Perci Jackson, Alex Hayda, and the Lightning Thief

This is the Plan

Alex pursed her lips. "Let's see if I'm getting this right. You have been accused of stealing the symbol of power from the Head Honcho at the top of the Empire State Building, which is in the shape of a lightning bolt."

"Yep." Perci was in her pajamas and sitting on the edge of Alex's bed. She held the stuffed turtle she had named Anya that Alex had gotten her from when she traveled to France to visit family. She lay on her stomach.

"You were given a prophecy that says you'll find the bolt, but that you'll fail in the end. There's also a god that betrays us, possibly someone else because a friend betrays us, and we have to head west. And you think Hades stole the bolt."

Perci shook her head. "Chiron does. Hades could simply cause a zombie uprising if he wanted to. You can't beat an enemy that can never die. Besides, wouldn't it already be crowded downstairs?"

Alex thought about it. "Yeah, that makes sense." She frowned. "Gods can only work through humans, right? So, Poseidon is using you and only claimed you because there was nothing else he could do."

"That's what I said!"

"...I think Chiron is hiding something." Alex reached into a cupboard and grabbed her pills. "He's spoken to the Oracle like you said he said, and I think it involves you."

"Great." Perci rolled on her back. "Just what I need. Being used and not being told things because I'm a child. Fun, not really, I lied."

"So we have to go downstairs to...talk with the boss of the dead, then we have to find one of the most powerful inanimate objects in existence, next we give it to Head Honcho before he throws a hissy-fit before the solstice in ten days, and all in time for dinner."

"Yeah-wait." Perci sat up again. "You said 'we' and 'us'."

Alex held up a finger. She put her pills in her mouth and swallowed them with water. She grimaced and shook her head. She drank the rest of her water. She set the cup down. "Well, yeah. You think I'd let you go off on a quest to stop what could likely mean WW3 by yourself, did you?"

Perci stood up and walked over to Alex. "I should've guessed, shouldn't I?"

Alex ruffled the girl's hair. "Albern." (Silly.)

Perci sat up on the counter and crossed her legs in a criss-cross applesauce way. "And we have to go to Los Angeles! Of course, the entrance is in Los Angeles."

Alex grabbed a cookie and bit into it. "You're allowed to have 6 quest members. One is obviously you, Grover is coming along, and Annabeth volunteered. I'd come along whether or not anyone gives a flying fig. Who else, then?"

Perci rubbed her forearm. "Well, I was hoping to convince Lexi and Devon to come along as well. Devon is the daughter of Thanatos, so she could maybe help, and wherever Devon goes, I know Lexi will follow. Plus, I feel like we can be friends."

Alex turned off the light and covered herself up to her chest with the blanket she grabbed. She lay down on the left side of her bed. "I think they're cool. In the morning, let's try to ask them. Deal?"

Perci nodded. "Deal. See you in the morning." She went to lie down on the other side. She hugged Anya to her chest and closed her eyes.

Is this absolute shit? Yes. Do I give any? No.