Third Person's POV
"What in Tartarus was that?!" Poseidon yelled as the Harpies flew away.
Hermes ran for the Gym door, and closed it, locking it up. Apollo, first as a concerned father, head over to Thomas, touched his forehead, and woke him up.
Thomas, of course, woke up with a start. He gasped and coughed, and choked out a thanks, before heading over to Sophie.
Apollo walked around, waking the demigods one by one before heading over back to the gods, who were not-so-quietly, and not-so-discreetly talking about monsters.
"The hell were they?!" Poseidon yelled again.
"For the last time Poseidon-" Athena said in a dangerously low voice. "I DON'T KNOW!!" She screamed.
"Why is it that you're such a know-it-all at the worst of times, but when we actually need you freakishly smart brain, you don't know." Poseidon said.
"BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW!" Athena said. "I HAVE NEVER SEEN THESE THINGS AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY ARE!"
The room went silent. The only thing that could be heard was Athena's heavy breathing due to her shouting. Athena was pretty upset about not knowing this. And Poseidon was in all not helping.
Athena looked like Annabeth. And Sophie. And a tiny bit like Alex when they don't know things. They hate not knowing things. The type of people who just can't close their eyes and look away.
"I don't know what they are. But I sure hell am going to find out." Athena said. "So let me do my research, and I'll have the answers in a couple of days."
No more words, and Athena teleported out of the gymnasium. Annabeth gave Poseidon an accusing look, before walking to Percy. Poseidon looked a bit grim.
"Look. We can start with what we know." Hephaestus said. "What we can tell at least."
"The trick. We can't die, so we can't touch them." Hermes said.
"One hell of a trick." Ares grumbled.
"That sounds like-" Reyna started.
"My magic." Aether said. "I know. But I swear I didn't do it."
"Of course you didn't." Reyna said. "But someone did."
"Chaos wouldn't." Bianca said. "Why would he?" She stated.
"Oh gods." Alex said. "It's not Nyx is it?"
"No." Aether said. "She's in Tartarus. With-" He stopped. "Granddad charmed her in. Even if she does get out; Even if she had control over the Doors of Death, it'll take her at the least-" He shrugged. "A hundred years of reform and get out."
"Well. Good ol' stinkin' Mother Earth then." Leo said.
"What about her then?" Jason asked.
"She's asleep." Aphrodite said. "Piper put her to sleep and she did her job right. I'm sure of it." Piper smiled at this.
"Who else then?" Annabeth said.
"Is it him?" Luke asked solemnly.
"That would explain the note." Thalia said.
"Note? What note?" Hermes asked.
"One year. Be prepared. Brace yourselves. It will end soon." Sophie said, and everyone looked at her. "What? I've got a good memory."
"You mean you've been having nightmares." Thomas said.
"Tom-"
"Soph. Come on!" Tom said. "I'm his son." He nudged his head at Apollo. "I'm a healer. You're seen waking up cold sweat at night. You're getting insomniac. It's not healthy."
"You've been getting nightmares?" Apollo asked, concerned.
"She's not the only one." Nico mumbled.
"Nico-" Alex said.
"You woke up screaming twice this week." Nico said. "You know our room is sound proof but-"
"I'm fine Nico." Alex said.
"Who else is having nightmares?" Poseidon asked.
"I-" Annabeth said.
"Annabeth. She never screamed though. Just-" Percy sadly looked at her. "She cried last week. Wasn't about Tartarus or-"
"What are these dreams about, exactly?" Aphrodite said.
"Nothing. I swear." Annabeth said. "Just. Words, and voices, and loud banging, and flashing lights. Wasn't even scary." She shook slightly.
"Thalia. You woke up yesterday-" Luke said.
"I know. I just-" Thalia sighed.
"The girls are the only one that gets these dreams?" Hephaestus asked.
"No." Clarisse said. "I haven't, at least."
"Yeah. But I have." Chris said.
"Charlie." Silena said. "You should tell them."
"I'm fine." Beckendorf said.
"You haven't slept in three days!" Silena begged.
"Sunshine. You woke up two days ago. You were cooking at three AM." Leo said to Calypso. She turned away. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"You boys haven't pranked anyone in days." Katie looked at the Stolls. "You haven't said anything rude in days, as a matter of fact."
"Not a single student or teacher found a plastic something in their seat." Bianca said. "You guys are having nightmares aren't you?"
"Pipes?" Jason asked.
"Look. It was nothing. I barely even remembered it in the morning. I really don't need a beauty sleep." Piper said.
"Frank hasn't slept in a few days too." Hazel said, and Frank looked at her. "Do you think I'm that stupid to not notice?"
"No. Of course not." Frank said.
"When did the dreams start?" Ares asked.
"Since the note." Annabeth answered, and the rest just nodded.
"Everyday?" Ares asked again.
"No." Sophie said. "But it's been getting real vivid."
"Like REALLY vivid." Alex said.
"The note." Apollo said. "Who sent it?"
"We thought one of you did." Percy said. "It came just after Athena left, and it said Brace Yourself. That sounds like-"
"My note." Poseidon said. "Definitely my words, but I didn't send it."
"Pattern. Any pattern?" Hermes asked.
"We can rule parental and gender out." Annabeth quickly said.
"And it's not exactly scheduled." Percy said. "Unless you guys have schedules that I don't know about."
"Of course not." Alex said.
"I'm gonna be the adult here for once and stay at yours tonight." Apollo said, suddenly wearing a doctor's jacket with a clip board in hand. "Monitoring your sleeps and if I have your permission, jump in if the nightmare starts."
"Well you have mine." Sophie said. "You've seen a lot worse."
"Do I even want to know?" Thomas said.
Sophie shook her head mouthing a 'No.'. Apollo wrote something on his clipboard and looked up again.
"Sure." Alex said.
"Yeah." The Hermes boys said.
"I-" Annabeth said. "Apollo can I talk to you?"
"Sure." Apollo said.
"Alone." Annabeth glanced at Percy.
Percy raised one eyebrow and took his arm off her shoulder, and took a step back.
Apollo zapped out with Annabeth, only to zap back in moments later. Apollo smiled and sighed looking at his clipboard again.
"The rest of you?" Apollo said.
"Yeah. Okay." They mumbled along.
"Okay." Poseidon said. "Get some rest."
"I'll send you home." Hermes said.
"Keep safe. You tell us about the nightmares next time." Hephaestus demanded.
"Don't get yourself killed." Was all Ares said.
"Straight to bed. No nothing, you all have to sleep tonight. Don't worry about the dreams. Apollo and I'll take care of it." Aphrodite said.
"You? Want to be a doctor?" Apollo said. "Are you sure?"
"I'll be the hot nurse." Aphrodite said. "Besides. Even if they gave you permission, don't you think it's better if I go inside the girls' nightmares?"
"Sure. Whatever." Apollo said. "Bed!"
"Night kids." Hermes said and he snapped his fingers.
He sent the kids, all to their respective rooms. Percy had helped Annabeth out of her dress before both of them went straight to bed. Percy had his arms around Annabeth as she yelled a goodnight through the intercom.
Percy had his arm around Annabeth, as she rested her head on the crook of Percy's neck, breathing in the scent of the ocean before drifting off to sleep. Percy planted a soft kiss on Annabeth's forehead just before he closed his eyes.
Meanwhile, Apollo sat down in front of screens, showing the demigods one by one falling asleep.
"Aren't they adorable?" Aphrodite gushed. "Look at Percabeth. And Jiper. Thaluke just did a good night kiss. Is Alex wearing Nico's shirt?!"
"Aphrodite." Apollo said. "We're here to monitor them, not-"
"Gush and coo." Athena suddenly appeared and said.
"Hey Athena." Aphrodite and Apollo said.
"Hi. I'm here to help." Athena said.
"Did you figure out what they are?" Apollo said.
"No." Athena said.
"No? What do you mean, no?!" Aphrodite said.
"No. I don't know what they are because they don't exist." Athena said. "Never named, newly created. Genetically made. Mortal's work."
"Mortal's work?!" Aphrodite and Apollo yelled.
"Shh!" Athena said. "I'll figure it out. Don't worry. But I just heard my girls are having nightmares? I need to be here."
"Alright. Sit tight. We have a long night." Apollo said.
"Oh. Close your eyes mummy and daddy, you do not want to see what Thomas and Sophie are doing." Aphrodite grinned.
"Oh come on." Athena groaned and looked away.
"Can't really blame her." Apollo said. "Thomas IS my carbon copy."
"Blame her? This is Thomas' doing." Athena said. "Oh if he hurts my daughter I will drop him into Tartarus." She gritted her teeth. "And he might not be in one piece."
As Aphrodite giggled off into her ship filled monitor watching spree, Athena and Apollo sat back doing their own thing.
Apollo got himself a guitar and started to hum a soft melody. None of the goddesses mind. He had a nice voice actually, if he wasn't trying to show off.
"We're a thousand miles from comfort. We have traveled land and sea. But as long as you are with me, there's no place I'd rather be." Apollo sang softly.
Aphrodite hummed along, as Athena got her books and laptops out, continuing to do her research.
It was around three o'clock when Reyna woke up.
But that's odd. Reyna never had nightmares.
"Aether." Reyna called as she shook him softly. "Aether. Honey?" She called.
"What?" He asked. "What is it? What's wrong?"
"Murder. Twenty fourth." Reyna sighed.
"If it's done. Just leave it to the police." Aether mumbled.
"No. But it's going to." Reyna said. "A girl is going to die. Along with her family the next day. And a school of kids."
"Looking into the future?" Aether mumbled. "That's new."
"That's impossible." Athena mumbled, as they watched.
"Not." Apollo said.
"She caught a few guys trying to plant bombs at a school." Reyna said.
"Saturday morning. Technically speaking. So it's-"
"No. They're being monitored tonight." Reyna said.
"Not all of them." Aether shrugged.
"Maybe we should just leave them be." Reyna said.
"Alright. But-" Aether sighed. "Can't get the suit. Percy-"
"Has the key." Both Aether and Reyna said.
"Great." Aether said.
"We could go without one." Reyna offered.
"And risk getting caught?" Aether asked.
"You know. We're immortal." Reyna said. "If we do get caught-" She shrugged. "Magic."
"Thought you'd never asked." Aether said.
Aether immediately disappeared, along with Reyna, away to stop the murder. Aphrodite cooed a few more, before it was cut off by a scream.
"Annabeth." Apollo said.
A look of worry flashed though Athena's face. Aphrodite shoved her, telling her to go before Athena zapped into her daughter's nightmare.
Well. There are good news. And bad news.
The good news is, Annabeth isn't having the flashing message nightmare.
Bad news?
It was Tartarus.
Athena showed up literally in the middle of hell fire. She looked to see Annabeth crying at Percy's limp body. She winced and looked away. She heard a noise from above, calling Annabeth to wake up.
Athena immediate zapped herself out.
"Annabeth. Hey. Sweetheart you okay?" Percy whispered as Annabeth gasped when she woke.
"Tar-" Annabeth breathed in sharply. "It was Tartarus."
"The one sending you the message?" Percy asked, as Apollo and Aphrodite's heads perk up to both this sentence, and Athena's reappearance into the room.
"No. I mean. I was having a nightmare out the pit." Annabeth sighed. "You died. Again."
"Again." Percy gave a chuckle.
"Oh shut up you." Annabeth said sharply.
"I'm sorry." Percy grinned and kissed her. "You haven't had one in weeks. I haven't had one in weeks. What do you think triggered it?"
"Maybe I just don't want you to die?" Annabeth said simply.
"It's all gonna be fine Annabeth." Percy said and kissed her forehead. "We'll be fine. We're together. We're married, which is a wonderful thing. It's fine."
"I love you Percy." Annabeth said.
"Love you more." Percy said. "Go to sleep. I'll watch over you."
"Goodnight." Annabeth said.
"Night." Percy mumbled as he pulled Annabeth closer.
Aphrodite looked at Athena, who in all sudden had a grim look on her face as she pretended to get back to her study.
"What did you see?" Aphrodite suddenly asked.
"Nothing." Athena mumbled as she flipped off her book.
"You saw something Athena. I know you more than anyone. You saw something that's disturbing you. So tell me." Aphrodite pushed.
"I saw my son-in-law, dead on the ground, died protecting my daughter who was crying over his body." Athena said. "In the pit. I saw the pit."
Apollo looked up at his half sister and cleared his throat, as if asking for more details. Aphrodite gave Apollo a little glare but she too was intrigued.
"I, have never even been to the pit." Athena sighed. "As much as I hate the boy-"
"Athena." Aphrodite said.
"As much as I hate the boy's father-" Athena said. "My heart aches for my daughter. For both of them. What's keeping them sane?"
"Well, each other of course." Aphrodite said.
"How is Nico holding it up then?" Athena said. "He went alone. Is Hades not worried about him?"
"Nico is strong. He has a strong will. Stronger than every other demigod I should say. He can hold it up, because he's an excellent survivor." Hades said, suddenly appearing in the room.
"Scared me to death." Aphrodite said, a hand on her chest. "What are you doing here?"
"Nico's string is turning gold." Hades said.
"Excuse me?" Athena said. "What?"
"Zeus is not the only one who can make people immortal, Athena." Hades said. "Nico's string turns gold tonight."
"No no. Wait. Let's get back to the Tartarus thing. I'm intrigued. I'm a doctor, I should know this stuff." Apollo said. "Nico doesn't get as many nightmares as Percy and Annabeth. And he went alone."
"I would love to just tell you it's because he's my son-" Hades said. "But truth is, in Tartarus, every monster is out to get Percy, if not Annabeth, even sometimes, most of the time, both. At the moment, Nico had no one there with him. He stayed hidden, he still had something driving him. But, he had nothing to lose. While Percy and Annabeth, faced with the terror of losing each other, had everything to lose."
"So it's better to have nothing to lose than everything to lose." Athena said. "Having everything to lose makes you reckless, even though that's not how it's theoretically supposed to go."
Hades took a seat and looked at his son, who was starting to glow faintly. Nico looked simply at peace. He exhaled a sparkling frozen breath and a smile curled up Hades' face.
"He knows you're doing this right?" Apollo said. "Because if he rejects it, it's fatal for him. He won't live through. If it's disturbed-"
"He won't. It won't." Hades said.
"Call Hermes." Apollo said. "Look's like the Stolls are having a nightmare."
"Both of them?" Athena asked.
"Yes." Apollo said.
"That's a sex dream." Aphrodite said. "I know one when I see one."
"Gross." Hades mumbled. His eyes widened in terror, and anger. "Isn't one of them dating Bianca. MY Bianca?!"
"Yes." Athena said.
"Oh I'm gonna kill him." Hades said.
"Call Hermes anyway." Apollo said. "I'm bored. And call Uncle P, Uncle H."
Hermes and Poseidon popped in seconds later. Hermes looked at the screen and Aphrodite whispered something to him. He burst out into laughter.
"Aphrodite. Are you sure about that sex dream?" Apollo said worriedly.
Both Connor and Travis rolled to their side, clutching the side of their beds as they opened their eyes. It was inhumanly white and it glowed.
"Hermes. You get to Travis, I'll get Connor." Apollo said.
"Apollo. Alex, she's-" Poseidon said.
"You go too then." Apollo said.
"And Sophie." Athena said.
"Go!" Hades yelled at them.
The gods showed up at exactly the same time in different nightmares.
Apollo looked around, and there was flashing lights. He was in the middle of a city. In ruins, buildings on fire.
"A collectives vendetta." A voice rang out. Buzzing sounds. Apollo looked around to see Connor Stoll walking stiff like a zombie. His eyes glowed white. "A collectives vendetta."
"Connor." Apollo mumbled. "Stoll. Tell me what's wrong."
"A collectives vendetta." He said.
An exploration from a block away sent Apollo flying out of the dreamscape. He showed up in the monitoring room to Aphrodite's and Hades' concerned faces as he caught his breath.
"Damn." Apollo muttered. "Struck out. The others?"
"Still in there." Aphrodite said.
"Whether he knew thieves." Travis mumbled. "Thieves." It echoed.
"Son? Travis?" Hermes said.
Of course, he didn't know it. But he showed up in a similar scape like Apollo. A burnt down city, chaos.
"Whether he knew thieves." Travis said again. He opened his eyes to reveal chalky white eyes as he turned to his dad. "Thieves. Whether he knew thieves." He said in an accusing voice.
"Son?" Hermes said. He took a step back and zapped himself out of there.
Hermes showed up in the monitoring room, shaking.
"Hermes. Are you alright?" Hades asked.
"Come here." Aphrodite cooed and stood up, as Hermes, still shaking, sat down on Aphrodite's chair. "There. There."
Apollo watched the screens intently as he saw the Stolls still shaking in cold sweat in their beds.
"Alex. Alex? It's me. Dad. I-" Poseidon stopped at his tracks. Alex was talking to a man.
Odysseus Trey was standing there.
"A melted boathouse rift." Odysseus
"Odysseus." Poseidon mumbled.
Alex turned to see Poseidon's jaw dropped face. Her eyes were white and she turned back to Odysseus.
"A melted boathouse rift."
Poseidon staggered back at the image of his old friend and he zapped himself back to the monitoring room.
"Athena not here yet?" Was the first thing Poseidon said.
"Last one standing." Aphrodite mumbled as the gods all watched the screen showing Sophie's room.
Athena was watching her daughter standing in the middle of ruins. Not knowingly, it was a similar dreamscape, as all the others.
"Lost. Onlooker. Story." A voice whispered.
"Sophie?" Athena called out.
"Lost." Sophie said.
"Sophie." Athena stepped closer.
White was cover Sophie's trademark gray gold sparks eyes. It stared it's way into Athena's wise old eyes, making the goddess' inside creep out.
"Sweetheart." Athena said.
"Story. Lost story. Lost onlooker story." Sophie said.
Athena shook her head and quickly transported herself into the monitoring room.
Yes Poseidon hated her, but as the gentleman he was, and he noticed Athena was slightly pale, he stood up and gave his seat to Athena.
"No thank you. I can-"
"Sit down. Or I'm going to tie you to the chair." Poseidon threatened.
Athena rolled her eyes and offered a weak smile before sitting down. She sighed and Poseidon made another chair appear for himself.
"Did you guys-" Hermes started.
"Yeah." Athena had already said.
"White eyes?" Apollo said.
"Yep." Poseidon said.
"White eyes." Athena said. "Maybe that's why the kids can only see flashing lights."
"And the words. The sentence. It makes no sense." Apollo said.
"A melted boathouse rift." Poseidon said.
"None of what they said made any sense." Apollo said. "None. Not one."
"That's not what I heard." Hermes said. "Trav called me a thief."
"I'm sure he didn't." Hades mumbled slowly, glancing nervously at Nico who was stirring.
"Hades. Your son. He's-"
"I-" Hades shook.
"Is he turning gold tonight?" Poseidon asked as Hades frantically shadow traveled himself into Nico's room.
Hades was too late. Nico woke up, and he only had time to hide himself in the shadows. Nico walked over to Alex's bed, in which she is still shaking cold sweat and planted a kiss on her forehead.
"Lex? Wake up. You okay?" Nico asked slowly.
Hades shadow traveled himself back to the monitoring room with a heart broken look on his face.
"I can't turn him gold." Hades muttered. "Not now, not ever."
"Does he know he's turning?" Apollo asked again.
"Yes!" Hades yelled. "Why do you keep asking?!"
"Because he's not supposed to wake up!" Apollo yelled back.
Aphrodite and Poseidon was the ones watching intently at the screen. Nico shook Alex awake, and she woke with a loud gasp.
"Nico." Alex sighed out.
"Bad dream?" Nico said jokingly.
"Shut up." Alex chuckled.
"You okay?" Nico said, rubbing circles on her back.
"Fine. There was this man. I heard his voice, he's just-" Alex said. "I could've sworn I've heard the voice before."
"Maybe it's your dad?" Nico said. "The gods are doing nightmare patrol tonight."
"Nightmare patrol." Alex scoffed. "What he said doesn't make sense."
"What did he say?" Nico said.
"I don't know. I can't remember." Alex said.
"Poseidon." Hermes asked. "What did you say?"
Poseidon had frozen in terror looking at the screen. Alex had heard Odysseus' voice before? Impossible. He didn't even knew she existed. Poseidon slowly shook his head.
"No I guess you're right." Alex said. "Probably dad. I'll ask him in the morning. Sorry for waking you up."
"Don't be ridiculous." Nico simply said. "Go back to sleep."
"Night Nico." Alex said, as she kissed his cheek.
"Night." Nico said
Alex's eyes suddenly
It was silent for a moment. Apollo's eyes widened in fear and zapped away. He then zapped in with a wearied look on his face.
"Um. Good news and bad news." Apollo said. "Bad news. Nico's string has not turned gold. But, good news. It turned silver and it can be turned gold."
"That is both incorrect in the scientific or Greek culture perspective." Athena said. "Gold and Silver is two different elements. You cannot make gold from silver. And ones life line physically cannot turn to the color silver. It can't even turn gold, it's just a misconception that because Ichor is gold and gods are immortal, so a golden life line will-"
"At tat tat tat tat. Shush." Apollo said. "I. Do. Not. Care."
Athena crossed her arms and Poseidon stifled a laugh. She glared and huffed.
"The point is, he has the powers of a god, but not immortal. But somebody can make him immortal." Apollo said.
"But that somebody is not me." Hades said. "So he's not going to be immortal."
Hades had a glum look on his face as he quietly disappeared in a misty black smoke.
"He knows I could do it for him." Poseidon said slowly. "Right?"
"He's just too prideful. And ancient." Aphrodite said. "He thinks no one would help him."
"I would." Poseidon said. "He's my daughter's boyfriend. I owe him her life."
"Like she said." Athena said. "Prideful and ancient."
"Takes one to know one." Hermes whistles innocently.
"I will skin you alive." Athena said.
"What is happening?" Aether said.
"You're back?" Aphrodite asked as Reyna poofed in and brushed dust off her clothes.
"It wasn't human." Reyna said.
"Excuse me?" Athena said.
"It. Wasn't. Human." Reyna said. "None of it was ever human. Ever since weeks ago."
"Slowly now. Tell us what happened." Poseidon said.
"It wasn't human. The mall hijacking. The bank robbery. The charity event. No one was human." Aether said.
"What?" Aphrodite said. "How'd you know?"
"We saw them." Aether said.
"What do they look like?" Apollo asked.
"I can't-" Reyna said. "I can't remember."
"Neither can I." Aether said.
"You see something inhuman, you remember it!" Hermes yelled.
"What were we talking about?" Reyna said.
"Get them to sit." Apollo said. The gods pushed Reyna and Aether down to their seats.
"Did you stop them?" Poseidon said.
"Stop what?" Aether asked weakly.
"The non-human things!" Hermes yelled, as he was getting frustrated.
"Oh yeah. Easy." Reyna slumped.
"Try to remember what they look like." Aphrodite said.
"What who looked like?" Aether said.
"Memory wipe. They're getting their memory wipe, bits by bits." Athena said. "Reyna, Aether. Did you touch anything. Did they touch you? Put a spell on you."
"One of them-" Reyna closed her eyes and was out cold.
"Aether hurry up." Athena pleaded.
"Needle. Back of my neck. They-" Aether said before he slumped forward.
Athena checked the back of Aether's neck and sure enough, she found three needle marks. Three identical marks were found on the back of Reyna's neck.
"Needles." Athena muttered.
"Three?" Aphrodite said.
"They're not dead." Hermes said. "Right?"
"Immortal." Apollo said. "Hermes. Help me get them to bed."
Hermes took Aether and Apollo took Reyna, before the four of them zapped their way into Reyna and Aether's bedroom. The tucked Reyna and Aether into their beds before going back to the viewing room.
"Three." Aphrodite repeated. "Kind of brutal don't you think?"
"To be fair. They're immortals." Poseidon said. "Aether is a primordial, he's older than us."
"Distance memory wipe. The poison goes through the veins, slowly makes it's way to the brain and wipes the memories backwards." Apollo said.
"Like the Silence." Aphrodite said.
"No. The Silence does it instant, not backwards." Poseidon said.
"Wait." Athena said. "You watch Doctor Who?"
"Amphitrite likes it. Call me stupid, call me uncultured." Poseidon said. "I can't deny classic time travel."
"Besides. The Silence uses the retracting memory alien thingy." Hermes said. "This is poison. Magic and poison."
"Guys." Apollo said. "What's going on?"
A/N
So. I updated! I'm sorry this chapter is not as good and not as long as the previous ones. I won't say much, because I'll have another A/N after this, explaining what I have to explain.
So, Vote, comment, and follow me! Thank you all so much, and I love you all.