The rental cabin was on the south shore, way out at the tip of Long Island. It was a little pastel box with faded curtains, half sunken into the dunes. There was sand in the sheets and spiders in the cabinets, and the sea was too cold to swim in.

It was pretty obvious Percy loved the place, his entire expression shifted the moment they walked onto the shore. His skin looked healthier, his eyes brighter, his entire being almost oozing with life. Naruto wondered about that, as not only did he look different but his aura shifted as well. He radiated power, life and strength, literally in fact. The energy he felt when the Water attacked Nancy was present and it oozed off of Percy.

'Just what is it?'

Of course, oddly enough, Percy wasn't the only one to look different. Sally seemed younger, happier and brighter from the moment they entered the beach. Her eyes shifted in color, taking on that of the sea. She went from gorgeous to stunning in an instant.

They got there at sunset, opened all the cabin's windows, and went through what Naruto realized was a predefined cleaning routine.

They walked on the beach, fed blue corn chips to the seagulls, and munched on blue jelly beans, blue saltwater taffy, and all the other free samples Sally had brought from work. Percy explained it as being born from a petty argument that there was no blue food. It was actually kind of sad to Naruto that all Sally could do to rebel was buy blue food... still he appreciated the energy behind it.

When it got dark, they made a fire. They roasted hot dogs and marshmallows. Sally told them stories about when she was a kid, back before her parents died in the plane crash. She told them about the books she wanted to write someday, when she had enough money to quit the candy shop.

The night was wonderful but everything took a shift when Percy asked about his father.

"He was kind, Percy," she said. "Tall, handsome, and powerful. But gentle, too. You have his black hair, you know, and his green eyes." Sally fished a blue jelly bean out of her candy bag. "I wish he could see you, Percy. He would be so proud."

"How old was I?" Percy asked. "I mean ... when he left?"

She watched the flames. "He was only with me for one summer, Percy. Right here at this beach. This cabin."

"But... he knew me as a baby."

"No, honey. He knew I was expecting a baby, but he never saw you. He had to leave before you were born."

"That's shitty of him, did he know you were pregnant?" Naruto, who had been silent, piped up startling his hosts.

Sally nodded. "Yes, but unfortunately his family has some terrible rules... he isn't allowed to raise his children and so he returned to sea, where he became lost to me."

Naruto froze, the words... " Unable to raise their kids... that's... my Godmom said the same thing,... the energy on the paper it feels like Percy... " He turned to his friend, who clearly was realizing what he was. Knowing he had to say something, Naruto spiked his chakra and faced Sally, who only paled slightly. "What do you know Sally? Don't lie to me, I can tell."

She gulped. "I... it's not safe for... I can't..." She turned to Percy, who was glaring at her as harshly as Naruto himself was. Naruto was sort of proud of that...

"Percy and I were attacked by a monster with bat wings, it was masquerading as our math teacher. He somehow could control the water, but you knew that already... that's why he is stronger here, near the sea. Whatever is going on is tied to the ocean. I can feel it, his power..."

She was shaking hard before stopping, a loud sigh crossed her lips. "You have chakra, his father told me about it. The world with Chakra, the Elemental Nations... he said I had a potential to wield chakra, that he could give it to me. I denied him, not wanting to leave my world. I was happy here, despite everything." She looked up, her eyes sad and filled with mourning. " There is a Camp, where you will have to go... both of you, but you might never return to the real world for your own safety. Are you willing to endure that?"

"If it means answers, yes. I was raised around lies, my entire life was one. Trust me, it helps no one." Naruto stood, raising a hand, allowing the rasengan to form. "I can keep him safe, I have been training him to become stronger. He has a sword that can kill the monsters. We are not helpless.

"I've tried to keep you as close to me as I could," Turning to her son, Sally said. "They told me that was a mistake. But there's only one other option, the camp but I couldn't send you away. " She sighed. "Let's just enjoy the rest of the trip, then we can worry about this... I will tell you everything and take you to camp myself. Can you give me that, a few good days with my baby? What might be my last days with you?"

Percy and Naruto nodded, both of them understanding fully where Sally was coming from.

"""

The sound of thunder, ripping across the sky woke Naruto from his deep sleep. Outside, it really was storming, the kind of storm that cracks trees and blows down houses. Massive waves were slamming into the dunes, lighting was lighting up the skies like no ones business.

With the next thunderclap, Sally woke. She sat up, eyes wide, and said, "Hurricane."

Naruto frowned, he knew that was crazy. Long Island never sees hurricanes this early in the summer. But the ocean seemed to have for-gotten. Over the roar of the wind, I heard a distant bellow, an angry, tortured sound. It was terrifyingly close and Naruto knew it was a monster, he could feel it, waves of hate oozing from it and filling the world like Percy's energy only warped and backward. Then a much closer noise, like mallets in the sand sounded . A desperate voice-someone yelling, pounding on the cabin door.

Sally sprang out of bed in her nightgown and threw open the lock.

Grover stood framed in the doorway against a backdrop of pouring rain. But he wasn't... he wasn't exactly Grover. He reeked and he was oozing an aura, again like Percy's though far weaker.

"Searching all night," he gasped. "This is why you don't just knock people out!" He glared at Naruto, who just growled at him. "O Zeu kai alloi theoi!" he yelled. "It's right behind me! Didn't you tell her?"

"Of course we did, but she didn't listen to it all." Naruto rolled his eyes. "We were going to Camp after this trip, but I guess that's changed. We need to leave, I can sense something approaching fast." How he could feel it was beyond him, but he could. It was dangerous, that much was abundantly clear.

With near ninja speed, Sally grabbed her purse, tossed Percy and Naruto their rain jackets, and said, "Get to the car. All three of you. Go!"

Grover ran for the Camaro-but he wasn't running, exactly. He was trotting, shaking his shaggy hindquarters, and suddenly his story about a muscular disorder in his legs made sense. Because where his feet should be, there were no feet. There were cloven hooves.

They tore through the night along dark country roads. Wind slammed against the Camaro. Rain lashed the wind-shield. Naruto didn't know how Sally could see anything, but she kept her foot on the gas. There was an edge of power in the air, in the car that was deafening to Naruto's senses, he couldn't fully register how far away the monster was and that irritated him. Passively, he pulled out an explosive tag, folding it into a shuriken shape. It was a random trick he had discovered since he started learning sealing, actually he picked it up watching students play paper football and throwing paper Shuriken at each other. If it worked it would be a seriously dangerous trick.

"So, you and my mom... know each other?" Percy asked, his voice low and cold. Much of it was directed at Sally, who actually cringed at her son's tone.

Grover's eyes flitted to the rearview mirror. "Not exactly," he said. "I mean, we've never met in person. But she knew I was watching you."

"Watching me?"

"Keeping tabs on you. Making sure you were okay. But I wasn't faking being your friend," he added hastily. "I am your friend."

"Urn ... what are you, exactly?"

"That doesn't matter right now."

"It doesn't matter? From the waist down, my ex best friend is a donkey-"

Grover let out a sharp, throaty "Blaa-ha-ha!"

Naruto had heard him make that sound before, but he;d always assumed it was a nervous laugh. Now it was clear that it was more of an irritated bleat.

"Goat!" he cried.

"What?"

"I'm a goat from the waist down."

"You just said it didn't matter."

"Blaa-ha-ha! There are satyrs who would trample you underhoof for such an insult!"

Naruto turned sharply, spiking his chakra. "I'd kill them like I did Gabe and his friends. Do not try me Goat boy, you have a lot to answer for besides you did say it didn't matter."

"He's got a point."

"You killed Gabe?" Sally barked out, a terrified squeak in her voice.

The weird bellowing noise rose up again somewhere behind them, closer than before.

Naruto nodded. "I left clones behind, don't worry the body's been disposed of. Your home is clean and everything is nicely put away. Now, let's talk about what's important. What is going on?""

"Who's after us?" Percy said, reaching over to grab and squeeze Grover's wrist painfully.

The Goat boy gasped. "Just the Lord of the Dead and a few of his blood-thirstiest minions."

"Grover!"

"Sorry, Mrs. Jackson. Could you drive faster, please?" He tried to talk past his pain, as Percy was still squeezing his wrist.

Sally made a hard left. They swerved onto a narrower road, racing past darkened farmhouses and

wooded hills and PICK YOUR OWN STRAWBERRIES signs on white picket fences.

"Where are we going?" Percy asked. "I Know it's a camp, but that's it. I am tired of the lies, explain."

"The summer camp I told you about." Sally's voice was tight. "The place your father wanted to send you. It's for people like you and Naruto, special people with special parents." "

"The place you didn't want me to go."

"We're almost there," Sally said, ignoring the statement "Another mile. Please. Please. Please."

Outside, nothing but rain and darkness-the kind of empty countryside you get way out on the tip of Long Island. Naruto felt it's power, a literal force like Chakra but greater, exploding into reality around them. His hair rose on the back of his neck and he knew something was about to happen. There was a blinding flash, a jaw-rattling boom!, and the car exploded.

Sharp, agonizing pain exploded in Naruto's chest. Everything went dark for a second, returning just in time for him to see a piece of metal sticking from his chest, right into a lung. It was like the Chidori all over again, he could feel the blood pooling in his lung... He couldn't breathe...

And everything went dark once again.

;;;

Percy wanted to scream, nothing was going right. Naruto, the strongest of them by far, was unconscious with a piece of metal in his chest. Grover was unconscious and babbling uselessly and his Mom had just been taken by some force, turned into a golden light. Needless to say he was pissed! Shaking with rage, he took in a deep breathe and focused on the power of the world around him. He felt the rain, each droplet oozing with power. He felt his rage, boiling in his muscles. He felt his training, calling at him to fight.

He fell into a stance and called out. "You sack of Cow shit, come at me!" His scream filled the air with his hate.

"Raaaarrrrr!" The monster turned toward him, shaking his meaty fists and charging fast. Just like he wanted.

Percy yanked out the pen from his pocket, yanking off the cap and charging the beast as fast as he could. He made great speed, sliding like he was reaching for homeplate the moment the beast reached him, swirling up he cut through the bull's shin. It collapsed, a horrible scream filling the air with pain this time. Percy wasn't done with it yet. He screamed himself, slamming the blade down on it's other knee.

The Bull tried to crawl away, fear filling it's black eyes. Percy revealed in it, so tired of the lies and secrets and abuse from the world that this, this meant everything to him, Like Naruto had taught him, there was pleasure in finally coming to terms with your pain. This monster deserved it too, and he was not going to waste the opportunity. Reaching upwards, Percy slammed the blade down on it's stomach, then finally he cut off of it's head, watching it roll away.

It's body dispersed into dust, crumbling into golden sand...

The rain had stopped. The storm still rumbled, but only in the distance. He smelled like livestock and his knees were shaking but he felt powerful for the first time, His training having come in handy. His rage was a tool for him and he liked it no matter how much is scared him.

He had no time to revel in it, so he rushed over to Naruto and managed to haul him up and stagger down into the valley, toward the lights of the farm-house. After kicking Grover in the ribs hard, forcing him to wake up and groan in shock.

The last thing he remembered was collapsing on a wooden porch, looking up at a ceiling fan circling above him, moths flying around a yellow light, and the stern faces of a familiar-looking bearded man and a pretty girl, her blond hair curled like a princess's. They both looked down at him, and the girl said, "He's the one. He must be."

"Silence, Annabeth," the man said. "He's still conscious. Bring him inside. Be careful with Naruto, he may be fatally wounded. We must tend to him quickly."

Chapter end, tell me what you think in the reviews.

Short but I over estimated the length of this chapter... so this is what you are getting. There is a reason Naruto was not involved in the saving of Sally or in the fight with the Minotaur. He would whoop it easily, but also Destiny. Percy needed to defeat it... he also needed to showcase his training. He could kill it without training so he would whoop it's ass with ninja training.

Love, your Ninja Overlord,

Mika.