"Finally, you made it!" Jason said.

I rubbed my eyes from the blinding light. I just managed to get to Olympus by using the special portal located at the Temple of Jupiter. Basically how the thing works is that you have to have a very clear mind about where you want to go and you are literally teleported to your desired destination. Only problem was that you have to wear a wrist watch that allows you to do that. The only other problem I have is that it makes your eyes go fuzzy.

"Yeah, I'm here," I moaned as my eyesight returned to normal.

I looked around at the city of Olympus and I was still amazed as it was to see the place again. It more or less looked the same as ever - white ans silver buildings of temples and houses, the streets were crowded with people and minor gods and demigods and the mountain was still covered with snow but there was still plant life here in the city. Burning barriers were lit so they looked like stars in the midnight sky.

Jason and I gave each other a brotherly hug. Ever since the end of the war with Gaia, Jason and I treated each other as brothers because we were so alike that it was freaky - we have the same ideas, the same motives and pretty much the same fighting skill. While he had sky blue eyes and blonde hair, I had jet black hair with sea green eyes.

"Two months," I told him, "and I haven't had any word from you or the others. How have you been man?"

"Keeping Half-Blood safe from monsters whenever they come close and generally looking after Piper," he answered. "Been busy as it is, until I finally got a break when my father called me like...an hour ago."

I looked at the Temple of the gods, wondering what on earth Zeus wanted this time. "What do you think - another quest?"

"After four years since we did any quests," Jason sighed, "I'm just glad that we might get one."

"Why?" I asked. "Missing the action?"

Jason thought about it and then shrugged. "I honestly don't know."

I knew how he felt: ever since Annabeth and I settled down together, I secretly wished that I would have one last adventure. Just one adventure to last a lifetime. Just thinking about it made me long for the action again. That's probably my ADHD talking because it's basically my inborn battlefield reflexes going out of control.

"Lets see what Zeus wants this time," I told Jason.

We ran up the grand staircase to the Temple, while I kept thinking about why the gods had called us to Olympus and wondering what it was that they wanted us to do.

==========

"Welcome heroes," Zeus called from his throne.

Several the gods were sitting in their thrones, looking at us as we came into the chamber and stood in the centre of the gods.

I looked around at everyone - Zeus at the middle throne, Poseidon at his left, Hera on the right. Among them on the right of Hera was Athena, goddess of wisdom - one of my least favourite immortals. On the left side of my father Poseidon was a god I didn't recognize - he had frizzy white hair and his face looked a little wild and was so hideously covered in make up that his face looked like it had plastic surgery.

"You've gotta be kidding me," Jason complained. He looked at his father Zeus. "You brought HIM along to this meeting?"

Zeus looked at the God in question. "Is there something that I need to know here, Aelous?"

Aelous...Jason told me about him before: while I was missing in 2009, Jason, along with Piper and Leo, went on a quest to find Hera (why they decided to help her, I have no idea). Along the way they ran into Aelous and let's just say it didn't end well - Aelous turned murderous when he listened to the voice of Gaia.

Aelous looked at Jason and raised his hands up in a submissive gesture. "It just a little misunderstanding, that's all."

"That's all?!" Jason shouted. "You tried to kill us!"

I placed a hand on Jason's shoulder to tell him to stop yelling. He glared at me in question and I just simply pointed upwards where he followed my gaze. A small miniature storm cloud hovered above him, like it was ready to shoot lightning at any moment.

Recently whenever Jason got angry, that small storm cloud appeared and the last time it shoot lightning out...well, the campers at Camp Half-Blood didn't expect to be rebuilding the entire Morpheus cabin from scratch again.

"Alright I'll calm down," he promised and the cloud just vanished.

Zeus nodded and looked at me. "Now, why don't you take a seat?"

Two guest thrones appeared in front of me and Jason - two simple grey seats spotted with several black patches on them. We immediately sat down on them, though I was wondering what was Zeus up to.

Athena looked at me with distaste - it was evident because of the look in her eyes. "So...how's my daughter doing? Is she well?"

"She's doing alright Athena," I answered her shortly. "She's just feeling a little fragile at the moment."

My older cousin frowned deeply. "Why? Is she not feeling well?"

"Um..." It was very difficult to find words for the question. How on earth was I going to explain to Athena that Annabeth was pregnant, without her screaming her head off at me for getting her daughter in that state in the first place?

Poseidon probably must've sensed that there was something going on with me because he said, "Athena, could you please leave my son alone? The last thing we need right now is you two arguing again."

"Oh shut up," she said. "Don't tell me to do anything."

"Will you two give it a rest?" Zeus bellowed. Immediately it went quiet in the throne room.

"Right," my uncle said after making sure Athena and Poseidon wasn't arguing. He looked at me. "Now as my son may have told you, we need you to do a job for me. And I cannot stress this enough to say that it is very important that you listen very carefully to what I've got to say."

I nodded my understanding. "We're listening."

Jason crossed his legs and looked at his father. "Go ahead dad."

Zeus sat forward on his throne. "I've ran into another embarrassing situation and...well, we would like you and Perseus to help reclaim it back."

Jason frowned in bewilderment. "Reclaim it? Dad, what are you on about?"

Zeus looked at me when Jason asked. "Ask Perseus - he knows what it is. He should know because his first quest was to find and bring it back to Olympus."

My first quest...jeez, that was a while ago. I was twelve years old when I went on that quest. Grover, Annabeth and me were to go across the whole United States to get to the Underworld, which was in Los Angeles. And the mission was to find -

"You've got to be kidding," I grumbled, burying my face into my right hand. "You've lost it again?"

Zeus looked embarrassed, but he did nod. "Now do you realize the situation?"

Jason looked at me. "What is Zeus talking about? You know what it is that he lost?"

I nodded. "Unfortunately," I sighed. I looked in Jason's direction. "He's lost his master bolt yet again."

Jason's eyes went wide with astonishment. His reaction was so stupid - his eyes shot open in a fraction of a second and his mouth wide open in shock - that I burst out laughing, doubling over in my guest chair and hugging my stomach.

"What are you laughing at?" Zeus demanded. "This is serious - I've lost my master bolt again!"

That just made me laugh even further.

"Sorry," I said, finally getting control of myself. "It's just so ridiculous. And I'm guessing that's just the beginning part of the quest?"

Hera nodded. "Several of our best trackers managed to trace where the bolt is - that's the good news. The bad news is that it's in one of the worlds most dangerous regions. It's in the ancient lands."

"No surprise," Jason spoke out loud. "I thought you were going to say that."

"Is that why you chose Jason and I?" I asked my father.

My father didn't say anything for a moment. He looked very different from all the previous times I've seen him. This time he was wearing jeans and a plain grey top, which made him look like an average guy for once. His trident was at his side, but it looked different than before - it looked silver now, instead of the normal Celestial bronze. It made me wonder what this kind of silver was.

"Yes," he finally admitted. "We chose you because you two are one of the nine demigods who have first hand knowledge of what the ancient lands are like. Plus, you are two of the strongest demigods of the century. Why would any of the monsters dare challenge you when you've taken out Kronos," he waved his hand at me, "taken out the old Titan base," he waved his hand at Jason, "and defeated Gaia the Primordial Mother of the Earth, four years ago?"

I thought about it for a split second. "You know," I said, turning in my seat so I was facing Jason, "he does have a point."

Jason looked between my father and me, as if finally deciding on what to do. He then looked at Athena. "I'm guessing there's really bad news?"

Athena glared in my direction, and I could've sworn that she was giving me a sympathetic look. "I hope you're ready for this Percy Jackson. This will probably be one of your biggest challenges yet."

That comment made me very wary of what she had to say next. "Where is the bolt?"

Athena gave me a serious look. "The bolt is on the South Summit of Mount Everest."

=============

This time it was my turn for my jaw to drop.

Jason gave Athena the wide eye look. The next moment, we asked the same question at the same time:

"WHAT?!" we both yelped.

Even Poseidon and Zeus looked surprised. "You kept that quiet!" Poseidon exclaimed at Athena.

"It's on Everest?" Zeus was just as stunned as my father.

Athena nodded. "Mount Everest - the tallest mountain in the world, standing little over 29,029 ft and was first reached successfully by Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay. Pretty much the the toughest and most dangerous of all mountains."

I choked on my own scoff. "The toughest and most dangerous mountain in the world. No shit Athena!"

"You're expecting us to climb that high?" Jason yelled in alarm. "Just to reclaim the bolt?"

Aelous raised his hand. "My lords, might I just add that going up a mountain like Everest is extremely off limits this time of year?"

"Oh, I'm sorry," Jason sarcastically complained, "did someone ask for your freaking opinion?"

"Alright, alright, alright," Poseidon said, using a time out gesture. "We get that you're stressed - believe me on that. But right now, the longer the bolt is on Everest the more chance there is that the spirit of Everest will claim the bolt for himself. We need you two to climb this thing, because you've both got climbing experience and you are more qualified to do this."

"I was actually going to suggest that my daughter goes along," Athena said. "If Zeus will just see that-"

"She can't," I blurted out. Immediately, I wished I just sewed my mouth shut. Brilliant - now she'll ask questions! Great job Percy!

As I expected, Athena looked at me questionably. "By how do you mean?"

What was I thinking?She's gonna find out anyway, so what was the point in hiding the news? I looked at Athena and just announced:

"Annabeth's...pregnant."

Everyone stared at me, stunned by the news. Hera, Zeus and Poseidon were the first to come out of their daze and literally stood from their thrones and went to me.

Zeus came up first and clapped me on the back. "Congratulations Jackson."

Hera just put her arms around my neck and said, "So, Annabeth is going to be a mother now? I wasn't expecting that!"

Poseidon came up to my side, smiling at me slightly. "Never thought you were this serious about having a family if I'm completely honest, son. Fare play to you. Makes me wonder if I'm gonna be a good grandfather."

I shook hands with my father. "Thanks dad," I told him.

Jason just sat in his guest chair still, stunned. I went over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"You alright pal?" I asked him.

Jason lifted his head and I could see that he chuckling. "My bro has all grown up. I can't believe it."

He stood up and gave me the biggest bear hug I have ever got from him. I just patted him on the back.

Athena just glared at me like she was gonna kick my butt. I was about to explain that it was what both Annabeth and I wanted, but the goddess of wisdom just raised her hand.

"I don't want to know why," she sternly told me. "As long as you promise me that you'll look after my daughter, then I swear to you right now that I'll help you two in every possible way."

Then she shocked me the most when she just gave me the tightest hug of my life. I think she may have broken two of my ribs.

When she pulled back, I just stood there frozen. "Okay," I wheezed out. "I was NOT expecting that."

Athena gave me an actual smile. "Yeah, well..."

"Okay," Zeus interrupted. "Percy Jackson, we are all delighted that you are now going to be a father. But, the question is: will you do this mission for us? I know it's a lot to ask, with the baby on the way and all that, but we can't find anyone else to do this. Either they are not strong enough to climb this thing and back down, or they're too scared to do the task. We look at each member of the Seven demigods, and we decided that you and my son Jason are by far the most willing to do this."

I thought about it for a moment. Me and Jason glanced at each other, as if we could speak with each other telepathically. I then turned to Athena, deciding that we were to do this mission we needed some insight wisdom for it.

"How high did you say Everest was Athena?" I asked as calmly as I could.

"29,029 ft," she answered, "which is the same as saying that it is about 8,848 metres tall."

"And what route are we supposed to take when climbing the mountain?" Jason asked.

"We leave that for your team base to answer for you," she answered, "because we're going to be supplying you with some of your old camp mates to accompany you on the expedition. They will explain the steps you've got to take to climb Everest. Though I do expect that you will probably take the Icefall which is at the bottom of the mountain."

I nodded, taking in as much information as I could. I turned to Jason.

"You still want to be in the action Jay?" I honestly asked him.

Jason studied me for a moment. He nodded slowly. "You know me Percy - I can't resist it. I'm up for it if you are."

I then glanced at Poseidon, who looked like he was trying to read my mind.

He nodded his encouragement.

"Alright," I announced. "We're climbing Everest."