A/N: Certain ancient Greek names matches words use of foul language but no foul language was intentionally used. Also if you haven't read them yet read 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Early Adventures' 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief' 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Olympians: The Sea of Monsters' and 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Olympians: The Titan's Curse' before reading this story. Lastly, any one who wants to do a Demigods and Olympian reads story using 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon' is allowed as long as you inform me about it.

The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Olympians: The Magical Labyrinth

Goode's Cheer Leading Squad are Monsters

The last thing I wanted to do on my summer break was to blow up another school. But there I was Monday morning, the first week of June, sitting in my mom's car in front of Goode High School on East 81st.

Goode was this big brown building overlooking the East River. A bunch of BMW's and Lincoln Town Cars were parked out front. Staring up at the fancy stone archway, I hoped I don't get expelled from this school.

Well, I didn't really got expelled in my last school, but since Paul got me a holding place here, it was clear I wasn't attending the high school classes of it.

"Just relax." My mom didn't sound relaxed. "It's only orientation tour. And remember, dear, this is Paul's school. So try not to… you know."

Destroy it, I figured she was going to say.

Paul Blofis, my mom's boyfriend, was standing out front, greeting future ninth graders as they came up the steps. With his salt-and-pepper hair, denim clothes, and leather jacket, he reminded me of a TV actor, but he was just an English teacher.

I looked at my mom. "You hanven't told him about the truth about me, have you?"

She tapped her fingers nervously on the wheel. She was dressed up for a job interview—her best blue dress and high heeled shoes. She had finally graduated NYU and got her degree in writing thanks to our school funds and a little prayer to Athena. Now she was planning to get a better paying job to help her dream in writing.

"I thought we should wait," she admitted. "I'm sure orientation will be fine, Percy. It's only one morning. Then tomorrow you're off to camp. Don't forget, after orientation, you've got your date—"

"It's not a date!" I protested. "It's just Annabeth, Mom. Jeez!"

"She's coming all the way from camp to meet you."

"Well, yeah."

"You're going to the movies."

"Yeah."

"Just the two of you."

"Mom!"

She held up her hands in surrender, but I could tell she was trying hard not to smile. "You'd better go inside, dear. I'll see you tonight."

"Okay mom," I responded.

I got out of the car. As my mom drove off, I was about to head inside when I froze.

Paul Blofis was greeting a girl with frizzy red hair. She wore a maroon T-shirt and ratty jeans decorated with marker drawings. When she turned, I caught a glimpse of her face, and the hairs on my arms stood up. It was the girl I met back in Hoover Dam last winter: Rachel Elizabeth Dare. Great, just what I need right now.

Instead going through the front entrance, I sneaked around the side.

…

I wish I can say my plan went well, but it didn't. Two cheerleaders in purple-and-white uniforms were standing at the side entrance, waiting to ambush freshmen.

"Hi!" they smiled. One was blond with icy blue eyes. The other was Africa American with dark curly hair like Medusa's (and believe me, I know what I'm talking about). Both girls had their names stitched in cursive on their uniforms, but with my dyslexia, the words looked like meaningless spaghetti.

"Welcome to Goode," the blonde girl said. "You are so going to love it here."

But she looked at me like I was a play thing ready to be pounced at. I guess I can understand. After seven years training to be a hero and three school years on the swim team, I look like a combination of athletic swimmer and skater dude. But at the same time I dressed like a weirdo with my shirt untucked to hide my celestial bronze thermos attach to my belt.

The other girl stepped uncomfortably close to me. I studied the stitching on her uniform and made out Kelli. She smelled like roses and strangely fresh washed horses. It was a weird scent for a cheerleader. "What's your name, fish?"

"Fish?"

"Freshmen?"

"Uh, Percy."

The girls exchange looks.

"Oh, Percy Jackson," the blond one said. "We've been waiting for you."

That sent a chill down my back. Normally when someone says that too me, it never turns out good. What's worse, they were blocking the entrance, smiling in a not-very-friendly way right now. My hand crept instinctively toward my pocket, where I kept my lethal ballpoint pen, Riptide.

Then another voice came from inside the building: Percy?" It was Paul Blofis, somewhere down the hallway. I'd never been so glad to hear his voice.

The cheerleaders backed off and I headed in and dashed through the hall.

"There you are!" Paul told me. "Welcome to Goode!"

"Hey, Paul—uh, Mr. Blofis." I glanced back, but those cheerleaders had disappeared.

"Percy, you look like you've seen a ghost."

I forced out a chuckle. "You could say that."

Paul clapped me on the back. "Listen, I know you're nervous, but don't worry. We get a lot of kids here with ADHD and dyslexia. The teachers know how to help. And I already put in a good word about you to our swim team coach—telling him you were the best swimmer in your old schools—and he's willing to let you try out."

"Uh, right, thanks," I responded. If only ADHD dyslexia and joining the swim team were my biggest worries. I mean, I knew Paul was trying to help, but if I told him the truth about me, he'd either think I was crazy or I scared him awy. Those cheerleaders, for instance. I had a bad feeling about them…

Then I looked down the hall, and I remembered I had another problem. Rachel Elizabeth Dare, who I'd last saw on the front steps, was just coming in the main entrance.

Don't notice me, I prayed.

She noticed me. Her eyes widened

"Thanks a lot, Mr. Blofis, you mind telling me where the orientation is?" I asked.

"The gym. That way. But—"

"Thanks Mr. Blofis." I ran off after that.

I thought I'd lost her.

A bunch of kids were heading for the gym, and soon I was just one of three hundred fourteen-years-old all crammed into the bleachers. A marching band played an out-of-tune fight song that sounded like somebody hitting a bag of cats with a metal baseball bat. Older kids, probably student council members, stood up front modeling the Goode school uniform and looking all, Hey, we're cool. Teachers milled around, smiling and shaking hands with students. The walls of the gym were plastered with big purple-and-white banners that said WELCOME FUTURE FRESHMEN, GOODE IS GOOD, WE'RE ALL FAMILY, and a bunch of other happy slogans.

None of the other freshmen looked thrilled to be here. I mean, coming to orientation in June, when school doesn't even start until September, is considered not cool. But at Goode, "We prepare to excel early!" At least that's what the brochure said.

The marching band stopped playing. A guy in pinstripe suit came to the microphone and started talking, but the sound echoed around the gym so I had no idea what he was saying. He might've been gargling.

Someone grabbed my shoulder. "What are you doing here?"

It was the redheaded girl I was trying to avoid.

"Rachel Elizabeth Dare," I said.

Her jaw dropped like she couldn't believe I had the nerve to remember her name. "And you're Percy somebody. I didn't get your full name last December when you tried to kill me."

"That was by accident!" I responded. "What are you doing here?"

"Same as you, I guess. Orientation."

"So you live in Manhattan?" I asked.

"Queens, actually," Rachel responded.

Some guy behind us whispered, "Hey, shut up. The cheerleaders are talking!"

"Hi, guys!" a girl bubbled into the microphone. It was the blonde I'd seen at the entrance. "My name is Tammi, and this is, like, Kelli." Kelli did a cartwheel.

Next to me, Rachel yelped like someone had stuck her with a pin. A few kids looked over and snickered, but Rachel just stared at the cheerleaders in horror. Tammi didn't seem to notice the outburst. She started talking about all the great ways we could get involved during our freshmen year.

"Run," Rachel told me. "Now."

I nodded. See, Rachel has a rare ability most mortals don't have, which is she could see through the magical veil that covered the mystical know as the Mist. I know this because my mom also has this ability and she used it to help keep me safe for the first seven years of my life before I was forced on the run by a Hellhound.

I made my way through the edge of the bleachers with Rachel following me for some reason, ignoring the frowning teachers and grumbling kids we stepped on.

"Hold on a second!" I told her.

I snapped my fingers and a strong breeze filled the gymnasium and everyone acted as if nothing happened.

"Extra precautionary," I responded.

Rachel stared at me like I did something weird, but shrugged it off as we headed out.

We snuck into the band room and hit behind the percussion section's instruments.

"Okay, what did the cheerleaders really look like? What did you see?" I asked.

Her green eyes were bright with fear. She had a sprinkle of freckles on her face that reminded me of constellations. Her maroon T-shirt read HARVARD ART DEPT. "You… you wouldn't believe me."

"Oh, yeah, I would," I promised. "I know you can see through the Mist."

"The what?"

"The Mist. It's like this veil that hides the way things really are, and those who can manipulated the Mist can use it to alter memories and even create new ones so if they ever see anything Mystical, they will remember it as something else," I responded.

"Is that what you did back there?" Rachel asked, "That breeze thing?"

I nodded, "I manipulated the Mist so the students and teachers didn't see us leaving and still think we're still in there."

"Then how come I'm not affected?" Rachel asked.

"Because you're one of few mortals who can see through the Mist, and cause of it, you're immune to all the magical effects of it," I explained.

She studied me carefully. "Why did you just call me mortal like you're not?"

I flinched. "It's difficult to explain."

"Tell me," she begged. "You know what it means. All those horrible things I see?"

I sighed. "Okay, find. Do you know anything about Greek myths?"

"Like… the Minotaur and the Hydra?"

"Yeah, just try not to say those names when I'm around, okay?"

"And the Furies," she said, warming up. "And the Sirens, and—"

"Okay!" I looked around the band hall, making sure there wasn't any bloodthirsty monsters going to pop up; but we were still alone. Down the hall, I heard a mob of kids coming out of the gymnasium. They were starting the tour. We didn't have long to talk.

"All those monsters," I said, "all the heroes from Greek mythology, all the Greek gods—they're real."

"I knew it!"

I would've been more comfortable if she'd called me a liar, but Rachel looked like I'd just confirmed her worst suspicion.

"You don't know how hard it's been," she said. "For years I thought I was going crazy. I couldn't tell anybody. I couldn't—" Her eyes narrowed. "Wait. Who are you? I mean really?"

"I'm a half-blood," I said. "I'm half human."

"And half what?"

Just then Tammi and Kelli stepped into the band room. The doors slammed shut behind them.

"There you are, Percy Jackson," Tammi said. "It's time for your orientation."

"They're horrible!" Rachel gasped.

Tammi and Kelli were still wearing their purple-and-white cheerleader costumes, holding pom-poms from the rally.

"What do they really look like?" I asked, but Rachel seemed too stunned to answer.

"Oh, forget her," Tammi gave me a brilliant smile and started walking toward us. Kelli stayed by the doors, blocking our exit.

They trapped us. I knew we'd have to fight our way out so I kept my eyes away from Tammi's dazzling smile, knowing she was trying to use it to distract me.

I got my pen out of my pocket and uncapped it. Riptide grew into a three foot-long bronze sword, its blade glowing with a faint golden light. Tammi's smile turned to a sneer.

"Oh, come on," she protested. "You don't need that. How about a kiss instead."

How about no? I thought.

"Percy—" Rachel responded.

"Oh don't listen to her, she's just jealous." Tammi looked back at Kelli. "May I, mistress."

Kelli was still blocking the door, licking her lips hungrily. "Go ahead, Tammi. You're doing fine.

Tammi took another step forward, but I leveled the tip of my sword at her chest. "Get back."

She snarled. "Freshmen," she said with disgust. "This is our school, half-blood. We feed on whom we choose!"

Then she began to change. The color drained out of her face and arms. Her skin turned as white chalk, her eyes completely red. Her teeth grew into fangs. Her left leg changed into a brown shaggy donkey hoof, and her right lelg was shaped like a human, but it was made of bronze.

"You're Empousai: the servants of Hecate: goddess of magic and creator of the Mist," I responded.

"That's right Percy Jackson," Tammi responded, "How about I reward you with a kiss?"

She bared her fangs but before she could do anything, Rachel threw a snare drum at the empousa's head.

The demon hissed and batted the drum away. It went rolling along the aisles between music stands, its springs rattled against the drumhead. Rachel threw a xylophone, but the demon just swatted that away, too.

"I don't usually kill girls," Tammi growled. "But for you, mortal, I'll make an exception. Your eyesight is a little too good!"

She lunged at Rachel.

"No!" I slashed Riptide. Tammi tried to dodge my blade, but I sliced straight through her cheerleader uniform, and with a horrible wail she exploded into dust all over Rachel.

Rachel coughed. She looked like she'd just had a sack of flour dumped on her head. "Gross!"

"Monsters do that," I said. "Sorry."

"You killed my trainee!" Kelli yelled. "You need a lesson in school spirit, half-blood!"

Then she too began to change. Her wiry hair turned to flickering flames. Her eyes turned red. She grew fangs. She loped toward us, her brass foot and hoof clopping unevenly on the band-room floor.

"I am senior empousa," she growled. "No hero has bested me in a thousand years."

"Yeah?" I said. "Then you're overdue.

Kelli was a lot faster than Tammi. She dodged my first strike ad rolled into the brass section, knocking over a row of trombones with a mighty crash. Rachel scrambled out of the way. I put myself between her and the empousa. Kelli circled us, her eyes going from me to the sword.

"Such a pretty little blade," she said. "What a shame it stands between us."

Her formed shimmered—sometimes a demon, sometimes a pretty cheerleader. She was clearly trying to distract me.

I reached for my side where I kept my Thermos.

"Don't even think about reaching for that thermos of yours," Kelli said, "Not that it would help you."

I froze. "What?"

"Poor dear," Kelli chuckled. "You don't even know what's happening, do you? Soon, your pretty little camp in flames, your friends made slaves to the Lord of Time, and there's nothing you can do to stop it. It would be merciful to end your life now, before you have to see that."

From down the hall, I heard voices. A tour group was approaching. A man was saying something about locker combinations.

The empousa's eyes lit up. "Excellent! We're about to have company!"

She picked up a tuba and threw it at me. Rachel and I ducked. The Tuba sailed over our heads and crashed through the window.

The voices in the hall died down.

"Percy!" Kelli shouted, pretending to be scared, "why did you throw that?"

Kelli picked up a music stand and swipe a row of clarinets and flutes. Chairs and musical instruments crashed to the floor.

"Stop it!" I said.

"People were tromping down the hall now, coming in our direction.

"Let's see you cover this up!" Kelli said.

Knowing her plan I capped riptide, quickly stuffed it into my pocket and snapped my fingers to work some Mist magic. Kelli flung the doors open and Paul Blofis and a bunch of freshmen came in. But when they did they were in a daze.

"That girl is trying to kill us and destroy the school! She's working for the man that kidnapped me when I was seven and again two years ago!" I responded using the first story that came to my mind.

Kelli snarled, "You'll pay for that Percy Jackson!"

Just as she said that, Kelli exploded into flames like a Molotov cocktail. Waves of fire splashed over everything. I'd never seen a monster do that before, but I didn't have time to wonder about that.

Thanks to Kelli's trick and my quick Mist Manipulation, everyone was running out of here in a panic. The fire alarm wailed. Ceiling sprinklers hissed to life.

"You use that Mist Manipulation thing, didn't you?" Rachel asked.

"Yeah, but now we need to get out of here," I responded.

She nodded and we sprinted for the broken band room window.

I burst out of the alley way onto East 81st and ran straight into Annabeth.

"Hey, you're early!" she laughed, grabbing my shoulders to keep me from tumbling into the street. "Watch where you're going, Seaweed Brain."

For a split second she was in a good mood and everything was fine. She was wearing jeans and an orange camp T-shirt and her clay bead necklace. Her blond hair was pulled back in a ponytail. Her gray eyes sparkled. She looked like she was ready to catch a movie, have a cool afternoon hanging out together.

Then Rachel Elizabeth Dare, still covered in monster dust, came charging out of the alley, yelling, "Percy, wait up!"

Annabeth's smile melted she stared at Rachel, then at the school. For the first time, she seemed to notice the black smoke and the ringing fire alarms.

"Annabeth, let me explained," I responded knowing all too well if I don't I'll have an angry daughter of Athena breathing down my back. I started explaining about what happened at the school and about Rachel's gift and about Hoover Dam last winter since the whole spacti incident was related to why she followed me the band rom.

When I was done Annabeth sighed in frustration. "At least tell me you used the Mist on the Mortals?"

I nodded. "Paul and a bunch of other freshmen thinks that the Emposai are one of our former kidnapper's employees."

I didn't think that calmed her down, but at least I don't have to worry about Annabeth snapping at me later.

Police sirens wailed on FDR Drive.

"Percy," Annabeth said coldly, "We should go."

"I'll go back and come up for an excuse where Percy went," Rachel agreed. "I still want to know more about half-bloods, and monsters, and this stuff about the gods." She grabbed my arm, whipped out a permanent marker, and wrote a phone number on my hand. "You're going to call me and explain, okay? You owe me that. Now get going."

Rachel ran back toward the school, leaving Annabeth and me in the street.

Annabeth stared at me for a second. "You told a mortal girl about half-bloods?"

"She could see through the Mist," I responded. "What was I suppose to do?"

Annabeth wouldn't even look at me now, which means that I was in deep trouble with her.

"Look, I didn't mean for this to happen, or our afternoon to be ruined, but the empousai said something about the camp burning," I responded.

Annabeth listened to that much at least as she sighed, "Then we better head back to camp. Now."