The Daughter of Hecate (Percy Jackson/Harry Potter)

Ethan's Plan and the Proposal

Everyone sat in the dining pavilion. Vitani sat with the Hermes table, under a strong notice-me not-charm so Tantalus wouldn't see her. They were all about to eat when an Iris-message appeared for Mr. D.

In the rainbow, they could see the back of Ethan's head, along with Luke and Percy with their swords ready.

Ethan just sneered. "This is no time for heroics, Percy, Luke. Drop your puny little swords, or I'll have you killed sooner rather than later."

Luke seemed to snort at this.

"Who poisoned Thalia's tree, Ethan?" Percy asked.

"I did, of course!" He snarled. "I already told you that. I used elder python venom, straight from the depths of Tartarus."

"Chiron had nothing to do with it?" Luke was the one who asked this time.

"Ha! You know he would never do that. The old fool wouldn't have the guts."

"You call it guts? Betraying your friends? Endangering the whole camp?" Percy said incredulously.

Ethan raised his sword. "You don't understand the half of it. I was going to let you take the Fleece... once I was done with it."

Luke and Percy furrowed their brows at that.

"You were going to heal Kronos." Luke concluded.

"Yes! The Fleece's magic would've sped his mending process by tenfold. But you haven't stopped us, Luke, Percy. You've only slowed us down a little."

"And so you poisoned the tree, dishonoured Thalia, you set us up-all to help Kronos destroy the gods." Luke said with finality.

Ethan gritted his teeth. "You know that! Why do you keep asking me?"

"Because we want everybody in the audience to hear you." Luke said, smirking smugly.

"What audience?" Ethan's eyes narrowed. He looked behind him and his goons did the same. They gasped and stumbled back.

Dionysus, Tantalus, and the whole camp in the dining pavilion stared at the Iris-message in shock.

"Well," Dionysus said dryly, "some unplanned dinner entertainment."

"Mr. D, you heard him." Luke said. "You all heard Ethan. The poisoning of Thalia's tree wasn't Chiron's fault."

Mr. D sighed. "I suppose not."

"The Iris-message could be a trick." Tantalus suggested, but his attention was mostly on his cheeseburger, which he was trying to corner with both hands.

"I fear not." Mr. D said, looking at Tantalus with distaste. "It appears I shall have to reinstate Chiron as activities director. I suppose I do miss the old horse's pinochle games."

Tantalus grabbed the cheeseburger. It didn't bolt away from him. He lifted it from the plate and stared at it in amazement, as if it were the largest diamond in the world. "I got it!" he cackled.

"We are no longer in need of your services, Tantalus." Mr. D announced.

Tantalus looked stunned. "What? But-"

"You may return to the Underworld. You are dismissed."

"No! But-Nooooooooooo!"

As he dissolved into mist, his fingers clutched at the cheeseburger, trying to bring it to his mouth. But it was too late. He disappeared and the cheeseburger fell back onto its plate. The campers exploded into cheering.

Ethan bellowed with rage before the Iris-message was cut off with a slash of his sword.

The rest of the group arrived later on with Chiron's relatives, the Party Ponies. They didn't use Vitani's Portkey after all, so Luke snapped it into pieces to prevent others from accidentally using it. As soon was Chiron stepped into the camp, he ordered a 24/7 watch on the Fleece, until they could get a proper monster guard it. Vitani took down her old barriers and added new ones for the Fleece for extra protection.