Percy Jackson, The Missing Hero.

34. Despite Popular Belief, Percy has a 'Plan'

I've had Octavian back for two weeks and it has been amazing. It's just unfortunate that I can't show that happiness outside of my Cabin since it seems the whole camp is in mourning for Solace, not just di Angelo. I never realised that he was so important, even if he was the Head Counsellor for his Cabin. Apparently he'd been here for years and had wormed himself into the good graces of many. His siblings are in uproar, none of them want to be the one to step into his position. And, to make matters worse, Apollo is here. He hasn't left since Dionysus summoned him when Will was dying and he's been guarding his kids and di Angelo like another one of them will die if he lets them out of his sight.

di Angelo has been a mess. He arrived a few hours after Will died and we all know when Apollo told him because the sky went black. The shroud burning was actually hard to watch, even though I knew it was how we were getting my Tavy back. He was a mess. At least when he burned Jackson's shroud he wasn't standing there crying with only Apollo as support, the rest of the Seven were standing there crying as well.

I almost wish that there was a different way we could have done this but then I remember what it was like to see Octavian's eyes open for the first time and I know that I would have sacrificed the entire Apollo Cabin and di Angelo himself if I had to. I just know that nobody can ever find out, otherwise di Angelo would drag Octavian back into the Underworld himself.

"Percy?" Nico's voice made him stop reading and look up.

"Both okay?" Percy asked, noting the two weak smiles they were sporting. "Murderous thoughts towards Nathan and Octavian present but at bay until we catch them?"

"Is this why you picked me to come along?" Apollo asked.

"Not the only reason." Percy shook his head. "Obviously I didn't think it would be fair to tell you and then leave you in Camp while we went after them, and I knew that you'd want to come and mother-hen Nico into insanity. But I was also being a little selfish with the knowledge that having a god on our side will certainly give us an advantage. Plus, if Gaia has been raising the Giants, we'll be able to defeat them without having to wait for assistance from Olympus."

"I didn't even think about the Giants," Nico groaned.

"I didn't either, but it makes sense if Kronos and Gaia are both rising." Percy sighed. "They'll do everything in their power to ensure their success."

"They're supposed to be dust, spread so far apart that they couldn't possibly rise." Apollo shook his head. "Especially not in your lifetimes."

"That's why I'm reading this." Percy waved Nathan's diary. "In the hopes I can find some answers in amongst his descriptions of Octavian's physical appearance and his ratings of different campers' attractiveness."

He didn't want to describe what he'd actually just read, not wanting to add to the upset already present, but his summary was a pretty accurate description of the early contents of Nathan's musings.

"That must make for some entertaining reading." Nico seemed glad to take the conversation in a different direction.

"Some of it, yes." Percy nodded. What wasn't entertaining was left unsaid.

"You made some interesting choices down there." Apollo decided to circle back to their earlier topic of discussion. "Why take twelve when you could have just taken Nico and Luke?"

"Call it a gut feeling." Percy shrugged. "I don't want them to surprise us and have the upper hand. We were blindsided by the revelation about Octavian, we didn't have a clue that he was alive, let alone living in Poseidon's Cabin, and I don't want him springing another surprise on us. He'll be expecting a team of three after him, not twelve, because he's operating under the illusion that we don't know what he did to bring Octavian back and he still thinks that we think he's my brother."