A/N: I own nothing.

"Triton?"

Triton scrutinized the spawn of his insipid half brother with contempt.

"Yes, yes, I am Triton, your uncle and your old man's half brother."

"And a case of sour grapes..." muttered Rachel, rolling her eyes. "This dude lost his status as Poseidon's heir when your dad became a God."

Triton gave Rachel a withering glare, but paid no attention to the redhead.

Grover dipped his head in recognition of the Sea Lord, but he had a bad feeling about this. And usually, his feelings were pretty accurate.

Thousands of questions blossomed in Alicia's head, like fireworks ready to explode.

"Where is my dad?" She decided on that one.

Triton smirked inwardly. "Okay. Straight to the main course eh? Just like dear old Perseus. Well, it's something like this."

Alicia leant forward eagerly, grateful for any information on her Father.

"I don't usually act as a messenger for my half siblings, even if he is the Tidal Lord. But this one is particularly interesting."Triton's eyes gleamed as blue met sea green, and already, he could see the desire for recognition burn brightly in the depths of those orbs, so much like his own fathers. This was going to be easy.

"Your father is a very powerful God. Thus, he demands that you complete this quest before he extents his recognition to you and induction into his House."Triton paused for dramatic effect.

"You are to venture to the summit of Mount Etna, and along the road there will be trials and tribulations. There will be tests of your physical, mental, and emotional strength, and how you react in the face of danger. If you are deemed worthy at the end of it, you shall be officially claimed by the Tidal Lord and by default into the House of Poseidon."

Triton paused before continuing. "Of course, you will not be alone in this. You are allowed to take with you four companions. "At this juncture, he grinned.

"I daresay two of those four vacancies have already be filled, seeing as there are two eavesdroppers behind the door, who already know the contents of this conversation. It will save you the trouble of explaining this all over again."

As if on cue, the door to the room gave way, and two teenagers tumbled in, having obviously been fighting for possession of the keyhole.

Embarrassed and red-faced, Andy Depp and Josh Antonio got to their feet, both grinning nervously.

"Damn right I am coming. I am not missing this kinda adventure for the world, "Josh declared.

"Yeah, I'd like to come to. If you'll have me, Alicia." Andy chimed in.

He looked into her eyes, and Alicia couldn't help but stare back. For a moment there, a wave of something akin to electricity coursed through her. Then, she shook her head as if to clear her thoughts and summoned her best smile.

"Of course you're welcome to join me. "

Annabeth came to, the second time in two days. The first thing she noticed was the pain. Red hot pained coursed through her, and her first instinct was to cry out. However, she forced down that impulse.

You are a daughter of Athena. You are made of sterner stuff. You will not cry out.

Then, her vision finally cleared and the pain was reduced to a dull throbbing, still there but relegated to the fringes of her consciousness.

She titled her head and observed her surroundings,

"Where the hell am I?" She thought.

The smell of burning sulphur filled the air; the dull bronze gleamed beneath her. The air had a heavy quality about it, filled with an intangible energy that Annabeth belatedly recognized as power. Lots of it. Enough that it could rival that of a Gods.

She tried to move her hands and legs, and discovered the source of her pain and discomfort. She was shackled to a bronze slab, with chains made of celestial bronze. Blue energy cackled around the chains, and they dug deep into her wrists, cutting it to a pain that welts had appeared and a stream of blood dripped slowly onto the bronze slab.

Then, she noticed that she recognized the feel of the blue energy shackling her. It was familiar, nostalgic even. It was Percy's power.

Why would Percy do this to me? Did he capture me from the office to punish me for lying to him?

As quickly as she had though the words, she quickly banished them quickly from her mind. Percy would never do that. Even though she had accepted that Percy would never love her the way she loved him, he at least considered her a friend.

A single tear escaped her eye as she recalled past memories. When it was just the two of them, against the world.

I might die in this pace, She thought. I never actually told Percy I still loved him. Now I may never get the chance.

Suddenly, unimaginable pain shot through her again and she could help but cry out. The frequency of the blue static weaved into the chains increased dramatically and spread down the length of her body.

As abruptly as it had started, the pain receded and she heard a weak voice.

"Annabeth?"

Not daring to believe what she heard, she turned her head slowly and met his green gaze.

"Percy?"

It was only now that she realised that she had company, in the form of her former lover and best friend the Tidal God Perseus.

"You're awake! Are you alright? Are you hurt? Where does it hurt? I heard you screaming and I thought something had happened to you... "The panic in his voice was evident, and distress mingled with concern was written all over his face.

Tears began coursing down Annabeths face and her heart threatened to burst from all the love she felt for this man.

"You talk too much, Seaweed brain. I've always said that. "She sobbed out, smiling at Percy. "You asked me if I was hurt and immediately asked me where it hurt. That was redundant! And, and..."

Percy began crying as well, straining against the chains, trying to get to her, to heal the nasty cuts that decorated her wrists and legs. "Even when we're both chained and being tortured you still correct me. You never change, do you, Wise Girl? "

Annabeth shook her head, also leaning in his direction. It was now or never.

"I also know one thing that has not changed, Percy. I love you. I still do after all these years."

Percy nodded his head. "I love you too, Annabeth, I never stopped loving you, even after you left me."

Annabeth let out another sob of relief at those words. "Oh I never should have left you, Percy. I missed you so much, and I thought about you every single day. I never dated anyone after you. "

Percy took in those words slowly, feeling relieved despite the catastrophic situation they were in.

How he yearned to break free of these chains. How he ached to gather Annabeth in his arms and protect her. He summoned within him another burst of power and unleashed it at the chains. Immediately, pain shot through his body, and he cried out in anguish. He noticed that his cry was not alone.

Annabeth, too, had let out a shriek of pain. Belatedly did he realize that his power was also being used to torture his beloved...