a god in their true form!" Percy smirked.

"You're the one impulsive enough to try, nutjob!" Jason yelped, but there was a faint hint of embracement surrounding him like the thought had crossed his mind to see if he could get his hands on some.

"I bet you'd just stand there and try to ask the blobby gold thing killing you a million questions while wanting to hug it and-" Percy kept going with a grin until a strong gust of wind nearly knocked him out of his beanbag.

Annabeth caught him, while Jason threw his hands up, "hey, I didn't, or I, I swear I-"

"Pssht," Thalia said without looking up from the books, then added a theatrical, "shhh, reading."

Annabeth gave Thalia a serious look, a lecture on her lips about how they were supposed to be keeping their powers to a minimum to appease the Titan!, but Thalia was ignoring her and Jason's conflicted look all at once quite well.

... as my father fought the Titan, and the sea itself was torn apart by the two armies.

"Full circle much," Nico said as he got to his feet, his black boots and jacket making his features seem to be floating in the faint darkness of the room unless Annabeth focused on him directly.

Then she shivered in agreement. If it wasn't Zeus and Poseidon trying to rip the world apart it was this. Why was Percy always at the center of these things?