Percy, Annabeth, Jason, Leo, Piper, Frank, Hazel, Thalia, and Nico stood before the council of the gods. Zeus cleared his throat loudly and officially.
"Heroes," he boomed. "It has come to our attention that the future may get out of hand. And when things get out of hand, innocent people die. In the future Apollo has shown us, far too many people are dying. So, we are sending you to this place, where you will save as many people as you can."
"Um," Piper nervously raised her hand. "Could you be more specific?"
Zeus sighed. "We have children in the future too. And the camps face a new threat which we do not know of. But in this horrible future, many of them are in districts. You need to save them and bring them to Camp Half-Blood, or what is left of Camp Half-Blood, for our world to survive. And in this specific year, nearly all of them are tributes, which will be explained. Athena and Hephaestus have constructed some things that should help." The king of the gods nodded to Athena and Hephaestus. They held out their palms and nine bronze disks appeared in their hands, one for each of them. They were about three inches in diameter and as thin as paper.
"This," Hephaestus announced. "Is vital to your mission. On one side is a map of the arena, which is programmed with the trackers you will receive."
"The other side will pass information from us if needed," Athena added. "It will appear engraved in Ancient Greek, so no one else can read it. You will receive these when you go." The disks disappeared in a flash of bronze light.
"There is also this." Apollo interrupted, holding up a vial of glowing silvery blue liquid, about the size of his fist. Though in godly form, as he was 20 feet tall, the vial was pretty big. "Crafted by Hecate herself, with help of me and Artemis, containing a drop of pure liquid stardust and the essence of life itself. It will allow a temporary mind connection, so you can communicate telepathically. It is only for this quest and is nearly impossible to make. Drink it as soon as you arrive. The effects should last two weeks, which should be plenty of time for you to get the tributes out of the arena and into Camp Half-Blood."
Zeus nodded to something behind them, and a figure loomed from the darkness. The massive humanoid stepped into the light, glowing with power.
"Lord Cronus." Thalia bowed in awe. "Primordial deity of time."
"Yes." Cronus looked pleased. "Not many have heard of me, and those who have mistake me for my nephew, that Titan Kronos."
"Lord Cronus is here to teleport you." Zeus announced. "It may tingle a bit."
Cronus snorted. "Just be ready. Tingle is an understatement."
He raised his palms and chanted under his breath in an ancient language none of them understood. Then the outline of his image began to glow, and golden tendrils snaked outward and around his arms. Suddenly, eight bursts of golden light shot out of his fingertips and circled around the demigods. The heroes were engulfed in a blinding light. Then suddenly, they vanished.