•as the world caves in•

•percy blows up the bathrooms•

"Jackson, you have to do better then that." Annabeth sighed.

"What?" Percy asked, clearly confused.

"I can't believe I thought you were the one."

Oh Gods, here she goes again.

"What's your problem?" Percy asked, and I could tell he was getting annoyed, or angry, or both. "All I know is, I kill some bull guy-"

"Don't talk like that!" Annabeth snapped at him. "You know how many kids at this camp wish they'd had your chance?"

"To get killed?"

"To fight the Minotaur! What do you think we train for?"

"Look, if the thing I fought really was the Minotaur, the same one in the stories..."

"Yes."

"Then there's only one."

"Yes."

"And he died, like, a gajillion years ago, right? Theseus killed him in the labyrinth. So..."

Annabeth looked like she was about to explode. Her poor Athena mind couldn't handle someone not knowing something. Such a tragedy.

I placed a hand on her shoulder. "Monsters don't die, Percy. They can be killed. But they don't die."

"Oh, thanks. That clears it up."

I cringed. Definitely could've worded that better. "They don't have souls, like you and me. You can dispel them for a while, maybe even a whole lifetime if you're lucky. But they are primal forced. Chiron calls them archetypes. Eventually, they re-form."

Percy paused. "You mean if I killed one, accidentally, with a sword-"

"The Fur... I mean, your math teacher. That's right. She's still out there. You just made her, very, very mad.

"How did you know about Mrs. Dodds?"

I smiled. "You talk in your sleep."

"You almost called her something. A Fury? They're Hades' torturers, right?"

My stomach twisted and Annabeth looked around. I hoped she had calmed down after almost blowing Percy up.

"You shouldn't call them by name, even here." Annabeth said, and she seemed a little calmer. "We call them the Kindly Ones, if we have to speak of them at all."

"Look, is there anything we can say without it thundering?" He sounded whiny, but I didn't blame him. "Why do I have to stay in cabin eleven anyway? Why is everybody so crowded together? There are plenty of empty bunks right over there."

I sighed and tried to explain it to him. "You don't just choose a cabin, Percy. It depends on who your parents are. Or... your parent."

"My mom is Sally Jackson, she works at the candy store in Grand Central Station. At least, she used to."

My face dropped. "I'm sorry about your mom, Percy. But that's not what I meant. I'm talking about your other parent. Your dad."

"He's dead. I never knew him."

Annabeth sighed. "Your father's not dead, Percy."

"How can you say that? You know him?"

"No, of course not."

"Then how can you say—"

"Because I know you. You wouldn't be here if you weren't one of us."

"You don't know anything about me."

"No?"

I interrupted before Annabeth could possibly blow up. Gods she had a short temper.