Ch 1: Meeting mum.
Jasper Nevada was a small out of the way town for mortals and frankly rather boring. However for demigods, it was a safe haven. The mist was thick enough to disguise a dragon as a large bug and the minotaur as a buff body builder wearing a cow hat. It was also the home of a demigod first of his kind. A son of Artemis. His name was Jackson eclipse Darby.
Jack was eight years old. He had black scruffy hair and blue eyes with flecks of silver. He wore his usual wear of a Grey shirt over a white top and simple black pants. He liked it, everything was plane and he didn't stick out much. Most of the kids in his school he felt fell into three categories. Male morons, girls who chased after boys and girls who deserved nothing short of respect. It was sadly safe to say that being ADHD and dyslexic made him anything else but popular. He was bullied, teased and ignored for it. However even on the days when the local bully Vince lead a game of hit the Darby, he always could find one place where he'd fully relax. A hidden area of green shrubbery and animals. Most people couldn't see it and when he asked his mum about it, she said to be careful there as it was dangerous at times, such as when the moon was full or red.
Jack had just escaped from another round of hit the Darby and suffered a black eye and cut lip. Vince started it after teasing him with the usual comment of 'you don't have a dad because they don't love you.' this ended up with jack calling him lite for brains which means dung. As jack walked down the street towards home he noticed something was following him which resembled a large black dog with coal for eyes. The dog snarled and bolted for him.
"HELP! " Percy called in fright as he sprinted off. He knew that the dog had something to do with Vince, he was always trying to hurt him. As he rounded the corner he slipped and stumbled before jumping aside just as the dog lunged. It missed and he ran three houses down before slamming down the garage door. He backed up, breathing heavily. BANG! something hit the rolling door, denting it. He spun around and rushed to the door of the house and juggled the nob violently but it was locked. BANG! another dent in the door.
Jack began to frantically rummage through the old boxes in the garage. He kicked his foot and looked down. There was a silver bow and a quiver with six arrows in it. A shriek of tearing metal caught his attention. Several fangs had pierced the door and was slowly ripping it away. Jack gulped, deciding that the dog wasn't ordinary and would probably kill him. He picked up the bow and on instinct loaded an arrow and took aim, not even noticing he had shouldered the quiver or the fact that the arrow was replaced. The tip of the arrow was silver and gleamed in the dim light of the room. With a metal crunch the door was removed. It was now jack realized that the dog was the size of a car. He fired three arrows in succession, two missed but not by much and the third nailed it between the eyes. The dog whimpered then burst into a thick gold dust, silhouetting two figures, both were definitely female. As the dust settled jack noticed that they both had silver uniforms and bows much like the one he was using. The first girl looked 12 and had volcanic black eyes and chocolate brown hair which flowed over her left shoulder in a braid. The second figure was wearing the same but her eyes were redish brown and her hair was black and short cut.
"Where did you get that bow boy? " the black haired girl spat.
" On the floor, that dog thing chased my home and I was stuck in here. I saw it and decided to defend myself, sorry if I broke any laws. " jack explained timidly.
" Tell me, what happened to the 'big dog' as thou put it. " the other girl replied.
" I think it exploded. " percy stated timidly." I'm not in trouble am I? "
" Maybe with hades. " the first girl snorted.
" You mean the God of the underworld? " jack asked. He knew of the myths for sure, his mum made sure that he did.
" Obviously boy. " the second scoffed in annoyance." what's your name? "
" J-jack. " jack croaked." I'm jack eclipse Darby. "
Both girls froze at his name before turning to each other. They both began whispering and making some rather obvious hand gestures before after a minute the girl with the long brown hair looked at him." Come with us, we'll offer thee shelter for now. "
" Can we wait for my mum please? " jack asked." If there's any more dogs I don't want to leave her alone. "
" Why is that? " the second girl asked with mild curiosity. Percy noticed she had a old accent, like those old romeo and Juliette movies he had Seen in school.
" I want her to be safe, she's the only family I have left and I have no dad. " percy sighed as he sat down, placing the bow besides him." Mum always kept me safe from things like the lady with green skin or the robot cows. "
Just as he finished a red car screeched into the driveway and a raven haired woman rushed over in a nurse outfit." Jack! " she cried as she ran over and wrapped him in a hug." Are you alright? Nothing broken? What happened? " she asked as she held him at arms length.
" I'm okay mum, a big dog chased me ate the door, I got scared and shot it, then they showed up. " percy explained as he looked at the two girls. His mum turned around and gasped.
" Zoe? Atlanta? " she asked happily.
" Hi June. " the duo answered with grins." Been a few decades hasn't it? " the black haired girl teased.
" Mum, who are they? " jack asked curiously.
" Jack, meet Zoe Nightshade and Atlanta demos. " June smiled to her son." Hunters of Artemis. "
" So the stories are real then? " jack asked in awe. The girls and his mum nodded." Cool, hey, does this mean that jerk face Heracles tried to kiss you? I'll stomp his meany foot for that. " jack stated as intimidatingly as a eight year old could.
" June, does thou wish to send him to camp? " Zoe asked.
" No zoe, his other mum should meet him first. " June stated simply." She'd be proud of him. "
" our Lady, proud of a boy?" Zoe asked in shock. "Pigs must surely be aflight now." she muttered.
"I raised him like a perfect boy. " June smiled and ruffled her son's hair." He often gets in trouble for protecting the girls in his class from bullys by attacking them with butter knives. "
" I admit it, he got that from both of you. " Atlanta laughed.
" both of who? " jack asked.
" Your other mum jack, the goddess Lady Artemis. " June smiled.
" So I'm a demigod? " jack asked with a slight smile. His mum nodded." Hey mum, how can I have two mums? "
" Well I asked lady Artemis if she would help me have a little baby to love and we thought very hard together and got you. " June smiled. She was a nurse and knew the normal way, she'd already had that talk with jack a few weeks ago, the godly way just defied the normal.
Jack blinked a few times. Then nodded." okay. "
" We must go soon, no doubt that the others will come for ye. " zoe stayed simply.
" Got it. " June nodded and rummaged through a box, pulling out a silver parka several sizes too small, a pair of silver daggers and leather padding armor. She handed the armor to jack." Honey, put this on, okay? "
" okay mum. " jack nodded as he slipped the slim armor on, it was a bit big in places but obviously meant for someone around the age of 16." where are we going? "
" camp, it's in the hidden oasis. " zoe replied curtly.
" I know where that is. " jack replied." Mum says it's special but not safe to go there. "
" Yes, the hunters would likely shoot you on sight. " zoe said curtly.
" Seams fair, if it's your special place, I shouldn't go there unless you say. " jack replied. Zoe and Atlanta were a bit shocked by the reasoning of the young boy and the fact that he didn't complain.
" I'll drive, no offense Atlanta but the last thing you drove was a horse and cart. " June stated as she grabbed a few more boxes and loaded them into the car." Zoe backseat with jack, Atlanta up front. "
Zoe smirked. When June was in the hunt, she was their best strategist and made even the daughters of Athena jealous. Once everyone was loaded into the car June drove down the road for the edge of town." Zoe make sure we're not being tailed. "
" Good plan. " zoe nodded and looked out of the rear windscreen and saw something even she feared." Nemion lion! "