Chapter 1
When old friends meet
Jason
I was watching Nico who had just kissed his daughter goodbye.
The family likeness was obvious. They shared the same pale skin and dark hair. And their love for black clothes of course. Nico di Angelo was wearing a completely black suit. Even the shirt and the tie were black. Bianca wore a black tank top and black jeans. Her long hair was tied back in a ponytail.
It would be the first time at camp half-blood for her and for my own son David.
Beside them stood Will Solace. He looked nervous.
"Piper, could you show our son the Aphrodite cabin?"
She smiled "Of course Sparky. Come on honey. "
"One second, mom! " David ran to Bianca.
"Hey Bianca, my mother and I are going to check out my new cabin. Are you coming along? "
Bianca looked at her father, who nodded. "Have fun. "
"Thanks dad, I will call you tonight. "
Piper, David and Bianca walked towards the cabin.
"Hey guys, how are you? " I approached Will and Nico.
Will gave me a dry smile. "A little bit worried, but otherwise I'm fine. " Nico looked surprised. "What are you worrying for? Bianca can take care of herself. "
"Are you kidding me? " . Will shook his head.
"Listen, I know she has caused some trouble in the past. But I really believe in her. She wil do great, I promise. "
"Hey everyone, what are we talking about? ." I looked behind me and saw Percy Jackson with his son Luke.
"We were just discussing Wills worries about his daughter. "
Will sighed. "Nico, I got a letter from the principal this morning. She got expelled. For fighting. Again. " Nico groaned.
"sounds like I have to find another school again. "
Percy grinned. "This has happened before? "
"Not funny, Percy. Not funny at all. "
"Ok, I understand your worries, but this is a normal demigod thing. I got expelled a few times too, so did Piper."
"You don't get it, Percy. We are running out of places to put her. "
"Oh, come on. How bad can it be? "
"Fourteen schools in five years. "
"Oh."
"Yeah, it's becoming a problem. Honestly, we are desperate. We don't know what to do anymore. "
"Hey, she could come to (Cs). She won't get in trouble with me looking after her. "
"Really? "
"Sure. I will talk to the principal. If you want me to. I mean, it is a pretty long distance. "
"That won't be a problem. Distance doesn't really matter. "
I smiled. The transformation was remarkable. Percy Jackson had turned from a rebellious problem child into a respected teacher. He taught marine biology at (Cs). He also coached the schools swimming team.
"Let's hope she won't get expelled again. We don't want to damage your reputation."
"I don't care about reputation. I care about friends who need my help. But what is actually the problem? "
"Bianca fights. At school, at the mall, it doesn't really matter. Wherever she goes, she always ends up in some kind of fight. And she is pretty good at it. She has kicked several classmates into the hospital. It is a miracle that she hasn't killed anyone yet. We have already sent her to a therapist to learn about anger management. It hasn't done any good so far. "
Percy looked concerned, maybe he was regretting his offer.
"Sounds like she could use some help. Don't worry guys, I will take good care of her."
Will and Nico smiled. "Thanks, Percy. We owe you something. "
"Nah, that's what friends are for. "
"Still, it means a lot for us. "
"Is she a good swimmer? She could be a nice asset to our team. "
"I'm sorry my friend, Bianca can't swim. "
"Can't swim?" Percy looked almost shocked.
"She is afraid of deep water. That's a normal thing for the bloodline of Hades. We usually stay out of Poseidons territory as much as possible. You should understand that. "
"I see. I suppose it is kind of the same as my fear of flying. Pity. However, I am sure there will be lots of other activities she will be good at. " He smiled.
I decided that it was time to change the subject. "Where is Annabeth by the way? "
"At home. She is ill. "
"Nothing serious, I hope? "
"Just the flu. But she is extremely annoyed. She was supposed to be at the opening of the new library she designed. "
"Tell her that we are sorry for her, Ok?"
Percy nodded absently. "Of course. "
He looked at me as if something had just occurred to him. "But how about you? "
"Me? "
"How are you doing? "
"I'm fine, I guess. Tough a little bit worried too."
Nico looked at me. "David? "
"David. "
Percy frowned. "What's with David? "
I sighed. David had problems of his own. I tried to be there for him, but that wasn't easy. I felt like I understood so little of him.
"I fear he might get bullied. "
"Why?"
Nico shook his head. "Don't be an idiot Jackson. Have you ever looked at the guy? He isn't exactly inconspicuous. Bullies will easily pick him out as the odd one."
"It is true. He will be an easy target. Not only because he is eccentric. He is also very sensitive. Whenever people are mean or only unfriendly to him he gets upset. Even worse, he starts crying."
"Sounds like Grover before I knew he was a satyr. "
I smiled. I had met Grover before. The great lord of the wild. And Percy had described to me what he had been like during their first year together. Still, it was hard to picture him the as a limping nervous teen with peanut butter in his hair. Maybe David would change as well.
"Perhaps. The problem is that I don't know what to do. Especially now he is going to camp. Aphrodite kids may look innocent, but they can be very mean. Piper told me all about it. Looks are everything for them. And they are not exactly tolerant towards those who are different. They won't be pleased by David's appearance. Plus, they go to camp to learn how to fight. David isn't much of a fighter. He doesn't have the build for it, and he certainly doesn't have the guts for it. That won't help either. "
"Do you think that he will get beaten? "
"I don't know. "
"I think that you should talk to Chiron about this. "
Suddenly, Percy looked around. "Where did Luke go? "
Chapter 2
An impressive change
Luke
There's absolutely nothing as boring as talking adults. As soon as I heard the words "We were just discussing" I decided to let them be, and went to my cabin. I liked cabin 3. the sound of the fountain and the sent of fresh sea winds helped me to clear my mind. Everything was exactly the way I had left it.
When I was done unpacking my stuff, I sat down on the beach and watched the waves for a while.
I stood up because I had become hungry. I really needed some pizza.
I met some old friends from last year at the dining pavilion. Suddenly I noticed Mrs Grace and Bianca di Angelo who were coming this way. But who was the blond guy? Wait a second, was that David? Wow, he had changed al lot. He looked nothing like the kid I had seen last year at Christmas eve.
First of all: He was wearing high-heel boots. I had never seen a guy wearing high-heels before. Even girls would think twice before putting on heels that high. But he walked with confidence. He must have been used to it. I have to say, they looked really good on him. They made him look taller.
Second: He wore the skinniest pants I had ever seen. Not just ordinary jeans. It looked like black leather. On top of that he wore a white shirt made of some kind of shiny fabric. Maybe silk or satin.
He had bleached his hair. His shaggy hair that used to have the same color as mine (honey) was now platinum blond. Wich matched his porcelain skin. He used to be much more tanned. Was there a way to bleach your skin? Or did he use make-up for that? Maybe it was some kind of Aphrodite-magic.
He had always been good-looking, but this was nuts! He was radiating beauty.
"Hi Luke, it's good to see you. "
"Oh, Hi Bianca. I was just-"
"Staring at David? "
I blushed.
"Don't worry, everyone stares at me. I'm used to it." David looked me in the eye and I realized that he was wearing dark make-up around his eyes. It made his pale blue eyes even bigger and more mesmerizing. He wore an earring with a blue gemstone in his right ear.
"You have changed! " I blurted out.
"A lot can happen in a year."
I didn't know what to say, so I just nodded.
He smiled and showed of his perfectly white teeth. I almost lost it there.
"Am I making you nervous? "
"Yes! I mean, no! I mean, maybe a little bit. "
"It's Ok. Most people are uncomfortable around me. Tough, not as much as you. "
I needed to say something. Anything. Why was this so hard?
Bianca cleared her throat. "Hey Luke, could you give us a tour of the camp?"
Chapter 3
The bet
Piper
I knew it as soon as I saw them together. I had watched the conversation with great interest. Luke was so into David.
I just had to tell the others.
"Hey guys, guess what? "
"Hi Pipes, where is David?
"Luke is giving him and Bianca a tour of the camp"
"That's nice of him. "
"I should talk to him about running away like that. "
"Please don't. You can't embarrass him in front of David. Why don't you call him tonight?"
"David? What has this to do with David? "
"Luke has a crush on him. "
"What? !"
"I'm serious. we walked into the dining pavilion and found Luke there. I have watched them together, and Luke was practicly drooling. I'm pretty sure that he won't be able to think about anything else for the rest of the day. "
"That sounds like a serious crush."
"Yup. And David was actually flirting with him. I think Dave even used some kind of Aphrodite-magic to impress him even more."
"How do you know wether the crush was real? Maybe it was just the magic. "
"Aphrodite-magic doesn't work like that. Luke must like him fur real, otherwise the magic wouldn't have such an effect. "
"I didn't even know that David had magic. "
"Me neither. But it was kind of obvious. He was literally glowing with power. I think he did it unconscious. He will probably learn how to control that power at camp. The point is that he was trying very hard to impress Luke."
"I still can't believe it. "
"I'm telling you, they will be dating within a week. "
"No way! "
"Do you want to bet?"
"Sure, what are we betting for?"
"The loser has to wear a dress."
"Deal! "
"You will look adorable in a dress."
"No, you will. "
Chapter 4
I make a call
Percy
That night I called my son.
A few years ago, Leo had started his own company called Fire-Tech. He had invented the now very popular Fire-phone and the Flame-book. They were magical, so they couldn't be traced by monsters. They were also fireproof, waterproof, monsterproof, anything-but-the-godsproof. That made them perfect for demigods. Mortals liked Fire-Tech gadgets because they were faster than any other kind of technology. Needless to say that the Valdezes were very rich.
I opened my Flame-book for a video-call.
"Hi Luke, how is camp? "
"Hi dad, everything is great. How are mom and Bobby? "
"your mother is getting better. Bobby is fine. Have you met David and Bianca already? "
Luke's cheeks turned pink. "We have met. "
"Dave has changed a lot, hasn't he?" I tried to keep my tone casual.
"He has" He spoke with some kind of faraway tone and had a dreamy look in his eyes.
"I think he looks pretty good this way. How about you? "
"Yeah, he really does. " Suddenly as if he had just realized what he had actually said, he blushed even deeper. Piper was right, this was a serious crush.
"You should ask him out. "
"What? "
"You. Should. Ask. Him. Out. "
He sighed. "Is it that obvious? "
"Piper told me. She noticed it immediately. "
"So you knew it already. "
"I needed some evidence. "
"Wich I have just given you. Do you really think that I should ask him out? What if he says no? What if he laughs at me? "
"Three words: Go for it! That's all I have got to say. " Man I was really losing this bet. Perhaps, I should go look for a nice dress to wear. But it was worth it. I wanted my son to be happy.
"How are your friends doing by the way?"
"Skipper has become head-counselor of The Hermes-cabin. Max is weird as always. "
"Cool. One more thing: Don't run away like that. You scared me. "
"I was bored. "
I shrugged. I probably would have done the same when I was his age. "Just let me know something next time, Ok?"
"Sure dad. "
Chapter 5
Max wears a hat
Luke
That night, I had a nightmare. I dreamed that I was standing at my own funeral. My family stood around me. They were crying. I wanted to tell them that I was fine, but they couldn't see or hear me. Was this what it was like to be a ghost?
I woke up. I took a shower and let the warm water calm me down.
I decided to do some cleaning before the inspection arrived. Cabin 3 used to be a pigsty when my dad still lived there, but I liked to keep my cabin neat and orderly. I could not think when my room was a mess. I was more like my mom that way. Half an our later, cabin 3 was as clean as possible.
I went to the dining pavilion for breakfast. I took a plate full of blue pancakes with fresh strawberries. My favorite breakfast. I threw some pancakes into the fire before I sat down at my table. Max and Skipper sat beside me. That was kind of against the rules, but Chiron tolerated it anyway because he knew that I didn't want to sit alone.
Max and Skipper were my best friends at camp half-blood. They were both fifteen. I had met them last year, and we had been on a quest for Hermes.
Skipper was a daughter of Hermes. She was one of the prettiest girls in camp. Even the daughters of Aphrodite were jealous of her. She had chocolate Brown curls, emerald green eyes, and some freckles on her nose. She was a good fighter and the fastest runner I knew. Her ADHD was even worse than mine. Skipper couldn't sit still, not even for two seconds. She was always tapping her feet and drumming with her fingers on the table. And if she was really bored she started making funny faces and weird noises.
Max was a son of Apollo. Like his siblings, he had a deep tan, blond hair and baby blue eyes. Max really loved all kinds of crazy hats. Maybe because he wanted to distract people from his jug-ears. Right now, he was wearing a pink hat with blue polka-dots and a large white feather.
"Hi Skipper. Nice hat, Max! "
"Thank you! I am very fond of it. "
David and Bianca came into the dining pavilion. They were chatting and laughing. David noticed me. Gods, he looked even better than yesterday.
"Hi, can I sit here? "
Breath, I reminded myself. "Go ahead. Let me introduce you: Guys, meet my friends David and Bianca. David and Bianca, meet my friends Max and Skipper. "
"Max Summers at your service! " Max stood up, took of his hat, and bowed deeply.
"Don't be an idiot, Max. You look ridiculous. "
"Hey, being ridiculous is my speciality. "
Skipper shook her head. "That doesn't make sense. "
"Yes, it does. "
David and Bianca stared at Max for a few minutes. Perhaps because of the hat.
Max was special. He was colourful, funny and always happy. Wich was exactly why everyone loved him. Everyone should have a friend like Max. He reminded me of Mr Valdez somehow.
"Hi, pleased to meet you. I like your hat"
"Thank you! You should see the rest of my collection. "
"You've got more? "
"Duh! I have all kinds of hats. I can show you after breakfast. "
"Sounds good to me. Where do you buy hats like that?"
"Sometimes online. There's an amazing Halloween-store in Brooklyn. That's where I bought this one. Tough, I have added the feather myself. That was a personal touch. I make even hats myself now and then. "
"You make your own hats? ! That's so cool! "
"I know! Sadly, not many people know how to appreciate a good hat. I can make one for you too. "
"Bianca, did you hear that? I am getting a new hat! "
"Uhm... Yay? "
"Come on my fellow hat-lover. We 've got a lot to do. "
I watched them in as they walked away. I hadn't even got the chance to ask David out. I was kind of jealous because Max had got all the attention. Was it possible that Max liked David too? Or even worse, was it possible that David liked Max? The thought made me nauseous.
What if David and Max really started dating? Could I live with that? I wanted my friend to be happy. That didn't mean that I wanted him to date my crush. David was mine.
I shook my head. What te Hades was I thinking? I didn't own David. He could date whoever he wanted. Max was nice, funny and popular. He would make a great boyfriend. I decided not to come between them. They would be a happy couple, and I would congratulate them. I would pretend to be happy for them, and nobody would notice my broken heart.
"Luke, are you Ok? You look like you are about to cry."
Skipper put her hand on my shoulder.
"I 'm fine. I am going for a swim, OK? " I needed something to distract me. A nice long swimming practice would do. Besides, I needed to train. I was on the schools swimming team. If I came back from camp out of shape, my dad would kill me.
Chapter 6
Dizzy
Luke
I was going to my cabin to pick up my swim trunks and stopwatch when something strange happened. I felt very dizzy. I couldn't even walk straight anymore. I stumbled. Everything turned black.
Skipper
Luke's disappearance was probably the strangest thing I had ever seen. And I had seen lots of strange stuff. First he had started to walk funny. He staggered as if he was drunk. Than he fainted. I wanted to help him up, but he disappeared. He just faded into nothingness.
I had to warn Chiron. I ran to the big house as fast as I could. Chiron and Mr D. were sitting in front of it and were playing pinochle.
"Chiron! Quick! Luke has disappeared! "
"Calm down, child. What happened? "
I tried to stop panting. "Luke went to his cabin. He fainted. Then he faded. Now he 's gone. "
Chapter 7
Still in camp
Luke
I woke up. I was lying on the ground. What had happened? Had I fainted? David and Bianca were laying beside me. That was strange. Why were they there? They had not been there when I fell.
I stood up and brushed of my clothes. David and Bianca did the same.
"What happened, guys?"
"I don't know. One moment I was walking with Max to the Apollo cabin, the next moment I am lying on the ground with you. "
"Same here, except that I was on my way to archery practice. "
I noticed the quiver on her back along with a large stygian iron bow. Stygian Iron weapons were rare. The only people who used them were the descendants of Hades/Pluto. Most Demigods preferred celestial bronze or Imperial gold. It surprised me somewhat to hear that she was an archer. I had expected her to be a swordfighter just like her father.
A group of kids was standing around us. They were probably worried because we had been lying on the ground.
"Don't worry everyone, we are fine"
They didn't seem reassured. In fact, they looked even more nervous than before. I scanned the crowd, hoping to see Max or Skipper. They weren't there. Even weirder: I didn't recognize anyone at all. The kids wore orange camp half-blood T-shirts, but their faces were unfamiliar.
Chapter 8
The new kids
Percy
After the war with Gaia, I thought that I had seen everything. I had been kidnapped by a goddess, after all. But the war was over. The weird stuff was supposed to be over. My old normal life (as normal as a demigod life can be) was supposed to begin today. Not so much. Three kids appeared out of nowhere, lying on the ground.
I listened to their conversation. Apollo cabin. Archery. It sounded as if they knew camp. One of them even wore a camp half-blood T-shirt. So why had I never seen them before?
"Don't worry everyone, we are fine"
OK, that was good. But who were they? I glanced at Annabeth. She didn't seem to understand it either.
"Who are you? where did you come from? "
The one in the orange shirt glared at me suspiciously. "I could ask you the same. "
"OK. I am Percy Jackson and this is my girlfriend Annabeth. We live here at camp half-blood."
All three of them were staring at us now. They started talking to each other. "No, it can't be. He can't be the real Percy Jackson. He is too young. "
"Way to young. Plus, my parents are at home. "
"Why would he say something like that? "
"For attention, why else? "
"Maybe it's some kind of joke. "
"Maybe he's crazy. "
What in blazes were they talking about?! Why would I not be Percy Jackson? What had the boys parents to do with anything?
The one in orange was glaring at me again. I felt like I had said: "I am the god of ducks. " or something weird like that.
"What?! It's the truth. I swear it on the river Styx."
That seemed to surprise him. "Fine. I guess that means that you're being honest. Forgive me. It's just hard to believe. "
"Why would that be hard to believe?"
"It's just a weird coincidence that you bear exactly the same name as my father. Didn't you say that your girlfriends name is Annabeth? That's my mother's name. "
"So your father's name is Percy Jackson? And your mother's name is Annabeth? "
"Exactly. " I felt confused. This couldn't be a coincidence. Their sudden appearance, the matching names, we had to be connected somehow.
"And you are a demigod? "
"Legacy of the gods. My parents are Demigods. " I couldn't believe what I was hearing. There were two other Demigods called Percy and Annabeth? Why had I never heard of them before?
"What's your name? "
"Luke Jackson. " I was standing in front of someone who had the same name as my former enemy, and whose parents had the same names as Annabeth and me. I wondered how much weirdness my brain could take before it would explode.
"You said that your parents are Demigods. Who are your godly ancestors?"
"Poseidon and Athena, but I have only the Poseidon powers. My sister got the Athena qualities. " My head was exploding right now, but I did my best to hide it.
Apparently, he noticed. "What is so weird about that?"
"Nothing, except the fact that I am a child of Poseidon, and Annabeth is the daughter of Athena. "
Chapter 9
Dead
Percy
This time it was the girl who spoke. "What?! you are a son of Poseidon? That's impossible! Why have I never heard of you before? "
I had been so distracted by the boy in orange that I had completely forgotten that there were two more of them. I studied the girl. She had a pale skin, long black hair and really dark eyes. She reminded me of Nico. Who was just coming this way.
Nico and Will came to us. I suppose that they had heard about the new kids and wanted to see them.
I turned back to the girl. She seemed unnerved by Nico's and Will's arrival.
"I'm sorry, what was your name again? "
She blinked. "Bianca Di Angelo. "
Nico looked shocked. He studied her face for a while. "You do look like Bianca. " he decided. "But you can't be her. She's dead now. "
"I'm pretty sure that I am not dead. Thank you very much. And believe me, I'm an expert on dead. "
This seemed to confuse Nico. "What do you mean,Expert on dead?"
She shrugged. "My dad taught me a few things. "
"Your Father is Hades? "
"A son of Hades, actually. He looks a bit like you, except older. "
Nico seemed to be just as confused as me. Who were these kids?
"What's your Father's name? "
"Nico Di Angelo. "
"Your father's name is Nico di Angelo?! Are you sure? "
"I know my father's name, OK? I am not retarded. "
"Who is your mother? "
"I don't have a mother. I have two fathers. "
Nico blinked. "Your parents are gay? "
She nodded. She looked kind of tired of explaining this. I bet it was not the first time. "I was born with a surrogate mother, tough I do not know her name."
She glared at Nico suspiciously. " You've got a problem with that?!"
"No! I was just... surprised, I guess. "
She seemed to relax a bit.
"What's your other father's name? " Nico seemed extremely curious now, but also a little bit nervous. Almost as if he feared the answer.
"Will"
Nico gulped. "Will Solace? "
"How did you know that? Solace was my father's last name before they got married. He has changed it into Di Angelo, but that was years ago. "
Chapter 9
What happened?
Nico
Percy, can I speak to you for a few minutes?
"Sure. "
We headed into cabin 3. "Percy, I 've got an idea about what might be going on. " Percy looked at me curiously.
"Really? Cause I don't get it. "
"I... I think they came from the future. They could be our future kids. " Percy probably thought that I had gone insane.
"You know, that's actually quite possible. "
I blinked. That was not the answer I had expected. "You don't think that it is crazy?"
"Of course it's crazy! But everything that has happened to us so far is crazy,
doesn't mean that it's impossible. It would explain a lot. "
"So... Luke is your son, and he mentioned a sister as well. Congratulations, Percy! You're a dad now. "
"Same to you. Didn't she say that Will Solace was her other father? I didn't even know you were dating. "
"Not yet, but I do like him. It's good to know that we will get married and raise a family one day. "
I thought about Bianca. Her glossy black hair and stygian iron bow. She was a lot like me. I had a daughter! I couldn't wait to get to know her.
"I wonder what my son will be like. Who do you think the third kid's parents are? "
Honestly, I hadn't paid much attention to him. I couldn't even remember what he looked like. "Dunno, maybe Jason and Piper. "
"What should we do now? "
"I think you should go back to them. I will explain the situation to Chiron. "
Chapter 10
Cabin 3
Percy
I went back to the others who were still staring at the new kids.
This time I took my time to look properly at all three of them. I wondered how I could have ignored the third one at first. With clothes like that, he was kind of hard to miss. He had blond hair and blue eyes. Hmm... Could be Jason's. No wait, he was way too pale. Jason and Piper were much more tanned than that. Maybe he was Bianca's brother. Yes, that could explain it.
My son had Annabeth's hair. Blond and curly. I smiled at that. Obviously a child of his mother. He had my eyes, sea-green. There was no doubt about his heritage.
Luke had noticed me. "What was that about? "
"Nico had an idea. We think we know where you guys came from. " Annabeth nodded. She had probably figured it out already.
"Where we came from is not the question. The question is: Where did you come from? "
I looked at the mysterious guy with the blue eyes. "What's your name? "
"David Grace. " And I was wrong. Not totally wrong, I had suspected it at first. But still.
"I suppose that you are the son of Jason Grace and Piper McLean. "
"Do I know you? "
I cracked a smile. "I know your parents. "
He looked at his friends. "I am not going insane now, am I? "
"I don't think so Dave. I am seeing this too. "
"Listen, I know this must be confusing for you. It confuses me too. But I'm sure that we will figure out what happened. In the meantime, we will need to make some arrangements. You will need a place to say. You are a descendant of Poseidon, right? I can show you your cabin. "
"You don't need to show me my cabin! I know where my cabin is! I live there! I have been living there for a year know! "
I didn't understand why he was shouting at me.I was trying to do something nice. I have to say that I was a bit hurt.
Luke ran of to cabin 3.
I turned towards Bianca. "Would you like to see the Hades cabin? "
She smiled. "No, thanks. I have already seen it. Excuse me, I am going to archery practice now. "
David was left. "I suppose you don't need to see your cabin either. Wich cabin is that, by the way? "
He sighed. "Aphrodite. "
"You don't like it there? "
"It's just that..."
We were interrupted by a loud scream. It first I thought it was a monster. Then I realized that it came from my cabin.
I ran to cabin 3. Luke was staring horrified at the mess. He turned around and growled at me. "What have you done to my cabin?! It was as clean as possible a few ours ago when I left it! My clothes were neatly folded and color-coordinated in my closet! My books stood in alphabetic order in my bookshelf! My- IS THAT PIZZA ON THE FLOOR?! "
Wow who had thought that my son would be such a neatfreak?
He had a murderous look in his eyes.
"You. Clean this. NOW! "