For those of you returning from the first book... Someone's last name changed.

You'll see what I'm talking about.
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The sun was bright and blistering over Laguna Nichuptè. The skyline of Cancún glistened off in the distance, far enough away to keep the mortals strolling the city ignorant without the use of the Mist, but close enough to remind the residents of the camp that there was wealth in what they were fighting for.

The camp, however, was not one filled with Eagle Scouts or families in RVs just trying to teach their kids how to fish. The camp was filled with a plethora of monsters straight from the depths of Tartarus. Among these creatures, ranging from Cyclops to Telekhine, empousai and Laistrygonians, and an array of the more rabid beasts chained in a sort of sick version of a pegai stable, were rogue demigods.

A select few, older, wiser teens had already spent years in the Hermes cabin, and carried gleaming Celestial bronze spears and swords that marked them as high ranking officers. But the majority of demigods residing at this camp were much younger children, who scampered, around the feet of the monsters and their superiors, their eyes wide, ignorant, and frightened. Most had had no clue of their divine parentage until they were stolen from the family. Some had been scooped straight off the streets, and were dirty and just as rabid as some of the beasts in the stalls of the stables.

And this wild mess of a battalion was all under the command of Mico Becerra.

Mico sat at the bank of Laguna Nichupè, kneeled in the gravelly sand. Outside of Camp Half-Blood, their persona of an innocent demigod eager to befriend newcomers had been shed, revealing a twisted soul. Their straight, jet-black hair, once smooth and well-maintenance, had become matted and greasy. It was a bit longer now, and to keep it out of the way during training, it had been pulled back into two messy braids. Bangs had grown down to cover most of their eyes, but they didn't bother to keep them pulled back like the recent. It didn't matter, their eyes were gone.

Mico's last battle had rendered them blind. They had attacked Affinity Darwin, the one challenge left between fully earning Ouranos' trust, in the Garden of the Hesperides. In their determination to stop Affinity's quest to restore peace between the goddesses Hera, Aphrodite, and Athena, she had completely forgotten about the hundred-headed dragon that guarded Hera's golden apples.

Mico had been lucky to escape the attack of Ladon with their life. They had spent the last month healing from their injuries, but their eyes had been beyond repair. Slashed and rendered to useless balls of tissue, the naiads had deemed it best to remove them, and Mico's eyelids were sewed shut.

Despite their lack of vision, Mico had never felt stronger. Being a child of Zeus, and with no sight to rely on, they had come to develop the ability to sense the slight electric signals their surroundings gave off, much like a shark or stingray hunting their prey. Mico could feel the world all around them, sense if someone was moving behind them, and could even differentiate between an oak tree and the squirrels rustling in the branches.

Now, they reached their hand into the warm, salty waters of Laguna Nichupè, and a deep, ancient voice resonated through them.

"Mico Becerra..." the voice dragged their name out, "I grow tired of the wait. I can feel the slightest of stirring from Gaea. She will wake soon."

"What will you have me do, my lord?" Mico whispered to him.

"The Seven must never be united. I want to destroy their forces before they can ever come together." The voice drawled. "The Hunters of Artemis aid to the search for the demigod Perseus Jackson. In time, their forces will help the Seven defeat Gaea. We need to burn this bridge before the anything can be built upon its fragile foundation."

"Anything you want, I will do it without fail." Mico stated.

"That's what you said when I asked you to destroy Affinity Darwin, but the daughter of Hades still lives." Mico flinched noticeably at this comment.

"Let me redeem myself. Whatever it is you want, it will be done." Mico struggled to keep their voice even.

"I want Thalia Grace."