"So, let me get this straight," Percy said. "I have to go find the equivalent to the gods' version of an atomic bomb, and if I fail to bring it within the summer solstice, then there will be an all-out war, where it would make the Second World War look like kids pretending."
"Yes. That is indeed what you'll be doing." Chiron confirms.
Percy looks pale, sickly and looks ready to collapse. I gave him a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder. He looks at me with tired eyes before sighing.
"Alright, I'll do it, it's not like I have any choice. When do I start?
"First, you must consult with the oracle."
"Oracle?"
"Yes, head upstairs, we will wait here. Once you return, I'll tell you more."
Percy got up and entered the big house, the door closing sound like the gates of hell shutting. I wanted to come with Percy, but Chiron told me to stay with him, as Percy must go in alone. I was worried, but I did what I was told. While we were waiting for Percy's return, I turned to Chiron.
"Who do you think the thief was?"
"Child, I do not know the answer to that, and I won't be pointing fingers unless I'm sure."
My eyes shifted to Grover, who shrugged, also not knowing who the culprit was. I leaned in my chair and sighed as my ADHD brain went over the facts in my head. Okay, so a god isn't allowed to steal the symbol of power because of ancient laws, so they can't take it directly; only a hero or a demigod could steal Zeus's thunderbolt.
"Say, Chiron, how good is the security in Olympus?"
Chiron cringed. "Not so good, the gods believed that no one would ever dare steal their symbols of power, so they left them by their thrones."
My jaw dropped. "So, this whole thing would have been avoided if they weren't negligent."
"I...suppose so." Chiron sighs in defeat, rubbing his temples.
That's incredibly annoying. And it doesn't reduce my suspicions; I might have assumed it might be a Hermes demigod since one of his domains is thievery. Though I doubt it, reading about the Greek gods and seeing their kids, they seem relaxed and chill. I've even heard from one of them that, apparently, it is basically the UPS for gods. He seemed loyal to Olympus and his father.
That leaves other godly candidates such as Athena, Hera, Ares and Hades and a bunch of other gods. I zeroed in on Hera, remembering in those Greek stories that Hera can be quite the schemer, especially when it comes to messing with Zeus's children that she didn't bear. Zeus broke the oath by having Thalia, and while Thalia was...dead? Or at least not in the normal kind of being alive. She's probably mad and scheming something which could lead to the downfall of Zeus.
But Thalia had already been out of the picture, and it's been years by now. And she has no hero to use as a pawn to retrieve the masterbolt, as she refuses to lie with someone else other than Zeus. As her domain is marriage. I'll be honest, I felt a little bad for her; she can't escape her relationship with Zeus, and Zeus can't control himself by going after women. Regardless, she doesn't have anyone unless she manipulates them.
Speaking of demigods. What if there wasn't any god involved, and some demigod decided to just steal it for the heck of it. There are too many unknowns for him to think about potential culprits. After a few minutes of tense silence, Percy finally returned, looking confused and a little shaken.
"She said I'd retrieve what was stolen," Percy mumbled, staring at the floor.
Grover leaned forward so fast his Diet Coke can crumpled in his hands. He was practically vibrating. "That's great!"
Chiron didn't share the excitement. His eyebrows were doing that twitchy thing that usually means someone's about to get a very long lecture. "Percy," he said, voice serious, "what did the Oracle say exactly? Word for word. This is important."
"She talked about me heading west. Said I'd have to confront a god who... well, basically flipped sides. And she said I'd get back the stolen item and make sure it was safely returned."
Chiron folded his arms. "Anything else, Percy?"
Percy hesitated, his face paling, like whatever the Oracle said next was the part he really didn't want to repeat.
"No, that's about it."
I frowned and turned to Chiron, who was studying Percy's face critically. After what felt like eternity, Chiron's face relaxed, and he exhaled slowly.
"Very well. But you must understand: the Oracle's prophecies often carry double meanings. Do not obsess over them. Clarity comes only once events unfold."
I could tell he didn't believe Percy had told us everything. But I clearly didn't push it. "Okay, so... where do I go? Who's the god in the west?"
Chiron gave him that teacher look—patient, but also disappointed we weren't catching on faster. "Think, Percy. If Zeus and Poseidon go to war, who benefits? Who would want that?"
I leaned back, folding my arms. "Someone who hates them both," I muttered, already piecing it together.
Percy's eyes widened. "Someone who wants to take over?"
"Exactly," Chiron said. "Someone who carries an ancient grudge... who has resented his realm ever since the world was divided. Whose power grows with the death of mortals. Someone who despises his brothers for forcing him into an oath they themselves broke."
The room felt colder. The air is heavy. Percy breathed the name before anyone else could.
"Hades."
Chiron nodded solemnly. "The Lord of the Dead is certainly a possibility."
Hades, the ruler of the underworld. He is certainly a candidate too. But already there are a lot of problems, like Hades doesn't have any demigod children. But then again, like Percy, there could be children of Hades we don't know about running around out there in the world. And there is also the possibility that another demigod that isn't his is doing his dirty work.
Overall, I'm not sure if Hades is the true culprit. But I kept it in mind and didn't utter a word.
Grover practically choked on air. "W-whoa, wait. What?"
Chiron folded his arms in that disappointed–teacher way he'd perfected over a few centuries. "A Fury tracked Percy. She followed him long enough to confirm who he was... then tried to kill him. And Furies obey only one master: Hades."
Grover shook his head so fast his curls bounced. "Yeah, but Hades hates everyone. Especially heroes! And if he finds out Percy's Poseidon's kid? He'll be even more furious—uh, no pun intended."
Chiron didn't slow down. "And then there's the hellhound. One slipped into the forest—impossible without being summoned from the Fields of Punishment. That means someone inside the camp brought it in. Hades must have a spy here. He's likely convinced Poseidon will try to use Percy to clear his name."
I crossed my arms, watching Percy like he was a walking magnet for divine disaster. Still, the fact that someone at camp is plotting my friend's downfall is giving me ice-cold chills.
Chiron finished grimly. "Which means Hades would very much like to eliminate this young half-blood before he can begin his quest."
Percy slumped. "Great. Two major gods want to kill me."
I pursed my lips and crossed my arms. And finally, I spoke.
"No, that's wrong," I say, getting their attention. Chiron raises a brow but looks at me with curiosity. "I don't think Hades is the culprit."
"Why do you think that, Clay?"
All of their eyes are on me, making me a tad nervous. I gulped, but I said my reasons. I went over the fact that Hades doesn't have a demigod child, to help him steal the bolt, and any other demigod is too afraid of him.
"But what about the fury attacking Percy then?" Questions Grover.
"Yeah, it does sound suspicious, but when Mrs. Dodds attacked us, it was because she assumed that Percy stole something."
"The masterbolt?"
"Maybe, but regardless, the fury is accusing Percy of stealing something, which is why she attacked us. If Hades did send the thief, why is one of his minions demanding where the masterbolt is, if Hades already has it in his possession?"
"Oh yeah, Mrs. Dodds did accuse me of stealing something, which was probably the masterbolt?"
"Yes, thank you for bringing this up, Clay."
I flushed and rubbed my head.
"Still, regardless, if Hades sent a fury to look for the masterplot, there is a possibility he's still involved. After all, there are still plenty of motives for him to cause a war between his brothers. And since the oracle said to go west. The entrance to the Underworld is always in the west; it moves from age to age, just as Olympus does. And right now, naturally, it's in America."
My stomach sank. "Okay... yeah. Sure. But where in America? Like—Nevada? Arizona? It's Ohio, isn't it?"
Chiron gave me this look, like Come on, you're smart, you should piece together.
"I assumed that would be obvious enough," he said. "The entrance to the Underworld is in Los Angeles."
I stared at him. Los. Freaking. Angeles. Of course it was. Because nothing says "Lord of the Dead" quite like traffic, smog, and overpriced beachfront property.
"So, regardless of whether Hades is the culprit or not, the only clue for Percy is to head west and perhaps go to the underworld to seek information. I have a feeling you might run to the culprit regardless."
Percy looked exhausted; all this sudden stress must be taking a lot out of him. And I don't blame him for walking away and crashing into the bed.
"Okay, Right. So we just hop on a plane—"
Grover practically detonated beside me.
"NO! Percy, what are you doing? Have you ever been on a plane?"
Percy shook his head, awkward and small, like he wished he hadn't said anything. I could tell he felt dumb, and honestly... yeah, okay, it was a pretty Percy move.
Chiron leaned on his cane. "Think carefully, my boy. You're the son of the Sea God. The sky is your father's greatest rival's territory. Your mother knew better than ever to risk you up there."
Right on cue, thunder cracked overhead. The clouds outside flashed like Zeus was personally side-eyeing us through the roof.
Percy stiffened, refusing to look up. "Fine. So... not flying. Overland it is."
"Correct," Chiron said with a nod. "You will have three companions to aid you; normally, it would usually just be two, but seeing how dire this quest is, I'll allow it."
Chiron gestured his head to Grover.
"Grover has already volunteered to be your first companion. There is another one."
"Who?"
The air next to Chiron distorted as Annabeth appeared, taking her Yankee cap off.
"I've been waiting forever for a quest, seaweed brain," she announced. "Athena's not exactly Poseidon's biggest fan, but if you're going to 'save the world,' I'm the best person to keep you from tripping over your own shoelaces."
I snorted. There she was—the Princess of Strategy. Queen of Confidence. It would've been annoying if she weren't usually right.
Percy squinted at her. "If you do, say so yourself. So I'm guessing you already have a plan, wise girl?"
Annabeth's face tinted pink, a rare sight. "Do you want my help or not?"
Percy hesitated, which was hilarious because the answer was so obvious it was practically tattooed on his forehead. Dude desperately needed teammates who could think before swinging a sword.
"Now all you need is a fourth member..." Chiron mutters.
"What about Luke?" I say.
Annabeth shakes her head sadly. "He was the ideal option, but he refuses. And the other campers aren't exactly excited to go on a dangerous mission. They may want to prove themselves, but with the fate of the world is involved? They aren't exactly willing."
Percy then turns to me. I blinked and raised a shaking finger at myself.
"I need your help, Clay." Percy practically pleaded.
I gulped. My hands felt sweaty, and I felt hot. Not because I'm afraid, no, I'm excited, I could help save the world. Chiron looks hesitant but doesn't comment. Annabeth rolls her eyes, keeping an eye on me, interested in my answer.
"Count me in."
I could prove to myself, them and the entire world that I can stand with demigods. I'm going to retrieve Zeus's masterbolt, and then the world will acknowledge that I, Clay Brandon, am here