Title: Reading: Confused By Time

Summary: Reading about Percy Jackson, join his story when he doesn't make it out of the pit

Annabeth managed to escape Tartarus and join the seven in the war against Gaea, but Percy was left behind. Now, three centuries later the Doors of Death are opening again and a quest will enter the Pit to free the son of Poseidon. Nine heroes will enter the Pit, finding unexpected allies and enemies they never thought were still alive as they search for the Hero of Olympus.

Main Characters: Annabeth C, Luke C, Percy J, Kronos

Language: English

Rated: T

Genre: Adventure/Romance

Author's Note: OK, I'd like to say thank you to the wonderful amazhang dragonswoe who let me do this! Hope you enjoy!

Just so you know I have changed some European wordings to Canadian, hope everyone is okay with that, and please let me know how it was!

Originally written by: dragonswoe

Parts written by: Jaylene Olebar

Chapter 1: Reading Chances

All the gods and their children were celebrating their victory over the end of the second giant war. All except for the seven, sure they were happy that they won, but they were missing one person; An important person.

Percy Jackson.

Hades tried everything in his power to get the demigod out of Tartarus's clutches, but the primordial God said that the boot couldn't come out, it wasn't his time.

Annabeth was angry, but she knew no one could mess with the Fates.

As her thoughts summoned them, there they stood; Dressed in beautiful Greek gowns and their hair done perfectly that even Aphrodite would smile at.

"Yes my lady's?" Zeus nervously bowed, even he knew at times when to be polite.

"Congratulations on your victory against the giants and Gaea." Lady one spoke.

"Thank you; what would you like to tell us Lady Fates?" Athena spoke.

"We have brought you a book that you would most likely love to read. It's about the future, but in another reality."

With a flash they left and a book sat comfortably in Poseidon's lap. The gods made chairs and couches appear for all of them in the room and they all got comfortable, the book was thick, and surely would take long to read.

"Shall we begin?"

At the king's nod, Poseidon read the title aloud.

"Confused by Time," that spiked up interest in all the beings and demigods in the throne room.

"Can I have everyone's attention please?" Chiron called as he stomped his hoof on the stone floor of the pavilion.

"Ooohhh… wonder what's going to happen!" Leo exclaimed making Piper smack his head, for the first interruption.

"Stop talking and just listen!" she hissed.

"After breakfast all of the immortal campers are to report to the Big House immediately. We have received important instructions from the gods regarding a quest that is only to be given to those with the strongest will. On a happier and yet sadder note, today is the first of August, marking the defeat of Gaea and her giant children exactly three centuries ago. So to commemorate that moment, we will be having a Capture the Flag game against Artemis and her Hunters who you may have realized arrived during the night." The campers cheered at the mention of an extra capture the flag game, yet not all of them were happy that they would be playing with the Hunters – the band of immortal girls always won.

"Yeah! Why won't you ever let us win?!" Pouted Connor Stoll; one of the head councilors of the Hermes Cabin.

Thalia looked at the others faces as they awaited the answer.

"Because you guys suck!" Before an argument could happen Poseidon began to read again.

Chiron thanked the campers and conversations immediately started again. Annabeth sighed, "Great, another quest." Annabeth had been on more quests than she cared to remember.

Athena looked at her sad daughter, sent her love and began to listen.

She knew full well why all of the other immortal campers were sullenly picking at their food like they had no desire to eat anything – she was doing the same. Today, three hundred years ago, was when Camp Half-blood had been told that Percy Jackson had sacrificed himself to close the Doors of Death.

"Three hundred years!?" Annabeth cried out, and slumped in her chair, ignoring the sympathetic stares aimed at her.

Poseidon also looked down with a sigh; he'd have to wait a long time to see his son.

According to Hades, Percy was still alive in Tartarus somewhere. One of the downsides of being immortal was that you remembered practically everything with an almost photographic memory. Annabeth could still picture Percy in her head as he shouted at her to go, saying that he would join her.

Everyone had answers on what happened, but no one had the courage to ask Annabeth. But now they would know, because of the book.

He didn't, and instead held the button with Bob, Small Bob and Damasen protecting him from the hoard of monsters and Tartarus himself. A tear rolled down Annabeth's cheek and landed in her breakfast. "Hey, Annabeth, you okay?" One of Annabeth's siblings asked worriedly.

"I'm fine," Annabeth choked out, but another tear that landed on her breakfast said differently. She abruptly stood up and without another word turned to sprint out of the pavilion with her blonde hair flying behind her. Annabeth ran towards the cabins – all forty eight of them.

Since the Giant War the constructions of the cabins had finished and the original 'U' that had become a Greek omega now had an outer ring of cabins. Annabeth slammed the door to cabin six shut and immediately made her way to her bunk, scrabbling around underneath to pull out a wooden chest.

"What's Annie hiding in there?!" One of the Hermes kids murmured, and received no response.

She waved her hand over the lock and murmured, "ἀνοίγω." Open.

The chest unlocked and Annabeth quickly scrambled onto her bunk before taking out what she was looking for. Percy's camp bead necklace he had thrust it into her hand before shoving her into the elevator and ordering her to leave him. She then took out a picture. It was old and torn, but to Annabeth it was irreplaceable – the only picture she had left of her and Percy.

Annabeth looked at the photo and sighed, she'd kill anything to have her seaweed brain back.

She fired up Daedalus' laptop, marveling at how the electronic had survived. In the three centuries since the giant war the mortals had started to threaten the existence of Olympus with their technology, so Zeus had ordered destruction to be released on all the newer factories. Even one and a half centuries after the 'worst natural disaster in the history of mankind' mortals were still baffled on how concentrated lightning strikes, storms, earthquakes and hurricanes had destroyed their newest technology.

"Mortals can be so dumb!" Ares exclaimed.

"Excuse me!?" The entire demigod shouted.

Laughing Apollo days he just got burned and laughs more at his intended pun.

"QUIET!" Zeus thundered, "let my brother read."

Annabeth scrolled down through the files on the computer until she found the one that she wanted. Soon she was looking at a map of Tartarus that she had drawn when the Argo II was departing the House of Hades.

Annabeth had memorized every nook and cranny that showed on the map in the hopes that she might one day be able to try and free her Seaweed Brain.

"When did you do this?" A voice asked from behind her. Annabeth spun and grabbed her drakon bone sword, swinging it instinctively at the intruder. Luckily, Thalia was fast enough to duck under the blade.

"Oh gods, Thalia," Annabeth exclaimed, "I'm so sorry."

"Don't worry; I shouldn't have startled you,"

"That was to forgiving, but then Annabeth is like your sister…" Nico mused, but went silent and coughed at all the stares he got. "What? She is!"

Thalia said dismissively and then focused on the silver laptop. "Seriously, though. When did you do that?"

"On the Argo," Annabeth muttered, "after we left Percy in Tartarus." Annabeth sniffed as she attempted to hold back her tears.

"Oh, Annabeth," Thalia murmured sympathetically. There was silence for several minutes until Thalia cleared her throat.

"Breakfast in done, Chiron asked me to bring you to the Big House. He said you would definitely want to hear what he had to say." Annabeth nodded and put everything back in the chest, but on a gut feeling she kept the laptop out and tucked it under her arm.

"Gut feelings are when you are cereal" Demeter noted and patted Annabeth's head.

"Shut up about those damned cereal Demeter!" Hades yelled.

"Brother!" Poseidon chested, "don't treat your mother in law like that!"

"POSEIDON!"

Laughing the god began to read again.

"Alright, let's go." Thalia nodded and walked out of the door which she had left open. "All of the other half immortal campers should be there already. So we should hurry."

Annabeth took a breath, "Race you there?" She offered.

Thalia nodded, "You're on, Bird Brain."

"Bird brain?" Athena glared at her half-sister.

"It's just a nickname my lady..." the lieutenant of Artemis gulped.

The lieutenant of Artemis took off with Annabeth close behind. Annabeth was conscious of the laptop she was clutching as she attempted to beat Thalia. Several minutes later they burst into the meeting room of the Big House. It hadn't changed at all and the counselors all met around the ping pong table still. Chiron was at the head with the immortal campers all around the table and they looked up when Thalia and Annabeth entered the room. Chiron and Dionysus were looking uncharacteristically serious and Mr. D was actually paying attention as Artemis sat in one of the chairs beside Chiron.

"Dionysus paying attention?! Ha! When did he grow up?!" Said god glared, eyes flashing a deep indigo, at one of the sons of Hermes, most likely one b of the Stoll's.

"Ah, good," Chiron said after Annabeth placed her laptop on the table, "we may start now – if you will, Lady Artemis, Lord Dionysus." Artemis looked happier than usual as she thanked all of the immortal campers for coming.

"Now, yesterday Hades called an emergency council meeting."

Emergency meeting, hmm… there hasn't been one in years, and the ones that Percy had weren't one, because they all knew that one day Kronos would rise, because of a prophecy and Apollo and his ability to tune into the Oracle of Delphi. The gods thought.

Annabeth tried to hide her surprise. An emergency council meeting hadn't been called for almost a century, which had made Annabeth think that all Tartarus was about to break loose.

"An emergency council meeting, Lady Artemis?" Thalia asked in shock, "What for?" A smile appeared on Artemis' face.

"Apparently Thanatos managed to persuade Tartarus to allow a quest into the Pit.

Cue the gasps.

Tomorrow the Doors of Death will open in the forest here and a quest will enter Tartarus to free Perseus Jackson." There was complete silence for several seconds

Same in the throne room, been dramatic, Apollo pulled out his lyre and made it sound like crickets chirping, and Will wanting to play along played a small keyboard that his dad summoned and posted the Jaws theme song.

Before Chiron looked around at the campers.

"This quest calls for our very best, which is why it is only open to the half immortal campers. Now, who would like to lead the questers?"

Everyone turned to look at Annabeth and Thalia grinned at her friend.

"Annabeth should, Chiron, she even has a map of Tartarus."

Chiron's eyebrows shot up, "A map, you say? Well then, Annabeth, do you accept this challenge?" "Yes Chiron," Annabeth said confidently.

"Then go talk to the Oracle in her cave. Assuming you are still sane after, then we shall discuss the members of the quest. Could you pass me the map and I will see if I can add anything?" Chiron asked and Annabeth nodded, opening up the laptop and handing it to the centaur before standing up and jogging out of the room.

"People can go insane from seeing the Oracle?" a new camper, a child of Iris asked.

"Yup!" Apollo popped the P and pulled out a phone to play with."

Annabeth didn't know what she should feel. On one hand she was going to free her Seaweed Brain, but on the other, she was going back to Tartarus. Annabeth trekked half way up Half-blood Hill to a cave set back in the hill.

A purple drape covered the entrance and inside it was even more comfy than the cabins as being the Oracle was an important position. "Ah, Annabeth," Diana's voice called when Annabeth ducked inside, "I knew you would come." Annabeth had voluntarily taken up the task of searching for the Oracle when the current one resigned from their position. So she knew each Oracle personally.

"Amazing… usually though they find the way, to the camp, like a demigod."

"Hello, Diana," she said amiably once she could see the Oracle. "Are you well?"

"Very well, yes, though Apollo is trying to add some of his 'flair' to the cave. Personally I don't want any more naked statues of him around here," Diana laughed.

Everyone laughed and Apollo pouted.

Annabeth smiled as she sat down on one of the couches. "Apollo hasn't changed in three centuries then."

"Obviously not," Diana said in amusement before leaning forward and her dark brown hair fell over her emerald green eyes. "So, Annabeth, you wish for a prophecy?"

"Yes," Annabeth nodded.

"Then ask away."

"How do I free Percy from Tartarus?" Annabeth asked.

Diana stiffened and green mist flowed from her mouth, circling her like snakes.

The Oracle said: "Nine will enter the depths of the earth, find the never forgotten hero and return to the hearth. But despair when all seems lost, for his exit will not be without cost. Wisdom, skies, beauty and fire, will find help when all seems most dire."

Diana slumped forward and Annabeth quickly caught her, leaning her up against the couch. Diana's eyes fluttered open and she gagged. "Argh, tastes like snakes."

"Omigods, does it actually Rachel?!" A daughter of Venus demand, at the red heads nods the girls and boys of the love goddess gagged. Except for Piper, who was mature.

The Oracle looked at Annabeth's pale face and sighed, "What did I say?"

Annabeth repeated the prophecy for Diana, finishing with: "It doesn't sound good, but this is Tartarus we're talking about. It was never going to be easy."

"Quests are never easy…"

Diana nodded and gave Annabeth a hug. "Find Percy, he's a hero and deserves to live like one." Diana had never met Percy, but Annabeth had told her enough stories about him for her to know he was a true hero and people like that only come around every few centuries.

"My son is a hero," Poseidon said firmly.

"Yes uncle he is" Artemis says.

"I will," Annabeth said determinedly and gingerly detached herself from Diana's embrace. "Thank you, Diana."

"No worries," Diana smiled.

Annabeth swiftly left the cave and soon found herself back with the immortal campers. They were all crowded around Daedalus' laptop. Chiron looked up when she entered the room and she saw slight shock on his expression. "You saw all this when you were in Tartarus?"

Annabeth nodded slightly as she sat down. "That's everything that could be used to find out where you are. Tartarus is like a massive body. The Doors are his heart and everything flows towards it." Chiron looked at the screen of the laptop for a few more seconds. "I'll run this by Hades before you leave," he decided and left the laptop in front of him. "Now, let's hear the prophecy."

Annabeth took a breath to steady her: "Nine will enter the depths of the earth, find the never forgotten hero and return to the hearth. But despair when all seems lost, for his exit will not be without cost. Wisdom, skies, beauty and fire, will find help when all seems most dire."

"Can you see the future from the prophecy from this time?" Athena asked her half-brother; ask eyes went to the sun god.

"No, because it's not time, or it's not in this reality." Though the god was sweating when he said that, eyes closed as visions swamped him.

Visions of war, death and destruction.

Artemis narrowed her eyes at her brother; she could tell when he lied and apparently Hermes did to. They looked nervously at each other.

"So we need nine people," Connor Stoll said to break the silence.

Annabeth nodded, "Wisdom, skies, beauty and fire. That's obviously me, Thalia, Jason, Piper and Leo. So we need four more." Leo had appeared on Festus several weeks after the war with Calypso hanging on behind him whilst the Camp had been burning his shroud, almost giving all of his friends a heart attack.

"I'll go," Nico di Angelo said, "my dad is Hades. It may give us an advantage." No one bothered to argue with him.

Nico warmed as his father's smile and nod of approval went his way.

"We'll come," Hazel announced and Frank Zhang nodded in agreement.

"One more than," Annabeth said as she looked around the group of campers. None of them met her gaze.

"All of you are a bunch of prissies," Clarisse La Rue growled.

Everyone jumped at the sea gods booming laughter.

"What?!" Clarisse demanded.

"All of you are a bunch of prissies,"

Wars daughter blushed.

Clarisse La Rue growled, "I'll go with you to free the punk since everyone else is going to be cowards."

Annabeth nodded. "When do we leave Chiron?" "Tomorrow the Doors will open," Chiron said, "the Capture the Flag game is later today and you will be able to play it in honor of the win against Gaea." He tapped the laptop in front of him, "I will send this to Hades via Hermes and hopefully Hades can add some more places to the map." Annabeth nodded and turned to look at Leo.

"Oh my! The great Annabeth looked to me!" Leo dramatically said.

"You sure he's not Hermes son?" Apollo asked Hephaestus.

The god looked at him with flames.

"He's my son"

"Can you make some Greek fire grenades or something? Anything that can be used as an explosive or weapon we will need. Tartarus is the monster's home turf, we can kill them, but they just reform amazingly quickly."

Leo grinned wickedly, "Those monsters won't know what hit 'em. I'll get the Hephaestus cabin started on it right away." Annabeth looked around at the questers, thinking that this was her chance to get Seaweed Brain back – and it was a damn good one.

"Oh yeah! Go team Leo!"

"Done," Poseidon said.

At that all the children stood up. There ADHD could only be suppressed for a little while; luckily nothing drastic has happened… yet...