Annabeth tells Percy that, soon after she and some other year-rounders arrived at Mount Olympus, the weather started getting weird, as if the gods were having a big fight. Annabeth has overheard some of the satyrs talking, and figures out that the fight was over the theft of some valuable item. She doesn't know exactly what was stolen, but whatever it was must be important because if it isn't returned by the summer solstice then there'll be trouble.

Annabeth is determined to embark upon a quest to track down the stolen item, whatever it is. But as she's a year-rounder—she's been at Camp Half-Blood since she was seven—Annabeth will first need to obtain permission from her teacher Chiron, and the camp's director, Mr. D. In the meantime, she'd like Percy to accompany her on her quest, should she be granted one. She'd like them to work together as she thinks that maybe Percy knows something.

But Percy doesn't. He'd like to help Annabeth, but apart from anything else, he's too hungry and tired and mentally overloaded to ask any more questions. Annabeth interprets this as a slight, and mutters to herself that she isn't too young to go on a quest. The implication is that she's not taken seriously by Percy and the others due to her age. And this makes her incredibly frustrated.