Various Times

Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom! With a mighty roar, the Minotaur stared into the night, more than eager to spill the blood of its next victim.

"Hey!" The Minotaur turned its head to another boy on the muddy hillside, waving a red jacket…of all things. A boy with the undeniable stench of the sea god. "Stupid! Ground beef!"

A flash of anger burned in the half-man, half-bull's beady eyes. Its original victim wasn't going anywhere, and it wanted nothing more than to kill everything in sight, especially if it dared to wear red. But its victim, Percy Jackson, did something he never thought possible. He leapt over the Minotaur, grabbing it by the horns. With a cry of fury that tore through the night, the Minotaur thrashed back and forth to try and shake the rider off.

'How did I do that?' Percy wondered as the beast continued to try and kill Percy. That is, until his best friend, Grover Underwood, let out a moan, begging for food. At least he wasn't begging for enchiladas again.

But once again, everything changed. Like a light being flicked on, all the rage Percy stored over losing his mother, Sally, the hatred he bore for his stepfather (legally), Gabe Ugliano, and desire to protect his friend boiled to the surface and he grabbed onto one of the Minotaur's curved horns with all his might. With the Minotaur letting out a stunned grunt, Percy ripped the right horn right up from its head.

In a fit of rage, the Minotaur used Percy's lack of grip to throw him into a rock uncovered by the muddy ground, smacking his forehead against the rock head-on. With a minor daze and the world spinning around him, Percy stands up while holding the knife-sized horn in hand. The Minotaur barreled towards Percy now that the fight had finally become personal, although Percy instinctually was ready. With a yell of fury, Percy rolled under the charging monster and rammed the monster's own horn through its sternum. With a roar of agony and scratching at its own skin to rip the horn out, it stumbled onto its back and burst into golden dust, like Percy's pre-algebra teacher, Mrs. Dodds. The battle won, and shaking limbs, Percy wonder at the back of his mind, 'Where did this come from?'

He had never demonstrated strength or fighting instincts like this before. In fact, he tried a weight lifting at PE class to look tough and finally get the bullies at school, mostly Nancy Bobofit, off his back. That day ended with Percy gaining bruised feet, two students with broken bones, and cost Yancy Academy 5,000 dollars to replace the broken equipment alone. So that brought up his ultimate question; 'what's going on?'

Now, Percy Jackson is sitting in the backseat of his mother's car, who is driving them on a highway lined with snow and sleet pounding on the vehicle like fists. Sitting next to him in the back seat is his best friend, Annabeth Chase, and Thalia, a daughter of the King of Olympus, Zeus. The demigods were too nervous about their upcoming mission to save two new demigods to talk much. And while Sally was trying to pass the time by telling Annabeth and Thalia embarrassing baby stories, Percy could notice something else as well. Fear. For whatever reason, she is both fearful and angry about the 8-hour drive from New York to Bar Harbor, Maine.

"Are you alright?" By now, Percy couldn't take it anymore.

"What do you mean, Percy?" Sally asked Percy, looking in the rear-view mirror. Annabeth and Thalia also stared at Percy, wondering where this came from.

"You've been nervous for the last few days, Mom. Ever since you heard where we were going? Did you attend this school?"

Percy looks at his mother, who is silent for a long time. And judging by the look in her eyes, she is desperate to avoid his conversation. Eventually, she lets out a long sigh. "No, Percy. I didn't attend this school. But I was born here. In Maine."

"Really?" Percy can't help asking. He never knew this about his mother before. Annabeth and Thalia also look interested.

"Which city are you from, Mrs. Jackson?" Thalia asked.

Sally, to her credit, manages to retain her emotions better and a blank expression. "Augusta. But I left the state of Maine after Percy was born. My parents died in a plane crash, and I wanted to start a new life, and this is how everything worked out in the end. And I wouldn't have had it any other way. Ah! Here we are!" Directly ahead of them, sitting on the edge of the cliff, was Westover Hall.

Pain. One of the ancient defense systems mortals have used to defend themselves against outside forces which desired to destroy them. Like that did Percy any good.

Every muscle in his body was on fire as he alone bore the weight of the sky itself. It sounds insane, but roll with it. In the distance, the Olympian goddess of the Hunt, Artemis, and her lieutenant, Zoë Nightshade, fought with the mad titan, Atlas.

Time seemed to fade from existence as every system in his body screamed and fought to keep up the sky, and he thought he was doing well. The two huntresses continued to do battle while Thalia and the traitorous son of Hermes, Luke Castellan, continued their own battle.

By now, pain was the only thing he knew. Sweat poured off his body as his vision turned red and he saw strange things, like turning into different animals. But the strangest thing he saw was a frozen lake, with a snow-colored forest in the distance. Whatever he was seeing, the last of his senses seemed to be…afraid of this place, and nearly recoiled. 'Get ready!' Artemis's voice cut through Percy's thoughts, and he looked up. Artemis was charging at him, the mighty Atlas in hot pursuit. Eventually, the titan swept Artemis off her feet. Zoë tried to save her goddess, but was swatted aside. As he raised his spear for the kill and thrust it down, Artemis slammed the blade safely next to her, then used Atlas's own momentum to swing him over her.

Realizing what was happening, Percy eased his strength into the sky so the titan could push him out from under the sky swirling with all colors imaginable, forcing its burden back onto its old friend.

Over the course of the next few minutes, Luke was defeated by Thalia and supposedly killed, Annabeth was saved, at the cost of Zoë's life. Calling upon her sleigh pulled by reindeer and absolutely not ripping off Santa Claus, Artemis guides the grief-stricken halfbloods to safety, escorted by an antique biplane curtesy of Annabeth's father, Frederick.

On the flight, Artemis looked back at Percy, who is still shaking and carrying a streak of grey in his hair. 'Impossible. What I saw should have been impossible.' Artemis thought to herself. She saw in the minds of mortals who had held up the sky. Most mortals, men or women, wouldn't last 5 minutes under the weight. Demigods, due to their greater strength and battle skills would be able to last longer, but not by much. Luke only held the sky for 10 minutes, and he was weakened to near-death for days. Annabeth lasted 8 minutes, long enough to force the goddess herself under the sky, and while she wasn't as physically taxed as Luke, she still came horrifyingly close to death and needed a day to recover muscle function. But Percy… she never thought he would be able to hold the sky for 15 minutes, and be able to regain muscle strength after 5 minutes. Five minutes! 'Who are you, Perseus Jackson?'

Now begins the worst sight of them all. The skinny, leathery-green-skinned and hideous goddess of misery, Akhlys, standing at the edge of a black void of nothing, standing over Percy and his now-dating Annabeth, covered in Death Mist, a cloak that shrouds those on their way to death. The goddess lifted her hands up, and hundreds, if not thousands, of flowers coated in poison bloomed at their feet. Hemlock, nightshade, belladonna, and those were only the ones that could be remembered at the moment.

The two demigods fought the goddess of misery. At first, things were going well for them, especially when they started saying happy things to Akhlys, who was only infuriated. Then, like over-inflated water balloons, the plants burst around them and their poison formed an ichor at their feet and turning everything around them to fire. Percy fell to one knee, trapped on an island of ground surrounded by water while Annabeth continued to fight.

The son of Poseidon then glared at the poison, the poison which was about to end the life of the best friend he ever had. Something in his expression changed, and the once happy-go-lucky demigod's expression seemed to hold malice. The poison stopped in place. It remained that way for a second before turning around and redirected at Akhlys. "What is this?" Her voice, for the first time since meeting the demigods, was filled with terror.

"Poison, you scrawny old cunt." Even Percy's voice seemed to ooze with hatred for the goddess as he lifted up his hands in a commanding manner and the poison slid across the ground. The water and sweat oozing from her body seemed to stop in place, clogging her up and making her gag in pain.

"Percy, stop this!" Annabeth shouts, horrified by what is happening right now. But he didn't listen, and pushed the poison until it latched onto the goddess's skin. Never had Percy heard anyone screamed so loudly and pitifully.

"Make it stop! Make it stop!" Akhlys would shout between screams. The poison cleaned out of the way, and Annabeth grabbed Percy's arm.

"Percy!" He looked at her. Even though she was covered in Death Mist, her grey eyes shone through, and the fear they held made him ease up. "Please…" Slowly, the anger ebbed away and the poison dropped to the ground. Akhlys, not wanting any more pain, ran as fast as she could. Which was pretty impressive, given her state of being. As she left, the remains of the flowers at their feet dissipated, leaving the ground barren again. At this point, Annabeth was sobbing and pulled Percy into a tight embrace. "Some things aren't meant to be done. Don't do that again. Please." She continued sobbing while Percy stares down at her.

"I know." He then lifted up his right hand, which seemed to be vibrating. He placed it on Annabeth's back, and she too started screaming in agony. But this scream was cut off by her body dissipating into grey mist, which scattered into the deep red sky above. Percy then stood up and turned around. In those moments, the Death Mist wore off and showed a different Percy. A short, stubby black beard was growing on his face and upper lip, his skin seemed paler than usual, and his green eyes seemed to hold a deep madness behind them. "Do you see what happened? This is what happens to those who put the ones I love in danger. And now you will suffer, too." He then lifted up his hands. The poison floated into the air and hovered there as a giant sphere, before it soars forward, its intent solely focused on melting its target.

With a start, Annabeth Chase sat up in bed, grabbing her chest. She looks around the dark hotel room, with the curtains. Her breathing started slowing down, and she even noticed the cold sweat coating her body

"Annabeth? Are you alright?" The lamp flicked on, and her father sat on her bed. He looked shocked and so concerned at the moment. Taking a long breath, she looked to her father.

"I'm alright." It hurt to lie to her father about his, but honestly, she isn't even sure what to make of her dream. Besides, she's known Percy for years. He would never kill another person or snap like that, especially against her.

Based on Frederick's expression, he didn't quite believe Annabeth, but he decided to leave her be. "Well, since we're up, you'd best get packing. We're about to head home soon."

Annabeth nods. She had been staying in New York for the last week to assist in her architecting on Mt. Olympus still. The damage left by the Greek and Roman gods' self-conflict left much work to be done in regards of repair. Her salad bar being the top priority. Today, they will be returning home to San Francisco. Annabeth had recently graduated from high school and is about to start her college life, with Percy. Sometimes, it's still hard to believe a year had passed since the war with Gaea and the two are almost 18 now.

Her mind wanders, contemplating her dream while she finished her packing and normal morning routine more. While she does believe Percy would never harm her, she does have to admit that of all the dreams she's had, this one was easily the scariest of them all. What did it mean?

Soon enough, everything is done and it's only 11:00 am, three hours before their flight out. Which means she has enough time for her side trip. "I'm going out for a bit. Meeting Percy for lunch today."

"Alright. Please be safe."

Annabeth nods before closing the door behind her. She was telling the truth; she would be meeting Percy for lunch today then he would join her on the flight to San Francisco. While that sounds insane for a son of Poseidon to get on a plane, her going with him would keep Zeus from trying anything rash if he so chose. She strolled down the street to the local burger joint where Percy enjoys getting lunch the most.

In a respectable amount of time, Annabeth arrives out-front of the diner. There was Percy, leaning against the wall, wearing a deep blue T-shirt and faded jeans. She is about to approach, but hesitates. His head is lowered and looks deeply confused about something. Then he looks up and instantly spots Annabeth, and any trace of worry disappears from his face. "Annabeth!" He runs up and hugs her, which she promptly returns. They share a quick kiss, then continue staring at each other's faces. "You want to go in?"

With a quick nod, Annabeth is escorted inside the diner, where they quickly find a booth that sits two people comfortably. While Annabeth sticks with a simple chicken salad, Percy goes all out with a bacon cheeseburger and fries. Once finished, Percy leans back in his chair and lets out a slight moan. "Gods, that was good."

Annabeth can't help but laugh at the scene. "So, how's your family doing, Percy?"

Percy smiles, though Annabeth can't help but notice that it looks almost forced. "We're doing great. Estelle is so sweet; Paul is keeping the high schoolers in place. If he has any more students like me, then I can only pity him. Mom…" His expression quickly turns to concerned. "Mom's doing well, all things considered."

Annabeth, despite the subtle shift, smiles. "Well, I hope you're ready to see San Francisco again. We're going to be starting college there, having romantic meals on the pier, and then there's the Festival of Peace."

The Festival of Peace was agreed upon by Camps Jupiter and Half-Blood as part of their alliance. The festival celebrates the end of millennia of conflict, as well as the first anniversary against the war against Gaea. While Annabeth is unclear as to what exactly is going to happen at this event, she's sure that what they have in mind would get anyone excited to be a part of the festivities.

But not Percy. His face darkens more and lowers his head before muttering something. "What did you say?"

"I can't go." Percy looks up at his girlfriend, and she can clearly see the pain in his eyes.

She just sits at the booth, stunned and confused. They'd planned this trip for weeks, and this happens at the last minute. "Why?" At this point, Annabeth is too confused about what changed to say much else.

Percy sighs deeply, then leans in and starts whispering to her. "Annabeth, I want to go more than anything else in the world. But Mom is traveling north. Last week, she received a call from a hospital. Her uncle had suffered a severe stroke and whether he will survive at all is in doubt. Mom didn't want to go at all, but Joseph helped her start a new life here in New York, and move away from her hometown. She made up her mind to go yesterday, and she's been so stressed since."

The words slammed her in the face, almost giving Annabeth vertigo. "Okay. But why are you going with her?"

Percy took her hands under the table. "Because she's going back to her home town, in Maine. I'm going to tell you something about myself I never knew until yesterday. I was born in her hometown and lived there for 6 years before we moved to New York. I need to be there to protect her."

Annabeth then felt something cold in her hands. Upon feeling the objects, she recognized what they were immediately. She looked to Percy, wondering why he would give her three golden drachmas. "Annabeth, I trust you more than any other person I know. I'll feel better knowing I've got you watching my back."

For the first time in a long time, Annabeth is speechless for a moment. She just learned that Percy is from Maine, and the extent to which he trusted her… "Thank you." That's the only thing she can say at the moment. "But Percy, is Paul going with Sally on this trip?" Percy simply nods. "Then why do you even need to go at all? Paul will take care of your Mom just fine, and they will take Estelle with them."

Percy shakes his head, and whispers even lower. "Estelle is being left in a babysitter's care, Paul's brother I believe. Annabeth, I have to go. I've had dreams about that place for a week. The monsters that live there are unlike anything I've seen in the mortal world. I need answers." The desperation in his voice interested Annabeth, and she knew she couldn't convince him otherwise at this point. Percy then leans in and kisses her on the forehead.

"When will you get to camp?"

A moment of silence passes. "I don't know. But I will get there as soon as I can. I promise." He then stands up from his booth. "Have a nice flight."

As he walks away from the diner, Annabeth grabs his wrist. "Can you please tell me where you are going at least?"

Percy looks her in the eyes, then leans in and whispers two words she would never forget, "Castle Rock." Percy then stands up and walks out the door. The only thing Annabeth can do is stare at his back as he leaves in silence.