"IT WAS A GIFT WITH A HIDDEN PURPOSE." The Jackson said, as they stared at the golden chair, Annabeth listened intently, "Hephaestus offered it to Hera, but as soon as she sat in it, she couldn't get up. All the gods tried, but the machine was too smart." She explained, wringing out the water in her hair and putting it in a ponytail.

"It was too strong. It was too much. Even for them." She glanced at Annabeth for a moment then looked back at the shield that was held above the chair. She knew what she had to do. Even if it costed her life. She didn't notice Annabeth staring at her. "Finally, they said if Hephaestus let Hera free, Aphrodite would be his wife." Pandora looked at Annabeth and swallowed thickly. "The chair is the bargain. One of us goes in, the other gets the shield."

"I'll do it." Annabeth went to step forward but pandora grabbed her arm immediately, "What? Wait a minute. Are you crazy?" Annabeth looked at her then back at the chair, "Whoever goes in, isn't coming out. That seems pretty clear." She said, making pandora shake her head.

"I know, that's why i said wait." Pandora told the girl, still gripping her arm but not too roughly, "This isn't the Arch, Sparky. You're not pushing me into the stairwell again." Pandora sighed. "Yes, i am." She said firmly as Annabeth stared at her, a look of refusal in her eyes. "I'm not gonna let you this time. It doesn't work that way."

"It's why you're here." Annabeth stared at her, this time a look of confusion on her face, "Excuse me?" Pandora averted her gaze elsewhere and lets go of Annabeth's arm, "When me and percy were choosing our team, We told chiron we needed someone who wouldn't hesitate to sacrifice us if the quest required it." She paused, looking at Annabeth. "He agreed."

"That was you and midas." Annabeth's mouth turned downward as she looked away from pandora. "You were right, like always." Pandora said, shaking her head, "I can't believe it, but the stupid blasted fates were right." She sighed again, then furrowed her brow. "I hope they don't hear that." She muttered, That brought a small smile to Annabeth's face. Even in a situation like this, Pandora could make her smile.

"There's no getting around this, okay? We dodged it at the arch, barely, but..maybe this isn't something you can dodge forever."

"The oracle chose you and percy. The gods chose you!" Annabeth yelled at her, the girl sighed heavily, "Stop! It isn't about that." She had to do it, so percy can save their moms. Pandora looked down then back up at Annabeth. "What could it possibly be about if it isn't about that?" Annabeth asked bewildered, her voice shaky and uneven.

"You're better at this than me." Annabeth stared at her in complete disbelief, "You just are. And you know it." Pandora stared at her intensely, Annabeth shook her head slowly. "Believe me, I wish there was another way this quest succeeds. I just don't see it." Her voice cracked a bit as Annabeth looked at the shield and the golden chair. What was she going to tell percy? What was she going to tell the others?

Pandora thought for a moment before sliding her ring off her finger, she held it in her palm, staring at it before she held it out to Annabeth to take, The girl took a deep breath and took the ring out of pandora's hand. She breathed deeply as she stared at the ring, slowly slipping it onto her finger as tears well up in her eyes.

Pandora glanced at the chair and slowly steps toward it, She paused before she spinned back to annabeth. "I need you to promise me something." Annabeth looked at her, "We're not leaving the underworld without your moms." Pandora smiled softly, "Thank you." Her eyes shine with tears as she took a deep breath. "I was gonna say, when this quest is done, can you and the others maybe swing back here and try to get me outta this thing?"

"You think you had to ask?" Annabeth scoffed, shaking her head, Pandora smiled, "Just making sure. Tell Percy i love him? Just — Just make sure he isn't too mad." Annabeth let out a teary laugh as Pandora turns back to the chair, she steps up and sits down. The cogs in the back of the chair began to turn. She had to do this. She wasn't going to let annabeth sacrifice herself for the shield, She had to.

Pandora looks down at her hands that were resting on the armrest that had designs of a bird head, "This is weird. Like, really weird." She breathed heavily, "It's.. warm..?" She furrowed her brow as she continued to look down at her hands. Pandora then looks at annabeth, her chest rising and falling, tightening her lips, she watches as golden tendrils creep up pandora's legs, coating them in shiny metal.

"This is a bad idea. Stand up." Annabeth said, pandora shook her head slowly, "I — I can't." The girl spoke softly, glancing at annabeth. "Dory, stand up, i mean it." Annabeth said desperately, "It's okay." Pandora interrupted, as the gold covers her body, moving up to her face. "I'm okay. I'm okay." She whispered, her eyes bloodshot red, "I'm okay." She said, reassuring the girl in front of her who looked like she was ready to burst into tears.

"I'm —" Annabeth eyes widen, finally letting the tears fall as the last of gold settles, fully encasing pandora into a golden statue, she sits frozen like the statue behind of her. The shield falls to the ground with a loud clang. Jaw quivering, Annabeth eyes ares shield on the floor, She blinked back her tears and glanced at pandora then steps toward the shield.

Annabeth looks between the shield and pandora, She takes a deep breath and spots the cogs behind the chair, she steps over ares shield, eyeing the contraption, she began to fiddle with the cogs, struggling to move a specific piece.

Annabeth winces as she tugs at a huge cog, it barely moved, A door opened above her and she looked up, glancing at the balcony, "Can i help you?" A man asked, looking down at her. Annabeth looks up at him before turning back to the cog. "Do you need some help finding your way out?" He lifts a whistle, blowing it and a ladder rises from the water to the balcony. "So, off you go."

Annabeth shakes her head and continues to pull at the cog, "I'm not leaving without my friend." The man pursed his lips, staring down at her. "Yeah, that isn't really how it works. It's kind of a one-way sort of thing. It can't be undone." Annabeth stopped, glancing at cogs in front of her. "How do you know?"

"Because i built it." He revealed, annabeth slowly lifts her gaze to the man. Brows creased, annabeth returns her focus to the chair with a sigh, "I'm not leaving her without my friend. And if you aren't going to help me, could you maybe leave me alone so i can focus?" She asked, looking back at him.

"In spite of what my brother might've told you, I am not someone who'll be pushed around." Hephaestus watches as she works with the cog, "I know your mother was displeased with you recently." Annabeth paused, her head dropping. "We both know how she gets. But this was a lot."

"Even for her." Annabeth stood up slowly, facing the man, "You walk outta here with that shield..and you're a hero. On your way to the greatest glory. She'll be proud and you will be forgiven, and all will go back to being as it always has been, always will be..as it should be." Annabeth stared at the god in utter disbelief.

"If isn't how it should be! It isn't!" She yelled, "Eat or be eaten. Power and glory and nothing else matters. Ares is that way, Zeus is that way, my mother is that way." Staring down at her, hephaestus nods slightly. Annabeth turns to the chair, "She isn't that way. She's better than that." She scowls at the god. "Maybe i was that way once. But i don't wanna be that way anymore. I won't be like all of you. I just won't."

Hephaestus drops his head and turns away, Annabeth eyes the mechanism again, A melody played on a flute and the gears started grinding. Annabeth immediately marched around the golden chair, she stared at pandora who was still encased in gold.

She watches as the metal dissipates, exposing her face, Pandora took quick short breaths as the gold retreats down her shoulders and off her body, She looked down at herself with bewilderment written on her face. She lifts her hand, now free from the gold. Pandora glanced up, spotting hephaestus, She struggled to her feet, annabeth helped her quickly, grabbing hold of her arm, smiling as pandora held onto her.

"Some of us don't like being that way either." Pandora stared up at the man, confused on who he was, "You're a good kid, annabeth. I'll put in a good word with your mom for you." Hephaestus heads back through the door. "Let's — Let's not mention any of this to percy." Pandora muttered as she finally leaned off of annabeth.

Pandora had accidentally slipped up and told percy herself, he scolded her back on the way to the diner now he was giving her the silent treatment. They walked into the diner. Daphne, grover, leah and ares watch as they walk in with the shield.

Annabeth hoists the shield onto the table, Ares smiled slightly as his gaze moves from his shield to the four kids standing over him, "Where's our ride?" Percy questioned.

Outside, ares stands besides a semi truck, "You're kidding." Daphne and Percy voiced in disbelief, "You want us ride in this.?" Daphne pointed at the truck, shaking her head, she places her hands on her hips as they stopped in front of ares. "I'm not riding in that thing."

Ares snaps his finger, the trailer doors swing open, Leah leans forward, looking inside the truck, "Get in, don't. I really don't care." He stated, "But in a few hours, this thing is gonna be at the Lotus Casino in Vegas. Hermes hangs out there. You play your cards right and his personal driver can get you to L.A in minutes." He threw percy a backpack, leah made a face at the mention of her father. "Here. Clothes. Cash. Drachmas to summon hermes. I'd wish you luck, but what good would it do you?"

"Are you always an asshole?" Pandora tilted her head, her brows furrowed as she stared at the god. "Yes." She made a face and nodded, "We're not gonna fail." Ares grins. "Don't worry. Your dad had plenty of kids he stopped caring about once he lost interest. You'll have lots of company."

"We're not gonna fail," Percy repeated, "And i'm getting pretty tired of you saying it." He hands grover the bag, "Percy—" Daphne shushed the satyr, "No, no. Let it happen." She whispered, watching percy walk closer to ares. "You think you know who i am, but you don't. And if you aren't careful — you're gonna find out." Grover stepped up and placed the bag back in percy's hands. "Percy.."

"So, thank you for the emotional abuse and the cheeseburgers..and the ride. We're gonna take you up on that, too." They make for the trailer, daphne pats ares shoulder, "Pay for my meal again, next time." She climbs up behind of leah. "Hey, do you think we could get some paper towels or something, it's not that nice in here." Ares snapped his fingers once more and the trailer doors closed.

"Well..this smells." Leah covered her nose as they walked deeper into the trailer, "If it gets us where we need to go, that's all that matters." Annabeth said, staring at percy. "Assuming the old man was telling the truth." Pandora muttered, grover turned to them, looking at daphne and leah then back at the other four,

"He wasn't. Not entirely, at any rate. He was holding something back." The four stared at grover, "How do you know?" Midas asked, "Because i think me and leah got it out of him." Daphne furrowed her brow, she was pretty sure she had part in it — maybe.

"We know who stole the master bolt."

Pandora jolted awake, her dream containing a man talking about a war beyond zeus and poseidon's war. She glanced to the side, spotting percy who looked like he just woke up. He was still giving her the silent treatment. Pandora looked at daphne and leah, daphne's head on leah's shoulder as they slept.

Percy eyed grover who stands beneath a small open hatch, "Does that help?" He asked, looking down at them, Pandora got up and sat next to annabeth, percy sitting next to midas. "Guess we're about to find out." Annabeth said, holding a prism, "Can you see where we are?" Midas looked up at grover, the satyr nodded, sticking his head up the small open hatch and looking around.

He ducks back inside and looks at them, "We're almost there." Annabeth nods, the prism glows purple and pandora furrowed her brow, looking at it, "There. I've got a signal." Floating lights stands before them, percy and his sister staring at it in awe, annabeth nudged percy, who held a drachma in his hand. "Toss it, seaweed brain."

Percy flicks the drachma into the shimmering spectrum of colors, "This will never stop being weird." Percy voiced, "If you want the gods' attention, you have to pay for it. Which is weird, because they have enough money i'm pretty sure, just greedy." Midas muttered, shaking his head.

"Oh, iris, Goddess of the rainbow," Annabeth closes her eyes and pandora looked at her then back at the wall, "Please accept my offering." The light shifted into a reddish color, "Okay, show me Camp Half-Blood. Chiron's Office." The back of luke's head appears.

"Luke?" The siblings said in sync, the boy turns to them, "Annabeth? Midas? Percy? Pandora! Are you okay? Where's Leah." The four nodded, "Yeah, w — we're fine. She's fine. Where's Chiron?" Annabeth asked, Luke looked back then back at them.

"Chiron's holding camp together with both hands. Everyone thinks we're going to war, so the cabins are taking sides. Please tell me you're calling with good news."

"We know who stole the bolt." Luke paused, tilting his head, "How do you know?" He questioned, "We ran into ares, and grover and leah got him talking and realized ares knew who the thief was but was covering for them." Annabeth explained, then tilted her head. "So who would ares cover for other than.." She trailed off.

"His favorite daughter. Clarisse's the Lightning Thief." He said, shaking his head, "Chiron's gotta arrest her, find out what she knows. There's more to this than just the bolt, something bigger." Pandora nodded to her brother's words and midas and annabeth stared at them confused. "Don't ask me how i know, you just gotta trust me."

"Okay, i'm on it. So, ares, huh? What was that like?" He asked, "Well...he was very annoying so compared to the chimera on monday and medusa on sunday," Pandora started, shooting the other three a look.

"Could have been a lot worse." She shrugged, "Medusa was saturday." Annabeth furrowed her brow and looked at pandora, "I thought sunday." Percy and his sister shared a brief look. "No misters on sunday. Monday, you and dory died in the river." Midas said, nodding to himself.

"Right. So, Medusa on Saturday." Percy looked at midas, "Guys, what is this?" The four glanced at luke who stared at them questioningly, "What?" They said in sync, "When did the four of you turn into old married couples?" Percy, Midas, Annabeth and Pandora went quiet, raising their brows slightly as they avoided each other's eyes.

"So, changing the subject. We could use your advice on something." Pandora looked up at him, "We're headed to Las Vegas to find your dad —" Annabeth instantly turns the prism, cutting off Luke. She turned to pandora with a sharp stare. "What was that about?"

"You can't ask luke about his dad."

"Well, now she certainly can't." Percy looked back at the wall, "If you tell him we're going to see hermes, he's gonna try to talk us out of it. Leah already doesn't agree with it. We don't need that right now." Annabeth said, gesturing to the girl who was sitting on the floor, fast asleep. "What? She doesn't?" Pandora furrowed her brow.

"She didn't say it but i know her. She just doesn't want to be the only person who doesn't agree with the plan." Pandora pursed her lips, "They don't get along?" Percy asked. "At all. Leah, though, she's just scared. Scared of meeting him, scared he'll be disappointed in her." Midas said, shaking his head.

"Who are you guys talking about?" Leah said, moving daphne's head from her shoulder gently. The other four jumped, not noticing she woke up. "You." Percy and Pandora said in sync, "Oh, gods." Annabeth and midas let out huge sighs.

Leah stared at them, tilting her head, "Good things, i hope?" The two jacksons gave her a smile and a thumbs up. Grover walked over to them, Okay, got some updates."

They all stand, leah pulling a half-awake daphne to her feet, "The men driving this truck are not nice people. Traffickers." The group shared a look, "We can do our best to help all these animals escape, but not if it means we're jeopardizing the quest." Grover quickly shook his head. "Oh, no, no, no. They've already got a plan to get themselves out. And us, too. I mean, some of these guys, so smart."

"Well, can you tell that one to stop farting?" Daphne pointed at the cage next to the satyr, Pandora snickered, nudging her brother who hid his smile. He knew he shouldn't have still been mad but what if they couldn't get her back after the quest was done, he would've brought back his moms but had lost his sister the same week.

"They were really only missing, like, one piece of the puzzle to get the cages unlocked."

"What's that?" Percy asked, as they al stared at grover questionably. "Thumbs." Daphne and midas snorted, sharing a look of amusement. "But we're here now, so... all good."

"And once the cages are open, they have a plan from there?" Annabeth questioned, her arms crossed, grover nodded. "Yeah. Really elegant. I mean, these guys, they're.. they're like artists." Grover smiles at them.

The six demigods and the satyr watch as the animals run around in traffic, stopping the cars, "Okay, so.. Is this really a good idea?" Percy nodded, "This seems dangerous." Grover turned to them. "Oh. They'll be totally fine. I gave them a satyr's blessing, so they'll be able to reach the wilderness safely."

"We meant for the people." Grover looks back at the street, "Oh.." Leah laughed quietly, "Them." Daphne smiled and turned to leah, "So much sympathy in his voice." Leah laughed louder a bit this time. "Well, i mean, i'm sure they'll.. Yeah, i don't know. But the animals are all set."

"Okay, come on, before the cops shows up." Percy turned to annabeth and midas, "So, how do we know which hotel is the lotus?" Annabeth and midas shared a look, looking up at something in front of all of them.

"I'm guessing the one with the giant lotus blossom on it." Percy looks at the hotel, then back at the two, "You were like two seconds ahead of me. Seriously." Annabeth smiled and followed behind midas. Pandora sighed and trailed behind the group.