After hearing a growl behind them, his mom arrives at a hill and pushes both boys out of the car. Percy sees that the thing chasing them is a Minotaur, who charges them. Percy and his mom dodge it, but Grover is too slow and the Minotaur charges him. Percy manages to defeat the Minotaur, but not before it dissolves Percy's mother into light and sends her to the Underworld. Percy drags Grover up the hill to Camp Half-Blood, where Percy passes out on the doorway of the Big House.