During a game of capture the flag, Percy realizes he is the son of Poseidon when he draws strength from the water in a creek. Percy’s new lineage means he is placed all alone in cabin three. One day, Percy finds a newspaper from the mortal world dropped inside his cabin door. The newspaper is open to an article titled "Boy and Mother Still Missing after Freak Car Accident." Percy reads the article and is angered by what he finds. The article says Percy and his mother disappeared after an apparent car accident and speculates that Percy might by responsible for his mother’s violent disappearance:

Ms. Jackson's husband, Gabe Ugliano, claims that his stepson, Percy Jackson, is a troubled child who has been kicked out of numerous boarding schools and has expressed violent tendencies in the past. Police would not say whether son Percy is a suspect in his mother's disappearance, but they have not ruled out foul play. (Chapter 9)

A photo of Percy is included in the article along with a crime-stoppers hotline number, which essentially marks him as a suspected criminal in the mortal world. Percy is angered by the article’s false speculation that he would harm his mother. Further infuriating is the fact that Percy’s abusive stepfather, Gabe, was the source of this speculation. The article comes at a time when Percy has finally learned the identity of his real father but is no closer to learning the whereabouts of his missing mother. The newspaper was also placed in his cabin deliberately—leading Percy to conclude that somebody at camp resents him.