"Percy!"

A girl who once again wasn't Annabeth threw herself against him in a strangle hold meant to be a hug. His vision was obstructed by her frizzy red hair as he patted her awkwardly on the back and looked to Thalia wondering if this was a strange attack.

"Thank the gods you're safe," she released all but one arm she was still grasping too tight and looking all around in stark relief. Her nails were painted gold with a different Greek letter on each in green, there was dried paint and marker rubbed into the L of one thumb and across her brow like she'd been flash mobbed by those girls at the dance. She spoke in a burst of speech without breath. "Things are going nuts at Camp Annabeth just took off to the Grand Canyon looking for you but I-" She blinked and looked again, spotting the familiar faces, and unfamiliar ones. Her freckles were wrinkled at the edges, like she smiled a lot, even if she wasn't now. "Where are we?"

"Underwater," Thalia sighed. "Oceanus kidnapped us."

"You're not Annabeth," Magnus and Percy both decided to tell her as she peered at the door now.

"No, of course I'm not why would you-" but she did a double take at Percy and finally released him, taking a weary step back as she saw the blonde with grey eyes who so resembled her friend. She was wearing clothes that did not match her vibrant presence at all, a purple plaid dress with a sharp black blazer over it, the letters CLA finely embroidered in with gold. And stockings.

Rachel took one look at the others with her green eyes, and ascertained, "You three, aren't meant to be here."

"Guilty as charged," Alex bobbed her head with pride.

"Apparently," Magnus sighed.

Jason jumped clean out of his seat and shouted, "what?"

A sentiment echoed by everyone else except Nico.

Rachel studied him for a few extra seconds, her skin crawling at his sharp features and startling blue eyes, the burned in marks on his arm and the faded purple shirt.

"You know who I am?" Jason demanded.

He wasn't threatening her at all, his hands spasmed at his side and he looked to Nico before a flash of longing and anger made him look away back to her.

"No," she answered calmly, but she still repressed the urge to cross herself under his intense gaze. "I just know what you aren't." Her sight might be dimmed, but the dormant presence of the Oracle inside her left her in no doubt.

"That makes sense now," Will muttered, even if he was lying a bit trying to wrap his head around who Jason could be. What the heck did this mean for Apollo? Were there really Roman gods out there? Did he have even more half siblings?

"How?" Percy demanded of her with just as much intensity.

"The Or-"

"Don't," Thalia said swiftly. She licked her lips nervously, was almost hoping Rachel was wrong as she once again studied Jason with an intensity of charging him for a crime he knew nothing about. Whoever he was though, wasn't the point. "Rachel, Percy doesn't remember you, he doesn't remember anything up to the point Annabeth was taken by Thorn."

Percy winced upon hearing her name and studied her nose very intently.

Rachel vaguely remembered what she was talking about, but it wasn't a story discussed around camp much. She grasped the important details and sighed. "The gods?"

"Right in one," Will frowned. "Gets a massive headache and nearly kills us if he presses ahead to far."

"Or doesn't like what he hears," Magnus added.

"We're being held hostage here to read," Alex rolled her eyes.

"This is the first contact the gods have had with us since November," Rachel whispered with dawning confusion as she went back to studying Percy and Jason. "No communication, complete shut down. Now this? I'm sorry," she said sincerely to Jason who sagged his shoulders and scowled at his shoes.

"You know all we do," Nico explained to Rachel while reminding Jason. "He showed up in here as lost as Percy about his background, just his name. As useless as this Ocean Titan is, we don't really have a clue what his story could be." He waited for Jason to correct him, but he didn't. Just swallowed and flopped back into his seat glaring at the pile of books once more.

Whatever was awaiting him in California, he clearly still didn't want it dissected by anyone else, and Nico hadn't lied. He certainly hadn't told Rachel his suspicions, not another soul, so it must be her gift from Apollo making her so certain even if it was absent right now.

"We're not yet clear on what Poseidon's plan is," Thalia concluded. "We've been stuck in here, Oceanus pops in to tell us to calm down and leaves again. You were supposed to be Annabeth to keep him from panicking," Percy was still scrutinizing Rachel like an abstract painting he'd never get the meaning of.

The other three introduced themselves to her properly while Percy shuffled over to the book flopped against the wall, which was soaking wet until he picked it up, but the battered cover and a few crumpled pages was the lucky happenstance for his latest debacle. He offered it to her. "Annabeth's alive," it was the only truth he'd accept right now, and whoever this girl was, she was yet another link to his girlfriend. "You want to read or should I keep going?"

"Oh no, I'm all in this now," she grinned as she took it. She had to flip a few pages for a moment before Thalia told her she was on the right chapter when Rachel read, "Bianca Di Angelo Makes a Choice."

"That is not a good representation of the bizarre chapter titles we've had in the past," Alex informed.

"The first two are over there if you want to catch up, we can wait," Jason promised, ignoring Percy's betrayed look anyone could think of anything else right now except Annabeth had just been taken and no delay was needed.

"Nah, I'm all up to speed mostly, the campers are terrible gossips," Rachel promised as she flopped down in a seat right beside Percy, who was still contemplating her nose and rubbing at his forehead.

Magnus was the only one who hesitated to go back to a chair, nudging the empty cushion with his peeling shoe and his wrists feeling heavy like they already missed signing to his friend. He should have gone back with him, he didn't even know if Hearth got back to Blitz okay. There was so much he hadn't asked them about yet, to many questions about other realms and his friends lives he'd only tapped the surface of. What was going to happen to them anyways when they were done? The gods just send them back because Percy had all his memories? Unlikely, there had to be some point to all this they were still missing.

"Hey," Alex jumped into the seat with such enthusiasm bits of seaweed unraveled like her hair was trying to flee. "When are you going to show me the rest of the alphabet, I've got the first part down pat."

"Whenever you like Alex," he promised, sitting cautiously beside her. Somehow sharing the same couch as Alex felt more intimidating than when she'd been leaning over his shoulder this whole time, but Rachel was reading already and Percy wasn't going to wait around for them all to get comfortable again as he'd switched to staring daggers at the book.

...The helicopter dissolved into a flock of ravens, which scattered away.

Percy was still trembling with outrage at this turn of events, little rivulets of water were rolling away from him like a miniature repulsion. This was clearly a goddess, why couldn't she have done that to save Annabeth from that manticore!

Thalia and Rachel sat on either side of him without major concern for their health, even if Rachel was side-eying him already and memorizing the pattern and flow to commit to watercolor later.

... Zoe stopped short when she saw Thalia. "You," she said with distaste.

"Oh, so you two started out as great friends I see," Jason snorted.

"It's a talent," Thalia agreed.

... Thalia's voice trembled with anger. "Perfect timing, as usual."

"You're going to be as bad as Annabeth about not telling us what's going on until much later," Magnus muttered as he frowned at Thalia. Would it kill them to turn to Percy and just explain right then what had happened in between books?

... "Four half-bloods and a satyr, my lady."

Percy winced at that number, it should have been five! Or at least should have been him spending a whole book dealing with that horrible French accent and this one could have been Annabeth rescuing his dumbass.

..."You are in no condition to be hurling yourself off cliffs," the auburn-haired girl said.

"What's the right condition for that?" Alex snorted.

"Having a goal at the bottom?" Jason uneasily answered.

"Are they like this all the time?" Rachel asked.

"Yes," Percy huffed. "She's the worst," he jabbed his thumb at Thalia.

"Muah?" She batted her eyes. "This is the thanks I get for being your lovely assistant?"

"Constant distraction," Percy corrected.

"How have you guys even finished a chapter of these?" Rachel chuckled.

"Perseverance and knowing when to politely ignore minor interruptions," Will said remorselessly.

"You make us sound so awful," Magnus pouted, "I have no clue what's going on and didn't bring a notebook to ask questions later."

"That excuse doesn't hold up when you keep breaking off to laugh about anything that comes to mind," Nico scoffed.

Rachel decided to take Will's advice as Alex looked ready to take that as a challenge, and she only needed to know the green haired girl for the five minutes she'd been in here to believe she'd do it.

..."Who do you think you are?"

Thalia felt it in her, the urge to strike Percy too, anyone who had used such a disrespectful tone on her goddess, and she'd been as distraught as him at the time seeing Annabeth gone. Now she was trying to get her friend back to her sister while being in Zoe's place. Oh, how times changed.

..."I am Artemis," she said. "Goddess of the Hunt."

"Not exactly living up to her name right now," Alex rolled her eyes.

"Hey," Thalia said dangerously.

"Well she did fail to do anything to the monster she'd showed up for," Alex insisted. "How long was she hunting Thorn when he's apparently been chilling at this school?"

"It's so easy for you to sit there and criticize us!" Thalia's bow had appeared in her hand, though no quiver had materialized on her back, yet, as she griped the silver wood. "You have no idea how our life works from that chair and a couple of pages-"

"Hey, Thalia," Percy gently began lowering her bow back to her side with the full knowledge she might stab him in the throat with it first before moving on. "She's just mouthing off like always, deep breaths." He was a bit surprised by her outburst, and then embarrassed by his own surprise. She'd spent so much time trying to keep him from losing it, but Annabeth was just as important to her. She should get a chance to lash out too, but he was happy to redirect it onto him.

"Artemis did all she could," she sneered, still glowering at Alex, but she'd stopped waving her bow around.

"I believe you," Percy lied, as the most selfish part of him wanted to blame every god for what had happened. His dad for not causing a tsunami to stop this, Athena for not stepping in again when her daughter was in danger because of him. Artemis had been right there, and a petty part of him felt Thalia was only defending her because of the whole patron thing.

Rachel hesitated a few moments if she should keep going, but Thalia had collected herself into a calm mood again, if still giving sour looks to the green haired girl.

... I said something real intelligent like, "Um, okay."

"Peak Percy reaction at this point," Jason nodded without surprise. "Only thing to make it perfect would be you mouthing off and challenging her."

"I've only done that to one of them," Percy huffed.

"I count Dionysus, if just for the internal monologue," Thalia disagreed, her tone still a littler snappier than usual at him. "You haven't exactly made a great impression on the others you've met before, which is just as bad."

"Until I hear how it would do me some good to have them liking me, I'd like to move on," he scoffed.

...Grover gasped, then started yammering, " You're so, wow!"

"I'll give you that Percy," Magnus chuckled, "nonplussed is better than that."

"Knew I liked you," Percy grinned.

Bianca called a time out to demand who they all were.

"Been there, lived that," Magnus grumbled. He was still giving a pouty look at Nico he and his sister were taking this more in stride than he had. Nico seemed to think it was pretty funny and smiling lightly at him.

Artemis returned the question, asking who their parents were. 

Nico's humor vanished like snuffing out a flame and he still braced himself for somebody to demand that now, like they'd finally realized he'd gone this whole time without mentioning it.

Percy was watching him with a rather troubled look, but his was the only gaze that lingered. Alex, Jason, and Magnus gave him a puzzled look but didn't repeat the obvious now anymore than they had when it should have first been brought up at camp, or the numerous times Will, Thalia, and Percy all casually mentioned their parents. He was starting to feel a little nuts nobody was treating him how he expected.

As far as the rest of them knew though, he was probably just an unclaimed kid in the Hermes cabin. It explained a lot of the bitter way he spoke of the gods but seemed to know as much as Will.

... Zoe's accent was old-fashioned, like she was reading from an old book.

Rachel grinned at the description. She wasn't entirely sure who Zoe was to place name to face, but she wasn't going to stop and ask, lest Percy try to kill her for remembering. Instead she adopted a pretty accurate accent to continue.

"One of thy parents was mortal. The other was an Olympian." "An Olympian, athlete?"

"Yes," Alex mock agreed with wide eyed innocence. "Gold medals in, all of them, every year." Then she broke off into snickers.

"My sister's not here for you to mock," Nico's voice sounded strained, tired. Both she and Percy wanted to ask where exactly Bianca was, but Will's arm twitched behind him as the only giveaway of a warding off gesture they took. "I'll say it for her," Nico concluded in the same tone, "shut up."

Alex shrugged, "but duly noted."

..."Cool!" said Nico.

 "No!" Bianca shouted. "This is not cool!"

Nico chuckled, a low noise deep in his chest only Will felt right beside him as he wondered if they'd ever agreed on anything. Some days he still found it cool; but he wondered if she'd found it so terrible, why she'd impulsively become immortal. Maybe it was just him she hadn't wanted to be around anymore in this new world.

'What happened to this?' Will swallowed the question beside him as he pressed down hard on his growing sadness listening to this display. He still remembered Nico showing up at camp one of the happiest kids on Earth to discover everything around the corner, now it took a force of the Titan dragging him down here to hear him laugh a handful of times.

Will knew some of what had happened though, his sister dying for starters had made him vanish. He hoped being down here would remind him of some of the good times with her more like now, that he still had a home to come back to.

..."Nico, shut up!" Bianca put her hands to her face.

"You didn't answer his question Percy," Will looked at him placidly. "Did Zeus's bolt have six hundred damage?"

"I didn't chuck it at anyone to find out," Percy glibly reminded. "Seemed like a bad idea at the time."

Nico gave Will a mild look like he thought he was finally mocking him, but Will turned to him with the same cheerful smile as ever like he was waiting for something. When Nico couldn't think of anything to say, Will added, "well, maybe we'll just have to find out for ourselves."

"I'm not stealing that thing," Nico said blankly.

"Nah," Will agreed, "but when we play it's going to be an awesome reminder."

"Yeah, I guess," Nico grinned as he imagined Bianca telling them to shut up again about this game. Might have been fun to tell her to shut up back, he had somebody who wanted to play with him now.

...I remembered what it was like when I first learned.

"Chiron questioned your existence while playing pinochle with the wine god and you thought your mom was dead after being chased there by a minotaur," Jason nodded along. "This is moderately less traumatizing to those two, including the French accent."

Rachel was blinking at him, having understood all of those words but still feeling a little off center. Maybe she should read the rest of those later.

..."like the girl who fell."

Rachel's voice was as pained as any of theirs would have been. Percy didn't know how or why she knew his girlfriend, but he trusted her already as implicitly as he had Thalia. She was not a half-blood though, he felt it the same way she swore she knew the others weren't Greek. It was such a strange thing to feel so drawn and connected to her.

..."Do not despair for Annabeth," the goddess said. "She was a brave maiden.

"Is! Is a brave maiden!" Percy fiercely corrected.

"Thank the gods you were in shock," Thalia muttered, she really didn't want to hold a grudge against Artemis for turning Percy into a jackalope.

... If she'd been down in the sea, I'd be able to feel her presence.

Percy wasn't any happier having a goddess confirm what he hadn't wanted to admit to himself. He had to forcefully remind himself every other word as Rachel read that he'd do no good to Annabeth dead if he skipped to the back of just this one book. His mom and Grover had come back to him alive, he just had to believe Annabeth would too.

... "The one with the ram's horns. I told you that was real."

Nico wondered now if that had been Hades watching out for them, or monsters testing them.

"What attack in DC?" Will's voice pitched in concern.

"Some weirdly dressed guys in red overcoats and those long beak masks were following us around," Nico shrugged. "We seemed to be the only ones who could see them and got scared, darted into an alley. A homeless lady started shrieking about birds, threw bread at them while we ran off," he even mimed throwing a biscuit for a second with a faint smile. "The guy with ram's horns didn't do anything to us though, he was the bus driver on our way to the school." He finished with his own puzzled look.

Thalia frowned unhappily at that, making an uneasy connection to Krios, a Titan whom they'd never had to deal with during the Battle of Manhattan. They'd never been sure what he was off doing, but at the time been to grateful he wasn't around to make things worse. Had Luke somehow known about these two all along? Had this been an even earlier chance at abduction...or even possibly revenge on the children of Hades. 

Jason winced like he had the first time at the mention of a guy with ram's horns, his mind pushing hard for him to remember some association, but Rachel wasn't giving him any more of a chance to think about it, mercifully.

... I thought Bianca was going to faint right there.

"And he still had his pants on," Percy chuckled.

"One body part at a time Percy," Rachel sighed.

"Grover might like him better since Nico didn't call him a donkey," Thalia smirked.

Percy pressed his hand to his heart in mock betrayal while Nico scoffed. Grover thought he smelt like the dead once he'd realized his heritage and was as freaked out by him as anyone else who knew. Except Will, apparently.

Percy told them about camp, and Nico was immediately on board with signing up.

"Love the enthusiasm," Jason laughed. "Where's that been this whole time?"

"Bite me," Nico said without looking over.

"He's still enthusiastic about plenty of things if you'd been paying attention," Will defended primly.

Jason raised his hands in surrender while Nico fought the urge to cover his face with his hands to hide his blush. Had he been acting more idiotic than he realized?

..."There is another option," Zoe said.

Thalia still scowled at that and wanted to snap at Zoe like she had the first time. The first lieutenant clearly hadn't learned her lesson, and it burned Thalia as she still remembered vividly threatening Zoe when they'd been encouraged to leave Luke. Another option for one of them, telling Bianca to leave her little brother behind! She'd never have joined Artemis if she'd thought for a second her little brother was still out there.

... For some reason, they seriously hated each other.

Rachel definitely hadn't heard this story, but looking around and judging by the confused looks everyone was giving Thalia's scowl at the ceiling, nobody else knew either. She seemed sad though, more melancholy at the reminder as she fiddled with a strand of hair braided into the silver circlet as the stubborn, angry expression lingered on nobody in here.

... Bianca, come with me. I would like to speak with you."

"Five seconds and the girl gets an alone audience with one of the rarest goddess's to meet," Will said with a raised brow. "That couldn't have felt good." He was speaking to Percy, who did indeed have an annoyed frown she was getting such special attention just for being a girl apparently, but his eyes flickered to Nico who hadn't given this much of a second thought at the time.

Now Nico was picking at his lip and wondering if Artemis had known who exactly Bianca was. Like Thalia and Percy, a potential child of the Prophecy. If the goddess of the Hunt had sensed something about his sister and given her a way out. He didn't know if he'd ever thank Artemis for that, but maybe abandoning him hadn't been Bianca's soul goal when she'd joined.

 All Artemis offered Nico was that Grover could learn to play that game of his, as a favor to her.

"Do you have any with you now?" Jason asked him with a weird intensity. He'd heard Will and Nico sporadically whispering about it and always felt an odd buzz in the back of his mind like the first time it was mentioned. Perhaps he just wanted a visual aid to all of this.

"No," Nico scoffed as if the question was rude, but there was something lingering in the set of his mouth. The slightest quiver of his lip. He seemed more mad at himself than Jason for the answer.

Grover just about tripped over himself getting up.

"Smooth," Magnus chuckled as he grinned at Alex waiting for her to join in. At least he didn't think his instant interest in her was so over the top.

Alex gave him a very obvious look that made him impulsively swallow though as if calling him out and he quickly turned back to the book.

... talking about hit points and armor ratings and a bunch of other geeky stuff.

"Geeky?" Nico muttered, his shoulders slumping. He wasn't as offended as he might have been just a few days ago, like instantly crushed for life, but he didn't think he was that bad.

"If you think that's geeky, wait until you hear me speak Ewokese," Will almost sounded like he was bragging to Percy.

"Huh?" Was Percy's blank faced answer.

"Star Wars!" Will yelped, clearly offended now.

"Okay?" Percy obviously wasn't hyped, still looking oddly at the two like they were another new species even stranger than the Romans. "Was that supposed to be impressive Will?" He'd seen the first three when he was little...once. *

"Forget it," he huffed, nudging Nico with a conspiratorial, "skaters."

"We already knew adrenaline junkies don't mix," Nico chuckled in agreement, though his stomach twisted uncomfortably as he had no more clue what was being referenced.

Then again, if Will was being so enthusiastic trying to learn a game he knew nothing about, maybe he'd like to show Nico all the good movies he'd been missing.

... "The nerve of those Hunters! They think they're so, Argh!"

"Invulnerable, head strong, talented," Alex smirked. "You're right Thalia, I would have fit right in with you if I'd wanted."

Thalia stuck her tongue out at her while Magnus's heart skipped a beat she'd considered it. Why had she turned it down?

..."Oh, you're with me?" Thalia turned on me furiously.

"Uroh," Rachel laughed nervously as the two tried their hardest not to scowl at each other in here. She'd heard vivid retellings of epic proportions of the fights the two had at camp before Thalia had joined the Hunters and wondered if she was about to get a live showing while she read one too.

... "If we'd stuck together Annabeth might still be here. Did you think of that?"

Percy's mouth opened with a storm of foul mouthed things to say to her now just like he had then, she deserved to hear it twice for accusing him of this being his fault!

She looked back at him blank faced ready to take it, and the words caught in his throat. She'd been getting the most abuse from him in here with hardly a thank you, sitting right next to him the entire time no matter how often he'd nearly killed her for it. This had been his fault, and she was just as angry and in pain over Annabeth being gone as him. "Sorry," he whispered.

"I'd have done the same thing," she admitted in a stony voice. She was just as angry at herself as she had been at him, there wasn't a scenario in her mind where it worked out perfectly because even Annabeth might have gone after those kids if her and Percy had been to distracted arguing to notice them leaving. If any of them except Percy had, Grover might never have lead them there in time and they all would have been taken by Krono's forces.

... leaving me alone with a trampled cap in the snow.

Percy ran his fingers along the many beads on his necklace, heart squeezing so hard now he began to wonder if he'd ever speak again. He couldn't have made it through so many without her. He didn't have that cap he'd never let out of his sight until he gave it back because she had it now. How could he begrudge Thalia for blaming him when he blamed himself too?

The water wasn't bending to his mood around him, if anything it was too calm and still, the constant pull of the ever flowing ocean holding its breath for Percy to lose it all over again at the world. Thalia was clearly struggling a bit with past and present, but Magnus couldn't stand watching him beat himself up over this when he knew his cousin could be suffering any number of horrible things and still holding her own waiting for her friends if she didn't try to figure out how to rescue herself first. "Hey Percy," he called, "I thought you said hubris wasn't your flaw?" He peaked his voice to maximum confusion. "How are you sitting over there blaming yourself for something a goddess didn't fix?"

His hand fell back to his lap as he smiled at Annabeth's cousin. "Yeah, yeah you're right, fair point."

Rachel smiled to herself for a few moments more as she looked at Percy shaking his head and those grey eyes. Though he looked so remarkably similar he could have been Annabeth's brother, the cousin clearly held a peace about him her friend had always lacked. It was good he was here, Percy deserved to get to know all sides of his girlfriend's family.

... Seven large tents,

"Surprised it's not twelve, or three," Jason grinned.

"I'm going to take your calculator away," Thalia threatened.

"Or give him one to shut him up," Percy smirked.

Jason only pretended to look offended, rather than pleased he'd gotten Percy and Thalia to agree on something again.

... a dozen white wolves appeared out of the woods.

Magnus cringed into his seat in disgust, now knowing he'd never take Thalia up on the offer of visiting her campsite.

"They're not monsters," the huntress noticed and instantly assured, "very well trained."

"Pass," he stated in a surprisingly harsh voice.

Jason watched the display in dumbfounded fascination. The instant he heard of the beast, he decided he had a liking for wolves. Probably his favorite animal, back when he'd had memories.

Thalia let it go with a quick sorry smile while Alex scrutinized him for several seconds, her mismatched eyes trying to pry secrets straight from his mind. He would have told her, but Rachel had only given him a sympathetic look before moving on.

... It was my fault.

"There was nothing more either of us could have done Percy," Thalia sounded like she was trying to assure herself as much as him.

Percy was starting to feel light headed as his heart hammered away to fast in his chest trying so hard to believe that. The lone memory of her kissing him had to be real, he'd seen a glimpse of her for crying out loud!

Where was she though? Why had Oceanus now failed twice to bring her here? Just the fallacy of a useless Titan, or was this some sort of test of the gods? He wanted to believe Thalia so badly, but then he glanced at Rachel again and a horrible idea kept slicing through his mind he was still missing something about both of them. A decision, a choice they'd both made he'd forgotten about. Looking from Thalia's silver coat to Rachel's frizzy red hair left him breathless if he'd ever gotten her back at all and this wasn't just some long drawn out play to make him nuts.

... we'd only danced together for half a song.

Percy wished Grover was here, he wouldn't have to do more than just ask and his best friend probably would have played that song on his reed pipes. No matter how horrible it would have sounded, he was convinced it would have made it all feel a little more real than his constant questions.

...I watched Thalia pacing among the wolves without fear. 

Magnus still managed a harder cringe into his seat than before, though thankfully nobody tried to bug him about it this time.

...I wondered what she was thinking.

Thalia twisted up her bracelet with guilt she still wouldn't tell him now. Annabeth had been so scared of losing her or Percy to that prophecy, she'd been seriously considering joining this very group. Thalia had been vehemently against it, but for the soul reason of dealing with Zoe's pompous, and belatedly correct attitude that Luke had betrayed her, no matter how many years later it had happened. Now she'd been stuck surrounded by the very people she'd had to threaten to leave them that first time, wondering if she and Annabeth had just abandoned Luke and taken up their offer if they could have avoided so much heartbreak...

Percy was looking at her full of sorrow. She felt so awful for him, he already blamed himself for this and now it felt like she was holding this huge secret over his head. "You find out," she impulsively promised.

He grimaced, a wave rolled through the room rotating the furniture by a few degrees, but he whispered a thank you all the same.

... she would stand so motionless you'd think she was still a tree.

Thalia raised a brow at him. "It doesn't take being turned into a tree to concentrate."

"You're just as impulsive and fidgety as I am," he accused right back.

"I have infinitely more patience than you," she said stoutly, "exhibit A, I haven't killed you yet," she waved her hand in his face to prove her point.

"Do I need to separate you two?" Rachel grinned.

"Best to just read around them," Jason promised.

..."It's green!" Nico said with delight.

"Come to the infirmary sometime and I'll show you a wound every color of the rainbow," Will chuckled.

"Including how they got there?" Nico found himself smiling right along, though personally he knew if any kid saw him in there they'd start weeping for their life.

"With detailed pictures," Will didn't seem concerned at all about it as he promised.

Nico found himself considering it...maybe if he wore a hat and changed shirts to one of those stupid orange ones so nobody would recognize him...

... eat some ambrosia while I clean that out."

Alex once again made a very pouty face she was being left out of the godly life saving food!

"I can go get you a brownie," Magnus offered, as he showed her the sign for it. "I bet if I ask nicely the fridge will make it gold."

"It's not the same as godly food," she corrected, before smiling and admitting, "but we'll call it dessert plans."

... How they'd gotten Nico's bag I didn't know.

Thalia scoffed as if Percy had offended her. "Those mortals are clueless, you know that Percy. I doubt they even had to bend the mist to sneak in and out, I bet those military kids there practically have constant foot traffic to do it."

Nico laid out a bunch of figurines in the snow...

"Are those part of the game, or just collectibles?" Will asked instantly, his hands grasping eagerly like he wanted to rip the book away from Rachel to find a picture.

Nico hesitated for only a moment, he tried to just shrug off and answer, "um, no, they're not key to playing..."and when he tried to stop there and Will just kept watching him, he only hesitated a second more before launching into a complete tangent.

In moments Percy and Thalia's eyes had glazed over as he seemed to be nerding off into the entire rule book.

The others were watching in mild fascination and barely keeping up with a word as he talked about coins and terrain cards and when hit points could be activated, details and techniques beyond kids who'd never played any kind of game like he was describing.

Will looked riveted. His wish seemed to be granted, they could all easily picture that little ten year old now on the bleachers blathering on about all this at that dance as Will kept asking more and more intricate questions.

Percy began nudging Rachel hard like he was begging her to shut them up, but she hated to do so when he was clearly so passionate about this and now really wanted to get a look at the cards just to see the designs on them herself.

It was Will who finally came back to the reality of their situation as the ADHD kids began to really fidget around them, and he was trying desperately not to blush he'd rather just go into a room and learn to play this rather than sit around in here as he was finally forced to take Nico's hands to stop them waving everywhere and get his attention. "I look forward to memorizing all this later," he tried desperately not to stomp all over his enthusiasm. "We still got to get out of here eventually Nico."

"Right yeah," Nico said without a touch of remorse as they grinned at each other. It had been a long, long time since he'd had that much fun just describing all of that. The feeling of excitement he so often forced himself to repress whenever he looked at Percy finally getting an outlet, even a geeky one Percy would still scoff at, but Will's eager smile never did.

Rachel finally began reading again, and Will hastily dropped his wrists he'd still been casually holding, leaving a warmth behind again that confused Nico. Why had Will felt the need to give him a healing touch when he obviously hadn't needed one this time? Will was blushing, just a bit as he looked dutifully back at Rachel now though, so perhaps it had been a weird impulse or accident.

..."I forget. That's weird." He looked unsettled, but it didn't last long.

Everybody was right back to looking at him with astonishment, Percy and Jason with even a hint of sympathy.

"I, already got my memories back," he uneasily answered, though he couldn't blame them if that annoyed them. "It, um, it's not important."

"Who would take your memories of when you started to play a game?" Percy studied him with those dark green eyes.

"It's not important, other crap unrelated to you," Nico insisted, the rise and fall of excitement making him start to feel hysterically insane. He almost begged for a numbness rather than so often telling himself how to feel down here.

Will bit down hard on his tongue to stop himself saying it certainly was important to Nico, he wanted to make sure whatever this was, wasn't going to happen again!

Percy reluctantly turned away to let it go, but Jason and Will were still watching him and his stomach churned unpleasantly to be scrutinized, his good mood hadn't lasted a whole page. He was already being forced to relive his sisters last moments later though, he did not want to share the rest of his family's tragedies if he could avoid it.

When Rachel saw the way the shadows on the wall were starting to develop a touch of ADHD on their own the longer she hesitated, she decided it might be safer to keep reading a little louder than usual.

..."Um, I don't actually write with it."

"A shocker honestly," Thalia laughed, "I'm surprised Annabeth doesn't have you practicing your penmanship on the road, or taking notes at the very least."

"I'm going to shove the cap in your ear and find out what Riptide pulls out," he rolled his eyes at her. When would he ever need it?

..."Can you surf really well?"

"Does fear of not dying or wiping out count as really well?" Magnus reminded.

"I'd guess yes, considering he could control the entire thing," Alex nodded as if this were a very serious matter.

I looked at Grover, who was trying hard not to laugh.

Percy wished the others were doing that in here as their giggling encircled him, even Nico was still watching him intently like he'd still kind of like to know that.

..."I've never really tried."

"East coast doesn't exactly have gnarly waves to be trying," Jason said fairly, "I vote vacation in Hawaii to find out."

"If I could have picked the location for this I'd agree," Percy shrugged.

... Did I fight a lot with Thalia? (I didn't answer that one.)

"Us? Fight?" Thalia battered her eyes innocently.

"We haven't killed each other yet?" Percy still didn't sound like he was really answering that one.

... (I tried not to strangle Nico for asking that one.)

That conviction didn't last, Nico kept to himself as he rubbed at his throat, and it didn't help Percy's hands twitched and he still scowled at him for that idiotic question.

...I was ready to stick the kid in a meat-flavored sack and throw him to the wolves.)

Nico at least laughed at himself for that, he couldn't say he'd blame Percy for doing it, he was annoying himself as stupid as he was acting.

"It's a good thing Tyson wasn't the talkative kid," Will said with an unnatural huff to Percy. Kids were talkative, inquisitive, and had zero inebriations where their mind and mouth would go.

Percy looked only mildly apologetic as he shrugged, he hadn't done it had he? As hurt and confused as he'd been about her disappearing, he hadn't known what to call her, let alone this kids probing questions!

... he was going to ask how many hit points I had, and I'd lose my cool.

"Percy, you don't have any cool," Thalia smirked.

"Let's see you try dealing with that pipsqueak!" He snipped back. "One drachma says he would have asked you if you could shoot lightning from your eyes."

"Pipsqueak?" Nico muttered, and yet was again ignored even being the center of their argument as they kept snipping at each other what the stupider question was. "I wasn't that small," but even muttering to himself he knew that was a lie. He'd already known before all this started he'd never stood a chance, but for some reason Percy's dismissiveness of him didn't cut as deep as it used to.

"Well it would just be weird if you'd already hit puberty back then," Will grinned and threw his arm back over the couch again, hand resting tantalizingly close to his shoulder once more just a few plankton bits away like he was prepared to heal him at a moments notice now. It should have been a lot more annoying than instead of allowing himself to smile back at him. It really was nice to just have a friend care again.

"You used to be shorter than me," Nico recalled, "so you have no room to talk."

"Good thing I wasn't," Will nodded along.

...like I was a bag of dirty laundry she'd been sent to fetch.

"Anybody would be making that face at your laundry Percy, she isn't special," Thalia smirked.

"I'm going to stuff my gym socks in your bag before you leave so you'll always remember this trip," Percy promised.

...an animal rights activist would've had a heart attack looking at those rare skins,

Magnus couldn't help but agree, but he always preferred his moms side of the argument. There was nothing wrong with hunting so long as the animal was respected. This was the goddess of hunting, if anybody had a right, she would be it.

...She had such old eyes for a young girl.

"Did Artemis invent that stupid saying wise beyond your years?" Alex sniffed, "because it usually just means the kid grows up unfulfilled."

"Hence the whole immortal part," Thalia scowled at her again. "They live very fulfilling lives."

... Become silly, preoccupied, insecure. Forget themselves."

Alex wasn't going to argue the point with Thalia, but she still wasn't swayed. To grow up, change, mature, and fall in love wasn't something that should be looked down upon, otherwise society would always treat women as frivolous and single minded. It shouldn't have to be eternal maiden hood or housewife, she thrived in the middle where she could do both or anything else.

... like I'd invented the idea of being a guy.

"That's more like Apollo," Rachel laughed.

"Percy's certainly embodied him from time to time," Thalia chuckled.

"I am sitting in the worst place between you two," Percy sighed.

... Boys are usually forbidden to have any contact with the Hunters.

"Zero chance of temptation hu?" Alex laughed, though it came out a little meaner than she had really meant it to. "Does she not trust your vows?"

"Most of the girls there have good reason to be free of men," Thalia assured darkly. "Sally is too old, but she's a, ah, fair example."

Percy went stiff in his seat and needed no more explanation, and Alex silently took back all of her cracks thus far. It's why Thalia had offered such an eternal vow to her, an escape from her life, and Zeus's daughter didn't even know all the facts. It had almost been tempting, for a moment.

... "You turned him into a jackalope."

"A what?" Nico wondered if he was being had.

"A rabbit with antlers," Thalia shrugged. "Artemis invented them."

"Oookay," he decided to stop asking.

Alex didn't. "What did he do?"

"I wasn't there, before my time," she reminded with a sly little smile of her own, like she might have asked herself later and perhaps just wasn't sharing. She must really be in a bad mood with Alex.

... I'd like to hear them from you."

"A high honor," Thalia told him without the sarcasm to his surprise, so she must have meant that.

"Um, tell her I said thanks," he knew he said a lot late, his mom would definitely add it to her conveniently forgetful list of things she should ground him for.

... "I feared this was the answer."

Jason pursed up his lips, knowing this wasn't going to be received very well, but he wasn't going to censor himself to make Percy feel better either when he felt this was very relevant to say. "Some good came out of this then, one of the Olympian's seem to have finally believed the truth of Saturn being back."

Percy did indeed glower at him for trying to in any way imply Annabeth's missing could ever be called good, but it did give Magnus and Alex a chance to smile for a moment not all seemed lost on that front.

"Um, and one other thing!" Will waved his hand behind Nico's head like he was trying to photo bomb him.

"Plus two new half-bloods, of course," Jason swiftly agreed. Nico was clearly a powerful ally to be had if monsters were actively after him like the fury's had once been to Percy, even if he was a strange kid at all times it seemed.

..."Prey so old I have nearly forgotten."

Nico froze in his seat, he'd almost forgotten about Tartarus! Kronos's forces were stirring millennia old things, possibly the Earth herself, and he'd let himself forget that over just the few pages of this book! Between Bianca, Will, and Percy, it had slipped his mind! Artemis had known of this for years now apparently, and had done nothing to stop it. He had to have proof, irrefutable proof the gods couldn't deny from a son of Hades.

... She turned to Artemis and started to say something, but Artemis raised her hand.

"For once, just once, can someone please be allowed to speak important info!" Magnus demanded of the universe.

"Even from the people we don't like," Percy agreed with the same frustration.

...then Thorn talked about the Great Stir Pot—" "Stirring," Bianca corrected.

"Same difference," Percy rolled his eyes.

"Welcome to my world," Nico smiled, and he didn't even feel the need to blush and look away for once when Percy just casually did so back.

... You know where I must start my search. You cannot go there with me."

Nico's ears rung, he felt like he'd been punched in the face by the moon goddess herself as he stared at Thalia. How had he never considered asking her for help? The Hunters of Artemis were as close to immortal as could be without involving an actual god, and Thalia didn't outright loathe him, he was pretty sure any ways, other wise she hid it well, even if she'd always be more Percy's friend than anything.

No, it was the other part of that really getting to him, that Artemis was telling her second no. That she wasn't allowing them to go to Tartarus with her to start the hunt. Godly pride, or care for her crew? He wasn't sure of the answer, and both struck him with the first hint of indecision he'd had about going alone. Would Artemis help him like she'd once offered to do for his sister? Would Thalia, even if her patron told her no?

He'd still go, he immediately brushed off the hesitation, this was too important, but dammit, maybe he could even ask his dad. He seemed to randomly care, maybe even to give a warning what was truly down there.

... I need to convince the Council of how much danger we are in."

"This one just shot to the top of my list of favorite gods!" Alex punched the air in celebration. She didn't want Ragnarok coming early by some other gods war ending the world thank you!

"About time," but Thalia's smile was indulgent as she seemed to take that as some kind of apology.

Percy couldn't even disagree, even if the goddess loathed him because of his existence. His dad was frustrating the crap out of him with his non-answers and refusing to do anything against Zeus, at least Artemis was doing something even if she wouldn't explain what.

..."Let us pray I am wrong."

"Does she pray to herself?" Magnus asked.

"I didn't even think the gods used that phrase, do you think they pray to each other?" Alex chuckled in agreement.

"Maybe they pray to what they symbolize, or themselves," Rachel smirked. Then she saw the next sentence and busted out laughing to read extra loudly,

"Can goddesses pray?" I asked, because I'd never really thought about that.

Even after all this time, Jason still found it weirdly insulting and very strange they so casually talked to the Olympians, but he still couldn't help joining in with a little snicker of his own for Percy asking for them along with everyone else.

..."Before I go, I have a small task for you."

"She didn't answer!" Magnus pouted.

"We know in our hearts the truth," Alex smirked.

"Does it involve getting turned into a jackalope?" "Sadly, no.

"There's always next time," Thalia said saintly.

"Wow, tell me how you really feel," Percy mock pouted.

"You don't want to make the papers again for something cool this time? I'd make sure to get a good shot of you first, one even the Mist couldn't blot out." Thalia clearly wasn't going to back down.

"I'd think you'd know better than anyone why I'm not volunteering for this pine cone face!" Percy was clearly still a little more irate with her though and not going to keep playing along. "I don't need to turn into anymore animals!"

"Do I need to separate you two?" Rachel asked again in more actual concern.

"Just keep reading," they told her together.

... They can stay there in safety until I return."

"We went from boys aren't allowed near them to sending them off to a camp that doesn't even have gender split cabins," Jason agreed with Alex's eye roll this time. "Do half those girls even know what sex ed is?"

"Being a lot presumptuous there," Thalia switched her scowl to him now. "Most of the kids at camp aren't old enough to worry about that! And our vows are binding, we would not break them because we're suddenly surrounded by one boy or dozens!"

"Okay, okay, sorry," he quickly raised his hands in surrender before she drew her bow on him, clearly she was feeling attacked on all sides today and he instantly felt awful for making it worse.

...I hear they rebuilt the cabins you burned down."

Will made a squawking noise of protest, instantly making the others pout he had no clue what had happened there.

Thalia sighed and felt bad her temper kept snapping on everyone, and it was only going to get worse throughout the day, so she told, "a girl who's been with the Hunters for ages knows this one, her name's Phoebe. Apparently some Apollo kid got it in his head to challenge Zoe to a shooting contest, a cat got hit in the crossfire a couple of counties over, and the two didn't resolve their differences well when Zoe set their cabin on fire for some other insolence. That's the side of the story I heard anyway," she relented, even smiling normally again at their astounded faces. And they'd thought there was enough mayhem at that place before. "I'm sure Will's ancient siblings had a different story to tell."

"Was this why Dionysus let us off chores for a decade?" Will busted out laughing. "Something about getting revenge for a tiger? Oh, Lee loved telling that story, but it started a different way every time!"

Rachel paused longest of all yet to join in on the chaotic laughter circling the room. She was definitely going to have fun in here.

... "Have you made up your mind, my girl?"

Nico flinched, losing all traces of humor. Will felt the cold, menacing rush as his shadow rippled around him for the barest second as his face brewed with anger.

Artemis had just sprung it on her and was already demanding an answer! She hadn't even talked to him before making this decision! Had she grown to hate him so much, had he been that bad?! He wanted her here to demand answers from, but it would do no more good than to try tracking down Artemis herself. He could do nothing but sit here and get an answer he'd never wanted, every detail of her coming death.

"I'm so sorry Nico," Will whispered beside him. It was a useless condolence to most people's ears, just an impulsive saying now when you heard sad news. Yet there wasn't a trace of insincerity in Will's voice.

"Yeah, so am I," he muttered back, but he tried. He closed his eyes and really tried to let go of the bitterness that had laced his own words. Whatever her reason, Bianca had made her choice, and he wanted to honor her last wish. To stop holding a grudge against his big sister and find some way to move on, getting to hear about her one last time.

Bianca hesitated. "I'm still thinking about it."

That helped, at least, soothed his hurt like he'd never before have believed anything could. She hadn't leaped into the chance, though to him it had seemed that way as she'd departed from him and never come back the same.

Rachel was reading carefully, delicately pronouncing each word and watching him in concern, they all were and for once he wasn't uncomfortable about it. He really didn't care what they thought of his sister's hesitation, he had enough to deal with his own ache.

... what do you get by joining the Hunters?"

"Wow Percy, instant hate much?" But there was no scorn in Thalia's voice, she'd been just as bad when they'd dropped in on her the first time.

"We'd come all this way, lost Annabeth, now one of the two kids we were there to rescue maybe wasn't going back with us," Percy gestured impatiently at the book, though nobody had really needed an answer, the frustration was written all over his face. Annabeth's sacrifice had been for him and Thalia, and nothing anybody did this day was going to make that better, but this hit worse because of it.

Nico gave a whispering laugh under his breath only Will heard though. It was a good thing he'd never found out Percy had abdicated for Bianca not to join before this, or he might have done something really stupid hearing this now, like confessed to his pathetic crush. Now, he found himself saying casually as ever, "thanks Percy, nice sales pitch."

"It's kept me coming back," he nodded, barely glancing over at him long enough to answer before turning back to the book as usual, and it was just normal.

..."Zoe rarely kids about anything," Artemis said.

"Sad really, you'd think she'd know all the best jokes and make sure they never leave," Will said.

"Maybe she's heard them to many times to want them around anymore," Nico shrugged. What was it with immortals never having a sense of humor?

..."To never grow up, never get married. To be a maiden eternally."

"Does their main weapon hide as a chastity belt?" Alex couldn't help one more crack.

"You really got a thing against this part huh?" Thalia looked more mildly indulgent this time at least. "No sympathy at all for some asexual girl who might leap at the chance?"

Alex legitimately considered this for several deep moments of silence before nodding, "okay, fair enough, at least it's voluntary and she doesn't like, kill you or something if you opt out, right?"

"She releases you from your vow, you're no longer immortal and can go on living your life so long as you come to her first," Thalia nodded.

"Not the worst deal," Alex conceded.

...Hanging out with only middleschool girls forever. I couldn't get my mind around it.

Thalia gave an exasperated sigh he was as bad as Alex and very much missing the point of how rewarding working directly under one the best gods was.

"It would be creepier if you could," Jason admitted. "Where's the appeal for you, you don't even like hunting, they don't have skateboards, what do you have in common?"

"You know what," Percy got to his feet and strolled over to him, "thank you!" He gave him a high five and an eye roll at Thalia as he flopped down. "Memory loss corner!"

Jason didn't exactly looked thrilled at the title, let alone the fact there were no corners in this circular room.

"You have no idea how happy I am you're here Rachel," Thalia promised.

"Happy to help," she giggled.

... All who honor the goddess may join. Half-bloods, nymphs, mortals—"

Magnus smiled to himself as he wondered how Hearth would have felt about these gals. He probably would have gone nuts and considered a sex change to run around with girls who casually did magic, could all understand him intuitively like his poor signing was still catching up with, and no other obligations but to use a bow.

... "That is not thy concern, boy.

They all winced a bit, particularly Percy at the scorn Rachel managed to impact for Zoe. Thalia seemed to have been an outlier if this is how the majority of Hunters would have reacted to a question from any of them, or it was a sensitive subject to her. Either way, Percy was quite glad for the Hunter in here with him now.

... "What about your brother? Nico can't be a Hunter."

"Thanks Percy," Nico said again. He liked to think he'd crossed his sister's mind already, but he finally had proof too he had crossed Percy's mind and wasn't just some stupid kid to him. He still respected Percy a lot just for that, he did care, just not as much as Nico had really wanted him to.

"I'd say any time, but how often are we going to find our selves in this situation again," Percy tried to laugh off, and it wasn't as endearing as it used to be. Just something he knew Percy would do and so he still smiled along.

..."A new family," Bianca repeated dreamily. "Free of responsibility."

Nico clenched his jaw tight to stop himself shouting. He hadn't been enough. Her new family hadn't even protected her, death took away that responsibility too! If she'd known what would happen, would she still have done it? Just those few short weeks of not being burdened with him anymore?

He twisted the skull ring on his finger though and tried to let the hate wash out. Camp would have been no better, she would have been dealing with the same outcast shadow following him around when they inevitably found out. She might still have left him to figure all this out on his own and gone to the Hunters for an out.

A long, tan finger gently prodded at the empty eye socket, Will had a goofy smile on his face as he tried to mimic his fidgeting. Nico smiled back at this oddball. He knew what Will wanted to say now just from the way those blue eyes met him, that he had a family at camp. Maybe not everybody there wanted him around, but if he was trying to let go of grudges, it wouldn't be a terrible thing to consider at least visiting more often than urgent business...when he got back.

... "Is it worth it?" Zoe nodded. "It is."

Alex couldn't blame the girl falling in so hard after that sort of pitch, but it wouldn't have hurt Bianca to go around asking other Hunters if they had any regrets. There was still a forlorn smile on Thalia's face, like she'd have said the same thing now, but perhaps not with as much solid conviction as Zoe once had. Being immortal, aging past your own family, what you were giving up was a price, one Bianca might not be old enough to realize yet. It was her choice though, and at least the goddess seemed willing to be kind when you wanted out, according to her Lieutenant.

...Bianca repeated the lines. "That's it?"

"Gods I hope not, or Apollo's going to be pissed," Rachel smirked.

"I don't think you could join," Thalia absently agreed. "Be cool to try, but you're right, the two would kill each other if they shared you." What it would do to her oracle powers, possibly increase them to frightening levels, wouldn't be worth the outcome.

"You can't join the Hunters if you're a child of Apollo?" Will mock asked even if he did know what they were talking about, but the others looked very confused.

"It's a principle thing with her," Thalia lightly fibbed, though Artemis held no such grudges, if anything she'd implore more of her nieces to escape her annoying brother's sphere.

Percy wasn't sold on this, he kept staring at Rachel with an uneasy look, that sense back in him he hadn't felt in a while his friend was deliberately withholding something from him. Thalia had lied about Luke before, but it had never come across as malicious, and considering he'd nearly just killed her when he found out this happened to Annabeth he understood the deception, really.

He still just had a very big question regarding why he was down here, and what her purpose in all of it was. Randomness? The gods, or even titans pitting them against each other?

..."I accept it," Artemis said.

Nico tried not to imagine a silver arrow through his heart, fletching and all laughing at him as his sister, a goddess, and soon everyone at this camp he was being dragged off to just brushed him aside. He'd gotten no say in any of it. Had Hades known, or cared what his daughter was just drafted into?

'Let it go,' he heard his sister gently reminding him. 'It's dangerous to hold onto all this Nico. You got your answer, accept my choice.'

'I'm trying,' he still promised, though it likely sounded empty to her, she was probably still disappointed in him even having moved onto another life. He'd been trying for almost a year now, practicing his abilities on his travels, looking for something else to attach himself to. Tartarus had to be an answer, he'd find out what Kronos had started with this stirring and find some new way to push on.

..."Remember your pledge," Artemis said. "It is now your life."

Thalia traced the silver circlet embedded into her hair with a proud smile. She knew Nico might never fully understand it, but she wished she could embrace a sister she'd lost before she'd even joined. This life, this pledge, had already guided her through so much, and she looked forward to eternity because of her worth doing Artemis's work.

...  I'd come all this way only to lose Bianca to some eternal girls' club.

Then she had to fight back the urge not to get up and slug Percy, again. He wasn't wrong, but still, boys.

..."You will still get to show them your camp. if Nico chooses, he can stay there."

"Still working on that part," Will muttered beside him.

Nico gave a restless shrug, all the answer he'd ever given, then he stunned Will by whispering, "maybe I'll make a hasty vow next summer, give it a real try." If he survived his trip anyway, which he was vaguely confident about. Instead of running at the whispers that followed he'd...do what? Fight every camper who made a Skeletor joke about him like he was supposed to know who that was? Shove their heads in a toilet like Clarisse did? Was being distastefully respected all he could hope for there?

If it was lingering spite for his sister or Will had been doing some good, it didn't stop the pleased smile instantly back on his face.

"Great," I said, trying not to sound surly.

"I don't have to be there to know how that went," Rachel smirked.

"Why bother lying?" He said plenty surly in here.

... I shall summon a ride from my brother."

Thalia winced unpleasantly yet again. Gods what she would give to skip this next chapter. Would Oceanus come in and personally drown her if she tried to rip out just a few pages? She might risk it.

... I want this. I really, really do."

Nico watched Percy, who looked no happier at these words than he felt. Irony in its purest, he was finally convinced he and the son of Poseidon were on the same page for once in these entire books, and he felt no ethereal connection or need to worm up to him and bask in it. He'd already gotten to know him better over these past few days than he'd ever thought he had before. He gripped the figurine in his pocket again, just a gentle squeeze, and hoped his sister had still meant that as the rest of this unfolded.

...Bianca is not the only one with an annoying brother... my irresponsible twin, Apollo."

"Am I that bad?" Artemis hadn't said two words to him. Nico hoped the goddess was just generalizing all brothers.

"No," Will said at once.

"When you get talking about that game yeah," Percy shrugged, "but mostly no. You have Tyson beaten out at snoring at the very least, he would have shaken down the walls of this place."

"Thanks," Nico just rolled his eyes at him while smiling at Will.

PJOPJOPJOPJO

*Sorry, but that's accurate of me. I'm not a Star Wars fan, don't keep up with it, so Will making grand statements about George Lucas won't be much of a thing. If anyone would like to suggest some silly Star Wars jokes Will would sporadically make, I'd be happy to add them if I can.