THREE

"Who are you and why are you here?"

Omega didn't respond at first. "Can you um move that? It's pretty sharp and someone could get hurt."

"I'm pretty sure that's why she put it to your neck you idiot," a voice said from behind him with a slap to the back of the head.

"Are you trying to make her stab me?"

"Wouldn't be the worst thing," Huntress responded stepping beside him. She looked around watching as people walked over confused but sensing the tension, trained their weapons on her. "Demigods, we don't want any trouble. We came to help as strange as it sounds. So please ignore the idiocy of this one here," she continued slapping Omega once more. "Now if you would allow us to speak with Chiron I'm sure everything will be explained simply."

The demigods looked around at each other warily for a moment and nervous chatter begun.

"Annabeth..." a blonde boy said quietly to the young woman holding the dagger.

The young woman- Annabeth- stared at the strange group for a moment the gears behind her eyes spinning wildly. She straightened and cleared her throat which other took as a signal to silence. "Chiron is currently out. As is our Camp Director. In the mean time I've taken on the responsibility. So if you accept I'll speak with you."

Huntress paused before looking at Omega.

"Why are you looking at me?" He asked her slowly stepping back away from Annabeth's dagger.

"Our lady put you in charge did she not?" Huntress responded stepping back.

Omega paused before he looked back to Annabeth. "Perhaps we can meet in a calmer location? Only a couple of yours and us?"

Annabeth stared at him before she nodded. "Malcolm, and Thalia with me, and someone fetch Will."

"Don't tell me what to do Annie," a girl with black spiked hair smiled adjusting her silver circlet.

"This way," Annabeth told Omega and the other Knights and led them through the crowd of confused demigods.

Annabeth led the way to the large farm house and inside to a room where a ping pong table was set up and chairs sat around it. Annabeth didn't sit and didn't she motion for her guests to. She simply leaned against the table with Thalia and the boy who must've been Malcom on either side of her.

"I'm Annabeth Chase," she said finally. "Daughter of Athena, this is my brother Malcolm Pace and then this is Thalia, daughter of Zeus and Lieutenant of Artemis."

Omega said nothing at first surveying them all before he nodded. "I'm called Omega. The annoying girl who slapped me is Huntress. Also amongst us is Revenge, Ar- Revenge move or something so they know which you are."

"Oh right. Hi," Revenge said with a wave.

"Arrow," Omega continued and a girl waved. "Forge, Gemini, Healer, Beauty and Destroyer." Once speedy introductions were completed Omega took a deep breath before he spoke again. "Now I'm going to tell you something that is a bit hard to believe but listen anyway. We are from the Void. We serve Lady Chaos as her knights. We are the Knights of Nine," he gave an awkward cough. "I'm sorry about all of this, we were told that Chiron would understand our situation and help us. May I ask when he is returning?"

Annabeth said nothing but her eyes told him enough.

"Or if he is to return at all?"

"I'm gonna ignore the first part of that and instead ask, what it is you mean by that last comment?" Malcolm put in.

Omega shrugged. "It is clear that there is a lot more going on here than solely Chiron being absent for a bit of time. Perhaps some strange occurrences here and around the state? Things so strange that you can't come up with a logical explanation?"

"Do you have explanation?"

Omega shook his head. "Not at all. We were given limited information and then were told to investigate. We don't even know what these strange happenings are. That's why we need your help."

"What's with the creepy uniforms and code names?" Thalia asked walking around the ping pong table and taking a seat.

"It's a rule," Healer shrugged. "We just follow them."

"Mostly," Healer added after a moment to which Gemini elbowed him.

"What do you mean by the Void or Chaos?" Annabeth demanded. "I've been close to the Void myself when I was down in Tartarus. There is nothing there. And Nyx herself referred to Chaos as her father."

"Chaos can appear as any form she wants. She usually appears as a woman as it is more calming, and people are less likely to freak out," Omega explained. "As for the Void there are many layers to it, clearly what you experienced was an outer more violent layer but where we- me and the other knights- stay is in one of the inner most layers. Its-its pretty complicated to explain... Even after these years I still don't really get it."

"Look we have a job to do which is to figure stuff about and strange things happening and then fix it. I'm going to do it with or without you around so you gonna help us and hopefully get your Chiron back or not?" Destroyer cut in.

"Thank you for completely ruining the civil approach buddy," Omega told him shoving him aside.

"It was taking too long."

"I guess I came late then," A blonde guy commented walking in the room. He paused and looked the Knights over. "So these are our... guests?"

Annabeth nodded. "They claim to be the chosen knights of Chaos."

"The chosen was implied but not actually said until now," Revenge commented.

"Okay..." the guy nodded. "Um, Will Solace. Nice to meet you all I guess. Why are you here exactly?"

"Strange things are happening and we're here to help. Or do it ourselves depending on how you guys feel about that," Beauty summed up.

"So, do you want us to help or not?" Destroyed questioned crossing his arms. "Cause I'll happily leave."

"No you won't. We have a job," Healer told him.

"How about we make a deal," Omega suggested after a moment. "For now we only help you find Chiron. After that you can decide if you want us to stay. If not we leave."

"Omega-" Arrow started but he held up a hand.

"Do we have a deal?" He asked holding out a hand.

The three demigods looked between themselves and they spoke quickly in hushed tones. Omega found he couldn't make out most words said but he clearly heard the word "dream" represent multiple times.

Finally they came to a consensus and Malcolm reached forward and shook Omega's hand.

"We haven't seen Chiron in a week and a half," He told the Knights letting go of Omega's hand.

"That's not that long for someone to be gone," Gemini pointed out.

"It is when he vanished without a trace," Thalia responded. "Chiron left here to go have a meeting with the gods. He hasn't been back. And, he according to Mr. D he never reached Olympus."

"He just vanished somewhere in between?" Huntress asked confused.

"We really don't know," Will admitted. "But people are asking questions. Questions we don't have the answer to. And there was a the matter of a dream..."

"What happened in the dream?" Arrow questioned.

"We don't even know ourselves," Will said shaking his head. "The camper who had it doesn't speak English well- if at all. He can understand though, but all we can make out is that he had a dream involving Chiron and a dark place, but without all the details, campers have hurriedly made up their own."

"And they've gotten out of hand," Annabeth continued. "If you're gonna help us we need to start with him."

So," Thalia started crossing her arms. "can any of you speak Portuguese?"