PANDORA LOOKED AROUND, "This place is messy." Percy agreed with a nod as they walked deeper in the attic, they stop for a minute, staring at the minotaur's horns.

They turn and slowly near a figure that was sitting on the far end of the room, They stop and share a look before percy sighs deeply.

"Hi." His voice cracked, "I'm Percy, This is Dory. It's nice to meet you." The slumped figure stares off, unmoving. Percy drops his gaze and looks back at the figure.

"We were told a quest isn't a quest until you said so?" Pandora tilted her head, "Which is weird considering you're a halloween decoration. This is stu—" Pandora stepped back immediately when the figure twitched.

"Oh, geez. Let's get out of here, percy." She gripped his arm as he continued to stare the figure that straightens its head, locking its eyes on percy and pandora.

"You seem busy. We'll come back." Finally listening to his sister, percy backs away and turns around fully, After a few paces, percy stopped and looks back at the figure as green mist emits from its mouth.

The haze twists into a tall cloud, "Woah." The outline of a man forms into the fog. "You've gotta be kidding me."

"Come on, really?" Percy scoffs, they look at gabe who was in the fog, "You shall go west and face the god who has turned. And you shall find what was stolen and see it safely returned." Percy and His sister shared a look.

In the pavilion, several demigods stood side by side, Pandora and percy looked up at chiron as he stood next to dionysus.

"The oracle has been confirmed what we expected, that this quest will proceed toward the underworld, where you will confront the god who has rebelled against his brothers." He looked at pandora and percy. "Hades."

"The entrance to hades's domain lies under the city of los angeles. This is where you will journey to. Time is short. I have selected our most compelling candidates, from which you will choose four to join you on this quest and ensure that we succeed."

"Annabeth, Midas and Leah." Percy interrupted the centaur, the three shift in place, looking at percy.

"Customarily, one waits to at least hear a name or two before choosing." Chiron leaned down to them. "Are you sure you don't wanna hear more?" Pandora licks her lips, "This thing, zeus's master bolt, we need to get it back, right?" Chiron nodded. "Yes."

"And it's gonna be hard to get, yess?"

"Extraordinarily."

"And if the mission required someone to push us down a flight of stairs for it to succeed.. you'd want someone who won't hesitate when they do it." Chiron cocks his eyebrows before turning to midas, annabeth and leah.

"The first three quest-mates shall be annabeth chase, midas hart and leah castellan! Now, on to the other candidates."

Now, percy and pandora find themselves approaching grover. "Hey."

Grover turns, then averts his gaze. "Hey. Sorry i missed your selection ceremony." Pandora and Percy walk closer to the satyr. "I've been, y'know. Shoveling his poop."

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that. I guess Mr. D wasn't too happy when you told us about our moms?" Pandora asked. "No. No, he was not. So, who'd you choose to go with you?"

Percy and Pandora share a smile. "You."

"Funny. No, seriously, who'd you choose?" He questioned. "We chose you." His eyes flickered between percy and pandora. "Why?"

"You shall be betrayed by the one who calls you friend, and fail to save what matters most in the end."

"We trust you." Percy nods to grover who lowers his head, "And.. And, right now, nothing's more important than that."

"I'm gonna pack the best snacks." Percy and Pandora smiled at their best friend.

Pandora sits with percy in his cabin as he continued to pack, "You take so long to pack." Percy rolled his eyes as he packs his clothes.

Luke steps into the cabin, "How much money did they give you?" Percy looked at the money besides him, "Um, 200 dollars in cash, and a bag of these." He holds a bag of coins and stood up.

"I think they're canadian, maybe? Or from Chuck E. Cheese, i don't know." Pandora huffed and rolled her eyes. "Why would they give us canadian money, we're not even going to canada."

A sigh escaped percy's lips making luke laugh, "They're golden drachmas. Dollars for human world, drachmas for mythic world. Don't mix 'em up." Luke holds up a box. "I brought you this."

Percy throws the coins to pandora who scrambles to catch them, she scowls at him as he took the box and sat down, Percy opens the book revealing a pair of red converse.

"Wow. They're amazing." Pandora said, leaning over luke to see the shoes, "Was that sarcasm?" Luke looked at her which made her shrug.

"Well, these are.. interesting." Luke chuckled at their reactions before reaching into the box and taking one of the shoes, "Maia." A feathered wing sprouts from the side of the shoe, it flaps in luke's hand.

"Those are interesting." Percy said as pandora looked at the shoe in shock, "A gift." He clicks his tongue, "From my dad. Maia." The wing recedes into the converse. Luke returns it into the box.

Percy lifts his gaze from the shoes to luke. "We thought about choosing you before we chose grover."

"Hey, grover's a lot stronger than people think."

"We were afraid." Luke stared at them with a confused look, "We have a chance to rescue our moms from hades. We can't let anything stop us. And we're afraid.. if it gets in the way of the quest, annabeth and midas might try to. And you told me you'll always be on her side no matter what, and—"

"It's okay. Really, I.. I get it. Just take care of each other out there. Though, leah will still take her side. Just promise me you'll protect her. I can't lose my little sister." Luke looked at them. "We promise."

"She do know that is a tree, right..?" Pandora and the others stared at annabeth who was touching the tree, leah behind of her, probably talking her ear off.

"When annabeth first arrived here with thalia, luke and leah, they were being chased by monsters. Agents of hades. Sisters."

"Furies." Midas said, making them look at him, "Mrs dodds?" Percy questioned. "Yes. One was our algebra teacher. Alecto. Thalia turned back to fight to buy her friends some time. Her satyr protecter tried to stop her, but she wouldn't listen. So, at the last moment.."

"Zeus intervened to save her life and.. changed her form." Percy and Pandora looked at each other before looking at grover. "The most powerful being in the universe's best idea to save his daughter's life.."

"Was to turn her into a tree?" Pandora cocked her head in confusion, "She was the bravest demigod we ever knew. She fought valiantly, and she met a hero's fate." They looked toward leah and annabeth.

"She met a pinecone's fate." Pandora snorted as annabeth scowls at her and percy, grover gives him a 'really' look.

Midas and Leah sigh, "Forbidden children are always in danger, even the strongest ones, even thalia. And you are not thalia. Do exactly as me and midas say, and maybe you survive this. Are we clear?" She turns away from them and walks off with leah and midas following.

"Wow, okay. Who even told her she was in charge?" Pandora questioned, looking at the two boys beside her, "Who'd you think would be in charge?" Grover asked.

"I guess i assumed we'd do a show of hands or something." They trail behind annabeth, midas and leah who leads them past the tree and across the grassy field.

"Hero's quest are world-defining events. They have made and broken empires.. altered the course of human civilization.. changed the balance of power on olympus."

Now, the six exit a cab and onto the busy sidewalk, "A quest is a sacred thing. And to be charged with one is to be in conversation with the gods themselves." They apparently the bus terminal.

Later, on a bus, pandora grimaced as percy, who was sat next to her, leaned back on her as a man walks by with his butt facing them. "There is no way this is what sacred smells like."

"We're soldiers on a mission. It's not a vacation." Pandora rolled her eyes, "Thank you for clearing that up but if this is so important, why'd didn't chiron spring for plane tickets? This seems kind of low priority, doesn't it?" She looked around on the bus.

"Sorry, i assumed someone had told you."

"Tell us what?" Percy asked, "Percy, Dora, it isn't just the monsters who are gonna be trying to stop us. You're forbidden kids. Zeus might decide to take a shot at percy himself. The sky is his domain. Only dora can go."

"We'd be serving you up on a sliver platter to try to travel through it."

"Yeah, no one mentioned that." A girl laughed from beside annabeth and leah, "I'd love to see that." Pandora and percy's looked at each other in confusion.

"I'm sorry, who are you?"

"That's daphne." Midas rolled his eyes. "Daughter of Hecate and also my cousin."

"We're not really cousins." Daphne added as she leaned back into her chair, "And why are you here?" Midas questioned, "Because i'm tired of being down there." She sighed as the bus rolled into a gas station.

"Okay, we're gonna go get us some snacks." Midas and Annabeth stood up, "We'll come with you." Percy and Pandora started to get up, annabeth pushed percy back into his seat which made pandora slowly sit back down.

"No, you'll stay right there."

"Why? It smells terrible back here." Pandora pointed out, "Monsters can't smell you through that, so that's where i want you." Pandora rolled her eyes.

"I wanna vote. Who thinks we should all go get to breathe fresh air and buy our own snacks?" Four hands raised and midas glanced toward daphne and leah.

"There's no voting." Midas glared at the two who slowly put their hands down, "Chips and sodas okay for you guys?" Annabeth looked toward the two behind of her and midas.

"I don't think you should just get to decide we don't vote."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Annabeth raised her eyebrows, "Okay. I wanna vote on whether you get to decide we don't vote." Annabeth sighed and closed her eyes.

"Grover, please, can you help your.." She trailed off as grover began to clap, "...Friend?" Grover looked in between them. "I really don't wanna be a tie breaker."

"I have a better idea." The clapping got faster and leah smiled slightly, knowing what was going to happen, "Oh, golly, the road's gettin' bumpy 'cause i got me some friends who just can't get along oh, dear!" Percy and Pandora stared at their friend with confused looks.

"When the team's gettin' grumpy the trick to gettin' through it is singin' this song —" Percy shook his head.

"Dude, what are you doing?"

"It's a consensus song." Leah spoke up and all heads turned to her, "..not that i know the song.." She averted her eyes elsewhere as daphne smirked.

"Verse two encourages us to say nice things about each other. You get a few rounds in and you'd be amazed at how disagreements just kind of.." He trailed off as annabeth lifts a brow.

Grover clicks his tongue, "Fade away." He looks off.

"Chips and sodas okay for you guys?"

"Whatever." Percy and pandora said in sync, "Yes, please." Grover nodded, "Actually, can i get skittles, a muffin, and.. a blue raspberry slushy?" Annabeth looked at her with raised brow.

"What? I'm hungry." She frowned, "Chips it is." Annabeth and Midas walked away, "Wait— Can you at least get the.. and they're gone." She slumped back into her seat as daphne pulled something from her bag and handed it to leah.

Leah gasped and took the skittles from her and went to say thank you, "Don't mention it, weird child." The castellan furrowed her brow in confusion.

"Our voting system's broken." Percy whispered to them, "I agree. It's just bull." Pandora leaned her head back and straightened herself slightly.

Moments later, Percy and pandora face grover while leah's eyes were closed and her mouth opened slightly, daphne's head against the bus window as she listened to grover.

"Monsters can't be avoided entirely. They're more common than you think. The trick is to spot them first before they spot you. It's true they are more likely to sense a more powerful demigod." Percy and Pandora nodded to grover's words.

"A child of the big three, Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades, is at the most extreme risk. But it isn't your power, exactly, that draws them. It's more complicated than that." He explained.

"They smell fear." Daphne snorted, "That's bees. What a monster senses kinda depends on the monster. Some are better at sensing your inadequacy. Some, your need for glory, your shame. It's important to remember that if you've ever gotta confront one.. wherever your armor is weakest, that monster's probably coming right for it. Nothing will stop them, not even death."

"That's nice." Pandora commented.

"Look, i'm not against the idea of consensus, I'm just not sure the song is doing what you think it is, is all. Percy stated.

"And, plus, it needs better lyrics." Percy pointed to his sister in agreement, "Guys, you need to open that window! Now!" Leah jolted awake as the rest looked at annabeth, midas looking down the aisle.

"I don't think these windows are supposed to—"

Pandora's eyes widened as she saw the fury annabeth and midas were looking at. "Oh, no."

"I think we should find a way to open the windows." Percy nodded quickly, eyes wide as pandora and grover push him out of the seat. "Go, go, go, go, go!"

The three hammer on the window, Leah and daphne grab their bags and stood up, The glass drops out and shatters on the concrete, "Everyone, leave your belongings and exit the front of the bus." The bus driver instructs as the bus alarm went off.

Midas and Annabeth looked at each other with a smirk as alecto was blocked by someone on the bus, they backed up slowly. "Annabeth, Midas, let's go!"

Another fury slams through the window, pandora, grover, daphne, leah and percy ducking out of the way, the fury snarls at them and they back away.

"Hey!" Annabeth hurls a dagger and it hits the fury in the chest, the fury disintegrates into black ash that flutters to the floor, midas picks up annabeth's dagger and hands it to her. "We're done here. Let's go."

Annabeth and midas climbs out of the window, following after grover, daphne and leah, Percy and his sister stare at alecto for a moment before pandora grabs his shirt.

Percy quickly picked up luke's shoe box and they both jump out of the window.

Midas walked next to percy as they followed annabeth through the woods, "Persephone, Right?" Midas turned to him with a confused expression.

"Your parent." The boy let out a soft 'oh' and looked around before his gaze stopped on a bush, percy's eyes widened as flowers grew on the bush.

Midas picked a flower from the bush and handed it to percy, "Do you just give annabeth a flower when she's mad at you?" Percy questioned, tucking the flower in his shirt pocket.

Midas's lips quirked into a smile, "She never gets mad at me." Percy tilted his head, "That doesn't sound right." Midas raised his head and looked at percy.

"Just give her some time to warm up to you two."

Percy tucked his lips and nodded slightly. "Hopefully." He looked toward his sister who was walking beside annabeth, looking around the woods before her gaze stopped on the girl besides her.

"So," Pandora started, "You eat pizza crust?" Annabeth paused and looked at her before she continued walking. "What? It's a good question."

"Dogs or cats? Me, personally.. i like dogs, especially pitbulls, they're so cute and amazing—though i wouldn't mind a golden retriever, they're cool too." The girl rambled, as annabeth walked, it looked like she was ignoring pandora but she was listening to every word.

"And maybe a husky, huge maybe — wait no, i think i'll like a husky," She paused, looking back at the others before looking at annabeth, "Am i annoying you?" She asked.

Annabeth stayed silent, looking at her for a moment before looking ahead of her, "It's— it's just i feel like i'm talking too much, am i talking too much? Okay, i'll stop talking." The two walked side by side with the others trailing behind them.

Pandora pursed her lips, fidgeting with her ring as she watched the ground, "Somewhere up ahead, this turns into a satyr path." Grover said.

"What's a satyr path?" Percy asked, pausing his conversation with midas, "It's a road through the wilderness. Satyr explorers use them. Harder to track us." He explained, looking around as the others did.

"That's great, But if we stay in the wilderness, how are we gonna find a phone?" Percy questioned, looking at grover and his sister.

"What do we need a phone for?" Annabeth looked back at percy, scrunching up her face in confusion.

"So we can call camp. T— To get help." Percy stammered, looking behind him then looking at his sister who nodded.

"We don't need help. We're fine." Annabeth shrugged, now walking besides midas as pandora fell into step besides percy and grover.

"We're fine?" Pandora frowned. "We haven't even gotten to trenton, and w— we're wandering through this stupid forest. I didn't even know they had forests in new jersey, but we've found one. I would say we're the opposite of fine. And, might i may add, i hate bugs!" She swiped at a fly.

"We were sent on a quest by the oracle, by the gods. What'd you think, it would be easy? It's supposed to be hard. That's why only certain people are chosen. If we call camp, we're basically saying it was a mistake to choose us." Annabeth stated.

Percy and Pandora looked at each other before looking at annabeth, "We're completely comfortable with that. Everyone makes mistakes." The jackson girl said with a shrug.

Annabeth stopped in front of them. "Why are you so afraid of who you are?"

"What?" Leah and Daphne sighed exasperatedly, standing next to grover, midas rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"You know, what's interesting about this particular satyr path is it's actually the one my uncle ferdinand took when he set out on his own quest." Grover said, trying to change the subject.

"Hey, what don't we all just—" Leah started.

"What was that supposed to mean, afraid of who we are? We're not afraid." Percy said, staring at his sister in confusion.

"Yes, you are. You aren't just a kid. 'Just a kid' doesn't do what you did to clarisse back at camp. 'Just a Kid' doesn't have hades sending top lieutenants to retrieve them." Annabeth pointed out.

"She has a point." Percy looked to midas who shrugged.

"You know, you are a part of something so much bigger than we can understand right now. We have to move forward whether you like it or not, whether you want to or not." She continued.

"You don't want to call camp, fine. Then, at least let's call your mom." Pandora sighed.

"Excuse me?" Annabeth glanced at her, furrowing her brow.

"Athena? Your mother. We'd call our fathers, but we aren't exactly on speaking terms." Percy pointed out.

"You know, because of the lifelong neglect and all, but you and your mother seem close. So, why don't we ask her for help?" the four besides them looked to each other.

"Grover, will you explain to your friends that they need to pull themselves together?" She looked over to the satyr.

"Hey, what, don't pull him in this!" Grover nodded in agreement.

"You can't ask her, Can't you? When was the last time she talked to you?" Pandora pressed, annabeth turning to look at her.

"Grover." Annabeth looked back at grover, "I don't get why you keep pulling him into this. He's on our side."

Annabeth looked at them. "What makes you think that?"

"He's our protector, It's his job." Percy said, like it was the most obvious thing ever.

"He was me and leah's protector first." The two furrowed their brows, "First?" Percy and pandora's gaze darts between them, "What do you mean 'first?" Percy asked.

"Very exciting, getting to walk in uncle ferdinand's footsteps. Next best thing to getting him to talk again." Grover said, avoiding eye contact with percy and pandora.

"Thalia, luke, annabeth, And leah had a satyr Protector. That was you." They looked at grover who looked away. "Why didn't you tell us?"

"Do you guys smell that?" He asked as he stared off in the distance, "Grover, we're not kidding—" Grover shook his head. "No, neither am i. Just shush."

"Hamburgers." He walked off with the others following, "Grover." Annabeth called. "What are you doing—"

"Burgers? Oh, finally some food." Daphne spoke up with a groan.

"Somebody's making hamburgers. In the middle of nowhere, on a satyr path. Whoever it is.. They're from our world." They round a corner and walked towards a gas station.

"Oh, come on."

"What?" The two clueless demigods looked at annabeth, "Aunty 'em' has a garden full of petrified stone folks. Yeah, This is someone from our world, all right." Daphne looked at the statues.

"Anyone wanna guess what 'Em' Is short for?" She asked, They approached a statue of a bat like humanoid, "Oh." They looked at the several beast like statues.

"..Emily?" Annabeth turned to the girl who shrugged with a frown, she was very confident about her answer.

"So, no burgers?" Daphne frowned, leah rolled her eyes at the girl.

"Let's get out of here, please, while we still can." They turn and saw the fury from the bus behind of them.

Percy handed over his box to grover, and he and pandora pulled their swords out.

"You should have accepted my offer when you had the chance." Alecto retracts her wings, "Offer? What offer is she talking about?" Percy asked annabeth and the girl held alecto's gaze.

"Not today, friends. Not on my doorstep." Alecto turns her gaze away quickly, Percy and Pandora look over their shoulders as a woman approaches.

"Oh, shoot." Grover, annabeth, leah, daphne and midas looked away and percy and pandora looked at them for a moment before looking away.

"If you have something to resolve, why not come inside and i'll help? Alecto? Will you be joining us?" The woman with the veil hat proposed.

The fury hides behind her wing, "No, well i wouldn't think you would." The woman smiles at the children.

"She won't bother you as long as you're with me. But it isn't as thought she'll leave either, not if it means reporting that she failed to retrieve the son of poseidon and the daughter of zeus."

Percy and pandora glanced at each other, "How did you—" The boy started,

"Two forbidden children has been claimed. How long did you think that secret would keep?" She questioned.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, son of poseidon and daughter of zeus. I'm medusa."

The two siblings look at each other once more before slowly lifting their gaze to meet medusa's, "Percy, Pandora, don't." Annabeth quickly stopped them.

"She's a monster."

"We all choose who we make our monsters, but, right now, that one wants to tear you limb from limb.. and i'm offering you lunch. The choice is yours." Lifting their heads, they watch as medusa walked away.

Daphne glanced at the others before following her inside, "Daph!" Midas yelled, "She had me at lunch." The girl shrugged before disappearing.

"Idiot." Midas groaned, throwing his head back before rushing inside, "Are we.." Leah glanced at the others, as percy worked his mouth to say something.

"I think we can trust her."

"I mean, we have no choice. That idiot already went inside with midas." Pandora pointed out as percy nodded.

"What?"

"Dude!" Pandora bit her lip and her eyes widened at annabeth and grover's reaction, "I can't explain it, i just.. Our moms used to tell us her story. And the point was always that she isn't what people think. And we definitely trust our moms."

"So we're going in. You guys do what you want." Leah and grover glanced at annabeth, as the two siblings walked away, grover looked at alecto then follows.

"Beth, come on." The girl sighed then looked at alecto then back at leah who was waiting for her patiently.