Hey guys! So this was the first chapter I wrote after I decided it would be a one-shot series. It took me a while to get the motivation to write this first one, but now it's here!

III

Annabeth Arrives

Part I

Annabeth was really starting to get tired of the gorgons.

She had already killed them countless times, from running them over with cars to cutting off their heads with her bronze dagger. Once, she even had to resort to drowning them in a yogurt factory. Despite being drenched in pink and half-choking on strawberry-flavored Yoplait, the two snake-haired women had only climbed back out and found her again.

The only reason Annabeth wasn't dead was because she was lucky. That or smart. She hoped it was the latter, but she suspected it was a mixture of both. She'd ripped her clothes to shreds trying to bandage her wounds, but luckily she had outsmarted the two snake-women time and time again, so she wasn't in too bad of shape.

Still, Annabeth was tiring out. She wasn't sure how much longer she could keep this up.

Annabeth peaked the hill and glanced behind her to make sure she'd lost them for the time being. Then she glanced around. In the distance, she could see San Francisco, shrouded in mist and fog. She could feel herself yearning to move in that direction, for reasons she couldn't explain. Somehow, the feeling was both bitter and sweet, like the memories from that place were both sad and happy.

As if Annabeth had any memories.

No, that was a lie. Annabeth did remember one thing. A name: Percy.

It'd been like that ever since Annabeth had woken up in the Wolf House beside the giant growling wolf goddess named Lupa. At the time, all she had was that name: Percy, along with her bronze dagger and a Yankees cap that Lupa said was supposed to make her invisible but didn't work at the moment. With the goddess's help, Annabeth had learned to fight, and now, she was on her way to the place Lupa had sent her for, wherever or whatever it was. Annabeth wasn't exactly sure how long she'd been looking, but she could tell she was close.

Annabeth stumbled farther up the hill and skid to a stop. Far below her, there was an apartment complex, and even farther beneath that was the highway, which sliced straight through the hill she was currently standing on. But if there was a highway, then there had to be a tunnel, and if there was a tunnel…

Down there! Annabeth realized. But how was she supposed to get down there in the first place?

"There you are!" a voice hissed behind Annabeth. She whirled and leaped back from the two gorgons, inwardly cursing. She'd managed to get herself cornered on top of this hill with two monsters that couldn't seem to die. The two of them might've passed for mortal women, had it not been for their rooster feet, or the bronze boar tusks jutting out of their mouths, or the glowing red eyes and the writhing snake hair.

"Euryale, Stheno," Annabeth said slowly, wondering if she could talk her way out after how many times they had attempted to kill each other. "Let's try to find a nice solution to this. I think we're all just a bit high-strung."

"Politics!" Euryale screeched in dismay. "No politics! I hate politics!"

"Have a Cheese 'n' Wiener instead!" Stheno offered, holding out a tray that was covered in what looked like burnt hot dogs. The tray was dented from all the time Annabeth had murdered her, and a couple of the samples still had Yoplait Light in them, but Stheno was still chugging it around, just to offer Annabeth snacks before she killed her. Unlike Euryale, she seemed to have gotten a little more joy from the local front she'd put up in Bargain Mart, where they had first attacked Annabeth while she was trying to find some burgers that weren't tofu.

Annabeth's mind clicked. The tray… And the hill!

But first… "Who are you working for anyway?" Annabeth asked abruptly. Obviously, somebody wanted her dead, and if that was the case, Annabeth wasn't going to sit around and wait for them.

"Gaea, of course!" Euryale snarled. "She's the one who brought us back from oblivion! You won't live long enough to meet her, demigod, but your friends below will. Even now her armies are marching south!"

"So…you're working for her because she…'brought you back from oblivion?'" Annabeth asked.

"Yes!" Euryale said with a nasty smile.

"Well…shouldn't she be paying you or something?" Annabeth asked, warming up to the idea, just to keep them distracted. "I mean, raising you from oblivion…that's nice and all, but I've killed you quite a lot these past couple weeks. I'm sure dying isn't a pleasant thing to do, is it?"

To Annabeth's amazement, Euryale actually seemed to consider her words, glancing uncertainly at Stheno. "It is quite unpleasant," she murmured. "The worst part of the job…"

"You should demand a raise!" Annabeth exclaimed like the idea had just come to her.

Stheno's eyes lit up. "To buy more Cheese 'n' Wieners!"

Euryale's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Demigod, you-"

In the blink of an eye, Annabeth had drawn her dagger and run the gorgon through. She exploded into dust and Annabeth, whirled, knocking the tray out of Stheno's hand and slashing her across the waist in the same motion. She toppled over like a broken mannequin and immediately started reforming. Using the opening, Annabeth flung the Cheese 'n' Wieners all over the snake-haired monster before whirling, leaping onto the tray, and catapulting down the hill.

"No!" Euryale wailed behind her.

"Cheese 'n' Wieners!" Stheno agreed, and then Annabeth couldn't hear anything else because the wind was rushing by her ears and ripping all noise away. The apartment roof rushed up to meet her, and skittering sideways, Annabeth somehow managed to keep from breaking anything. When she flew off the roof, she managed to keep a tight grip on the tray, but it was no longer underneath her, meaning she was heading straight for four lanes of traffic with no protection.

As Annabeth plummeted for the road, a thought came to her: This is something Percy would come up with.

The thought was short, and Annabeth soon wondered if it would be her last. But then a gust of wind slammed into her side and she went sailing off the edge of the highway, rolling away into the grass, the tray somehow still in one hand and her dagger clutched tight in the other.

Annabeth groaned and climbed to her feet. She hurt all over, but nothing seemed broken, so Annabeth figured that was lucky enough. Beside her was a chain link fence separating the neighborhood she had landed in and the highway, but it had several big holes in it, and Annabeth knew she'd be able to climb through with ease.

Euryale and Stheno had already reformed and were picking their way down the hill with a grace that kind of irritated Annabeth. Below them, the two sides of the highway sliced into the hill, and between the two rushes of cars was the median, jutting out of the hill like it was trying to make a statement. On the median was a steel door, and Annabeth could see two kids in a weird mix of Roman armor and purple T-shirts with jeans and athletic shoes. One of them looked like a small girl, and the other looked like a big guy.

Annabeth knew this was the place. She could get to the median; crossing four lanes of high-speed traffic wasn't the worst dangerous thing she'd done. But something was making her hesitate. There was no doubt in her mind this was the destination Lupa had sent her for, but it still felt…wrong.

Above the tunnels, Euryale and Stheno was scrabbling clumsily across the roof of the apartments complex, and Annabeth had a feeling the inhabitants of the top floor would soon be telling stories about their haunted apartment to all their friends. But they were gaining quick, and Annabeth had to decide. It was tunnel, or not the tunnel.

"It's not a tunnel."

Annabeth whirled, hefting both tray and dagger in her hands. She stopped when she found herself facing an old-looking homeless lady. She was covered in warts, moles, and wrinkles, and her clothes were a collection of trash and ragged pieces of cloth. Her hair looked like something out of a dumpster, and when she smiled, Annabeth could only see three teeth.

"That's the entrance to camp," she continued cheerfully.

Annabeth glanced back at the tunnel and faced the woman again. "Okay," she said. "Who are you…exactly?"

The woman shrugged. "You can call me June." She chuckled. "Yes, June will do nicely."

For some reason, Annabeth had taken an instant disliking to this woman, though not just because she was a homeless hippie. Annabeth smelled a sudden whiff of cow dung, and she was pretty sure this lady hadn't rolled around in some before she came here, though the smell had started as soon as Annabeth spotted her.

Annabeth looked back again to see Stheno and Euryale suddenly sprout wings from their backs and launch into the air. Annabeth grimaced and turned back to June. "Well, sorry, June but I've got to split. I've got some gorgons chasing me, and I'd rather not be charged with the murder of a homeless woman, so-"

"Carry me, daughter of Minerva."

Annabeth stared at her. "Sorry?"

"Carry me," she repeated, grinning wickedly. "If you leave me here, the gorgons will be quite happy to attack me instead of you, and I guarantee you'll make it to safety. Or you could do a good deed for an old woman and carry me."

Annabeth wasn't sure why the gorgons would want to attack somebody who stunk as bad as June did. She was also tempted to just leave the old woman here, more for her unexplained displeasure for the lady than anything else. But she also had a feeling that if she did that, something, very, very bad would happen to her in the future. Plus, Lupa had told her that if she wanted to find any answers about her memory, she'd have to get to camp. Annabeth desperately wanted to recover her lost memories, but most of all she wanted to remember Percy.

Annabeth sighed heavily and turned her back to the woman. She crouched and sheathed her dagger, stuffing the bent-up tray into the waistline of her pants before swinging her hands out behind her. "Climb on," she told June.

June hitched up her skirts reveal some very nasty toenails and hopped onto Annabeth's back with a cackle. She was about as light a paper, so Annabeth breezed right through the fence and through two lanes of traffic in the blink of an eye. Cars swerved, and most of the people who spotted Annabeth and June just honked and looked irritated. Annabeth wondered if it was because these people had seen stranger things, but she highly doubted it.

At the third lane, a shadow fell over Annabeth, and above her, Stheno cackled, "Clever girl! You found a goddess to carry!"

A goddess?

June glanced up and sniggered as a car zoomed past them and slammed into Stheno. As Annabeth crossed the remaining lanes of traffic, realization slowly dawned on her.

In her trek across the country, Annabeth had stopped at a few libraries before she met Euryale and Stheno to read up on Roman gods. Lupa had listed off names by memory, but Annabeth struggled to make sense of them all, because her brain seemed to automatically convert them to other names, and when she used those names, Lupa would always snarl and tell her to stop referring to Greece. Upon searching those libraries, Annabeth had found and memorized the names of the Roman gods she had struggled to remember. Now, her mind made the conversion.

June. Juno. Hera.

"Styx!" Annabeth cursed aloud, diving onto the median as one last car swerved past. She climbed to her feet and started sprinting for the two guards. "Curse you, Hera!"

"Now, now," June chided. "No need for that. I'm helping you, Annabeth Chase."

Annabeth nearly stumbled and fell back into traffic at the sound of her last name, but managed to keep going. The guards spotted her and the girl yelled something. The boy nocked an arrow, and just when Annabeth thought he was going to shoot her, he let it loose above her. It nailed Stheno in the arm and she wailed in pain.

Annabeth kept running. Just when she though she might make it, even with the goddess, who was growing heavier by the moment, a voice behind her screeched, "Gotcha!"

Euryale leapt at Annabeth and attempted to grab her. But when an arrow slammed into her forehead, her claws raked Annabeth's shoulder. As the gorgon flailed backwards into the highway and got hit by a ice-cream truck, Annabeth bit back a cry a pain and kept running. She reached the door.

"Nice shot," she grunted to the boy, half sarcastic.

"That's should've killed her!" he exclaimed.

"Tell me about it," Annabeth grumbled, and then grit her teeth as her shoulder started throbbing.

"Gods, you're hurt!' the girl said. "Frank, get them inside! Those are gorgons!"

"Gorgons?" the boy asked in a high-pitched voice. "Will the door hold them?"

In Annabeth's arms, June – or Juno – or maybe Hera – giggled in excitement. "No, it won't!" she sang. "Keep moving, Annabeth Chase! Through the tunnel and over the river!"

The other guard, a female with dark skin who looked a lot younger than Frank, said, "Annabeth Chase?" she looked Annabeth up and down before continuing, "Okay, well you're obviously a demigod. But who-?" She glanced uncertainly at June before shaking her head. "Never mind. Get inside. I'll hold them off."

"Hazel," Frank said. "That's stupid."

"Just go!" she ordered.

Frank cursed in a language that sounded a lot like Latin to Annabeth and opened the door, motioning Annabeth in. She followed after Frank, into the tunnel, which soon morphed from cement to mosaic. As they ran, Annabeth could hear the yells of Hazel and the gorgons behind them. Just as she was about to dump June and go back to help, the tunnel rumbled with falling stone and dust filled in the tunnel behind them.

"Hazel!" Annabeth said. "Should we-"

"She'll be okay," Frank said. "I hope. Just keep going!"

So Annabeth did, lugging along June, who was getting heavier, probably just to smite Annabeth. When they finally emerged from the tunnel, Annabeth froze in her tracks, gazing in awe at the sight before her.

Below her was a bowl-shaped valley several miles wide. In patches across the valley were small hills, golden plains, and stretches of forest. A wide river curved around the edge of the valley to cut into the middle to form a lake, like a capital G, and at the center of that G was a big city of beautiful marble buildings and temples. There were statues and fountains, and even a huge, five-story coliseum. On a hill farther south were even more impressive temples, and Annabeth had the sudden urge to squeal like a little girl at the incredible architecture.

Even closer was some sort of military encampment, a tower lined with weapons, spiked ramparts, and surrounded by a dry moat. A gateway lay open on the far side of the valley, opening into the city, and a narrower gate was closed on the river's side. The whole valley bustled with activity, with dozens upon dozens of kids bustling about with armor and weapons. Annabeth could hear the clanging of metal echoing up to her.

"Camp," Annabeth uttered, that single word feeling so familiar, yet so foreign.

"Camp Jupiter," Frank agreed. "We'll be safe once we-"

At that moment, Hazel stumbled out of the tunnel. "I slowed the gorgons down," she said. "But they won't stay gone for long. We have to get across the river."

"Oh, yes, please!" June cried. "I can't get my dress wet!"

Annabeth once more considered dumping her on the ground, but decided against it. This camp had some connection to her lost memories, and though she couldn't exactly remember everything that had happened between her and Percy, she remembered enough to know that he would do anything for her, and she would do anything for him. If Annabeth wanted to see Percy again, she would have to finish lugging this deranged goddess across the river.

"Deranged?" June asked, in an offended tone. "Annabeth Chase, I'll have you know I am far from deranged!"

Annabeth just rolled her eyes and stumbled forward. Between Frank and Hazel, she managed to get to the river without falling flat on her face. When they got the riverbank, Frank nocked a few arrows and turned in the direction they had come.

"Go, Hazel," he said. "Make sure the sentries don't shoot Annabeth. It's my turn to hold them off."

Hazel nodded and wasted no time in wading across the river. Annabeth was about to follow after her, but something stopped her.

"Ah, yes!" June cackled, like the dread filling Annabeth's stomach was the best thing ever. "You sense it!"

"Sense what?" Annabeth asked.

"Annabeth, hurry up!" Hazel called across the water, already halfway across.

"This won't be a pleasant swim, Annabeth Chase," she said gleefully. "You aren't meant to exist in Rome, and this is the Little Tiber, the river of Rome. If you plan to make it to Camp Jupiter, be prepared to endure the pain."

Annabeth glanced back. She knew what June was saying was the truth, even if she couldn't explain how she knew. This swim was going to hurt. But if she didn't get to this camp, she would never find out just how much she and Percy had done together.

Annabeth waded into the river.

As soon as the water touched her skin, the burning began, and soon Annabeth felt like all of the skin beneath her waist was peeling off. The burning soon morphed to pain, and then full-blown agony, but Annabeth bit her lip and kept going, refusing to give in. By the time she had made it to the opposite bank, she was gasping for air and staggering in exhaustion. She collapsed to the muddy ground, finally dumping the goddess in her arms, and Hazel kneeled next to her.

"Oh my gods," she gasped. "You're skin…"

Annabeth glanced down at herself to see her skin had turned red and was sizzling like it was being cooked on a grill. But the pain had stopped, and slowly, the skin was turning back to normal.

Annabeth shakily stood and glanced behind her. The sentries had turned toward the river with their crossbows, and more were drawing their swords and preparing to charge into the river. Hazel cried, "Frank!" and when Annabeth turned, she saw the gorgons on either side of Frank, holding him by each arm and lifting him into the air.

Annabeth's skin still stung, and the wound in her shoulder was throbbing horribly, but she knew she had to do something. None of the sentries would be able to get there in time, and Annabeth had already skipped ahead and figured out what to do.

Annabeth yanked Stheno's tray out of the waistline of her pants and drew her dagger. With June cackling behind her, she flung the tray across the river, smacking Euryale in the head. As the gorgon hissed and let go of Frank, leaving only Stheno to carry the heavy boy, Annabeth dived back into the river. Her skin didn't sting this time, and Annabeth was to the opposite bank in mere seconds. Frank had managed to float to the ground and was fighting off Stheno, but Euryale had recovered and was sneaking up behind him. With a cry, Annabeth leapt at the gorgon and slammed her knife into her neck, cutting off her head. She roared and started disintegrating, and Annabeth pulled her knife out. Instantly, the head and body began to reform, and with a grunt, Annabeth hefted the reforming body. She dragged it to the river just as the head reappeared, and stabbed her again, throwing the reformed body into the water at the same time. Euryale disintegrated yet again and tried to reform, but her dust blew into the river and Annabeth knew she wouldn't be reforming anytime soon.

Annabeth darted back over to Frank, yelling, "The river! The river!"

Frank glanced back at her and seemed to get the hint. He stabbed Stheno with an arrowhead and pulled her over to the riverbank as she reformed. Just as her face came back, he stabbed her again and threw her into the river like Annabeth had done. With a wail, Stheno dissolved in the river and didn't come back.

Exhausted, Annabeth nearly collapsed on the spot, but Frank pulled her across the river, and the two of them made it to the opposite bank safely. Annabeth noticed how quiet the sentries had become and lifted her head to find them all staring at her. Only June – Juno? – Hera? – seemed to find it completely normal.

"That was a lovely trip," she said pleasantly. "Thank you, Annabeth Chase, for bringing me to Camp Jupiter."

Annabeth heard a little intake of breath from somewhere in the crowd, and a voice murmured, "Annabeth Chase?" Annabeth searched the crowd of demigods, hoping to see a familiar face.

Her gaze zeroed in on a blond-haired boy just as he stepped to the front. He had sky-blue eyes and a small scar on his upper lip. His face was hard, yet smooth, like one of the statues Annabeth had glimpsed from the hill above earlier. He wore a regal, purple cloak over his armor, and medals covered his chest. Annabeth had no doubt: he was the leader here.

June sniggered once more. "Oh, yes, Annabeth Chase," she said. Then, she started to change.

The woman began to glow, and change form until she was a seven-foot tall, shining goddess with a blue dress and a cloak of goatskin. Her face was stern and dignified, and she held a staff topped with a lotus flower in her hand.

There was a moment of stunned silence before the boy in the purple cloak knelt. The rest of the teens followed his lead, and Hazel and Frank knelt as well, until Annabeth was the only person standing, but she didn't care.

"Juno," Hazel said.

"Hera," Annabeth snarled. "What's the deal? Where are my memories?"

Juno – perhaps Hera, Annabeth didn't really care anymore – turned towards her with a stern glare. "You will find them in time, Annabeth Chase, if you can succeed here at camp and in the task I have set for you. You've done well today, which is a good start. Who knows, perhaps I will even forgive you if you can succeed in this."

She turned to the other kids. "Romans!" she called. "This is Annabeth Chase, daughter of Minerva!"

A gasp swept through the entire attendance, and dozens of heads snapped up to stare at Annabeth in a mixture of disbelief, awe, and fear. With the wide eyes and gaping mouths turned in her direction, one would have thought Annabeth was some kind of unknown hybrid animal in an exhibit. Whispers swept back and forth through the crowd of demigods.

A daughter of Minerva? That's impossible!

Minerva is a virgin goddess! There's no way she would have a child!

Juno doesn't lie, though! Could it really be true?

Annabeth switched her glower from Juno over to the crowd of teens, then back to the goddess as she began speaking once more.

"Yes," she said, seeing their astonishment. "She has been slumbering for months, but now she has awoken. I will leave her fate in your hands. The Feast of Fortune comes quickly, and Death must be unleashed if you are to stand any hope in the battle. Do not fail me!"

With that, Juno shimmered and disappeared. Annabeth glanced at Frank and Hazel for some kind of explanation, but the two of them were too busy staring at Annabeth incredulously. Annabeth noticed two vials in Frank's hands, but the boy was too preoccupied with gawking at her to say anything.

The boy in the purple cloak was the first to recover. He slowly stood and took a few cautious steps forward, as if Annabeth might attack him. "A daughter of Minerva?" he asked tentively, as if Annabeth might know the answer to every answer in the universe. Annabeth lifted her chin and said nothing.

"Jason?" asked a scared voice, and the boy in front of Annabeth took a deep, steadying breath.

"Juno doesn't lie," he said, and though Annabeth wanted to correct him on that, she figured it would be better to keep silent. "If you really are a daughter of Minerva, then you have some explaining to do."

Annabeth bit the inside of her cheek and said, "My memory is gone. Do I know you?"

The boy said, "My name is Jason Grace. I'm son of Jupiter and praetor of the Twelfth Legion. I'm sorry, but no, we've never met."

Annabeth studied his face, and she could tell that he was telling the truth. Even if he was lying, Annabeth figured it wouldn't be the nicest thing to call him out on it in front of what she figured were his troops.

Jason looked past Annabeth. "Hazel," he said. "Bring her inside. I need to talk with her in the principia. After that, we'll send her to Octavian and decide what to do from there." He looked at Annabeth. "I'm not sure what this means for the camp, but Juno has left her fate in our hands. We need to make sure she won't be a danger, but most of all…"

Annabeth locked eyes with him, and she could see that he was hoping for something in her, something he had been looking for, for a long time.

"We need to decide whether she truly is a daughter of Minerva."

And there were go! As always, please drop a review on your way by, and by all means, feel free to follow and favorite! X)

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This has been a word of wisdom from the Praetor of the First Legion of Jelly Crabs and the ETCA.