Next week's chapter might be delayed to Thursday instead of the usual Monday as I obsessively reread The Sun and the Stars a few (dozen) times.

PJOPJOPJOPJOPJO

"Percy!" Jason grasped his arm firmly, the current around him was starting to pick up speed and it was a useless impulse not to be thrown into the wall more than anything. "No killing us all, remember?" His voice didn't shake one bit at the knowing impact though.

"Maybe I should!" I sneered and jerked his arm away as he got up, but took deep breaths all the same, his sword hand still steady, the wickedly sharp point at least still aimed at the ground. "Damn Oceanus and Poseidon, and Tethys, and anybody else keeping us in here! Where is she! Why isn't Annabeth here, or Grover! Maybe that stupid titan and god would learn their lesson about locking me up if I caused enough of a disturbance!"

His spiteful words had soothed his temper though, he was gasping and fell back into his seat with exhaustion for just getting that out of his system as the water stilled once more.

The awkward silence hung, the book was sitting flat against the wall soaking wet and with a cracked spine while Nico was sitting close to Will and watching him steadily. "Sorry," Percy whispered as the stares lingered. "I didn't mean that."

"We know," Rachel promised. "Annabeth means the world to you, it's shitty and awful they're keeping you two apart right now, but I believe it's for a reason Percy. We'll find out what's going on, I promise."

"I wish I could say something better," Thalia sighed. "I do know what you're going through Percy, I promise. I'm worried sick about her too, and I still remember where she is right now," she tapped pitifully at her temple. "The gods are up to something and I want to be there for her, but I promised her I'd do everything in my power to get you back, and I'm going to do that no matter how much of, ah, a disturbance you cause."

"You think a pile of bodies would be easier to help her find me?" He asked with an almost twisted smile, but he shook himself and got up slowly this time so as not to startle anyone as he went to grab the book. It dried, but the damage didn't revert itself, a few of the pages were already threatening to fall out as battered as he'd already made it when he sheepishly handed it to Will while looking at Nico. "I am sorry."

He looked ruffled, his black hair in his eyes and his jacket twisted up and oddly tucked into itself, but shook himself as if no worse for wear and gave him a shrug of indifference. "You've done worse to me."

"Um, okay," Percy had no idea what to make of that and went to go sit carefully back in his seat, gently on the edge like the bomb he was about to go off.

Nico and Thalia exchanged a miserable look. They wished they could explain it wasn't even really his fault, the curse of Achilles amplified his powers insanely high, more than he'd yet practiced before this happened to him. He was yawning, pale, and kept rubbing his back, but all he wanted as his eyes landed back on Will was to find out where his girlfriend was.

"Do you want a break?" Thalia still asked. "Get some food?"

"No," he muttered, crossing his arms as sullen as ever, and that more than anything showed them all just how upset he was. "Just keep going please."

Will gave him a promising smile to get on with that as he read the chapter title.

"My money's on Luke," Alex stage whispered. "Percy can kill across continents."

"I'm trying to think of any other dead friends," Jason was fidgeting with his fingers. "Gabe wouldn't count."

"Please don't be a zombie invasion, please?" Magnus muttered.

Nico grimaced and was more relieved than ever none of them knew who his dad was or they wouldn't shut up about it as Rachel already gave him a curious, confused look like he was the first thing that came to mind.

... the poor satyr would slam headfirst and get a pile of snow dumped on him.

"As long as everybody enjoys the game equally," Alex sighed, though she clearly didn't think it was as funny as Will and Jason snickering up a storm.

... after what Zoe dreamed—"

"Did he make an empathy link with her too?" Magnus asked with twitching lips, though he had a suspicion of the real answer. Boundaries weren't a very common commodity when you lived on the street and could literally wake up to any number of people watching you sleep. He was one of the lucky few where it was usually his friends, but he'd had the occasional creepo or an old lady trying to draw bad energy from him.

"More like he was dreaming of her and it became reality," Alex scoffed.

... "I was sort of camped outside the Artemis cabin."

Thalia looked a little squeamish herself and decided she needed to go around and thank Juniper for helping to keep at least her friend from this behavior anymore.

... hiding in a bush to continue watching her.

"He gets how that's the definition of a stocker, right?" Alex asked.

"Is goat stocker so bad? Gawker?" Percy chuckled.

"Don't," but Alex couldn't stop a smile as she rolled her eyes.

...Argus wouldn't let her in... wouldn't want to place bets on a fight between them.

"Connor did," Will sighed, "he and that Ares kid almost got into a fist fight over it until Chiron came around to break it up."

... she called Argus a boil-brained lout... and then he called her—"

"Now I know it was bad," Will grimaced, "I've never heard him talk, I've heard rumors he has an eye on the tip of his tongue."

"Ew," Jason informed him.

"It's not like I put it there," Will shrugged.

... finally Chiron came out with his horse tail in curlers and—"

Percy made a noise like a buzzer with a rewind motion, but Will just chuckled and kept reading without surprise Percy hadn't let that go at any point in time.

"He wears curlers in his tail?" Grover covered his mouth. "Sorry," I said. "Go on."

"No I'm not," Percy corrected, though he did suppose this was a little more important.

"I now have more questions about Chiron's nightly routine than I will ever ask," Magnus sighed.

Alex just couldn't let it go though and demanded, "do you think the party ponies do that too? Or is Chiron showing his domesticated side?"

"I can't say he's ever advertised this for us to ask," Will shrugged. He vowed to never share this information with Connor though, or it would be painted on the side of the Big House.

"Well, Zoe said she needed permission to leave camp.

"I didn't know she really needed permission?" Jason said. "They're sort of free agents under Artemis's command right?" He confirmed with the one in here.

"And her last orders were to go to camp," Thalia answered softly. "They are bound to that until released for a quest, camp rules."

... 'How are we to get orders from Artemis if Artemis is lost?'"

'Lost in the land without rain,' the words echoed uncomfortably in the back of Percy's head and he winced as his mind tried to jump to Annabeth lost, how could a goddess be lost too? Then finally settled on Nico and scolded himself as his breath came out too sharp. No, enough, stop trying to force it, he reminded himself. He didn't want to hurt any of them again!

Nico already looked too pale under his olive skin again like he'd been expecting another tsunami to the face and Percy winced with guilt.

"What do you mean lost? Like she needs directions?"

Percy grinned benignly at the seven blank stares he got for that.

"Gods you are something else," Alex informed him.

"That's rich coming from you," Percy snorted.

... "How would you kidnap an immortal goddess? Is that even possible?"

"Very," Will sighed, "it happens more frequently than they want to admit. Even to some of the Olympians, like Hera and-"

"Don't," Thalia interrupted with an exhausted sigh, "we don't need an index of what happened to each god too."

"Speak for yourself," Jason grumbled as he rubbed in agitation for his jolting brain.

"We won't be getting one," Percy reminded in personal relief, like they needed more things to read and memorize!

...it happened to Persephone." "She's the goddess of flowers." Grover looked offended. "Springtime."

Nico crossed his arms and grumbled to himself for a moment what a pain she was. Will paused for a moment to look on at him, but quickly kept reading to not give away Nico might have a connection there. Still, he filed it away in concern what his stepmom had done to deserve that reaction.

... Who could kidnap her?"..."I don't know. Kronos?"

"Or Kronos has gained more lackeys than Ares," Jason uneasily reminded. Who knew how powerful he'd gotten since they'd last seen him, maybe he could do more than just whisper and manipulate. What if he could full blown convince someone like Oceanus to be taking godly prisoners?

His temple flared in pain, Nico and Percy shifted uncomfortably on either side of him and he didn't notice why as he schooled himself to pay attention.

Percy didn't pay it much mind, he might not have even felt the shock as much with his impenetrable skin and it had just been an involuntary reaction, but Nico rubbed his side and watched Jason curiously again for a few paragraphs as Will cluelessly kept going over what happened.

...you having a nightmare the same night." "They're connected," I said.

"You are so lucky Zoe wasn't gawking you two or she would have shot you for implying as much," Alex smirked.

"I'll take the switch if it'll get us one step closer to figuring this out," Percy huffed.

... into a pine and he kissed the trunk at top speed. "Ah, love," Grover said dreamily.

"I have concerns about what this guy will do when he meets Pan," Magnus frowned. "I'm worried he'll just drop dead from a heart attack."

"You wanted to know about satyr customs," Jason shrugged, but he was smiling for these dumb fawns not being so otherworldly to him.

... the brochure. It was about the Hunters of Artemis.

Alex snorted a painful noise. "Oh gods, she advertises herself?"

"I think Apollo made them as a joke once and she kept them," Thalia shrugged.

..."I found that in Annabeth's backpack," Grover said.

Percy whipped around to look at Thalia with a look of betrayal that wasn't at all joking. "Is she- she's not-"

Thalia shamefully pressed into her seat and couldn't look at him. She wouldn't lie to him again, she couldn't joke this off or it would just make him mad again. She just had silence.

"Westover Hall," Magnus remembered with dread, "she was talking about-" he was looking from Thalia to Percy too as he tried to understand if this was what she'd meant. She'd be staying at that school the rest of the year or camp, maybe, if she didn't what? It wasn't such an awful thing to him really, it didn't sound like the worst deal anyways and he'd still get to see her a bit, but his cousin wouldn't be abandoning somebody she already never thought about.

Percy was still looking at Thalia and going concerningly gray with the lack of answer going on, so Will grandly interrupted, "saving her first Percy, then worrying about her eternal maiden hood."

Percy's breath hitched, but he had to remind himself to keep breathing through it as he didn't protest.

... maybe Annabeth was thinking about joining."

Thalia had looked natural in her silver camo gear the moment she'd arrived. Trying to picture Annabeth in the same getup made Percy's heart stumble worse than his dancing. He'd already lost her during this, and now it turned out no matter how long it even took to get her back, she might leave him again forever! Had that kiss in his memory been one of goodbye?

I'd like to say I took the news well.

"You would be lying," Jason informed him, he still looked like he was trying to inhale cement in here.

... I wanted to strangle them one eternal maiden at a time.

"I'll be first in line," Thalia sighed. She knew Percy didn't mean it really, but she'd still step in to deal with him first if he needed to get this out of his system on her crew.

... I apologized for the hole in his pants, but he still sent me packing.

"Is that kind of thing mandatory?" Magnus still asked nervously.

"What a poor teacher," Will sighed, which wasn't an answer.

"Better than how my first time went," Nico muttered, the guys hair had mostly grown back, but he still told anyone who would listen Nico had nearly scalped him.

"This is the day we met though, in arts and crafts," Will brightly recalled. "You were trying to make a figurine out of, what was the one you didn't have then?" He pretended not to recall, lest he be the one to draw the Hades connection now when Nico was getting far to close to having that outed before he wanted already.

"How would you even remember that?" Nico asked in exasperation. "You spent the whole time trying to stop Connor and Travis throwing clay at each other, and then shoving it in that nymphs pot."

"I still introduced myself after class, I'm very good at multitasking," he promised. Like right now, as he kept reading and kept watching him out of the corner of his eye.

'I'm going with yes,' Alex slowly but confidently signed to Magnus when an answer clearly wasn't forthcoming.

... Silena was arguing with one of the Hunters, and I decided not to get involved.

"I wouldn't either," Jason promised with trepidation. "There's two sides of a coin I'd stay far away from."

...Chiron would try to protect me, like always. He might not tell me everything.

Thalia smiled at Percy's scowl, because she agreed with their trainer, and knew he wouldn't want to hear he should enjoy whatever ignorance he had left to cling to. It wasn't much at that age. She on the other hand had never been given a moment of such innocence.

... Mr. D and Argus were feeding the baby dragon that guarded the Golden Fleece.

Will looked around in instinctive concern to hear someone chocking and quickly went through in his head what tools he'd be able to use down here to help before he saw it was just Magnus freaking out again.

"There's just a dragon now casually at your camp?" He looked abut ready to cry. "This is just a thing now, and nobody bothered to mention it before the wine god and the guy with a hundred eyes was told to be feeding it?"

"Sums it up, yeah," Will grinned.

"Dionysus apparently won him playing a game of cards or something, we didn't even need that monster add," Percy shrugged. "He was only a baby, but he still looked intimidating enough. His name's Peleus."

Magnus just watched him like he was waiting for the rest. When apparently that's all the explanation that was going to be given, he just said, "kay," and gave a deep sigh. He never would have thought all those hours in the library wishing to be on another planet would come true in quite this way.

... There was someone else, something else I could ask for guidance.

Magnus looked at him appalled he'd go back to that cursed corpse, but swallowed any protest he would have made. He would have been right behind him if he thought it would help Annabeth too.

"Is there a second body hidden up there?" Alex wasn't sure if Percy considered the Oracle a friend enough for the chapter title to work. She was clearly still stuck on the idea and wondering if some poor dead camper was about to be discovered from that traitor of Luke's apparently around. It hadn't been mentioned in a while, but she firmly remembered, and could only hope they'd gone home for the school year instead of sticking around to screw up any plans.

...I'd only done this once before, and I still had nightmares about it.

"I would too," Jason promised, this thing gave him maximum creeps about this camp, and that was really saying something compared to every other backwards thing going for this place.

... like a stuffed harpy and a bright orange python.

Will cringed into his seat in disgust as Alex leaned forward and eagerly asked, "who killed and stuffed the dodo? Do they keep count of all that?"

"Katie Gardner over last summer when she was caught out after curfew," Will sighed, not looking much happier for the distraction, but that was probably because of who she'd been caught out with. "I will neither confirm nor deny how often people go up there to do any sort of checks."

Alex beamed at the news and they were all pretty sure she would now be leaving camp with a suspicious duffle bag if she ever chose to visit.

...the shriveled-up mummy of an old lady in a tie-dyed hippie dress. The Oracle.

Rachel had an old, fond look on her face for her predecessor. She hoped her spirit now rested peacefully.

... Not much could be "up" when you're dead and stuck in the attic.

"I think she would have at least said thank you for that," Rachel told him. "It's always, just give me my prophecy and let me run, at least you took the time."

"I hope she isn't too grateful, I don't need any extras," Percy shivered.

...I could feel a cold presence, like a coiled sleeping snake.

Will tried hard not to wretch, and thanked Apollo and anybody else who wanted to hear Rachel didn't give off that aura, so long as she wasn't spouting a prophecy. Then he and all his siblings had a preference of leaving the room.

...How can I save her?" ...I waited longer.

"Wow. Cold shoulder from a mummy, that's a new one," Alex offered no sympathy as she studied the book for why that could be.

"Damn, can't even be grateful for no future nightmares," Magnus was scowling right along with Percy it felt like nobody was trying to help get Annabeth back!

Then I got angry. I was being stonewalled by a corpse.

"Uhho," Jason muttered, now imagining him pitching the head out a window.

... I knew Luke had stored a dragon claw up here—the one that scarred his face.

"I wish you'd carved his guts out with it," Thalia scowled.

...This broke and Leroy got killed. 1999.

"RIP Leroy," Will offered.

...BY ANNABETH CHASE AND PERCY JACKSON

Laughter, subdued but finally present once more after long chapters of tense silence bubbled up amongst them. Nobody had really taken a second thought to it after it was mentioned, to many other things had been going on as they adjusted to each other, these books, and quickly after Annabeth's dire fear of spiders being revealed.

She'd kept this in her bag though, her own way to commemorate their first quest, something she'd dreamed of going on since she was little. Percy had a soft smile on his face, trying to guess what that could mean. She'd stashed it away because she had no use for that goddess, would happily follow Artemis's way? But she'd kept it the whole quest. As a trophy, or a memory?

... why had she stashed it in the attic?

To confusing to keep on hand, Thalia kept to herself. Annabeth's crush on him had already been full swing ahead by this point, especially as she talked with other boys and still always brought up Percy in some way. Her little sister had been so new to the idea that having the scarf made her too confused, but she hadn't wanted to throw it away. Thalia vividly remembered her telling she was going to ask Chiron where to put it, and here was her answer.

...I dropped the scarf and tried not to run toward the exit.

"I'm sure you succeeded so well at that," Jason gave him a commiserating smile.

"I failed," Percy said shamelessly now. "Had to much practice at making grand exits."

"So you're saying we should be lucky you didn't blow up the Big House on your way out," Alex smirked.

"Gods, Chiron would tell Dionysus to kill me," Percy sighed.

... like Zoe couldn't believe he was making her do this.

"Confirmed, participation in all of this is mandatory," Magnus sighed.

"I'm guessing no desserts on the horizon for all of the hunters," Rachel winced.

... I guess Zoe had told them about her nightmare.

"Do multiple people have the same nightmare?" Jason asked.

"It's possible," Thalia shrugged, "I think we dream of what's important to us, so the other Hunters could have had the same vision."

... and a few Aphrodite kids.*

"It's ironic the sun kids weren't memorable enough to be named in the lineup," Nico snarked.

"Malcom was there too, I kept seeing him out of the corner of my eye and it was freaking me out," Percy shivered, and they were beginning to suspect he'd been deliberately averting his eyes from all blondes recently.

...when they heard we were fighting the Hunters, they were raring to go.

"Never underestimate cabin 10," Will agreed with a reluctant smile. "When they get a wild hair up their butts and want to remind us their mother was the first primordial god, we all know not to laugh at their tips anymore."

"I'll show them 'love is worthless,'" Silena grumbled. "I'll pulverize them!"

"The purest kind of love," Thalia snorted.

...I'd been about to say the exact same thing, only reversed.

"Typical," the two said together. At least they could still agree on something.

"With your shield and all, you'd be better defense?"

"The best defense is a good offense?" Jason raised an inquisitive brow how this was going to turn out. The Hunters theoretically had the better advantage given what they did. While most of the campers were trained, but with little actual experience outside of playing with each other.

On the flip side, this was their home turf, and the Hunters had not made friends. An enemy with an ax to grind was a dangerous thing.

...you've had more practice at defense." I wasn't sure if she was teasing me.

"She was," Thalia confirmed.

...I'd almost been killed by a hellhound.

"And Clarisse isn't even around to commemorate the event," Alex gave a tragic sigh. It wasn't all fake, Annabeth wasn't around either.

"Hopefully the hellhound isn't either," Percy shuddered.

...I wondered I'd looked that ridiculous when I'd first arrived.

"No, never," Will tried his level best to say without cracking a smile.

"You're a good friend Will," Percy snorted.

Unfortunately, I probably had.

They busted out laughing along with the others, Nico hardest of all. It was surprisingly fun to look back on these first few days, when he'd just been treated like any other camper. Before Bianca had left and he could just pretend his sister was sorted into a different cabin. Before she never came back.

Before he came back, and everyone wouldn't stop whispering and staring at him.

Nico lifted his sword with effort. "Do we get to kill the other team?"

"It's apparently frowned upon," Jason said without concern.

... "It would be awesome if we just resurrected, so we could keep fighting, and—"

"Wow, tell me how you really felt about your sister?" Alex was looking at him in almost concern the kid had went there that fast.

Nico quickly looked away with knots in his stomach. Gods he'd been such an idiotic child, and Percy's next words to him had really struck that home.

... I'd just sounded like my mother. Not a good sign.

"An important sign of growing up," Will sighed, "he needed to hear that." The amount of kids who got hurt those first few weeks because of dares, lack of supervision from the elder kids, and trying to recreate their favorite movies kept the medical staff in constant motion, and he was almost grateful he hadn't met Nico like that. Percy had clearly left an impression as he watched Nico swallow and tap on the pommel of his sword in frustration.

... I will serve as referee and battlefield medic. No intentional maiming, please!

"The manners really drive that point home," Magnus snorted. "I hope he says thank you after every game too."

"Not this one," Thalia muttered under her breath.

... "What kind of magic items? Do I get one?"

"Nope," Nico informed his past self, but then, he wouldn't have been happy with anything less than an exact replica of Riptide back then. At least he'd never gone snooping through Percy's cabin as he'd daydreamed about doing multiple times, he was pretty sure Percy would have conveniently forgotten the whole 'swords are dangerous, don't stab people' spiel if he had never nicked Annabeth's hat.

... tripped over a shield, so I didn't look much like a co-captain. More like an idiot.

"But you always look like that Percy, two left feet remember?" Rachel oh so helpfully reminded.

"You weren't even there when I danced with her!" Percy poorly protested.

"I didn't have to be," she chuckled.

...it had been named for Zeus, who doesn't have much of a sense of humor.

"Percy, you're supposed to be describing our capture the flag game, not my dad," Thalia grinned. At least she hadn't inherited his sense of humor.

"My apologies, I'll try again later," he nodded.

They both missed Will and Nico wincing upon this thing being mentioned. Nobody went near the place now, it was considered cursed after Kampê was killed there, and Nico wouldn't have been to fond of the place he fell into the Labyrinth anyways.

... figuring he'd be safely out of the way.

Nico gave a disparaging sigh even if he couldn't disagree. If he'd had some horrible accident and Hades had Claimed him, well, he doubted things would have gone as well for him as it had Percy. He might have been shoved into that pile of rocks head first that moment. He doubted Bianca would have stopped them.

..."Take Laurel and Jason.

"Not you," Will said swiftly to Jason as he did a double take. "I swear, I've never seen you around camp before. One of Silena's siblings."

"Ah, yeah, common name," he nodded, but he was starting to feel paranoid. He kept waiting for an explanation of why he was here. Probably just an accident like those Norse kids, right?

...you couldn't help but believe it would work.

Thalia smiled at the compliment and Percy grinned back, but it was still pretty disheartening to him he knew if he'd even given the exact same speech it wouldn't have sounded nearly as convincing. She was always better than him at something.

... She touched my arm and shocked me.

"You two are going to kill each other," Rachel said in a bit of awe.

"We have our moments," Thalia said blandly. She was pretty sure they wouldn't have...but she also couldn't think what else would have stopped them in their tracks aside from Annabeth appearing out of nowhere.

...She's been known to fry off people's eyebrows.

"I have not met these people," Alex said with regret.

"I hope to not be one of them," Percy muttered as he rubbed his arm in remembrance.

Will was starting to look a little pale as he watched the two, and he knew how it all turned out. That outcome was why! Gods did he never want to be so close to that Oracle again. Thankfully he didn't have to with Rachel around now, he really wished he could thank her for that more.

...is everybody clear?"

Thalia gave Percy the stank eye and clearly bit back a biting comment. He had a feeling he followed his own advice, and really hoped he hadn't been the dead friend in some weirdly twisted way like meeting a mirror monster of himself. Thalia would have a little to much joy in killing that right now.

...one huge charge that could overwhelm us. But nothing happened.

"A show of force isn't a guarantee of victory, and they wouldn't be predictable," Jason murmured, his fingers tapping out a rhythm like he actually wished he could be taking notes over this.

...The plan seemed to be working.

"I'm so glad I have that in writing," Thalia muttered to herself.

...With that many on either flank, their center had to be wide open. If I moved fast...

Thalia was rolling her eyes so hard it looked like it hurt. They'd moved past a stupid game, she really wasn't holding a grudge this impulsive lunatic had gone off and ruined her plan.

It still didn't make this night feel better hearing his explanation! Her plan would have worked!

..."Can you guys hold the fort?" Beckendorf snorted. "Of course."

Percy was grinning and leaning forward in his seat, a manic smile on his face they'd all missed this entire morning as down as he'd been.

...The Stolls and Nico cheered as I raced toward the boundary line.

"Remind me to shock their eyebrows off when I visit next," Thalia sighed at them for encouraging this.

"One of them is right there," Rachel reminded.

"Nah, he gets a pass for being new and following these idiots lead," Thalia shrugged.

Nico couldn't decide if he was touched by that or not.

... I slammed into her and she went sprawling in the snow.

Nico gave a bitter smile. Even though he himself had been disappointed in losing the game, the highlight of his night had been seeing his sister covered in snow at the very least.

"Sorry!" I yelled. I ripped down the flag and took off.

"But not that sorry!" Percy cheered, so high on his adrenaline rush he leaped out of his seat for a good reason and was smiling so excitedly at Will he sent another blast of water floating through the room rotating the furniture again.

Will just laughed it off, even knowing they lost, he was having fun just because Percy was.

... Thalia yelled, off to my left. "What are you doing?"

"Checking it's not yellow!" He called back.

She rolled her eyes harder than ever and fought back the urge to stab him. It wouldn't hurt him, but would make her feel better.

... Thalia gasped. "Fart arrows are unsportsmanlike!"

"Please tell me you have one on you now?" Alex's eyes went wide as she all but begged.

Thalia hesitated, knowing she should lie, but then ultimately sighed and dragged one out.

Alex gasped in delight and jumped forward, nearly spearing herself on the tip, and then activating it without warning.

The good news, it only clouded her air bubble.

There wasn't any bad news.

They all got a chuckle out of the look she got on her face for her own demise as she coughed without a trace of regret, and then she grinned and went back to her seat, used arrow still in hand and jabbing the point against her fingers out of boredom.

"Is it technically a lie if I still say I've never used one of those on someone now?" Thalia asked innocently.

"Nah," Jason covered for her, "she did it to herself. I do really want to know why you girls have those."

"Good for evasion. Helps corral and repulse certain monsters sensitive to smells," she shrugged.

...I was two feet away when Zoe bolted across, slamming into me for good measure.

Percy groaned and fell back into his seat in disappointment. He was going to be hearing about this one for weeks!

Nico was studying him with interest. Considering Thalia had immediately started blaming the whole thing on him and Percy had fought back like a literal god to him, it wasn't a surprise in retrospect he'd blotted out this loss even with the others muttering nonstop about it that night. He'd still seen Percy as the winner who could do no wrong, when really Beckendorf had given him permission to go, and been unable to hold the forte. He wasn't even convinced now they could have won even with Percy there, it was like Zoe had come straight from the shadows, Connor and Travis had gone down from unseen arrows before he and Beckendorf had even seen her running away.

... Connor had two arrows sticking out of his helmet like antennae.

Will still couldn't help but laugh at the fond memory of how he'd talked Connor into staying in the medical cabin for an extra few days as he kept checking him over long after the ambrosia had healed him, but now for the snide comments Connor had given more than his mischievous company of constantly trying to pocket cotton balls and band-aids.

... "For the fifty-sixth time in a row."

Percy sunk lower in his seat and groaned like death was upon him as Thalia huffed sharply.

... It took all my willpower not to cower.

"At least you succeeded at that," she grumbled.

"What in the name of the gods were you THINKING?" she bellowed.

"He was not," Rachel helpfully reminded.

Percy didn't look up to deny it as he kept rubbing at the bags under his eyes.

... If you hadn't butted in, we would've won."

"Sounds like Zoe was long gone with yours before you made it there," Jason reminded, still imagining a map with different colored dots vividly in his head. "Sheer running seemed the only winner, and Zoe had the advantage over both of you in that way."

Percy shifted around and looked up again, but Thalia still didn't look convinced her plan wouldn't have worked. She knew the place better, she'd had a head start until Percy ruined it.

... A couple of the Hunters stifled laughs.

"Oh boy," Rachel muttered. It was now an actual miracle neither of them were dead.

... blasting into Thalia's face and dousing her from head to toe.

"I second that," Magnus was eyeing his seat like he might have to use it to shield himself in a moment.

At least Percy and Thalia weren't actually instigating this fight now. Percy was rubbing his chest and looking anywhere but at her, and Thalia just seemed resigned, like if he did it again she knew she'd take it with dignity this time. They'd grown past this.

...Thalia held out her spear. "You want some, Seaweed Brain?"

"Oh shit," all six of them muttered, now Thalia was screwed. She even had the grace to look abashed at such a rash...nickname. They weren't really sure what Annabeth's intent was calling him that, a pet name? An insult? All they knew was it related to the missing girl Percy was distraught over.

... hearing it from Thalia was not cool. "Bring it on, Pinecone Face!"

"And the impertinent side wins again," Jason groaned into his hand. Some vague part of his mind was scolding him for thinking a child of Neptune had a chance against her, but it was very small and quiet, almost nonexistent at this point.

... hundreds of gallons of water in a massive icy funnel cloud.

Nico still grinned at Percy for that, of course he didn't look up at him long enough to notice or care. Gods he was amazing, and he didn't care if Percy never thought the same of him.

...I was about to hurl it at Thalia when I saw something in the woods.

Will sounded just a tad breathless at that abrupt end. If it had gone on any longer he was pretty confident they would have leveled the camp, though he still optimistically thought they would have stopped if somebody had stepped in. He'd personally been hoping Chiron would literally step between the two any second, before.

... shrouded in a murky green mist. As it got closer, the campers and Hunters gasped.

"Oh gods, the zombie lives," Magnus looked like he was going to be as sick as Will felt. "You said she didn't move! She isn't supposed to be running around!"

"You're telling us!" Percy was squirming around in his seat like Thalia was still shocking him. "What the hell?"

... she has never left the attic. Never."

"Oh you know it's bad when you shock Chiron too," Rachel laughed and gave Thalia a light poke. Thalia grinned, but she was still repressing the urge to shiver too. It was all fun for her to laugh about her spirit taking a stroll, to them it had been nightmare fuel, and that was before she'd spouted the prophecy.

...Speaker of the prophecies of Phoebus Apollo, slayer of the mighty Python.

"Trust me, nobody needed the reminder," Will said faintly, his voice getting quieter every word, and they still hung on him with bated breath.

... she turned unmistakably toward Zoe. Approach, Seeker, and ask.

"Wooow!" Alex drew the word out to really emphasis her point. "I didn't even know you could get spurned from a mummy once, let alone twice!"

"Please don't be three times, please don't make it three," Percy groaned.

...The Oracle's mouth opened, and green mist poured out.

Will couldn't help a gag and nearly threw the pages away from him as the cold, dead, smell of snakes lingered in his nose even now. If he hadn't been paralyzed in fear he'd have run out of that clearing screaming for his life.

He took a deep breath and kept reading though, instead of reaching out and wishing he could take Nico with him. This was the prophecy, the one that basically ruined his life. He wouldn't leave the burden of reading this on anyone.

...Five shall go west to the goddess in chains,

"Why is it always west? Can't you ever go south to find a god?" Jason groaned, he still had a headache from the last time Percy went that direction, hopefully he didn't wind up out in California again.

He was shushed and ignored by Percy, the dark water around them starting to take on a horrible smell like that fart bomb had leaked out of Alex's arrow...except it smelt more menacing. A coldness to the air that would send wild animals fleeing before the people knew why.

One shall be lost in the land without rain,

Nico winced, a sharp pain that had never left his back wiggling in just that bit deeper. Had Bianca remembered this line and not cared? Had the group sent her off remembering and ignoring the outcome? He'd never asked, he'd never wanted to know, and now he was being force-fed every detail of how she'd left him.

Campers and Hunters combined prevail,

"You know it's bad when even this thing is telling those girls to work with you," Alex said for Percy. He didn't look around. They'd swear the darkness was literally swelling around him as he waited on tenterhooks to hear even a word about Annabeth, and what it would be. He wouldn't be distracted for anything right now.

... as if she might sit by this creek for a hundred years.

"Chapter's over," Will whispered as he slowly lowered the book. He could feel the shadows leaping off of Nico now in more powerful waves than even Percy had done, but his brown eyes only looked at the son of the sea god as Will gently placed his hand on the back of the couch again, letting his fingers brush delicately at the black jacket as he waited for Jason to offer to take the book when he was ready. Will wasn't leaving his side.

PJOPJOPJOPJO

I give up. My brain just keeps latching onto these two and I should just throw everybody else out.

Except Alex. I need my chaos character around. And Magnus has to stay with her/ him.

And Percy can't leave, it's his story, it would be rude, and Thalia and Jason are his counters and should be around for each other.

And Rachel can't leave now, she has so much potential I keep getting sidetracked away from!

You see my problem?

*I know I keep saying Will was there when he obviously wasn't mentioned, but neither was Chris Rodriguez in the first book when Percy apparently knew him well enough to recognize his voice on the cruise ship in the second book. Kids obviously are there off screen, and only nine are named at camp, so there's plenty of wiggle room for one or two lone Apollo kids Percy never would have cared enough to name until RR invented them later.