{Percy}

You know Slow moments when everything happens so fast you can't process it? Well that was one of these moments.

I stumbled away from Carey after a 10 milliseconds of shock, and of course, my luck. Somebody's ankle trips me, and I fall, hitting my head on the concrete that was our school indoor pool floor, with a sickening CRACK. My eyesight got blurry, and I couldn't focus. Everything was hazy. Leo came towards me. I heard Annabeth and Carey fighting, then I heard a big splash. Then Jason came over to me. I felt a warm puddle behind my head.

"Gods!" Jason shouted. "I'll go get help."

"A...Ann...Anna...Annabe....Annabeth...." I say. Leo's eyes looked into mine. I tried to lift my head, but I didn't have the strength. Then I saw Annabeth run over, and look into my eyes. "Annabeth..."

"Oh, gods, Percy you're bleeding..." She said.

"Are you ok?" I asked.

She looked like she could smack me. "Am I ok?!"

Jason ran back over with a phone to his ear. "Um," he said into the phone. "Our friend hit his head," pause. His voice was shaky, as if it might crack. "Goode High School," he said. "Please get here ASAP. There's a lot of blood..." He paused again. "He hit it on concrete."

Annabeth got me a towel and laid it on me. I touched her face, and she swooped down and kissed me.

Leo ran off to find Jason I think, and Piper came over.

"Eat this," Piper said sweetly. I could hear the charmspeak, so thorough, in her voice. She handed me an ambrosia square, but it was too late. Before I could get it to my closed mouth, I passed out.

***

In my dreams, I saw the pass.

I saw my cabin aboard the Argo II. When I went on the deck, Leo smiled at me. "We'll stove at Hades shortly, young demigod."

"Hades?" I asked. "I'm dead?"

"No," Leo replied. His voice wasn't Leo's... It was... Charon. The ferry man for the Underworld, which made me uneasy. "You're not dead." He continued. "But close. Do you know why you're here?"

"No," I replied. I waited for him to explain, then pressed him. "Why?"

"Lord Hades wished to speak with you," Leo said. Shimmering beside Leo was Nico.

"Perseus," said Nico, but not Nico. The voice was Hades voice. "I need a favor. If you repay me, I will hold your lifespan longer than most. The Fates owe me a favor."

"What?" I asked. "The fates owe you a favor?"

"Yes!" Nico snapped. "I need you to get Nico away from that girl."

"Why?" I asked.

"She's destined to kill him," Nico said. "Unless you take action now. He has 7 days. Therefore, you have 7 days to live."

"Ok, wait. So if I don't get Nico away from this girl he loves," I say. "You'll kill me? But if I succeed, I'll live longer?"

"Yes." Nico decided. "The fates owe me a favor."

"You already said that." I say.

"Oh, I hate demigods..." Nico sighed. "Always ignorant and arrogant. But yes, I suppose. I'll deal with you for 10 years longer."

"Wait... I'll only live 10 more years?" I asked.

"If you do the favor, you'll live to be 50. If you'd DON'T, 40, naturally... But I'll kill you if you don't succeed.And if you get it done in the next 4 days, I might add 5 more years. Deal?" Nico asked.

"Sure..." I say uneasily.

"Farewell, PERSEUS JACKSON." Bellowed Nico but not Nico.

The dream faded.

***

I woke to a golden drink on the table. I reached for it, and fingers wrapped around it. I start looking, going from the fingers to the arm to the face...

"Annabeth." I say.

"Seaweed Brain. Glad you remember me." She smirked. "For once." She handed me the Nectar. I took a sip. Mmm... Blue chocolate chip Cookies.... Still warm from the oven.

"Hey..." I say between sips. I felt a twing of guilt. Then what happened the last hour of my consciousness came back to me. "Oh, gods..." I say, accidentally out loud.

"What?" Annabeth asked.

"Did... Did she really..." I trail off, leaving Annabeth looking a mix of sad, angry, and frustrated. I sat up and kissed Annabeth.

"What was that for?" She asked. I guess I would've been surprised too. Kinda came out of nowhere.

"For you." I say cheekily.

She gave me a half smile, which faded quickly.

"Annabeth, about what happened-" she cut me off by kissing me passionately.

Then Jason, Piper, and Leo came through the door all at once. I quickly broke away, blushing madly.

"Oooook..." Jason said. "Sorry to interrupt, but-"

"Somebodies here to see you," Leo said. "And haha! Nice kiss."

My mom broke through the crowd of demigods. "You doing alright, Percy?"

"Yeah," I laugh.

Leo and the others left me to talk to my mom.

{Leo}

I snickered after the door was closed. Little did those 2 know, I'd set up a hidden camera in their room. It had microphones too, so whatever those too did, I had it on recording. Blackmail. Haha, cha-Ching!

My automaton dog I had finished, Twix, stood by my side in the waiting room. Twix had a radar, could eat and drink, and surprisingly, he could pass whatever he ate. He was smart and programmed to understand everything that humans said. His collar had a custom made tracking device, no bigger than a centimeter. He was programmed to know when somebody around him was lying, and to protect me, and the others that had came to Goode over his life. Percy said he'd pay me $300 to make one, so I figured I would.

Gods, I could make a ton of money off that kid! I had already made 500 bucks off of him, and I hide it in my man cave at camp. I had the money from the iPhone (that's +$200 for my piggy bank) and now this?! Awesome! But I was putting all of it aside to buy a business and go to business school. I figured my business could be called 'Leo's Everything' and I could literally have everything.

But anyways, Twix had celestial bronze teeth and claws, and programmed to act like a genius dog. So he'd lay on a dog bed in free time and fetch and stuff like that. I figured I might install some mods, like rocket boosters on the bottom of his paws so he could hover, or fire breathing, or something like that. It could come in handy. He sat in my lap in the waiting room. Although there were signs that said 'NO DOGS ALLOWED!' And the lady was just minding her business, not even seeing the robot dog the size of a Jack Russell Terrier. And when Twix started barking at a squirrel outside the waiting room, the lady didn't seem to notice. Maybe he looked like a Stuffed Animal or Seeing Eye Dog.

I messed with the iPad from the Gaming Room I had, and took pictures of Twix. I uploaded them to FaceBook.

Then a lady walked up to me. "Hi. Your friend Percy Jackson? Is that right? Well, your friend Percy Jackson wants to see you."

I looked at the others, but they shrugged. I figured if Percy wanted to see them, he'd ask. But I didn't know why he'd wanna see me. Did he find the camera I'd set up in his hospital room? Or worst, the camera I'd set up in the hideout he had in Camp Half-Blood that Annabeth and him go to to make out?

I walked to Percy's room, which was just down the hall, and opened the door. Percy smiled when I came in. Twix followed me loyally.

"When you finish my dog," Percy smiled. "I'm gonna name him Hershey."

"And Leo, I'll give $300 too if you can make me one," Annabeth said. "I'd name him Snickers."

I smiled, and then a guy walked in. He had on Khaki Bermuda shorts and a Hawaiian shirt. His face was wrinkled from smiling, and he had a nice tan. I got on my knee. "Lord Poseidon," I greeted him.

"Mr. Valdez," Poseidon smiled and nodded at me. "Rise. I don't want any of that, Mr. Spy on my Son."

My eyes went wide and I could feel myself blushing.

"What?" Percy asked.

Annabeth bowed. "Lord Poseidon."

"Mrs. Chase," he said. "My sons girlfriend."

Then Poseidon looked over to Percy. "Percy." He smiled. "Oh, son. Something happen between you and Annabeth? Did she hit you in the head with a club? Or did your Pegasus clonk you on the head again?"

Annabeth laughed, and so did I. Percy blushed. "No, I tripped."

Poseidon smiled. "Huh. That's boring. Oh, and by the way! Great swim. They're holding your trophy in the office for you. Swing by and pick it up tomorrow when you're back at school."

Percy frowned, as if school sounded like a horrible idea. I wouldn't blame him. It was only September 27th. And already, he'd been put into the hospital, kissed, and flirted with by a different girl.

"Oh, Percy. Alls well that ends well. Poseidon sighed. "Now, before Zeus kills me for being here with you, I must go. Farewell, favorite son- oh, and Percy. When you go home this evening, you'll find a surprise in your room. Enjoy, Percy!"

"Bye, dad." Percy said. And with that, Poseidon turned to sand and blew away, leaving a fresh sea breeze.