Dedicated to @Read_write_hope! The answer was Travis is older! Thanks for reading!

"Hey you kids gonna be okay getting off in the middle of nowhere?" The taxi driver asked as Jason got out of the cab. Car and trucks sped past on the opposite side of the road, none paying attention to the blond haired boy.

"We'll be fine." Thalia said paying the man with mortal dallors. He looked like he was going to argue but then decided like it wasn't worth his time and he turned around in the seat and pocketed the money.

Jason looked at the top of the hill. No tree, he noticed. Thalia would be mad. No Peleus, the camps guardian drangon, either. Jason started towards the top of the hill not waiting for his sister. He got a bad feeling about this.

It hadn't been his idea to leave. Minerva herself appeared to him in the Walmart and demanded he go on some ridiculous quest for a lost ark that held a part of her true form in it with a crazy guy named after a state and an annoying girl with a monkey. He shuddered involuntarily as remembered how he had been shoved into a snake pit with the two. He wasn't sure which had been worse- the snakes or the constant bickering between the adults.

Now he stood with Thalia looking over the deserted Greek camp. Remains of the half finished Big House, the weather beatened ground, the caved in cabins, and tall uncut grass and ivy that covered everything.

Thalia looked around appalled at the scene. It had been her home, even as a tree. "Where is everyone?!" She demanded.

"Gone."

Jason swiveled sharply pulling out his gladiolus. The red-haired, paint splattered jeaned, girl didn't even look fazed but the sudden sword in his hand.

"Come on, my cave's open." Rachel Dare, the Orcale, said slightly edgey. She looked pointedly at Jason. "You have a lot of explaining to do."

"Rachel first, where's Piper? I need to talk to her!" Jason begged fearing the worse.

Rachel looked at him, her jaw set. "She left-"

"Where? I need to find her-!"

"-Earth." Rachel finished turning on heel and stomping towards the woods where her cave was located, leaving them no choice but to follow and wonder how in the world she left Earth.

Thalia patted him on the back, in that sisterly way as they walked.

The wind whistled eerily through the trees of the forest.There was no more laughter of the tree nymps, no more crackling or singing of the camfire, no more clinking of the swords as demigods trained. Even the Great Hall looked dim and uninviting.

"Rachel what exactly happened?" Thalia asked. Silent tears streamed down her face seeing her camp like this. What happened to all the happy campers and playful competition?

"Well somebody in this group, who has blonde hair and a golden coin sword thing, though I won't say who," Rachel said, "Left camp and caused Percy to close camp and everyone left."

Jason felt a pain deep in his chest. This was his fault? But Minerva said-!

"It's not my fault! he said instinctively.

"Oh?" Rachel said bitterly.

"Minerva sent me on a quest." He explained. "Trust me I'd much rather have gone on vacation to the beach with my girlfriend than on that crazy journey! She'd said she tell you guys right before she nearly vaporized me."

"We never heard anything! Piper was sobbing for weeks!She... we all thought..."

Rachel looked down. No one said anything for a while. Thalia listened to the emptiness, wondering how Rachel had survived being all alone. There were no sounds all around them, not even birds in the trees.

Thalia remembered the last time heard birds in the middle of the forest. She quickly shook off the anger that was accompaning the memories. She didn't even do that!

"We're here!" Rachel said.

Jason looked at the rock in front of him. It wasn't as impressive as he'd always imagined it as. Though it sure beat Octivian's temple. Jason cringed trying to shove away the memories. He'd always fought with the Augur and now, now he couldn't even say he was sorry.

Anyway Rachel pulled away the Dark Purple curtain that covered the cave. Jason and Thalia's jaws dropped.

"Welcome to the Orcale's cave of mysteries." Rachel said like she was a stereotypical bored girl running a ride at an amusement park.

Inside the cave was a decked out party lounge.  Strobe lights flashed different colors and music played loud. Some magic must have concealed to music beacuse Jason and Thalia had no clue there was even music playing.

"I like your music preference!" Thalia said nodding the the beat of Green Day.

A tv was on in the corner silently displaying the recent news, but an X-box and a wii were hooked up. A refrigerator hummered in a corner next to a counter, stove, oven, and sink. Sofas gathered together  leaving just enough room for a proper dance floor. Art canvases and paints and paints were all in their own section of the cave. It was a pretty big cave.

Rachel flopped onto a couch beckoning the siblings to follow. Jason found himself sitting in a plush chair and Thalia chilling on a foam couch. With a clap of her hands all the music stopped, letting Rachel and the Grace sit in an uncomfortable silence.

"So where were you?" Rachel asked cocking her head at them. The children of Zues shared a look.

"Minerva whisked me away on a quest with this adventurer called Indiana Jones. Good news I stopped the bad guys from using Minerva's true form. Bad news, they all died from looking at it. I tried IMing you guys but Iris wasn't responding. It was like she wasn't even there. And then I got ambushed by a bunch by a gang and they stole my darcamas." Jason rubbed ths back of his neck sheepishly. Son of Jupiter ambushed by a regular group of mortals and stolen from. If that wasn't embarrassing he didn't know what was.

"I was with the hunters." Thalia said bitterly.  "But then Atermis showed up and banned me from the group.  It wasn't like I did anything wrong. She just was like "you violated your oath" and kicked me out. So I spent two and a half weeks walking around, casually killing monsters until I randomly ran into Jason, literally."

Thalia pushed away the real reasons she'd been kicked out. There was no way she was telling them about...him. instead she focused on the akward conversation that happened after they had bumped into each other.

"Hey, watch it!" A dark figure said grunting at Thalia. He wore a black jacket with the hood up to avoid the rain. his jeans and sneakers were already soaked from stepping in puddles. One thing she did notice as he brushed roughly by her was the small scar near his mouth.

"Not my fault you can't walk straight, Staple Face!" Thalia said smuggly crossing her arms.

The guy whipped around subconsciously tapping his scar left from when he tried to eat a stapler at age three."How'd you-Thalia!" Jason engulfed her in a hug.

"It's been ages!" Jason said. "Where are the hunters? "

"I...I'm not part of them any more." Thalia grimaced. "So what about you? What are you doing out here? "

Jason laughed. "Would you believe I'm begging for money?"

Thalia broke from her thoughts as Jason snapped his fingers in front of her face.

"You okay? " He asked. She nodded and put on a fake smile. Everything was fine.

"Percy kinda gave up on camp after he and Annabeth broke up-," Rachel was cut off.

"They broke up?! Why?!" Thalia exclaimed.

"I don't really know. It had something to do with Leo and Percy. Maybe a prank or something? But anyway everyone's gone. I believe Leo's got an apprenticeship with Tony Stark, and Annabeth is down in Crystal Cove finishing high school, but both of them want nothing to do with the Gods or Goddesses." Rachel said. "I-I went to see Annabeth recently. I Guess you guys should know...There's a new prophecy."

"Really? What is it? " Jason asked.

"I don't really know. There was something about cursed jems, final breaths, and soul reapings, again." Rachel confessed. "Honestly if I hadn't woken up in a bowl of cereal I wouldn't have ever known." She shurgged. "When Annabeth and I talked,  she listened to the prophecy and then decided she didn't care anymore and told me to leave."

They sat there for a minute in silence. All thinking the same question. What do we do?

"We need to find the rest of the camp. Whatever is happening,  its not good. I'm sure if we can find Annabeth and Leo we can get the others."

"Leo's at Stark towers." Rachel said biting her lip. "But guys, he's different. Really different.  He doesn't even smile anymore!"

"I've got a feeling he'll talk to me. " Jason said confidently.

"Ok than I'll go get Annabeth." Thalia said.

"Swell." Rachel grinned. She jumped up and grabbed two packs from behind the sofa. Jason and Thalia shared a look. Obviously the Orcale had seen them coming. "Both bags have extra clothes, nectar,  and some ambrosia. Jason, I scavenged up a some fireproof clothes you might want to change into. There's a bathroom in the back."

He looked at her quizzically but one look at her face and he knew he shouldn't ask. He got up and he headed to the back and walked into the bathroom. He quickly changed into the clothes, a purple T-shirt, insulated jeans, Rachel even got him fire free socks!

He walked out examining the clothing. He heard hushed whispers looked up to see both girls looking at him in fearful expressions. "Hi?" He said unsure. Thalia smiled but Jason could tell whatever they had been talking about was important. Why didn't they want to tell him? If it was real bad they would tell him right?

Jason was going to ask but Thalia's eyes clearly said leave it.

Thalia swung her quiver over her shoulder holding her silver bow menacingly, Jason took out his gold coin and flipped in causing it to turn into his sword. He could only think one thing as he started floating off the ground. This would be the ultimate selfie.

He was going to fly to Stark Towers and Thalia was going to take a train to Crystal Cove. Rachel decided to hang back and watch over camp. Jason floated easily off the ground and then he rocketed upwards.

he barely heard Rachel motherly "be careful!" and "good luck!" as the wind whipped around his head. He waved knowing, or rather hoping,  he would see them both in just a couple hours.  He looked down at the Greek camp.

He would save the camps.  He would bring back the Campers.

He silently prayed to Tyche, if she was listening, to give him all the good luck she could muster, beacuse Jason was pretty sure he was going to need it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Trivia time!

"How long was Thalia a pine tree?"

Winner gets a dedication next chapter! Remember to:

VOTE

COMMENT

FRIEND!