Her Old Friend... (Annabeth Chase x Male Reader)

Chapter 7:I Join (am forced into) A Quest

The next morning, Chiron moved Percy to cabin three. Like cabins 1, 2, 3 we don't have to share with anybody. We have plenty of room for all our stuff, we get to sit at my own dinner table, pick all our own activities, call "lights out" whenever we feel like it, and not listen to anybody else. And when you get that, unless your a loner, it was absolutely miserable. Just when you'd started to feel accepted, to feel like you had a home in cabin eleven and you might be a normal kid—or as normal as you can be when you're a half-blood—BAM you get separated out as if you had some rare disease. At least now I wasn't fully alone, now I had Percy. Nobody mentioned the hellhound, but I knew they were all talking about it behind his back. The attack had scared everybody. It sent two messages: one, that he was the son of the Sea God; and two, monsters would stop at nothing to kill us. They could even invade a camp that had always been considered safe. The other campers steered clear of us-mainly Percy, as much as possible. Cabin eleven was too nervous to have sword class with him after what he'd done to the Ares folks in the woods, so his lessons with Luke became one-on-one. After lessons with Percy, Annabeth would walk away muttering to herself: "Quest . . . Poseidon? . . . Dirty rotten . . .Got to make a plan . . ."Even Clarisse kept her distance from him, though her venomous looks made it clear she wanted to kill him for breaking her, one time only, magic spear. Over Long Island Sound, the sky looked like ink soup coming to a boil. A hazy curtain of rain was coming in our direction. I was tired and angry I had to be present, but I calmed myself and my anger flurried away, my mood changes the weather here, but this time that didn't happen. Still in my pajamas, because I wasn't crazy I stood outside the Big House, waiting for Percy and Grover. Percy and Grover arrived so, Grover, Percy, and I walked up to the front porch of the Big House. Dionysus sat at the pinochle table in his tiger-striped Hawaiian shirt with his Diet Coke. Chiron sat across the table in his fake wheelchair. They were playing against invisible opponents—two sets of cards hovering in the air. "Well, well," Mr. D said without looking up. "Our little celebrity." We waited. "Come closer," Mr. D said. "And don't expect me to kowtow to you, mortal, just because old Barnacle-Beard is your father." He said to Percy, then looked to me "Good Morning Y/N" "Good Morning Mr. D" I said kindly, not trying to make him angry at me. A net of lightning flashed across the clouds. Thunder shook the windows of the house. "Blah, blah, blah," Dionysus said. Chiron feigned interest in his pinochle cards. Grover cowered by the railing, his hooves clopping back and forth. "If I had my way," Dionysus said, "I would cause your molecules to erupt in flames. We'd sweep up the ashes and be done with a lot of trouble. But Chiron seems to feel this would be against my mission at this cursed camp: to keep you little brats safe from harm." "Spontaneous combustion is a form of harm, Mr. D," Chiron put in. "Nonsense," Dionysus said. "Boy wouldn't feel a thing. Nevertheless, I've agreed to restrain myself. I'm thinking of turning you into a dolphin instead, sending you back to your father.""Mr. D—" Chiron warned. "Oh, all right," Dionysus relented. "There's one more option. But it's deadly foolishness." Dionysus rose, and the invisible players' cards dropped to the table. "I'm off to Olympus for the emergency meeting. If the boy is still here when I get back, I'll turn him into an Atlantic bottlenose. Do you understand? And Perseus Jackson, if you're at all smart, you'll see that's a much more sensible choice than what Chiron feels you must do." Dionysus picked up a playing card, twisted it, and it became a plastic rectangle. A credit card? No. A security pass. He snapped his fingers. The air seemed to fold and bend around him. He became a hologram, then a wind, then he was gone, leaving only the smell of fresh-pressed grapes lingering behind. The usual. Chiron smiled at us, but he looked tired and strained. "Sit, Percy, Y/N, please. And Grover." We did. Chiron laid his cards on the table, a winning hand he hadn't gotten to use. "Tell me, Percy," he said. "What did you make of the hellhound?" Just hearing the name made me shudder. Chiron probably wanted him to say, 'Heck, it was nothing. I eat hellhounds for breakfast.' "It scared me," Percy said. "If you hadn't shot it, and Y/N hadn't stabbed it, I'd be dead." "You'll meet worse, Percy. Far worse, before you're done." "Done . . . with what?" "Your quest, of course. Will you accept it?" I glanced at Grover, who was crossing his fingers. "Um, sir," He said, "you haven't told me what it is yet." Chiron grimaced. "Well, that's the hard part, the details."Thunder rumbled across the valley. The storm clouds had now reached the edge of the beach. As faras I could see, the sky and the sea were boiling together."Poseidon and Zeus," Percy said. "They're fighting over something valuable . . . something that wasstolen, aren't they?"Chiron and Grover exchanged looks.Chiron sat forward in his wheelchair. "How did you know that?" He inquired "The weather since Christmas has beenweird, like the sea and the sky are fighting. Then I talked to Annabeth, and she'd overheard somethingabout a theft. And . . . I've also been having these dreams.""I knew it," Grover said."Hush, satyr," Chiron ordered."But it is his quest!" Grover's eyes were bright with excitement. "It must be!""Only the Oracle can determine." Chiron stroked his bristly beard. "Nevertheless, Percy, you arecorrect. Your father and Y/N's father, Zeus are having their worst quarrel in centuries.They are fighting over something valuable that was stolen.To be precise: a lightning bolt." He laughed nervously. "A what?""Do not take this lightly," I warned. "We're  not talking about some tinfoil-covered zigzag you'dsee in a second-grade play. I'm talking about a two-foot-long cylinder of high-grade celestial bronze,capped on both ends with god-level explosives."  "Oh." Percy said quietly "Zeus's master bolt," I said, getting worked up now. "The symbol of his power, from which all other lightning bolts are patterned. The first weapon made by the Cyclopes for the war against the Titans, the bolt that sheered the top off Mount Etna and hurled Kronos from his throne; the master bolt, which packs enough power to make mortal hydrogen bombs look like firecrackers." "And it's missing?" "Stolen," Chiron said. "By who?" "By whom," Chiron corrected. Once a teacher, always a teacher. "By you." His mouth fell open. "At least"—Chiron held up a hand—"that's what Zeus thinks. During the winter solstice, at the last council of the gods, Zeus and Poseidon had an argument. The usual nonsense: 'Mother Rhea always liked you best,' 'Air disasters are more spectacular than sea disasters,' et cetera. Afterward, Zeus realized his master bolt was missing, taken from the throne room under his very nose. He immediately blamed Poseidon. Now, a god cannot usurp another god's symbol of power directly—that is forbidden by the most ancient of divine laws. But Zeus believes your father convinced a human hero to take it." "But I didn't—" "Patience and listen, child," Chiron said. "Zeus has good reason to be suspicious. The forges of the Cyclopes are under the ocean, which gives Poseidon some influence over the makers of his brother's lightning. Zeus believes Poseidon has taken the master bolt, and is now secretly having the Cyclopes build an arsenal of illegal copies, which might be used to topple Zeus from his throne. The only thing Zeus wasn't sure about was which hero Poseidon used to steal the bolt. Now Poseidon has openly claimed you as his son. You were in New York over the winter holidays. You could easily have snuck into Olympus. Zeus believes he has found his thief." "But I've never even been to Olympus! Zeus is crazy!"  Chiron and Grover glanced nervously at the sky. However Percy was on a roll "And why not Y/N! Who's to say that he doesn't want power too! Enough to take it from his dad!"  The clouds didn't seem to be parting around us, as Grover had promised. They were rolling straight over our valley, sealing us in like a coffin lid. "Er, Percy . . . ?" Grover said. "First off we don't use the c-word to describe the Lord of the Sky." "Perhaps paranoid," Chiron suggested. "Then again, Poseidon has tried to unseat Zeus before. Ibelieve that was question thirty-eight on your final exam. . . ." Before he could respond Grover stepped in, "Also Y/N is being watched by the naiads, it wasn't him." Chiron was waiting for an answer."Something about a golden net?" He guessed. "Poseidon and Hera and a few other gods . . . they, like,trapped Zeus and wouldn't let him out until he promised to be a better ruler, right?""Correct," Chiron said. "And Zeus has never trusted Poseidon since. Of course, Poseidon deniesstealing the master bolt. He took great offense at the accusation. The two have been arguing back andforth for months, threatening war. And now, you've come along—the proverbial last straw.""But I'm just a kid!""Percy," Grover cut in, "if you were Zeus, and you already thought your brother was plotting tooverthrow you, then your brother suddenly admitted he had broken the sacred oath he took after WorldWar II, that he's fathered a new mortal hero who might be used as a weapon against you. . . . Wouldn'tthat put a twist in your toga?""But I didn't do anything. Also Zeus had Y/N, but that's besides the point. Poseidon—my dad—he didn't really have this master bolt stolen, didhe?"Chiron sighed. "Most thinking observers would agree that thievery is not Poseidon's style. But theSea God is too proud to try convincing Zeus of that. Zeus has demanded that Poseidon return the bolt bythe summer solstice. That's June twenty-first, ten days from now. Poseidon wants an apology for beingcalled a thief by the same date. I hoped that diplomacy might prevail, that Hera or Demeter or Hestiawould make the two brothers see sense. But your arrival has inflamed Zeus's temper. Now neither godwill back down. Unless someone intervenes, unless the master bolt is found and returned to Zeus beforethe solstice, there will be war. And do you know what a full-fledged war would look like, Percy?""Bad?" I guessed."Imagine the world in chaos. Nature at war with itself. Olympians forced to choose sides betweenZeus and Poseidon. Destruction. Carnage. Millions dead. Western civilization turned into a battlegroundso big it will make the Trojan War look like a water-balloon fight.""Bad," I repeated."And you, Percy Jackson, would be the first to feel Zeus's wrath."It started to rain. Volleyball players stopped their game and stared in stunned silence at the sky.I had brought this storm to Half-Blood Hill. Zeus-my dad- was punishing the whole camp because of him. Iwas furious."So I have to find the stupid bolt," He said. "And return it to Zeus.""What better peace offering," Chiron said, "than to have the son of Poseidon return Zeus'sproperty? Along with his trusted son himself?" "Sick" I chimed in, grinning. "If Poseidon doesn't have it, where is the thing?""I believe I know." Chiron's expression was grim. "Part of a prophecy I had years ago . . . well,some of the lines make sense to me, now. But before I can say more, you must officially take up thequest. You must seek the counsel of the Oracle.""Why can't you tell me where the bolt is beforehand?""Because if I did, you would be too afraid to accept the challenge." He swallowed. "Good reason.""You agree then?" He looked at Grover, who nodded encouragingly, and then me, and I was grinning madly. "All right," He said. "It's better than being turned into a dolphin.""Then it's time you consulted the Oracle," Chiron said. "Go upstairs, Percy Jackson, to the attic.When you come back down, assuming you're still sane, we will talk more." "Four flights up, and you'll see it." I said, giving him a reassuring smile.  We played a round of pinochle while we waited for an insane, or mentally stable Percy to come back. "Well?" Chiron asked him. He slumped into a chair at the pinochle table. "She said I would retrieve what was stolen."Grover sat forward, chewing excitedly on the remains of a Diet Coke can, whilst I sipped on my Diet Pepsi, provided by a goblet in camp. "That's great!" Grover exclaimed "What did the Oracle say exactly?" Chiron pressed. "This is important."  Percy gulped "She . . . she said I would go west and face agod who had turned. I would retrieve what was stolen and see it safely returned.""I knew it," Grover said.Chiron didn't look satisfied. "Anything else?" I looked at him, I knew there was more. "No," He said. "That's about it."He studied my face. "Very well, Percy. But know this: the Oracle's words often have doublemeanings. Don't dwell on them too much. The truth is not always clear until events come to pass." Chiron said. I got the feeling he also knew he was holding back something bad, and he was trying to make him feelbetter."Okay," Percy said, anxious to change topics. "So where do we go? Who's this god in the west?""Ah, think, Percy," Chiron said. "If Zeus and Poseidon weaken each other in a war, who stands togain?""Somebody else who wants to take over?" I guessed."Yes, quite. Someone who harbors a grudge, who has been unhappy with his lot since the world wasdivided eons ago, whose kingdom would grow powerful with the deaths of millions. Someone whohates his brothers for forcing him into an oath to have no more children, an oath that both of them havenow broken."I thought about my dreams, the evil voice that had spoken from under the ground. "Hades." I said simply. Chiron nodded. "The Lord of the Dead is the only possibility."A scrap of aluminum dribbled out of Grover's mouth. "Whoa, wait. Wh-what?""A Fury came after Percy,"  Chiron reminded him. "Along with a hellhound..." Not my favorite I thought after I contributed. "Correct Y/N. She watched the young man until she was sureof his identity, then tried to kill him. Furies obey only one lord: Hades.""Yes, but—but Hades hates all heroes," Grover protested. "Especially if he has found out Percy is ason of Poseidon. . . .""A hellhound got into the forest," Chiron continued. "Those can only be summoned from the Fieldsof Punishment, and it had to be summoned by someone within the camp. Hades must have a spy here.He must suspect Poseidon will try to use Percy to clear his name. Hades would very much like to killthis young half-blood before he can take on the quest.""Great," Percy muttered. "That's two major gods who want to kill me." I scoffed, "It can be more dude." "But a quest to . . ." Grover swallowed. "I mean, couldn't the master bolt be in some place likeMaine? Maine's very nice this time of year." "It is?" I asked. "Hades sent a minion to steal the master bolt," Chiron insisted. "He hid it in the Underworld,knowing full well that Zeus would blame Poseidon. I don't pretend to understand the Lord of the Dead'smotives perfectly, or why he chose this time to start a war, but one thing is certain. Percy must go to theUnderworld, with Y/N, find the master bolt, and reveal the truth."A strange fire burned in my stomach. The weirdest thing was: it wasn't fear. It was anticipation. Thedesire for revenge. Hades had tried to kill me. He killed my mother and best friend, Donnie. It was his fault my mother and best friend died. Now he was trying to start a war and he messed with my dad.I was ready to take him on. Grover was trembling. He'd started eating pinochle cards like potato chips. "Grover! Don't eat the pinochle cards!" "Sorry!" He mumbled-yelled. "Look, if we know it's Hades," Percy told Chiron, "why can't we just tell the other gods? Zeus orPoseidon could go down to the Underworld and bust some heads.""Suspecting and knowing are not the same," Chiron said. "Besides, even if the other gods suspectHades—and I imagine Poseidon does—they couldn't retrieve the bolt themselves. Gods cannot crosseach other's territories except by invitation."  "That is another ancient rule." I took over for Chiron "Heroes-like us, on the other hand, havecertain privileges. We can go anywhere, challenge anyone, as long as we're bold enough and strongenough to do it. No god can be held responsible for a hero's actions. Why do you think the gods alwaysoperate through humans?""You're saying I'm being used." Percy said blankly. Chiron took back over, "I'm saying it's no accident Poseidon has claimed you now. It's a very risky gamble, but he's in adesperate situation. He needs you."He looked at Chiron. "You've known I was Poseidon's son all along, haven't you?""I had my suspicions. As I said . . . I've spoken to the Oracle, too." "So let us get this straight," I said. "We're supposed go to the Underworld and confront the Lord ofthe Dead.""Check," Chiron said."Find the most powerful weapon in the universe." Percy said "Check.""And get it back to Olympus before the summer solstice, in ten days." I finished. "That's about right."I looked at Grover, who gulped down the ace of hearts. "Dude!" I yelled. "Did I mention that Maine is very nice this time of year?" he asked weakly."You don't have to go," Percy told him. "I can't ask that of you.""Oh . . ." He shifted his hooves. "No . . . it's just that satyrs and underground places . . . well . . ."He took a deep breath, then stood, brushing the shredded cards and aluminum bits off his T-shirt."You saved my life, Percy. If . . . if you're serious about wanting me along, I won't let you down." Grover said. "All the way, G-man." We turned to Chiron. "So where do we go? The Oracle just said to go west.""The entrance to the Underworld is always in the west. It moves from age to age, just like Olympus.Right now, of course, it's in America.""Where?"Chiron looked surprised. "I thought that would be obvious enough. The entrance to the Underworldis in Los Angeles.""Oh," Percy said. "Naturally. So we just get on a plane—""No!" Grover and I shrieked. "Percy, what are you thinking?" I said. "Have you ever been on a plane in your life?" He shook my head, feeling embarrassed.  "Percy, think," Chiron said. "You are the son of the Sea God. Your father's bitterest rival is Zeus,Lord of the Sky. Your mother knew better than to trust you in an airplane. You would be in Zeus'sdomain. You would never come down again alive."Overhead, lightning crackled. Thunder boomed. "That is a yes from my dad dude." "Okay," he said, "So, I'll travel overland.""That's right," Chiron said. "Three companions may accompany you. Grover and Y/N are two. The other hasalready volunteered, if you will accept her help.""Gee," he said. "Who else would be stupid enough to volunteer for a quest likethis?"The air shimmered behind Chiron.Annabeth became visible, stuffing her Yankees cap into her back pocket. "Annie would." I said simply. "I've been waiting a long time for a quest, Seaweed Brain," she said, and I stifled a laugh. "Shut it Airhead. Athena is no fan of Poseidon,but if you're going to save the world, I'm the best person to keep you from messing up." "Wow Annie, very nice." I said, sarcasm dripping off my word. "If you do say so yourself," He said. "I suppose you have a plan, Wise Girl?" I finished for Percy. Her cheeks colored. "Do you want my help or not?"The truth was, we did. We needed all the help we could get."A quartet. Music term." I said. "That'll work." Percy said. "Excellent," Chiron said. "This afternoon, we can take you as far as the bus terminal in Manhattan.After that, you are on your own."Lightning flashed. Rain poured down on the meadows that were never supposed to have violentweather."No time to waste," Chiron said. "I think you should all get packing."

AHHHH Chapter 7! Soooo excited. Have fun reading readers!