"Well," Luke said, gesturing around the stateroom. "A little nicer than Cabin 11, huh?"

Grian had to agree. It was nicer. But he still liked the Hermes cabin better... there were more people to annoy.

He could go for some of the pizza on the table, though...

The bad part of the room, the only reason Grian didn't want to build it in Hermitcraft, was the ten-foot sarcophagus on a velvet dais in the back of the room, engraved with scenes of cities in flames. The casket made the whole room feel cold despite the warm sunlight streaming through the giant windows.

Grian's attention went back to Luke himself - this was the first time he had seen his old counselor since before Percy almost died. He looked like he was modeling what the fashionable college-age villain was wearing to university this year.

He still had that scar under his eye. Grian had heard rumors that it was from a dragon. Not the Ender Dragon. A different dragon.

Or was it the Ender Dragon?

That thought was disturbing. The Ender Dragon didn't scratch people. She just killed them with her bad breath.

"Sit," Luke told them, gesturing to the couches.

None of them did except for Bdubs, who immediately stood up again when nobody else did.

The two bigfoots next to Luke were pointing their javelins at the group. Annabeth was visibly avoiding Luke's eyes and trying to figure them out at the same time. Win-win.

"Where are my manners?" Luke asked himself, unhindered by the fact that nobody had sat down like he had said. "These are my assistants,  Agrius and Oreius. Maybe you've heard of them."

Percy kept glaring daggers at Luke, but there was fear behind his eyes. Tyson was biting his fingernails. Bdubs looked bored, which probably wasn't a good thing. Annabeth continued pretending that Luke didn't exist.

"Their mother was a human," Luke said even though it was obvious that none of them really wanted to hear the story. "When Aphrodite commanded her to fall in love, she refused and ran to Artemis for help. Artemis agreed to protect her, but Aphrodite wasn't happy. She cursed the twins' mother to fall in love with a bear. When Artemis found out, she was disgusted and left the woman to her fate. "

Bdubs made a throwing up sound.

"The gods have their battles, and the mortals get caught in the crossfire," Luke continued. "That's why they need to be taken out."

A chill ran down Grian's spine.

He's trying to kill the gods.

Is that even possible? That's not possible.

"Agrius and Oreius don't like the gods," Luke said. "They like half-bloods well enough, though."

"For lunch!" Agrius growled.

Oreius let out a laugh that might have been funny under different circumstances. But then he kept laughing. And laughing. And laughing, long after Agrius stopped.

"Idiot!" Agrius growled. "Go punish yourself!"

Oreius whimpered and banged his head against the table, Dobby-style. The silver plates rattled and the entire room shook.

"So," Luke said, ignoring the bear twins. "We let you survive another year, Percy. How's school? How's your mom?"

Grian didn't understand this horrible concept of school. Sticking twenty to thirty kids or teenagers in a classroom together with one adult to try to boss them around just sounded like a recipe for the end of the world. But then again, Grian himself was a recipe for the end of the world, so he shouldn't be one to judge.

"You poisoned Thalia's tree," Percy accused.

Luke raised his eyebrows. "Right to the point, huh? Sure, I did. What about it."

"HOW COULD YOU?" Annabeth yelled, the first thing she had said since Luke had found them. "How could you dishonor her memory like that?"

"I didn't dishonor her!" Luke yelled back. "The gods did. If Thalia were here, she'd be on my side!"

"She wouldn't!" Annabeth protested. "Thalia was angry at them sometimes. We all were. But-"

"They're family?" Luke snarled.

Annabeth fell silent.

"You of all people should know that family isn't always something to go back to."

Bdubs inched closer to Grian.

Yes. It is. It's always something to go back to for me.

But maybe not for them.

Grian knew a little bit about Annabeth, Luke, and Thalia's time together. All three of them had run away from their families. Annabeth always talked about those times with a bittersweet tone. The best few years of her life, she had said. But since then, things had changed. Thalia was dead, and Luke had turned to the Dark Side.

Hmm... if Luke is Darth Vader and whoever he's working for is Palpatine, does that mean he's going to be good in the end like Darth Vader was?

Probably not.

Wait. Shut up, brain. You shouldn't be thinking about Star Wars right now. Think about how to get out of here.

Bdubs had put the entire camp to sleep. Was it possible that he could do that now, but not put Grian, Annabeth, Tyson, and Percy to sleep as well?

No. Bdubs had only used his power once. There was no way that he could control it now.

What about Annabeth? She had her invisibility cap... but that would only work for one person.

Tyson was a good tinkerer. But he wouldn't be able to build a way out for them.

And Grian didn't have any powers.

That left the obvious decision: Percy was a son of the Sea God. They happened to be on a boat. On the sea.

Oh Notch, Grian was so smart.

(That was sarcasm, if you couldn't tell.)

Luke and Annabeth continued to argue about which side of the war a dead person would have taken.

Well, it wasn't a war yet. And hopefully it would never be, because this was one war that Grian did not want to start.

"If you knew what was coming, you'd understand," Luke said, genuine pain in his voice.

"I understand you want to destroy the camp!" Annabeth said. "The only home I've ever had. You're a monster!"

Luke shook his head sadly. "The gods have blinded you. Can't you imagine a world without them? The West is rotten to the core. It has to be destroyed. We can start the world anew. We could use your intelligence, Annabeth."

"BECAUSE YOU HAVE NONE OF YOUR OWN!" Bdubs yelled.

"Ooh, good one," Grian muttered to him.

"I know," Bdubs replied proudly.

Luke's eyes narrowed. "Both of you are idiots."

Grian bowed mockingly. "Your compliment flatters me, although I have yet to recall when I asked your opinion."

Bdubs stammered for a minute before yelling, "WHAT HE SHAID!"

Percy snickered.

Luke snarled and turned back to Annabeth. "You're really traveling with company like this?" He gestured with his sword at Tyson, Bdubs, and Grian."

Percy put his hand in his pocket, and Grian knew he was grasping his magic pen. "You leave them out of this."

"A Cyclops," Luke sneered. "Speaking of dishonoring Thalia's memory. You of all people-"

"Stop it!" Annabeth yelled.

"And then those two," Luke continued. "They're not who you think they are. Especially not that little brother of mine."

"You're saying that like we aren't here," Grian complained, despite being deeply disturbed.

"Oh, we already know their big secret," Annabeth said. "I think Ren still might be mad at us for it, though-"

"HOW DID YOU FIND OUT?" Bdubs yelled.

"Do you seriously think you're the only ones who can travel between worlds?" Luke taunted. "Ths gods and monsters have to get in there somehow. I have spies in the Underworld... they heard your dead friend's little conversation with Hades. The gods aren't on your side. They never were. Even as we speak, the Hermits back at home are being attacked by the undead."

Grian didn't really know what to say until he realized. "Scar," he breathed. "He..."

"He gave you away," Luke smirked. "So much for family."

Grian, who had pulled out his sword during Luke's little monologue, dropped it.

For more than one reason.

I get that he knows about Hermitcraft. But how did he find out about... them?

"Don't listen to him," Bdubs said. "Scar wouldn't do that!"

"He would," Grian said quietly. "Maybe he didn't mean to hurt us. But to save himself from eternal punishment, he would. He was always one to bargain away an asset for his own skin."

"I have friends in other places, too," Luke continued. "I know the Cyclops was claimed by Posideon. What's it like having a monster for a brother!"

Tyson shrunk back in fear.

"He's not a monster!" Percy defended.

"I also know about your little quest for the Golden Fleece," Luke added. "What were those coordinates again? 30, 31, 75, 12. Nothing is a secret anymore."

The way he said that, even though it wasn't directed at Grian, sent chills down his spine. If they weren't there already. Which they were. Even more chills.

Nothing is a secret anymore.

Not even mine.

"Anyway," Luke said. "I think I've scared you guys enough. " He pointed Backbiter at them. "Shall we put you out of your misery?"

Then he looked at the bear twins, who were still holding their javelins.

"Kill them."

~~~

I'm committing.

I'm not going to tell you what I'm committing to.

BUT I AM COMMITTING TO SOMETHING AND Y'ALL ARE GONNA HATE ME FOR IT

And I know you just LOVE the dreaded Author's Smiley-

:))))))

-Indigo