Just Percy

by Spen.Sir

Sally did not meet Gabe rather she met Darren, he is a smooth talking man that takes sociopathic delight in the destruction of relationships. How does this affect Percy? Is he still the grand hero despite this adversity or is he something else entirely. (Spoilers) he is not the grand hero!

1. Book 1

A.N.

Im new, Sorry.

Book 1

Last day of Winter Break for Percy, Year 1

Sally looked at her son nervously. He is such a lovely boy, he had been at the school for the first time between the ADHD and dyslexia she thought that he would have issues but those fears turned out pointless. He looked up to her with his father's green eyes, but that only brought thoughts of her final conversation.

Poseidon was standing on the water at the end of the pier, "his sent will be too strong, you will need to send him to camp." Sally cried for days after, her eyes got moist in the memories even years afterwards.

She knew his developing mind could not truly comprehend the danger he brought upon them. It was only a few days ago she had seen the beast. She was on the way to work when it appeared in the crowd, the jet black fur, the awful red eyes.

The way no one noticed it, completely oblivious. Their time in the realm of the living was a miss-step away from the end. She could see it clearly now in her mind, sending shivers up her spine. If she hadn't of taken Percy to school he might have it could have smelt him Percy would be dead.

The current festive attitude did not help ease her fraying nerves. Then the pungent smell hit her like a bus, a crazy plan formed in her mind but if it helped her keep her child it was all for the good.

Sally dragged her son towards the smell. It was coming from a reasonable looking man, who if not slightly dishevelled would be handsome.

He had a slightly large nose and perfect skin, no wrinkle lines or marks from weathering. His hair the same colours as Poseidon. He had an air of self-importance, that was the only thing of concern the rest being irrelevant to Sally's new self-appointed goal.

The goal being the cheap cologne that came off him in waves, she could smell it 30 feet away, could this man be what she needed. He looked a little down on his luck so she might have a chance of convincing him to share the name of that smell that would keep her son safe.

X

Darren was jolted out of his revelry when a lady tapped him on the shoulder. He should have never agreed to play that reception.

On a cursory examination, he pondered if his luck was changing. Having a very single looking mother in the prime of her life straining to look after a child, he wondered how difficult it could be to break one of the most sacred of bonds, a mother and her child.

A thrill of exhilaration at the idea, it rid him of his previous drear thoughts. As a charming grin stretched across his face to cover the sinister one underneath, he thought about different ways to go about this new and very ambitious plan.

"Hi how can I help?" was the polite but distant tone.

Darren decided to go for the aloof on the outside and caring on the inside. After all, he would want to see the relationships tattered ruins it was half the fun.

Darren was contemplating how to bring up the child without being creepy about it, as the mother droned on about her grandfather. Then as if fate aligned the child made a sound somewhere in-between a plane and a cow.

"What a lovely child you have there." His tone now was a lot more gentle, the child spun then grinned at him in the way only little kids can do. It denoting their ignorance of the dangers of the big bad world.

Later that week, Year 1

Sally was surprised at how everything was going, after her parent's death she had a hard time breaking out of her shell, she was still sure that she would have never got out completely if it was not for Poseidon.

After Poseidon retreated faced with a child, she was left with a half-finished arts degree and her bundle of joy. It was hard at first but she slowly built a life, stable employment, her very own apartment.

But the evening they spent in because of erratic weather, was wholly unsuitable.

Her apartment is as small as a shoe box, she was paying through the nose for this place. It is not rent controlled so every month they added 5 to 50 dollars extra. After so many years she was almost paying double the original rate.

She did not have anything in the way of nice furniture, the couch that they were currently sitting on is made with enough space for one and a half making it a tight squeeze, even if she found nothing to complain about, the cleaned up Darren made a much better impression.

Sally had burnt the meal, the chicken didn't survive the frypan when she got distracted by her conversation with Darren.

He didn't care about any of that, he was charming and nice no matter what happened. It was just a really good night, she had not had fun like that in a long time, probably when she was still at college.

Such a great night made her feel a bit bad about the lie of 'her grandfather had a similar cologne' as the reason for them to meet. She pondered the long-term implications of building a relationship from a lie until it was the time she walked him to the door.

Standing at the threshold he gave her a grin that was starting to make her weak at the knees.

"I have one last thing for you, my dear," her heart fluttered with excitement and curiosity at the mysterious words.

There were a few moments of suspense where he reached his hand inside his pocket.

"Ahhhh," there was a scream from Percy's room. Her heart froze as she rushed to the door. What if the monsters got him, what would she do without her son? Flinging the door open she saw everything was fine her Percy was in bed looking around curiously. He must have had a nightmare or something similar.

This just got under her skin, there was nothing wrong he was fine, but he just screamed, he interrupted the special moment. So in an uncharacteristic way she screams "don't ever frighten me like that again!" Seeing her child quiver with fear, his bottom lip trembling.

Sally needed to go tell her pride and joy that he was good and she would always be there for him. But a strong arm took her around the waste, it was Darren.

X

There was a malicious glint in his eye seeing the lovely lady yell at her son, but when she made to apologises he stopped her. Darren had been fabricating a story for the last few days that would let his advice be heeded, it seemed now was the time to tell Sally about June.

"I know it is difficult, I couldn't stop myself," she was looking curious that was good, she was not dismissing it out of tern.

"I don't like to talk about it but I had a little sister, dad and mom weren't around so it fell to me to look after her. I could never say no to her, even as she grew up. at the age of fifteen, she ran off to England. I didn't even have the will to insist she come home for the more than the first day. After a week I ended up sending her some money." He took a long break and wiped away an imaginary tear.

"June died in a car crash that weekend." He wiped away a few more imaginary tears.

He raised his voice almost to a hysterical pitch, "it's my fault, if I hadn't sent the money she could have got the money to buy a car, if I had been more insistent she might have come home, or if I was stricter at the start she might have never left."

X

Sally was surprised by Darren, he had been cool, calm and confident. She privet thought that she liked this new side he had shown her.

She looked away sheepishly until she felt a hand on her chin moving her face to eye to eye with him. "I don't know why you think you are in the wrong, l wish I had been strong enough to have a stern hand."

She reflected on his words, the closing of the door brought her back to the world.

Darren was gone, but there was a box left on the bench next to the door. She rushed over, top of the box there was a quickly rote note 'see you tomorrow'.

A small smile took over her face with the thought of seeing him tomorrow. In the box was a cologne, Percy's room was sprayed with a very light coating.

Seeing Percy sleeping peacefully, she thought that there might be something to the stricter approach.

2 months later, Year 1

Darren watched as Sally hit Percy with a contented grin.

He didn't know why but the kid was a trouble magnet, Darren could still remember taking him a walk in the park and birds attacking for no reason.

The kid getting kicked out of school in grade one is apparently worthy of a few slaps.

This worked out well for his long-term plan, he was going to try and have her associate stress relief with child maltreatment.

Part of that is having her mistreat her child while stressed, as it turned out it is easier to get a stressed mother to treat her children badly if it is the child's fault for the stress.

Now that she just sent the boy to his room. It was Darren's turn to jump in and calm her down.

X

Waves of relief washed over Sally at the declaration, he didn't think she was a monster for hitting at her kid, he didn't think there was anything wrong with that at all. And he was going to find a new school.

3 months later, Start of Summer Year 1

Darren was surprised when his plans bore fruit. He had organised for Percy to go to one of the rougher schools try to get him to grow some spine, Percy had pushed back.

Up until this point he had been deferential and accepting of the treatment. And what a thing to push back on, a birthday couldn't get any more childlike if you tried.

It started in the afternoon his first day home, Darren was there to witness the whole thing. Percy asked, "can I please have a blue cake for my birthday?" the second Sally arrived home

Just from the look on Sally's face, Darren knew that she was not in a good mood.

"There is no such thing as a blue food, and you haven't been a good boy recently," she took the expulsion notice off the fridge and waved it for emphasis.

"Bad boys don't get birthdays." She said with equal parts derision and scorn.

Percy's eyes narrowed before he stormed off with "I will make it myself," coming from a 7-year-old it sounded rather petulant.

Darren was still wondering where Percy learnt that action, that school must really have done a number on him.

Sally's "if you touch anything in the kitchen you will not get anything cooked by me again." Sounded just as petulant, and from a grown lady it was somewhat disconcerting.

Darren decided to put it all from his mind.

X

Percy knew that he should get some special treatment on his birthday.

All the kids from the school said so, John had his birthday at the end of the year and everyone in the class was invited but Percy because he was new.

They treated john so nice that day, even got him presents, but Percy couldn't remember anything special last year for him. So making a cake would not be all that difficult.

John brought in the leftovers from his cake, the day after. Percy saw the cake even if he didn't get to have any, that cake was red which meant Sally was just being stupid, if there is red cake then there can be blue cake.

His face turned to a determined scowl, he would show her blue food. Even if he did have to cook the rest of his food from now on, how hard could that be?

3 months later, the end of summer, Percy's birthday, end of Year 1/start of Year 2

Percy's birthday rolled around and just as any self-respecting now 8-year-old Percy made his birthday cake.

By the time Percy was done everything was a right mess.

There were half of the dishes in the sink, dirty.

Flower and sugar over every bench surface.

At the start, he tried to follow the instructions in the cookbook. The words where big and confusing, plus he did not how to measure a cup.

Only after he ditched the cookbook, he made something to be proud of. It was just the insides of a few slices of bread and some blue food dye moulded into a sphere.

Percy was just staring at his creation when Darren got home, as he was the first to get home, he congratulated Percy on his work, but Percy knew better. If he actually cared then he would help clean up the mess.

When Mom or Sally as she was becoming in the privacy of Percy's mind, got home Darren just agrees with her.

They both started harping on about the waste of food and other petty concerns. Percy was glad that he got the kitchen in a state of mild mess, voiding the comparisons to it being like an explosion in the kitchen.

None of it mattered to Percy. He had made a cake, given it was not very impressive, but it was from his two hands making it best in his eyes at least.

X

Sally went red with anger at the lax attitude that Percy had in regards to the situation. He went directly against something she said, he needed to learn her threats were not idle.

"You have done it now, from this point forward you're making your own food." Her son didn't even bother looking at her.

Righteous fury filled her, he was her son, he would not be alive if not for her.

"You are the worst thing that has ever happened to me." That gave her Percy's attention.

X

Percy was young, his slowly spiralling living conditions. Had forced him to 'grow up' quicker, he recently learnt to respect that he was very inexperienced.

So he determined to learn from those with more experience, this boiled down to talking to the old men that played chess in the park. He did it all summer long, gathering knowledge through the hearing of personal stories that they were willing to share.

If he had trouble remember who had which anecdote, it didn't matter because no one called him up on it.

Percy's quick mental growth meant that he was young he could understand, and be correctly horrified. He knew bad things happened around him and he got blamed. but to be 'the worst thing that has ever' was distressing.

X

It should also be noted that Percy didn't do much in the way of emotional development, so he grabbed his blue bread and ran to his room, and just laid in bed crying over his misfortune.

X

Darren saw sally going for Percy's room, but he stopped her with a hand on her shoulder, "you were a little harsh then, let me try to comfort the boy."

He continued forward and heard the distinct sound of sally collapsing into a chair. He gently put his arm over the boy, currently curled in the fetal position.

Darren used the opening to corrupt the other side of the mother-child relationship.

"it's true, you know, what she said, I know that it is difficult to accept but it is true, what your mother says when they're angry is how she feels deep down, so even if your mom apologises later and says that she didn't mean it you will know better."

X

Percy didn't know. Darren was an adult, so the immediate reaction was to accept the new information about his mother at face value, after all, he had realised that Sally wasn't the nicest to him.

Something was off, Percy knew that when someone was mad they feel different about other people than when they feel happy. He would not have proclaimed to be an expert on Sally, but one of the chessmen's their favourite sayings was 'all people are the same on the inside'.

This was enough to cause pause, Percy didn't know what Darren thought that he was doing, maybe it was some trickery to have him and sally makeup. Whatever it is Percy made his decision, he was not going to care about her.

Another one of the chessmen's their favourite sayings, 'Actions speak louder than words'. Percy's mother didn't care about him, so he just would not care back. If he didn't care what she said or did, then what she said or did wouldn't matter to him.

2 months later, Year 2

Over the next 2 months Percy got good at cooking, there was a lot of trial and error, burnt dishes and washing up but with the help of many T.V. shows about cooking, useless books.

Cooking was not the only thing he found he was responsible for, washing his clothes, getting himself to school, and all the other things little or big he relied on Sally for. He was glad he was not responsible to buy food, or pay rent. It was as if Sally heard his internal declaration not to care, and retaliated by forcing him to do all the things she had been doing to help him.

This proved his assumption wrong, she didn't care before but now she doesn't care.

This forced Percy became successful at looking after himself, he was not great by any means but he was only slightly worse of then when Sally was looking after him.

All of this was beside the point to Percy, he had run out of blue food dye.

Looking at the empty bottle, he silently bemoaned. Darren had been in the room when he ran out making lunch. He assumed that he would need to get his own die.

Darren interrupted his thoughts, "I will talk to your mother." Percy was not quite sure of what to think about it, Darren had been unhappy with the blue food.

So Percy did a bit of eavesdropping on the conversation between Darren talking to Sally.

Darren, "I don't think that we should get him any blue food dye." There was a pause, "yes I know you like that he is learning to be independent, but should you be encouraging him to rebel against you."

Percy was stunned he was doing what his mother wanted she had tricked him, he was going to get her back, as revenge plans and strategies were created and dismissed Percy sat there seething in his anger.

Until there was the distinct smell of burnt, he had lost concentration.

First, there was no die, then Darren and eavesdropping, lastly thinking about Sally and now his food was burnt. He threw away the burnt bread. He left, having no lunch for today is not that much of a hardship.

As Percy walked the chilly street to school he had a difficult time bringing his thoughts under control. How was he going to get more die, what was Darren doing, how should he get revenge. It was only with a strong breeze that racked his body did he remembered his personal declaration not to care, subsequently bringing his thoughts under control.

If he took revenge or even gave it any more thought then he did care and caring about what she wanted would mean that he would fail to stick to his declaration, knowing that was not acceptable he pushed the thoughts out of his mind and focused on the ways he could get food dye all on his own.

Three weeks later, Year 2

Percy looked down at the pittance he had to scrounge up from pretending to be homeless.

It was all he had, he had been formulating the plan over the last three weeks, Percy didn't want to wait till next year to get the food to die, and if he kept up at this homeless act it would be February before he could get any.

As usual, the older kids were playing cards, poker they called it. He had a good grip on the rules and strategy, and looking over the small gathering there were none here that were good at hiding their thoughts.

Percy had been watching and waiting since the plan was in its infancy. Over the weeks Percy had time to get good at judging the other kids, a twitch of the eye, a scratch of the hair. He had a mental catalogue of everyone but Steve, stave was not here today so he would be.

With confidence, he didn't feel he sat in the vacant spot, from his observation he had learnt that some of the older kids would found at the presence of a grade 2, unpleasant so he would need to, show no weakness.

That day he doubled his pittance, but 2 times a pittance still equals a pittance. And Percy can't buy die with a pittance.

It took until the day before winter break to get enough money to buy them, it would have happened sooner if Steve didn't come back and took some of the potential winnings.

Darren and Sally were disappointed when Percy brought back the dead. Percy, however, didn't care, so he got a stern lecture about the immorality of stealing.

Percy felt stupid. He didn't need to pretend to be homeless, than waste his lunchtime gambling. Instead, he could have been learning about something interesting from the Chessmen or School Librarian.

He could have just stolen the die after all 'morality is a social phenomenon.' It took a while for one of the Chessmen to explain what that meant, Percy knew he did not understand the concept completely, but it simply. Morals only affected you if you believed in them, Percy not having a parent or guardian forcing him to believe, meant that he was unaffected by such things. Is that what the lecture is meant to be, Sally was not doing a very good job.

"So what do you have to say for yourself young man?" Sally's last word was punctuated by a hit to Percy's head.

Percy looked at the person he once called mother with exhaustion, what sort of a 7-year-old could be considered a young man. He was growing a large distaste for the word, and the connotations of responsibility it had. Heaving a sigh to refrain from standing on his chair then hitting Sally over the head in the same way she just hit him, he removed the receipt from his pocket and put it in her hand with a harder than necessary force, not that it would do anything.

The next day, Year 2

Percy started on his track home, he was thinking about swinging by the park and Chessmen, he actually had time today with no plans of pretending to be homeless.

"Percy, wait up." It was Steve, he came up to Percy, "Why didn't you play at lunch, you're the only one who can give me a challenge?" Percy smiled kindly at the show of concern, even if it was out of self-interest, at least Steve admit it.

"I guess you had an easy win without me there, sorry to say but my gabbling days are behind me?" Percy's smile got just a bit bigger at the thought 'and thieving days ahead.'

Steve leaned in conspiratorially "I will tell you how I always win if you agree to come back, but you gotta keep it secret."

Percy nodded eagerly, he did not plan to do either but Steve didn't need to know that. "it's magic, or less known as misdirection."

That afternoon in the park Percy found out what misdirection is from Louis a retired stage magician. He agreed to teach Percy sleight of hand after new year's eve.

Winter break, Year 2

Percy thought that Christmas was sacred, but he was wrong.

After Winter break, Year 2

Percy education in the art of misdirection was slow and tedious, Louis had him practise different techniques for hours on end until they were perfect. It was difficult but the results were worth it, every spare moment Percy was practising, palming a coin, shuffling cards or some other thing that Louis told him to learn.

Percy had trouble when he went back to school.

Apart from everyone was talking about what they got for Christmas. Making it Hard for Percy not to care about Sally's lack of gifts, he ended up having chanting a mantra in his head 'I don't care' to keep his cool, with the constant reminders.

It was Steve that ended up breaking his fraying control, "Oy, Jackson where were you?" contrary to Percy's declaration he did hate reminders that he was related to that bitch and there was no more of a direct reminder than his last name.

An ominous "eeeek" happened from the drinking taps on the wall nearby, then they broke, water drenched everything in the hall, and the metal faucet of the drinking tap slammed into Steve. Percy considered getting some help for the dowered guy, then Percy considered that it was not his problem even if he witnessed it. Percy went with the latter.

Two weeks later, Year 2

No matter how much Percy didn't want to fidget he could not help himself, he was sitting across from his vice principal Mr Fredrick.

Mr Frederick asked, "so what do you have to say for yourself Perseus?" Percy was glad that he refrained from using Mr Jackson for the second time.

Percy looked at Steve he just told his version of what happened, with a sneaky addition of Percy beating him after causing the water tap to explode.

Percy thought about any Alterations he would make, "Firstly I didn't ever promise anything, so Steve was not confronting me over a broken anything, and after the drinking tap hit Steve I just left, I could not be bothered. I don't care for whatever he wanted, I didn't bother to get help, I couldn't be bothered to kick him around." Percy exaggerated his lax attitude last fortnight, he feels that lax about it now and who can give a shit if he lies it's not like Mr Frederick could tell the difference.

X

Jacob Paul Fredrick was calm most of the time, but things had recently become stressful. His mother was in the hospital, and the school was being ordained essentially tripling his usual workload. So a child acting up here or there is usually not much of a problem.

Percy Jackson was the breaking point, the kid had already been kicked out of one school and then during the last weeks of the term the boy started to participate in the lunchtime poker but he only observe school bylaws preventing him from doing anything. Even though it is wrong for students to gamble.

Now the boy was in his office exasperation oozing from him. While the child next to him Steve Harden kept sneaking fearful glances at Percy like if he didn't keep visual Percy would turn in to some demon from hell.

Jacob was becoming hard pressed not to agree with Steve's body language as he continued to develop an understand Percy's logic. To think if the drinking taps where not faulty this would not have come to his attention, and he still didn't know whether he would have chosen this extra work and knowledge about his students or have the bliss of ignorance and not all the extra work.

"it's not my problem." the way Percy dismissed the others boys injuries was chilling. The fact he could not find a hole in the boys logic was also disconcerting, Percy had logically shifted any responsibility that he would have to the injured, off himself.

Mr Frederick's had not seen anything like it with children of that age, yes children caused each other pain and suffering but there was usually a malicious motive, but Percy didn't any motive to let Steve's pain and suffering prolong it was just something that was not Percy's problem, therefore Percy didn't put any effort in to helping.

Jacob did not know what he should do, Percy's lack of empathy showed that he could be problematic in the future but he didn't actually do anything violate the rules. Jacob was left with just have to keep an extra eye for Mr Jackson, just call me Perseus

Start of summer, Year 2

Percy was having a great time, given most of his free time went to looking after himself, cooking, cleaning but he always found time to practice misdirection he was getting good, or 'not awful' if you were to ask Louis.

He found that it was so very useful, from being able to pickpockets, or more evidence of a mistake so that Vice Principal Mr Frederick, could not get him trouble.

X

Jacobs observation of Perseus showed that every time there is something wrong Perseus was present and he was always not guilty.

This eventually frayed Jacobs last nerve, so on Perseus end of year report, he might have embellished Percy's actions. This report getting him expelled was the unintentional conclusion of the plan.

Mr Frederick could not even find that he felt guilty, the student would be safer without Perseus.

X

Sally took the news badly there was a lot of yelling and violence. As it happened Darren had skipped out on them, leaving her in no mood for anything to go wrong.

So for her personal nuisance to suddenly need a new school was just too much, not having anything else she could take her anger out on her personal nuisance would do.

X

"it's all your fault" Sally yelled at Percy, who held his hands above his head to weather the blows that rained down from sally.

"you ruined my life" was the next screamed insult. He didn't know that being expelled would set her off, if he did then he would have waited.

Sally continued the tirade, "he would still be here if it was not for you." It's not like he did too badly, C's and B's.

Sally's attack became too much, "I could have finished my education if it wasn't for you." as his arms began to give way against the relentless assault, he wondered if he could have done anything to avoid Sally's wrath.

"You are literally the worst thing to ever happen to…" the final insult was cut off with 'snap' and accompanying sharp jolt of pain from his arm, tears came to his eyes.

He wondered if he was failing his declaration because it is sally who broke his arm, and therefore he should not care, that thought disappeared with the next wave of pain, no it is his arm that is broken and it hurts and he should care.

X

Sally's face full scorn as she was looking at the thing that ruined her life, that last outburst let her realise that it was his fault if Percy was never born then Poseidon would still be here. She had traded a god that treated her like a queen for a snot-nosed brat.

But seeing the broken arm changed the scorn to remorse, she gingerly picked up a glass from the drying rack and with shake hands filled it up with water from the tap, then and poured it over her silently crying, son. The anger from a moment turned to despair.

Seeing the bone mend itself was a relief, her child would be ok. With the relief she did not have the full impact of such a severe injury, letting the despair start on a journey back to rage.

X

Percy was stunned into silence at the sight before him, he watched as the water clung to where his arm was broken, the pain faded and he felt the bone mend itself, but very tired, like he ran for ages without a break. He vowed to figure out what was happening in the morning.

The next 3 month of Summer, Year 2

That day would characterise the next 3 months of Percy's life.

Wake up, he would try to do something with water, if he was successful it would send him to sleep almost immediately.

There were some things that didn't take effort, breathing underwater or sensing it nearby these took concentration. Just as he only got better at misdirection with practice the same could be said about his water powers.

He only noticed a markable improvement after a week. The first day he made the water in a glass hover for about three seconds and then slept for about six hours. After a week he could hold it for a just under a minute and then only collapse on the ground but didn't need to sleep. After a month he could hold it indefinitely.

So he started to manipulate the shape, it took a lot more concentration to do this having a formless blob suddenly be a square, or a sphere, or a pyramid, and having it change shape also took a lot out of him.

All this led Percy to conclude that his powers are like a muscle, they get tired when it is used, but over time the more often and more strenuously it is used the more endurance it gets.

Unfortunately, Percy was still human, and his mom had stopped letting him use her food. He had been able to pay for most of his own food, he set up a table on the side of the street with two tanks of water. Then let people challenge him to see if they could hold their breath in the tanks longer than he could. With his water powers, he always won.

He made enough food money for the next 2 months. After the two days the police shut him down, he could stretch the money from 2 months to 3 if necessary, but instead, he spent it on a cake reasoning he could just set up on any random weekend and just get money then.

Percy's birthday, end of Year 2 start of Year 3

Percy got himself a real cake for his 9th birthday, and it was a newly minted 9-year-old who had his leg broke from the fury of Sally. It seemed that having waterpower's did not help Percy stop the mistreatment.

The powers did reduce a recovery time of from two months to less than a minute; this short recovery exponentially reduced any remorse or guilt over the actions. Percy saw the emotions over Sally's face, it turned out learning poker might not be as useless as the first thought.

First, there was the unbridled rage as she swung the glass bottle she was holding. Next, as the bottle hit his leg there was a flash of satisfaction. Then with the snapping, it turned to guilt. Now with his leg good as new Sally's guilt was fading to everyday stress lines.

Percy considered strait murder, he could just have a blob of water stick in her throat until she choked to death. That idea was dismissed out of hand, he didn't have pay rent or utilities, he could probably get enough from tanks, but other adults would probably not let him live by himself. After creating various other plans usually involving violence to bring Sally under control Percy decided he would just wait

2 months later, Year 3

With the muscle like a quality of his powers, a school was fine but was relegated as a place to practise them.

This decision to wait ended Percy in a pattern, at the end of each week he would be beaten, the only thing that stopped him from lashing out was imagining lashing out.

The mistreatment of Percy didn't stop there, he started to get beat for the most minor of offences real or imagined. Broken bones became par for the course, it was only after one bad afternoon did he get stabbed.

Sally was holding a knife at the time he made her lash out, it was the most painful thing yet, one second it was in her hand and the next it was in his side. As usual, the water healed it right up, this prompted him to action, using his water powers he started to hold a very thin second layer of water over every inch of his body, it blunted impacts and heal injuries immediately.

1 month later, Year 3

Miss. Pantagruel gave Percy another detention for not completing the work. Percy wondered if he could really blame a 9-year-old for not bothering to do the work when he could be moving water with just a thought. Just ask Sally about all the times she faces planted after slipping in 'Magically Appearing' water.

What did surprise him was her coffee splashed all over her, on occasion his powers had activated without effort and fatigue him later.

He could feel the slight weariness that came with using his powers, but he had never used his powers on something that was not completely water he had not even comprehend that it could be done.

This was a new skill that must be mastered, hit with a sudden burst of curiosity he focused on sensing nearby water, as usual, he could sense the water in water bottles around the room. There it was, diluted and scattered but he could feel it in the coffee but still distinctly water.

Percy wondered if it was him realising that there was water in there or his constant use of the skill that let him sense the water. He figured it was most likely the latter, given the muscle like property of his powers he was excited with what else he would be able to sense in time.

Winter break, Year 3

Percy was an idiot, he had been out here the entire week, over summer that would get enough money to pay for food for half a year. People didn't want to stick their heads in freezing cold water, so he didn't even make enough to pay for a week.

That left him stealing from the convenience store on 27th street, the place had no security cameras, so he could use his misdirection skills to sneak out food.

Seeing the snow made him wonder if he could change the state of the water, as it turned out that was something he could not do. Percy spent an entire week of the break trying to force the water to freeze but he couldn't.

Controlling ice, however, worked to great effect, having something solid in his second skin stopped all impacts, then the chill of the ice would numb the injury.

End of Winter Break, 2 months back at school, Year 3

Percy figured it out 'Solid Water'. It is water pressed together so it acts like a solid, he could use it to lift something or block strikes from Sally, but it was very taxing on his powers and concentration.

The water would become about 9/10th's the size, he could only keep a glass of water together for about 3 seconds before it would put Percy right to sleep, anything bigger he could not finish condensing before falling asleep.

Summer of, Year 3

After the winter thieving Percy decided that he would actually get a good amount of cash, so every day he was out there on the street.

Every day, all day he would have part of his mind focused on holding together his second skin of water. The power he devoted to it at this point was negligible.

Another part of his mind dedicated to continually sensing where nearby water is, he had been sensing it in living things or in the air on very humid days. Sometimes he would just wander around with closed eyes let his water sensing show him the world.

In the mornings he would mess with his neighbours, he could control the water in their blood and when focusing on sensing he could feel where most of the people in the building are. It was simple stuff, he would stop a leg from move forward making them trip, or move a hand so that knocks over a glass spilling whatever is in it everywhere, just great stuff.

Then every night he would end up asleep from overuse of his power, trying to build up endurance. He would pull water from something, either the water in a soft drink or the water in a plant or even the air. With enough focus on sense, he could feel all the little droplets moving around in the tree outside, he could feel them in the air humidity dictating how much. Then he would solidify the water until sleep took him.

Percy's birthday,

It was Percy's birthday beating, for his 10th birthday Sally had a wooden spoon of all things, he had grown accustomed to such things.

Percy just sat there ignoring both the verbal and physical abuse, after all that's the only way they interacted anymore. It's not like he cared what she said, and it was less effort to solidify the water where she would hit blocking the impact from each strike, than trying to convince her that it would be better to not beat him.

There was a 'Snap' but Percy didn't feel the pain he had begun to associate with that sound. The clatter of the head of the spoon on the tiled floor drew his attention answering his internal confusion, the spoon broke and made the sound.

Percy momentary forgot about the family of squirrels he was forced to perform Macarena and in his moment of inattentiveness they got away, "well I'm going to bed" Percy said with a yawn.

Sally glaring at his back.

2 years later, Start of year 6

Percy found it hard to dredge up a level of incredulity needed for the situation he found himself in. After he had all his meagre expectations thoroughly destroyed by a string of disastrous foster homes Percy was put in a boarding school by the department family affairs.

didn't know what was up at Yancy Academy but it started with one, 'Grover' his stalker. Percy found he could not interact with the water that he could sense in the blood of the stalker.

Then as if that was not bad enough within the first fortnight the Latin teacher disappeared. Leaving the situation of 'the interaction less water' to increase.

The new teacher Mr B's had the same property as Grover. It was more than Percy not being able to interact with the water in his blood, it was how much he could sense there was enough water an extra 200 pounds of person.

Percy spent many nights just pondering what voodoo allowed the teacher to continue to keep living without dying of overhydration.

Percy refrained from use his water powers in front of either Grover or Mr B unsure of what they were planning and with his life experiences mentally preparing for whatever it is too detrimental to his health.

3 months later, Year 6

All of his ideas and half-formed contingency protocols fell by the wayside with the introduction of Miss. Dodd's.

She was an enigma, she literally had no water in her at all, from the interactions between the three it was clear that Grover and Mr B was on one side while Miss. Dodd's was on the other.

6 months later, year 6

Percy didn't know when he expected for it all to come to a head, but he knew it was soon, Miss. Dodd's had turned up after Christmas and the tension had only been growing from there

The bus for the field trip was cramped, Percy hoped he would have a chance to slip to the back of the bus with the rich kids they would probably end up playing poker back there, he would clean them out even without his skills of misdirection and water manipulation.

Still much to Percy's chagrin he ended up at the front next to Grover, being as it was the only seat left. Such a stupid field trip.

That didn't mean could not have any fun, actually quite the opposite. Nancy was the first to fall, victim, it might have been because she got pudding on Percy when she through it at Grover, but it is more likely to have been a completely impartial decision.

She had her feet pulled from under her as she was getting out of the bus, this meant that when she instinctively reached out for support, Percy taking advantage of the situation guide the arm on to Miss. Dodd's.

As Miss. Dodd's was supervising the children out of the bus that meant her lack of presents the children came out willy-nilly and stampeded the student and teacher caught at the bottom of the bus stops. Percy smiled at the mayhem and chaos in front of him, by his own hand.

It was lunch, Percy was dismantling the storm clouds in the distance when Miss. Dodd's called Percy away.

Percy used his water senses to find that Mr B was following, this puts Percy on the defensive, as predicted things were coming to ahead.

They ended up in a room closed for maintenance, Percy felt out the room there was only some water in the paint cans at the far left side, but the next thing he saw. Was Miss. Dodd's but she no longer locked human she had leathery bat wings, eyes glowing like hot coals and talons instead of hands, "you will give me the bolt Perseus Jackson or suffer a very painful death."

Percy was trying to rationalise this new thing that wanted something from him and found it did not at all fit into his limited worldview. Mr B arrived and tossed a pen at Percy, Percy would not have noticed his arrival if there was not a tiny portion of his mind keeping track of everybody's water signatures.

This turned out to save his life because in mid-air the pen changed into a sword and came right at Percy, he fumbled the catch as Miss. Dodd's attacked when his concentration was on the flying sword. Percy was able to dodge most of the Attack by falling to the floor, there was only a slight scratch on his left cheek from the point of the wing. His second skin of water healed it.

The pen sword was right in front of his face, Miss. Dodd's came around for a second attack, Percy didn't really have anything near a plan when he snatched up the sword, but he did his best for anyone in his situation and waved the sword widely over his head.

Percy heard an incoherent yell of rage when the sword made contact, suddenly the flying terror no longer had formed just a cloud of dust that completely covered him. Percy had not given any contemplation on what he expected to happen while feeling the entrails of Miss Dodd's all over him he knew was not expecting his teacher to turn in to the flying bat lady.

Percy turned to find Mr B was no longer there and at this moment he was a demand to get some answers. He came striding out to the lunch area looking for his teacher after spending just enough time having his eyes adjusting to the sun.

Percy saw the man sitting there eating his sandwich, like Percy didn't just turn his math teacher to dust with a sword, he looked down to see that now it was back to being a pen.

Percy didn't let any inflection negative or positive, into his voice when he asked, "did you know, I just found this most lovely of pens as I was wondering the museum?"

There was some faint amusement, "o really would you mind if I take a look I seem to have lost one during the tour?"

Percy wondered how long Mr B would let the charade go but he was impatient, "no, what are you? I want some straight answers."

Percy stomped his foot and had the water in the fountain geyser for effect rather than any actual anger, sort of curious if it would get him any information from a still unknown party.

Then he felt a little woozy between the most recent display, weather alteration and messing with Nancy, he did more today than in the last week, not having used his powers all that much at Yancy. Percy considered there muscle like the description in his head and concluded his powers must have atrophied over the last few months.

Mr B steadied Percy. "I think it might be best if I wait till we are at camp, but first I must call Argus and have him bring the van to risky any other way."

X

Chiron was not sure what to do, that was quite the odd feeling. He had been training heroes for his considerably long life but even with all that experience, Perseus Jackson was an enigma.

The boy had seemed to be able to see through his disguise, from the suspicious looks he continually gave, he could also see through Alecto's Disguise as well.

By the lack of, "you're a horse." Chiron could only conclude that Percy was not able to tell what is underneath.

Then there was that show of power, seeing a 12-year-old able to stay on his feet after that had Chiron wondered if the child had been bottling anger since the first suspicious look and lack of answers, or if it had been powered by the adrenaline of his first monster fight.

Chiron was leaning towards the former, the little sniping they did over the pen seemed amicable, showing great emotional control. Chiron was sure the boy wanted answers but he didn't give any so the boy finally snapped.

The power shown did throw his fledgling plans to the dogs. There was no good way to convince the boy there was nothing odd happening, especially while he still had Anaklusmos.

Chiron planned to get Anaklusmos back no matter what, but his plan of acting like there was nothing wrong for the last few days of school was not going to go over. So after his call too Argus, he sent Grover to organise the forms that the department of family affairs would what before placing Percy at camp half-blood for the summer.

Chiron would still need to keep Percy from the truth because the second he figures out the truth his already potent sent would probably call all the monsters in Manhattan. Chiron was unsure if he could outrun them with the boy on his back and there is no way he would lose another of the big three. So the child would just have to wait the two days for Argus to get here then the two days back.

4 days later, Camp year 1 start

"Please step back Percy", the centaur asked in a voice that implied he knew it was frivolous to make the request but he had to anyway.

'thud,' the minotaur slammed into the camp boundary only millimetres to Percy's face.

"huh" Percy replied faintly, he was leaning against a tree/person named Thalia.

'thud', Percy was confused if Zeus had the power to make this a protected area why couldn't he do that for lots of other places or just completely get rid of the monsters. Percy wondered if he should be having a hard time dealing with the concept of Greek gods being alive and well in the world, but he did not.

It is probably due to the fact that he could control water, the Greek gods being alive is an as good of an explanation as he would ever get.

'thud', Percy uncapped the pen then drove the sword into the monster of legends, it turned to dust in a very underwhelming way.

"that is not how you should kill monsters, Percy," Chiron said, in something that was halfway between scolding and resignedly. Before Percy could reply with a snarky comment about 'the proper way to murder'.

A man in a Hawaiian shirt came over the hill, he had an air of superiority around him, "what is taking so long Chiron, or you finally concede that I am the better Pinochle player?"

Percy looked at the newcomer appraisingly, still with a snarky comment on his tongue he asked: "let me guess that he is the most powerful person here?"

The man didn't pick up on the sarcasm and instead started on the way that he came from "it is good to be recognised, I am Dionysus Olympian god."

That took Percy a bit by surprise, he was speaking to one of the 12 most powerful beings in existence or was it a madman thinking that he's a god of madness, Percy smiled at the thought.

"Can I please have the sword back now Percy", Chiron asked again, over the last four days Percy would respond.

"We will see when I get some answers." Now that Percy had his answers it was not too unreasonable to think that Chiron would get Anaklusmos back.

The response "I am keeping the pen, who knows what monsters I will have to fight when summer ends, I think keeping the Pen Sword would be for the best" even surprised Percy.

X

Chiron could not argue with that logic he just hoped that Poseidon would not take offence. A short walk the god, centaur and a 12-year-old led to a table on the patio of 'the big house'.

X

Percy didn't know what the god had against Poker, but Pinochle was not all that hard to pick up. They played from late morning until that afternoon.

Percy learnt more about Greek mythology and the mystical world in that time than an entire year spent with Chiron. There was just something very compelling about a firsthand account that had the last three millennia to be perfected.

When Percy heard about the current plight of Mr D he wondered if there was a way to get around the curse, as Mr D was talking about how he turned a crew of pirates into dolphin men. Then a bell rang signalling that it was time to go to the pavilion.

"You lose," Chiron said revealing his cards.

Mr D just waved it off, "I will get you next time."

Percy broke in, "I think that I win this round." Percy revealed a winning hand, he took some time to get the right hand but the bell was a great distraction for his misdirection. This win still didn't change anything because Chiron had one three rounds.

As they were getting up to move off Percy posed a question to the two adults, "so Mr D said that one of his kids was able to manipulate the Mist or Mist Control, I was wondering if I could do that or is it part of being a child of Dionysus."

Chiron flat out, "no, you are not ready for such responsibly."

Percy was pretty that sure what caused Mr D to say, "I will teach him," was that Chiron won.

The Greek god sent a look at Chiron that was a mixture of, I dare you to challenge me and that's, what you get for winning Pinochle.

Dionysus then turned to Percy, "you will need to get back here at first light Prancy." Percy was thinking about all the cool stuff he could do if he could change people's perception of the world. His ideas where limitless.

There was peaceful silence between the trio as they walked the path to the pavilion. Until a girl, with a good, two shoes vides came up. Chiron stepped up to greet the girl and Percy came side by side with Mr.D.

"Ah Annabeth thank you for coming, I was hoping you could show Percy around." Chiron said, "but alas it is time for dinner, so it might be better to do after dinner."

X

"Ok, not a problem," she answered excitedly, but then she poked her head around to see the boy in question sharing low tones with Mr.D, this caught her off guard, a camper who Mr.D does not hate.

"Who is his godly parent?" She asked as her grey eyes scrutinised him.

X

This caused Percy to wonder what he had done to her, assuming that it some sort of disapproving look. Before putting it out of his mind.

Continuing his whispered conversation, "so if the Mist will only occasionally work on Demigods, what is the likelihood that it will work on gods?" Percy questioned.

Mr D replied, "unless you're really good, and they are not paying it attention, is the only way you would ever get it passed a god."

X

"So I will put him with the herms Kids." Annabeth declared loud enough to cut through the whispered conversation the new kid was having, then she turned on her heal and took off.

She stopped in her tracks when she heard, "I hope you don't expect me to keep up?"

After a seconds thought she decided that she did expect that and continued at her pace.

It took the boy a hurried yell, "See you tomorrow Mr D" and about 30 seconds just to catch up.

X

There was a tense silence between Percy and the girl when he caught up. This was fine because Percy could sense something was different, off-kilter.

He was sedately walking on the trail of the girl as he tried to put his finger on what was bothering before knew it the ground quickly ended up where he planted his face. The giggle and the sardonic look she shot him while in great contrast just made her actions a bit cruel. Percy refused to be fazed so he didn't give anything but a shrug.

In his most philosophical tone, "it is what it is." That shifted the mood back to the tense silence.

The only thing she said was a terse directive, "you sit there," she pointed to the rowdiest table. "follow them to the cabin I will find you tomorrow."

Percy walked over and stood at the table awkwardly, he was not the best with lots of people on a good day. He was contented with his limbo, a blond dude with an easy smile introduced himself and the table, "Hi I'm Luke Castellan and this is cabin 11." Ripping any last vestiges of comfort from him.

After a round of introductions, Chiron called the camp to order. Being at a head table in the centre of the pavilion all attention was given to him almost immediately, "I don't have many announcements, first capture the flag is set for next week Friday. Second, there is a new arrival, 'Percy Jackson'."

This seemed to be the cue for everyone to stand up with their plates, then the plates were suddenly full of food. Out of the chaos of so many standing at once, orderly rows came to life, a person would put some of their food into the fire at the centre of the pavilion then move back to the table.

Only after a small hurried conversation did Percy comprehend what was happening, it was some way to praise the gods, Percy decided to burn his food for Mr.D.

Sometimes time late Percy wanted to scream in frustration, the plates could just create any food he imagined. He had spent thousands of hours cooking and this plate could make whatever he wanted on a whim, what the fuck!

To add to his mounting frustration Percy prediction was unfortunately true. He didn't feel very comfortable at the loud and boisterous table, he didn't feel an irrational need or any inclination to join in and the numerous conversations despite Luke's best attempts.

Percy knew he was introverted, he didn't find enjoyment when spending time with large groups of people, the more people there were or the more unfamiliar they are the less fun he could have.

Everyone that he ever had a meaningful relationship could not get past the idea that someone would prefer to be alone, and they would always try to change him, 'it will be really fun', 'you just need to give it a try'. Spoiler alert, he didn't have fun and from the general vibe of the table, it would just be another group of people uncomfortable with the concept that someone didn't find their company enjoyable.

Percy just sighed, long ago he realised that was human nature when someone was different people try to have them change, especially adults who rationalise the difference is unhealthy. He could see it, children would just point and make fun at things making them uncomfortable because they are different, but adults had grown up, most understood that pointing and making fun did not fix that feeling of uncomfortableness from things and people who are different.

Percy was not going to make himself uncomfortable for the sakes of others comfort, so as he sat alone at the end of the table, he was left to hope that he gets put into a cabin before it came to blows.

Percy chose just to eat some simple fruit and veg so he could focus on finding what is off kilter, he might have something more substantial later, if he was still hungry. When he finished the broccoli he figured it out it is, the demigods, they all have normal amounts of water in them but Percy knew he would have a devil of a time trying to control it.

He could maybe 5 or 6 seconds of full body control before he would completely collapse like in the early days, or a minute if it is just a hand, and completely forget about any distance control and that was not including any atrophy.

That expedient solution led Percy to question why. The only others he could not affect this way where Chiron, Grover and Miss. Dodd's or Alecto, it would always be Miss. Dodd's to Percy. He could not control them at all though, given Miss. Dodd's had no water to control but Chiron and Grover do and Percy spent a month trying before giving it up as a bad job.

He let the information swirl around his brain as he finished off his fruit and veg, he found if he tried to force an answer it would never come. He was just sipping on his second glass of water when he came to an adequate conclusion, it is to do with a beings closeness to the mystical world. Chiron and Grover from there conception where part of the mystical world and Percy could not use mystical powers inside them because of this.

In contrast, the mortals have no connection to the mystical world, making the only limiting factor how much water was actually in their blood. As the name implies Diem-Gods are the midway point they don't have complete protection but they are not completely vulnerable.

Percy idly wondered how it would hold when he tested it with the rest of the mystical world, as he got some more fruit and veg. Percy was not so much a vegetarian he didn't really care about what his food was before it was food, it was more than things like meats are just more difficult to eat.

After dinner Percy followed the cabin to the lake and then an actual cabin, inside was cramped beyond belief, there were several tables devoid of people suggesting that those cabins where empty. It was not like Percy had ignored Chiron the last year, he gathered each cabin was for each gods kids, but that didn't stop him wondering what the harm would be if they sent some kids here over to Zeus' or Poseidon's cabin.

Thinking on Poseidon's cabins he would probably have to check but Percy was confident that he had Poseidon heritage, it would be nice to have a solo cabin. Percy decided he screw that plan, all the people here can be left to suffer and he would go to cabin 3.

Something fluffy hit Percy's face, it stopped his musing and brought him back to the world, there was a pillow on the ground in front of him, then looking up there was Luke smirking at him.

"So are you coming in or not?" Percy looked around the room dubiously; he bit the inside of his cheek.

"Why are there so many extra campers in your cabin?" Percy knew the question was not personal but he could not help but feel it was very.

"Well, we have all of the unclaimed campers and all of the demigods from minor gods as well." Percy looked at him confusedly.

"Oh, that makes scenes god of travellers and all, but why don't you get a god to enlarge the space so you're not as cramped?" Luke looked at Percy with a half-sad smile and half bitter scowl.

"That would mean that they actually have to care for their kids." Percy was hesitant to do anything after that proclamation, but it did confirm he didn't want to stay in the room.

x

Luke was about to frown in concern. Had he somehow broke the new camper, it was a lot to try to take in, but better he realises it now than a few years down the track after having his hope ground to dust.

The reply had Luke blinking in surprise, "does it rain or snow here?"

Luke was not the councillor of the largest cabin for good reason, he could keep track of most of them some the time, and Percy was unwilling to have human interaction, maybe he was a child of Hephaestus they were usually the least outgoing.

This lack of human interaction meant he had not found out from another camper, meaning he had an amazing ability to guess random information or he could deduce like a child of Athena, Luke would consider that as well, they are very reclusive, but his features were distinctly different to all the Athena kids.

"you are correct, but why do you ask?" Luke was rather indignant about his next actions, and the general anti-socialness of his plan.

X

Percy used the lake water to raise the futon that Luke gave him as a mattress to the roof, as he did this Percy described his plan of sleeping on the roof, his plan was met with a disbelieving look and exclamation from Luke, after that he decided it was time to do something a bit flashy.

So he solidified his second skin to a few critical balance points, under each foot, small of his back, completely around his pelvis, then used the solidified water to levitate him to the roof, Luke never let up on his disbelieving look until Percy finally made contact with the roof.

"I have no words," was the parting comment from the leader of cabin 11, the bemused grin removed all bite from the comment. It was not much later when, Percy fell asleep on the roof just reminded of the carpet outside Sally's apartment, some days sally would not let him in, forcing him to sleep in the hallway outside the apartment.

Percy woke up with the first crack of dawn sun glaring down on him, sleeping on the roof gave no protection against the sun and no chance to sleep in, which probably helped him today, Dionysus did say 'first light'. So Percy went to the Big House, to start in his education of Mist Control.

Percy sat silently as he got his first lesson in Mist Control, Mr D started, "There is nothing all that inherently special about Mist Control, but there are a few important things that you should be aware of when using the Mist. First, where it comes from, it is actually a by-product of Chaos."

Percy gulped at the realisation that there is the rest of the hierarchy, if there are Gods then there are Titans, and there are Primordials.

Mr D continued, "For an explanation that will not take decades, the Mist is a manifestation of the shadow of his aura, there are some shenanigans with Hecate but explaining that would also take centuries. Dew to your tenuous connection to Chaos you have the power to manipulate it."

"This idea helps explain the second thing you need to understand is, the Mist is 'lazy' it just covers up the immortal business as simple as it can, if you have a sword out a mortal will most likely look like a gun. Nice and simple, it will not by itself-make the sword be seen as a giant hot dog."

Percy could hear some anger in his tone before it goes back to normal. "Really the only thing you need is focus, focus on what you want the world to look like, some find it is helpful to focuses if an action or words, other than that it is practice, practice and more practice, come back if you think you get any success, if there is none comeback in a week."

Percy didn't know what happened with a hotdog and a sword and did have the good scents not to pry, but he that it somewhat put the lesson off track.

Percy's thoughts were interrupted by a rumble of his stomach. After that tiring morning, Percy could not bother to keep his second skin up as he made his way to the pavilion in search of food, he thought about Mr D's explanation, it sounded somewhat how he used his water powers he willed the water to do something, and it does.

So sitting at the table he did that, changing the fork to a spoon and it worked the fork looked like a spoon, but when he reached down to touch it went back to a fork. He was halfway through some blue waffles, they were better than he ever made them When Chiron came cantering up,

The centaur sat down on the other side of the table literally no one else was at the pavilion. Percy could not blame them, the sun was still low in the sky and if he was not up at sunrise to learn Mist Control then he would be asleep as well, conveniently forgetting he was sleeping on the roof.

X

Chiron was pleasantly surprised to see that Percy was an early riser until he realised that meant Dionysus was teaching him Mist Control, now would be a good time to find out how that was going so with no one around to see it and call favouritism.

Chiron approached the table to see the boy was eating blue waffles, well at least he is an individual was the thought before Chiron took a seat so he would be face to face with the boy. After getting a bowl of cereal for himself having the milk appear in his glass the cup so he could pour it in the cereal himself, he sat there contemplatively waiting for Percy to start the conversation.

Some time passed, just enough to show Chiron that if the child wanted to he could sit there all day without saying anything, before literally being asked about the favouritism.

"Why did you spend a year watching me?" Percy asked with an indecipherable expression.

Chiron held in his small chuckle at the turn of events due to the seriousness answer. Of Course, the answer is 'you have the aura of a child of the big three', but Chiron could not actually say that unless he was willing to explain the prophecy.

Chiron had watched the boy for eight months at this point and was going to have a hard time convincing Percy that he needs to help and deal with the lightning bolt.

If he found out there was a prophecy about when he would turn 16 reasonably well he was resourceful he would end up reading it one way or another, and after that he knew that Percy would definitely not stick around, or he would have both sides in a bidding to see what he should do to Olympus.

"That is none of your concern," Chiron knew he was stalling, but after the game of Pinochle he knew the child could read him, so stalling was his best option that this point in time.

He got an unimpressed look for the effort, Percy then asked one word that almost had his facepalming "ever?".

Wondering about the best way to answer he continued the stalling tactic, "what do you mean Percy?"

The flat look Percy gave back had Chiron torn, he was weighing up the immediate future if he did not give a satisfactory response then Percy would definitively refuse to do anything with the lightning bolt.

On the other side was the distant future, if he gave to many ways then Percy would find out about the prophecy, so with the best balance Chiron answered "16, nothing to concern yourself with till 16."

They just sat in silence, Chiron occasionally taking a bite of his breakfast having forgotten why he originally came over.

X

Percy sat intently staring at the centaur hoping he could somehow glean more information from the teacher about the mystery that he was now facing.

Up until a voice reminding him of his mother broke his concentration, "there you are, I guess I should give you the tour now."

It was the blond from yesterday being trailed by a bunch of look-alike's it was somewhat unnerving seeing a bunch of people with the same identifying features, blond hair and grey eyes.

X

Annabeth's cabin group split off to a table when she made her way over to the duo. Annabeth was a tad miffed that the new kid was having breakfast with Chiron, she only ever got one on one time with him when she finally became the leader of her cabin, he was not even here one day and already getting special treatment.

Annabeth's unpleasantness was not stopped by Percy but perpetuated. She showed him all around camp, 'lava rock wall climbing, volleyball, canoeing, archery and the arena' but she just was not into it at the start.

That translated into Percy not being interested, his lack of interest darkened her mood, this was her home, the most interesting place in the world.

He literally failed to give a shit, they were his words "I fail to give a shit."

This made her mood even darker, with her terrible mood he felt justified to make mocking and sarcastic comments, "Oh, joy a place to get some cooked demigod."

This self-perpetuating cycle came to a head near the end of the tour, Percy used Mist Control to have Annabeth trip over a rock, he gave an extremely exaggerated giggle then looked down on her.

When their eyes met he said in a monotone, "it is mean to mock others misfortune."

Annabeth felt like crap as she watched him walk off, she stood up then started heading back to the pavilion, there was still time to get a late breakfast. Yesterday she saw him getting along with Mr D and it ruffled her, there was no one who that drunken waste of space didn't rub the wrong way.

Seeing one of the pliers of her home break down, so she saw nothing wrong with laughing at him for falling over, but now maybe she should apologise, it would be the right thing to do.

X

Dionysus was young in terms of immortals, he had been alive for 4 millennia but he was the newest Olympian every time he sat in his throne and looked at Aphrodite it reminded him that he is sitting in Hestia's throne, there are no two ways about it.

There was something about the kid that made him able to put it out of his mind, maybe it was the fact he could Control the Mist after just a few hours of practice and one lesson.

Chiron liked to teach by having his students come to their own conclusion with a little nudge here and a prod there he had seen it whenever he bothered to watch. Dionysus had been dealing with himself for millennia and so he knew himself, he did not have the patience for that so he explained it as best he could and let the kid go from there.

To say he felt immensely smug at this turn of events would be an extreme understatement, Chiron words "I have been teaching demigods for millennia." Chiron proudly stated that once 500 years or so ago he had thought Mist Control to a child of Hecate in two days, with a bit of prodding he explained that she had already been well versed in the powers of her heritage and she found Mist Control a lot like Mystiokinesis.

Well in the first ever kid he trained he got results in one day, the kid was nowhere near proficient even if a mortal were to give intense scrutiny to one of his manipulations it would not hold up, so till lunch, Dionysus had the child practice.

As midday came around, he had satyrs bring them over some lunch, over he explained the finer points of the art before sending the boy off so he could gloat to Chiron.

X

Clarisse rushed breakfast when she saw that the new kid was having a tour, the end of a tour would be a great opportunity to show him his place, she brought some of her more trusted cabin mates to the ambush spot, they could take care of Annabeth when she was going to show the new guy his place.

The tour did not end, so when the lunch bell rang Clarisse decided that she was going to get some answers.

They were not very forthcoming, when she asked Annabeth, "what happened to the new guy?"

The response was morose, "I should apologise."

Thoroughly creeped out by the non-answer and put off by the fact the new guy was not present for lunch, she decided that a walk around the lake was in order.

Spotting her quarry lying on the roof of a cabin was an opportunity too good to pass up she rushed back to her cabin to find there was only one of her trust, that should be enough to get her up there.

X

Percy was just relaxing as his mind was bombarded with information, after so much time using his sensing powers he could tell a lot about the world around him.

He could tell the wind was moving the air about three times quicker outside the boundary.

He could tell where the beach ends and the ocean starts.

He could tell where every fish was in the lake and their size.

He could tell about half the people where at the pavilion the others scattered around the camp.

It was really odd, he could feel where every molecule of water was, so depending on how close they are or how far apart he could comprehend what was in the space, furthermore, he could tell what speed and direction each molecule was moving.

A person was odd he could see the veins as dense streams of water around a somewhat sparse area, then changing to moderately dense denoting it was air and today was humid.

The lake and small part of the ocean were amazing, all the molecules so close together he could barely comprehend them as an individual but still, he could see the swirl of the currents and then suddenly a break in the density it was a fish.

The lava was a complete void and somewhat troubling.

As Percy lay on top of the roof let the knowledge come in one side and leave the other he pondered the new information he gathered at lunch, Dionysus didn't have any water in him, so was having water limited to humans and half humans.

Another thing, the term Aura came up again, considering the simplified version said 'the Mist is the shadow of Aura of the most powerful being in existence' and could be controlled.

Percy wondered if he could interact with the Aura of other mystical beings or his own, definitely something to inquire about.

A frown of displeasure marred Percy's face when he felt something hard crack the side of his head, why the fuck did that hurt so much, then he remembered he didn't have his second skin on, his eyes snapped open with understanding.

He was looking at the buffest girl he had ever seen, amending that he was looking at the buffest person he has ever seen in real life, she had brown eyes and hair, and that was all he could make out before she yelled, "get up twerp, it is time to learn your place."

Percy got up rubbing the side of his head with a wry smirk, "underneath of course."

At her confused look he assumed that the innuendo went over her head, "wait, your giving up?" her voice sounded somewhat strained, Percy thought through his options.

He could explain sex innuendos to a girl who is looking about a year older than him.

Or he could just not fight, and with fighting was off the table because he really could not find the shits he would need to fight.

He sat back down, "no it's a beautiful day," Percy nodded his head to the horizon, used Mist Control to enhance the reds and oranges of the sunset.

After a quick quiz and a few moments of contemplation she declared, "next time I will beat you to a pulp new kid."

Percy gave her a charming smile oddly reminiscent of the man who screwed up his life, "most likely," at her bewildered look he expanded, "nerve count out the unexpected, you could get hit by a truck." After the warning, Percy gave a solemn nod, then laid back down.

With his concentration of sensing water molecules broke, Percy's mind wondered and as the time passed he wished there was a phone here he to pass the time or, one of the ones he stole, unfortunately, he never kept any of them that long.

He had noticed the lack of technological devices, at camp. He became well whereof the usefulness and potential joy of such tools could offer, during a brief period where he stayed with a well-off foster family. After being ripped away by the government, Percy was put with one of the usual foster families that did not have money to spare technology and after the sharp contrast between having the technology and not having it, Percy was definitely on the side of having the technology.

So for Percy to see a camp full of kids around his age he was surprised by the lack of mobile phones, he understood that technology lest monsters sense them easier.

More importantly in his mind was the logic that they are protected by a border, So it should not matter whether the monsters could sense them or not, they were protected.

X

Clarisse did not know what to think, no one had ever declined to fight her, given mostly she never gave them a chance, and even after he gave up she was still planning on pummelling the dweeb until she saw the sunset.

The site was truly magnificent, she looked back to the horizon, the moment had passed, it was no longer as radiant as a few minutes ago.

What was that parting comment 'you could get hit by a truck', at least he's funny? The absurdity of it had her struggling not to break out in hysterics.

X

Lou Ellen Blackstone is a daughter of Hecate.

Even if her Mystokinesis was not the best.

Or she could not do any Mist Control.

And she was still unclaimed.

This morning she noticed that the new kid slept on the roof, thinking it was a grand idea she decided to leave the cramped interior of the cabin for the space to be found on the roof it's not like it could rain.

That night she had the new kid looking down on her with a bemused smile at his introduction, "hi I'm Percy explorer extraordinaire and welcome to…" he cut off mid-sentence.

Lou did not know if she was meant to introduce herself at this point but before she could reach a decision, "… no, I can't think of a good name."

There was a moment of tense silence as he looked to her for an answer, "Well, most fair of maidens, as you are the first of the population you shall decide the name of this domicile."

Lou blushed at the compliment, "I'm Lou, Percy explorer extraordinaire and this place shall here forth be known as 'the roof'."

She heard the movement denoting that Percy began to lie down, "So you know you don't have to call me by my title perky is fine. Brilliant name, 'the roof', short simple descriptive, so you know I didn't actually expect anyone to follow me, can we please agree the population be capped at three?"

Lou smiled at being included, so she easily agreed "yes."

There was calm silence for some time Lou was tentative to talk encase he fell asleep, so when he talked again she was a little startled, "so tell me about yourself, I only have a mum meaning my godly half will be male, how about yourself?"

From there the conversation was smooth, she talked about her family before suddenly devolving into a rant about her mother, Lou didn't hide her thoughts and feelings of being a disappointment but no one ever asked her about it and she never brought it up at camp.

It was very personal after all, only after she shared did she understand why it was a bad idea, she had told her dad and he would always say a thing "it's crazy for thinking your mother doesn't care."

Percy began by heaving a large breath, "I have not been here that long but I have given it a lot of thought, I didn't know your mother's reasoning, but to try to understand the reasoning without her here would be an exercise in futility."

Then he continued his explanation, "there is a very big difference between a mortal life and an immortal life, I want you to think about this they have to watch things forever changing, empires rise and fall, what about how much quicker time must seem to move to them. They have been alive for 4000 years, let's say 12 years for us, that is about…" as Percy stopped to do the math in his head.

She did the math Quicker, "333 times faster." She whispered the answer starting to comprehend the vastness of this idea.

"Yer, exactly what feels like one day to us is about the equivalent of a year to them, imagine that it reverse, it would be like having a child that that when from a baby to our age in 12 days."

He took another break and took some deep breaths, she knew this on a subconscious level, having it brought to the front of her thoughts was something that she realised she was avoiding since she first came to camp.

"I would hazard a guess that it is not so much that your mother had judged you and found you unworthy, it would seem your mother has just not judged you at all. Whether that is because she is trying to protect herself from your eventual death, or maybe she completely forgot she had a child or a million other reasons remain to be seen."

This did not help her confidence in the situation, she actually started to panic at the idea that her mother would never find the time to claim her, as if reading her mind he answered her concerns, "it is what it is."

This still did not help, it was only because but Percy being completely unaware of her turmoil and just power through to the next topic, taking her mind from depressing thoughts about asking of her future plans.

X

Percy woke up thinking he was looking in a mirror until he noticed that the face he was looking at was Lou Ellen Blackstone, she had green eyes almost the same shade as his.

"Time to wake up, I put a spell around the roof to block the sunlight, it is time to get breakfast." Percy in a sleep full state, so he just followed Lou to the table, it was only after he smelt the bacon on his plate he woke up properly.

After breakfast Percy headed back to Mr.D, Mr D had him show his development to Chiron, having Chiron completely shocked by Percy's rapid progress. Left Mr D in a giddy state. Not having a better opportunity Percy asked, "You talk about Aura a lot but can you give more of an explanation?"

The god looked at Percy contemplative for some time, "kid I like you, you ask the best questions. But there is a skill that is learnt when you learn about Auras it is just the way it is, it takes time to develop the skill, time you should spend on Mist Control, but I will give you a deal if you do something really impressive with the mist I will teach you about Auras."

Percy was not sure whether to be chagrined with the prospect of having to learn a skill to find out about Aura's or pumped for a new skill. It was a simple question after all.

Percy ended up spending the rest of the day and then an evening with Mr D practising Mist Control, apparently, there is no upper limit what could be done, but it had the problem of diminishing returns so to see the same level of improving it took about 3 times more time.

The first hour is about equal to the next 3 which is equal to the next 9. So in the full day, Percy had become 3 times better but it would only get more difficult from here.

With centuries of experience and skill Hestia had apparently tricked the mortals into thinking Atlantis sunk when it was just completely fine, she did it with the mist.

Everything oddly reminded him of Louis and the art of misdirection, Mr D had the same no-nonsense of fluffy teaching style or he was just making connections where there were none.

Both practices do change the way people understand what is happening around them.

After dinner

Annabeth had worked up the nerve to go apologise, so after dinner at the amphitheatre she sat down next to him.

"Hi how is it going?" his cheery question caught her off guard letting him continue, "So what's happening, and why didn't this place come up on the tour?"

She took a deep breath hoping he would not speak again, "this is the amphitheatre, it is the last place I was going to show you in the tour, you have not seen the stables either. This place is where the more important announcements are given and Chiron tells us of the heroes of old." She could not keep the slight bitterness out of her voice, from the moment she realised that those stories were not just myths and legends she wanted one of her own.

She banished those thoughts she was not here to grouse, she opened her mouth to start the apology. But he leant forward intently staring at the fire, "it has changed colour three times, why?"

"The fire represents the general mood of the campers." Annabeth answered, "getting back on track, I owe you an apology. It was wrong of me to laugh at your misfortune."

She got a perplexed look, before another heaved sigh. "No." Annabeth attention was grabbed as he ran his hands over his face. "Can we move outside I need to gather my thoughts to explain this properly?" she wordlessly agreed and they moved to a place where the noise from the amphitheatre is just a dull murmur.

He started to pace, "So first, thanks for the Apology, second Laughing at my misfortune was not what you did wrong. In all honesty that was a pretty funny face plant, but when it happened, without help and your laughter had me feeling bad."

"I don't have the right to tell you something is not funny, you could have a sadistic streak a mile wide and you get happiness from making others feel bad but unless you make me feel bad there is no reason I should stop you anything benign or sadistic."

"The apology should be for making me feel worse rather than any malice humour on your part. The settlement carries either way." He stopped pacing then looked at intensely, "thoughts I bad at verbalising my inner monologue, come on let's get back."

Annabeth was in a state of unsureness for the next few days as she attempted to understand what Perry meant by his word vomit.

X

"He is a bit odd, but there is so much room," Lou begged Chris.

He was her friend, they both got to the camp at the same time and bonded over being the worst at training.

Lou is not being entirely sincere, most of her desire for having Chris is as a that is that she would not be alone with Percy. Percy was charming with the medieval stick, by Lou was not going to take the risk of another world bending realisation.

Lou did not have an easy time of it but she eventually convinced Chris of the virtues of space. So that night there where 3 people on the roof.

"So will you introduce me to your friend?" Percy asked Lou, referencing Chris.

Lou cringed, "This is Chris Rodriguez." She knew Chris and he would not like this, he was odd about speaking for himself.

Chris reached out his hand, "it is nice to meet you, Percy Jackson."

Percy took the stretched hand, "nice to meet you. Just Percy though." He made the last bit sound like a demand. Chris would not like that either.

To say they didn't get along would be an understatement of epic proportions, but there were no arguments so Lou still counted it as a victory.

Better having Chris continually through verbal jabs at Percy and Percy ignore them than dealing with another world bending realisation. She was still trying to understand why the gods ever did anything to help them.

After Percy disappeared going against direct orders from Luke did Chris complain. "He is such a prick it is like he purposely refuses to do anything, and the way he blew off Luke." Lou listened to this all the way to breakfast now she was regretting not getting a different camper.

Chris's problem was just as easy to figure out as it was unsolvable, even though Chris did not state if he didn't like Percy because Percy didn't listen to him. She remembered being new to camp, she was so nervous the only thing that made her feel better was that Chris was even worse.

That nervousness manifested in following instructions, they would do anything an older kid asked them to do it was time at camp that mattered. So Chris is faced with the opposite he went with, 'the dislike what is different.'

Thinking about it Lou did have some resentment over his lax attitude, coupled with Chris's constant complaining and her difficulty with a new worldview fighting for dominance over her old one the resentment grew.

If Percy didn't come then she would not have to listen to Chris and she much preferred her old worldview.

X

Percy death glared Luke, the fucker snitched on him.

Percy was learning an advanced technique called tethering where you connected an Illusion to an object it was easy to create but difficult to make last.

Percy was getting the tether to last about two minutes when Chiron interrupted, "Perseus would you please come with me, Luke has requested your presence." Even though it was phrased like a question Percy new better so he begrudgingly went along after, finding Mr D would not back him.

Percy ended up at the arena, he followed Chiron through the horde of people. They were everywhere hacking at straw dummies or each other. Each moment Percy spent in the arena he expected one of them to start screaming in agony having lost an arm or some other appendage.

"Ah, you finally showed up, best get you some gear." Luke said when he saw Percy, Luke turned to the table before him, "today we are doing sword practice for CTC."

Percy knew it would be good to learn how to fight, and he still had the sword he refused to return to Chiron. Maybe he would actually be ok with it, having skills is never a bad thing.

Percy knew from experience people did not like his powers and even if these people where mystical it did nothing for his leant wariness.

If Percy was currently forced to fight he would be forced to reveal his powers.

After Chiron left, "It's fine, I got it." Percy said interrupting Luke's search, Percy pulled out his Pen Sword and uncapped it.

Luke turned, he looked appraisingly at the weapon, "that's a good sword, but you still need armour and a shield, here." Luke passed over a shield that was at least a meter in diameter. The second Luke let go of the shield, it dragged Percy on to the ground.

Percy could not even lift the shield on the ground to switch with the next one Luke handed over. After a few more tries they found one that was an ok in Percy's opinion. It was smaller than the rest of them offering less protection but he could actually carry it.

Of course then Luke continued the assault on Percy's maximum carry load by covering Percy in armour. Percy muffled his indignation at it he had a perfectly good second skin of water that he kept up constantly. Percy did prefer his secrets and he had not actually tested his water against celestial bronze, so it might be a complete waste or a life saver.

Percy ended up being 'beaten' by Chris the entire morning.

After a short break, he lost Chris's attention so he removed his amour and faced off against most other people, In the cabin.

This brought some things to his attention. First, he underestimated Chris's attitude, Chris was mad really mad Percy might not be alive if he didn't have ADHD level mad, and Percy knew better than to think anything would change.

So he considered going and sleeping it in the lake, it could be like the fountains he slept in during the summer, when he was not wanting to deal with another foster home. Of course, summer always ended or he would get found and Percy would end back to the Department Of Child Services for a new foster home.

Another thing is without having Armour in the way, he found that his second skin of water was good, it was difficult to concentrate on the fight and have the skin condense to block the strike that connects. So most of the time it would heal the minor nicks and cuts, but without Armour weighing him down Percy had the agility to dodge anything life-threatening.

It was only with a fancy move from Luke where he disarmed Percy and had his own sword to Percy's neck did it happen, from all the time Percy spent it the water he instinctually condensed it at the blade. It was after Luke stepped back did the water go back to usual, well a given value as usual for water that clung to a human rather than follows the laws of gravity.

Then Percy stopped interacting with other people because he had put Pen Sword away.

Canoeing was the first thing after Sword's, Percy made everybody capsize, they probably spent more time in the water than out of it.

Archery was next, Percy was shit at it he could not hit a target to save his life when he tried to use the ambient water in the air to guide the arrow but doing that he couldn't focus on where he was shooting cancelling out the positive effect of the water.

Percy's failure just gave him more time to mess with things, just because he didn't have the mental flexibility to help his own arrows and shoot, didn't mean he didn't have the flexibility to mess with other peoples arrows and he could mess with more than one at ones. It was a guaranteed drama when two peoples arrows collided, Percy was pretty sure he ended up destroying a friendship that day.

From the circumspect glances from Chiron, Percy concluded that he was suspicious. But when the old horseman did nothing Percy bemoaned that he restrained himself the past year at Yancey. If Percy had known Chiron's reaction to Percy using water powers even discrete ones like with the arrows, was going to be a non-reaction Percy could have had a really entertaining year.

Percy looked at the lava wall with a sneer, they had to spend an hour hear after lunch.

Not actually wanting to deal with any guilt societally ingrained or not, Percy that being a direct cause of death that he would feel awful for the next few hours until he could properly compartmentalize it, and be a little off for the next few days not worth messing around with the Lava Rock Wall. Making that the worst part of his day because boring for Percy.

Percy was dragged into a Volleyball game to his verbal protests and declarations of sabotage. So unfortunately for the team, he was forced on there was no other option than to go throw with his threats of sabotage. His team lost every game Nil – 15. After his meddling, Percy was informed that he was benched tomorrow.

During dinner Percy sat next to Lou, this got him the endless enmity of Chris even if he didn't notice Chris's constant glare. That dinner Percy learnt that the amphitheatre would happen every night from now on now they were getting back into the swing of things.

After dinner, Percy skipped the amphitheatre and headed over to Dionysius.

Mist Control was continually becoming better and better the more he improved and learnt the better it got. Percy had come up with hundreds of ways to look after himself No government, no Foster home, no sally even if that option passed long ago.

It would be great but only if Percy could Mist Control.

The rest of the night Percy did Tethering. By the time he got back to the cabin, both his roof mates where asleep.

That left Percy to ponder, it was startling for himself when he concludes he could not relax.

Percy had not noticed with his near fanatical practising of Mist Control, but on the roof with no distractions and just his thoughts, he could feel the tension in his muscles. And it was not like he couldn't blame himself, years of knowing he could force anyone around him to do anything is an unprecedented level of safety.

No wonder Percy stopped waterpower's cold turkey when faced with someone who threatened that security. Here at camp, the security is completely ripped away. Percy's amazed he could even sleep the last two nights, would he be able to sleep tonight.

As it happened Percy did go to sleep after spending ten minutes jumping at shadows.

A week later

So the rest of Percy's week fell into a 'comfortable' routine, for a given value of comfortable. Wake up and do a little Mist control with Mr D stating a lesson than being dragged to cabin eleven for some stupid activities, lunch, more activities and dinner.

After the day's dinner, Percy would skip the amphitheatre and headed over to Dionysius and get a bit of Mist Control practice, usually finishing the lesson from the morning.

It was Capture the flag that through the routine.

Percy had no idea where Luke found the log that he was currently pacing on, the log was a good place to be giving his impassioned speech from, "the last week was strenuous I know, but now is our time to shine, it is the first game of the summer winning it mean…" Percy tuned out the cabin leader acting like a commander of some military force.

If there was anyone that should be doing a speech it's probably one of the Athena kids, Percy quickly became aware that the children of a god have talents that reflect the domains of the god. So the Athena kids should be the ones to devise the plans, the tour guide girl stepped up on the log, "… with numbers on our side we can't lose!" Luke finished strong, will strong for a teenager. Before anyone had time to applaud Annabeth cut in "Just because we have the numbers does not mean we don't need a plan…"

Percy tuned her out just the same as luke, he didn't care what they wanted him to do, he had no investment in Cabin 11 winning, he already decided that he was going to walk the river no matter what they say. He did wonder if they worked on that transition it sounded just corny enough to be practised, "Percy."

Percy looked up it was some kid that called him, the cabins had separated and Percy didn't notice, 11 was standing around the kid, he must be one of Athena's, he had the typical blond hair and grey eyes. The kid started reading from a sheet seeing he had Percy's attention, "Percy you are to scout the river, Conner and Travis…"

Percy tuned them out it was odd how things turned out, he would not look this gift horse in the mouth, he was fully planning on getting a lecture about team spirit and working together.

A few hours later

It was oddly calming.

Percy was strolling up the creek, to call it a river is an exaggeration. There wasn't the creek that was doing the calming. It was the sounds of distant battle, Percy had no idea why he could relax, but having the far-off clanging of swords and shields did it.

It was the first time since he realised that he could not control Grover that he was at peace, even his dreams were tense.

His tranquillity didn't last there was a voice up ahead, "yer, take that." It was Clarisse.

Percy did end up fighting her, and still had the vivid memory of the terrible loss he wasted all his energy on trying to block her attacks by manipulating the water in her hand. After 30 seconds he ran out of energy dealing with, mystical heritage it forced a lot more out of him than expected.

He couldn't hold her off After that he ended up thoroughly electrocuted, the three mornings learning to fight having nothing on her years of experience.

He considered both changing his course or staying it, what should he do considering those around him would expect him to fight, it sort of made sense that if he were to fight anyone from the other team it would be Clarisse.

He felt the rush of white-hot rage at the idea he was manipulated, by that Annabeth bitch. The creek that was passively flowing around him turned in to a whirlpool with him as the centre, this didn't last for long, only about two seconds before Percy ruthlessly crushed the emotion, silently chanting "it is what it is."

Percy wanted people to accept him for him and if that would ever work out if he initiates it and that start by accepting that Annabeth is a manipulative bitch because she is the way she is and he has no right to interfere.

After a few deep breaths and the calming sound of distant battle Percy opened his eyes, Clarisse was standing on the river bank and had her spear up pointing just off Percy's head.

He tensed preparing to lose another fight until he saw her eyes were fixed directly behind him, he used his water sensing to try and find out what was going on.

There was a void, just like with miss Dodd's and the Minotaur it was the shape of the dog but the size of a jungle cat, a hellhound his mind supplied, all of Percy's second skin solidified in preparation.

X

Clarisse was having a grand time as she took down another Apollo kid, they're not much of a match up close.

Conner and Matthew had followed her up to this point, but it seemed her concerns were for naught, there was no ambush the mysterious note giver was genuine now she just had to find Percy.

She heard splashing from up the river, it was obviously Percy, or the note was a distraction.

"I've got it from here." She whispered to her companions, they disappeared back to the fight with the smallest of noise's taking the dismissal for what it is.

She carefully approached, spear and shield raised, where he was in the middle of the river, muttering to himself it was the site, to say the least. She was about to call out to him when she saw it, a hellhound bigger than any she had seen was stalking towards Percy.

Clarisse froze in her tracks.

If she called out in warning, it could get him, before he could get away. If she did nothing it would definitely get him. Her angered at the situation, she was a child of Ares dam it.

Her spear flew true, right over Jackson into a tree. The hound had dodged and was now in a lunge at him.

In a surprise move, Jackson rolled towards the hound, under the Lunge. This switched their positions reversed, Percy, standing on the bank and the hound in the river.

In the most amazing move of godly powers she had ever seen, the hound was crushed repeatedly on the bed of the river until it was just dust.

Chiron came out of the brush Bow and arrow raised still expecting a Hellhound. That actually gave her some relief, if it goes past Percy it would go for her next and she stupidly threw her spear away.

She looks towards the direction of her spear, but the glowing trident above Percy's head that drew her attention. So at least she imagines the display, Poseidon noticed as well.

With a sharp look from Chiron Clarisse rolled her eyes and kneeled, "Hail, Perseus Jackson, Son of the Sea God." Chiron declared to no one in particular. Clarisse hadn't spent that all much time with the old centaur, but she thought she heard hints of exasperation.

X

Percy smiled it was great, he didn't bother finishing the game of capture the flag. He had a cabin all to himself, and because he was the only one in there he automatically became cabin leader – he got his own dinner table, could pick all his own activities, and silence blissful all-encompassing silence.

Also, the forest burnt down. Who could have possibly guessed sticking a magical spear that creates electricity into a tree may be flammable, well not Clarisse or the 6 campers that got third-degree burns, but they should have guessed.

Percy, however, was very interested in 'the food of the gods', nectar and ambrosia. Seeing it heal injuries that would have need surgery and months of healing to be good as new in a matter of days.

Percy decided when time permits he would do more investigation.

Days later

The days were spent practising Mist Control with Mr.D and the occasional match up with Clarisse. The fights with Clarisse sort of became a game of how long could Percy last he was also under strict rules not to use his powers.

That rule became hypocritical when Percy understood why it was so much more difficult to move the water in a demigod during a fight rather than before after it.

The ADHD is a power and during a fight, it activates giving the Demigod, faster reaction times, higher endurance, it was like super adrenaline.

And as it is a mystical power it hindered Percy's ability to use his own mystical abilities.

Percy had wondered if Mr D was going to bring up the fact that he should not exist, but after days of nothing changing Percy thought that it would just not come up.

He was wrong, "Perseus, there you are." The chipper attitude was putting Percy on edge. "good news I won't turn you into a dolphin." This did not help Percy and his being on edge, so rather than the follow-up question 'why would I be turned into a dolphin'.

Percy went with the safe option, "what are we learning today?"

"nothing," was the reply Percy waited for Dionysus to expand, it was about a minute later, "I have taught you all you can do currently, any more you will have to discover for yourself."

"So, you said that that, after you would teach me Aura sensing. Couldn't we stat that now?"

"I did say that I would teach you to sense Aura next, but I have a council meeting and you have a quest." Percy heard the emphasis on 'you have a Quest' but didn't understand. Before he could ask Dionysus was gone leaving the scent of strawberries.

X

The spirit of Delphi didn't even have a brain or mind so one might be curious about how it could have the ability to wonder. It did wonder if the child in front of it was even listening to it, as it told the child about their future. Unfortunately for someone curious enough to question about the abilities of a mindless being given life through the will of fate, some questions are just never meant to have answers.

X

"You Don't Remember the Prophecy," Annabeth shouted, she was seething.

When Chiron said that she might be going on a quest she began Jumping for Joy. Grover appearing didn't dampen her mood but made it slightly cautious, she didn't know who the leader of the quest was, she should be fine if it was anyone but Clarisse.

When it was the new kid that came down the steps her caution turned to worry, he had only been around a little while. Percy was a child of the big three but could that makeup for years that leaders of a quest should have.

That worry turned to fully fledged fear when he flippantly declared that he didn't remember the Prophecy, he was going to doom the quest, her fear turned to anger, he had ruined her first quest.

"The lady said 'go west.' So I was thinking about what is west. Then it was over, she said other things but I was only thinking about the first line. It will be fine we will go west, find the bolt and get it back to the gods." His untenable logic was not helping her mood.

"No, you remember the Prophecy then think about the implications, that's the way it works." At his continuing blazer attitude, Annabeth turned to Chiron, cutting Percy out of the conversation. "Could he have been dropped on his head when he was little?" she asked Chiron in a stage whisper hoping for a reaction, she turned back to see that he was not even there, 'where did he go?'

Chiron must have known her internal question, "my dear, the second you stopped talking he wandered off." Then he gave her a conspiratorial wink, "best of luck, you will leave at first light."

She scowled Chiron had made a plan or some contingency and didn't tell her, and there was no way to get him to reveal what he did. So between the secrets and idiocy, she left the house many with more magnitudes of anger then the excitement she originally felt with the idea of the quest.

It is good that her curiosity of Chiron's plan was seated immediately, there was Percy obviously trying to get past Grover, Chiron must have invited Grover as well but had him wait outside, Annabeth hadn't given much thought to who the third member would be, but Grover is a good call on the part of Chiron.

"Really you will let me come?" Grover gushed

"well you did offer and it is easier than actually asking someone." Percy got around Grover at that

Annabeth decided to latch on to the opportunity, "can I be the third?"

Percy turned he mumbled something when he saw it was Annabeth that asked, then after a short pause, "ok. but when do we leave?"

"First light tomorrow," Annabeth answered dazedly, how did Chiron know that Percy was going to ask about that.

The next morning

Chiron wished he could do more, he was not deluded enough to think that this little spat would come to anything but he did have the experience to know that he would not want to deal with the bitching the gods would kick up if the demigods did not treat the event as a potential world-ending calamity.

He also knew Percy, and Percy would not treat a world-ending calamity like a world-ending calamity, that was why he stuck him with Annabeth and Grover, they would not be able to set him straight by a long shot, but they might be able to keep him in line.

Chiron just wished there was more he could help with. Luke giving the shoes seemed a bit pointless, Percy had already shown he could fly. In hindsight it was probably for the best that Percy kept Anaklusmos, Chiron had planned on giving it to Percy right before the quest left.

That would hinder more than help, the time he spent training with the correct sword could be invaluable, growing accommodated to the weight and reach in a safe environment rather than battle is always the wise course.

X

Annabeth rolled her eyes when their intrepid leader falls asleep on the bus.

When Grover freaked out she was surprised that he didn't wake from the commotion. When Grover explained the old lady was the recently dusted Alecto she considered waking Percy up.

Then she considered leaving him on the bus to deal with it.

So that is what she did, first wanting Grover safe she sent Grover forward. He drew her attention and the attention of the two lady's on the other row, she began to panic it was the three Furies. She had put Grover right into their trap.

Just before he got to being surrounded she stood up suddenly, "I'm Annabeth." She shouted drawing the attention of the whole bus including the furies and woke Percy, it worked Grover got passed. But proved to be a mistake when the Furies stated forward towards her, but not deterred by the attention she put on her cap and vanished.

This was the second part of her impromptu plan, and test for her leader, use her invisibility to get past after Grover and it worked like a charm. Leaving the three Furies with Percy.

When she got to the front of the bus Grover had forced the driver to do an emergency stop but as useful and out of character that is for him, all her attention was on the site in front of her.

The mortals were working together to restrain each of the Furies and in the cramped space of the bus Hades most feared minions couldn't do anything about it.

After a few minutes of struggle, the Furies relented. Annabeth was brought back to reality form the Percy clapping his hands and saying "excellent, let us interrogate these tourists"

Percy strode towards the front of the bus all the mortals, but those restraining the Furies flooded out taking Annabeth and Grover with them.

The flood ended with Percy stepping out of the bus last. But before the mortals and the Furies they were restraining could get out lightning came down, the bus exploded.

Annabeth didn't think that the depth of rage Percy showed in the moments after actually existed. The only part of fiction and fanciful tales. She could barely make out the insults he started to mutter at the king of the gods, with the mortals jabbering about the terrorist suicide bombers. It began something like "… Gods damn pig fucker… Zeus Holy … shit head … information … Blithering Fuck Berries."

Annabeth could not help but wonder where he learnt such vulgar language.

She was glad that he was calming down as they wandered through the town. Percy was in a light trance, Grover had to keep a hand on his shoulder the entire time to keep him moving or to stop him walking into traffic.

Just as it was becoming dusk when they got to a shop Percy stopped and headed in, Annabeth voiced her thought "We need to find an Inn before it gets too late."

Percy just ignored her and when in, Annabeth did need to go to the toilet what could it hurt if they spent a few minutes in there.

X

"Ahhhhhhhh." Grover turned away from the site.

When Grover was offered a place on a quest he agreed without hesitation or thought. It was a way to convince the council that he could search for Pan after all Chiron would not make him do anything that important. And there was the benefit that he would not be expected to continue to help with the cleanup.

He was no good when it came to the clean-up effort, one of a tree he tried to resurrect nymph turned in to mute and the tree was hollow. One of the other trees became semi-sentient because the nymph became on with the tree, it gained limited movement and could make a grunt sound.

"Ahhhhhhh." the scream sent chills up Grover's spine.

When he realised the quest was with Percy he almost turned around, screwing up the clean up must be better than any quest with the son of Poseidon. Grover spent a year protecting him and couldn't form an empathy link the entire time. The only thing that had him conforming to the stupid plan was that Annabeth was coming along. There was also that he didn't really expect Percy to agree.

Percy agreeing did throw him for a loop, hearing his explanation of 'it is easier' gave Grover relief. If the quest was serious, Percy would not get people just because 'it is easier'.

Grover's assumption was proved wrong the second Percy started torturing Medusa, "who told you I have the lightning bolt?" The demand was punctuated by her right leg being ripped from her body and joining the piles of other body parts behind him.

"Ahhhhhh." She screamed for the what felt like the thousands time too night, Grover's stomach turned

"What the fuck is going on here, I go to the toilet for a minute." Grover felt himself shrink under Annabeth's glare, he wanted to praise the gods when she rounded it on Percy. "We kill monsters we don't torture old lady's."

Grover could feel the condemnation from Percy before he even said anything, "if that's the case would you mind looking into her eyes I think she's getting cataracts." The venomous non sequitur pulled Annabeth up short, "no, scratch that, it's Medusa."

Annabeth's knife was in the back of her head before Grover realised what was happening.

As the monster turned to dust Grover felt the air grow heavy, Percy stood stock still Annabeth shifted so her side faced Percy and crouched into a defensive stance.

No one moved until the dust of Medusa's corpse dispersed and the knife fell to the ground with a clatter. Percy tilted his head looking slightly insane, and began muttering something under his breath.

This state of affairs didn't change, Percy slowly losing the anger of not helping the look sanity. When Percy finally spoke it was clear and caustic, completely opposite to his look of insanity. "No, let's not find out if the monster that thinks I have the lightning bolt will tell us where she found out that information, on the slim chance that the person who did steal it could actually be the one who is telling monsters that I stole it as a diversion."

Grover was forced to spend some time thinking over the comment, but Annabeth didn't wait, "better safe than sorry."

"What do you mean she presented no danger, I had complete control."

"Then what would happen when you lose control, using powers is exhausting."

"Really I didn't realise that when I use my powers I begin to feel tired, what an excellent observation."

Grover cut in at this point finely understanding Percy's logic and having a hard time disagreeing, but more importantly wanting to stop the in-group fighting. "let's just all go to bed, we will get moving tomorrow."

They both followed the suggestion, Grover fell asleep to Percy muttering under his breath.

3 days later

Percy had a great time on the train, even before he got on the train he was controlling the mist. With a simple mist tether, he convinced the ticket seller that the one dollar notes were 100's and got a luxury cabin for each of his companions.

It was a great time to relax between forcing the mortals to move with water manipulation and the mist control to make them think that the Furies where terrorists topped with what he did to Medusa he used about ¼ of his power but concentrating on the 6 mortals at the same time gave him a headache.

Percy spent most of his time sensing water, then whenever he had to leave the semi meditation he got a bit twitchy. It was what it was, he had to eat and sleep, but what if he missed a monster and lost the opportunity to solve the mystery.

Listening to the distracting drawl of Annabeth was no good, he didn't give a shit about the Saint Louis arch.

"So you want to go sightseeing?" Grover asked

Percy swallowed down the distaste he felt at forcing his control. He had been looking after himself for the longest time, looking after Grover and Annabeth was not an appealing prospect. And if he did this he would end up looking after them for the rest of the quest unless they could get themselves killed.

"No," Percy answered with an internal sigh, "you can go to the Saint Louis Arch at any point in your life, we only have 7 days to find and get the bolt to Olympus."

Percy could feel the change in the group dynamic, it no longer was just him trying to solve a mystery and failing to ditch his two tagalongs. It was a team where he was leading someone who disliked him bordering on hate with the way he just shut down her want. And a bumbling stalker, that least he was not slowing them down but still unable to contribute past a backpack full of junk.

"Can we please stop for some food?" no scratch that. He did slow us down, he has 5 meals a day just went unnoticed on the train.

"No, you just ate breakfast on the train not an hour ago, let's just get on another train and get going." It was an excruciating wait after he got the tickets. Percy couldn't shake the feeling that something was going to happen the entire time he used his sensory ability.

He got results about halfway through the wait, a monster appeared on the of the range of his ability. It stayed there for some time before moving, then just before he got on the train it came back with another one three times its size. From this distance, he couldn't tell it the second one had two heads or not, but they began to follow the edge of his sensing, the bigger one in the lead.

They were a quarter around the circle when the train finally started moving.

X

Echidna grimaced as she had just wasted a day, it was not that concerning to her, she was an immortal being she had an infinity of days, it was the principal of the thing.

There was the demigod scent that just disappeared. It was new to her, the way it left, there's usually a trail but the scent was there one moment and they're gone the next.

When his scent was first there she could find the edge of it but as she headed in it was evenly spread unlike anything she had ever experienced, so she went to find the Chimera. The Chimera was always better with scent stuff then her, that's why she was fine to follow as it led her around the edge of the scent.

And that's what put her in her current state of having an unhappy child in a city full of disgusting mortals.

X

Annabeth was thinking about the progress they made, they got here to Denver in a week and that was rather good considering the Furies and Medusa slowing them down. But not knowing where west they are meant to be going was eating at her, they only had a week left, what if they needed to get halfway around the earth, then getting to Denver is pointless, and they should have let Percy fly no matter the risks.

A hoot made Annabeth Jump in her seat, it was a pure grey owl. She had to blink a few times, it was really an owl, awake at this time, got to be something Mystical, and not a moment later she was proven correct.

It opened its beak in time with the words making it look like it was saying, "Down to the Depths of the dead." It only took moments for Annabeth to figure it out. It was a message from her mom answering the question, of their final destination. "The Underworld" she whispered the realisation and it echoed ominously, sending chills up her spine.

That Afternoon

Ares smirked as he entered the dinner, the three demigods were here just perfect. He did need his shield collected, and he didn't want to deal with whatever crazy scheme Hephaestus cooked up this time. The smirk grew just a bit when he saw the Jackson kid negligently wave off the waitress with Mist Control, it was a lot more interesting when those who are accused could actually do what they're accused of.

He had already found the bolt and who stole it, expect nothing less of a herms kid, but that plan was worthy of Athena.

Ares sat down the kid didn't even twitch, that was odd, there were some that were not affected by his Passive aggression increase, all the beings more powerful were not affected, and then those with years of control end experience like Chiron.

But never one so young, then there was something in his side.

The girl had tried to push him, it was a pitiful push he looked down at her she was in a rage. He would probably be stabbed at this point, if she was thinking clearly, this was abysmal for a daughter of Athena. She was rather calm at the start, checking himself his Passive aggression increase was up a few notches.

It was the kid, he was trying to get a reaction out of him and it didn't work the kid was like a statue. The Satyr jumping into the table made it clear that this conversation would not work. So purposely Ares lowered the aggression, it was only a flash the kids face relaxed but it was a victory nonetheless. The kid was effected.

"So your Barnacle Beards Boy?"

Ares' smirk was mimicked back, "just Percy."

"Ok, just Percy there's a thing I need retrieving. You will find it in the water park."

X

Percy surveyed the pool with a critical eye, there was nothing wrong not a cracked tile or a dole surface, it was wrong just in a different way.

He stretched out his sensors for a body of water when he didn't find one so he condensed just enough from the air to try and move the shield. But on contact with the mystical Surface, he lost control of the water, it took all his willpower to not run down there and start testing the new discovery about his powers and interaction with Gods Symbols of Power.

The odd luminousness stopped him saying, "Ok, you two go in and get it."

Both Annabeth and Grover shrieked with disagreement.

It was not unexpected, so before either could question his reticence and get more reticence themselves he replied, "I didn't volunteer, one of you will have to go down."

First, to gather her wits Annabeth said, "I will not go, you do it."

Grover was quick two pull up the ever-enduring counter, "no you do it."

Percy let the children bicker until they wore each other out, handily forgetting that he was their age in the privacy of his own mind.

As they finally wound down Percy would have sworn that hours had passed if the sun was not still setting, it could at most with a generous estimation, only be ten minutes making it in reality about three minutes that he had to wait, "one of you will have to go down."

The glares of hate he received proved that it was a matter of pride now rather than any trepidation, breaking the mould of expectation Grover struck first. "I will not go if she doesn't."

"I won't if he doesn't."

"I won't if she doesn't"

Percy definitely not ready to live through another argument, so he pushed both of the arguing children over the edge of the pool. Seeing them tumble down the side Percy could not help but feel some exhilaration, something about panic and mayhem was just so very entertaining.

That exhilaration drained out of him as his suspicions were proven true when they picked up the shield and scarf. The spiders and gold net had him feeling resigned, to think that Ares didn't have a better reason than 'I can't be bothered' didn't surprise Percy. But a trap was not what he expected, he expected that it would somehow end up humiliating, not deadly.

On the flip side of his resignation, there was fear for Grover and Annabeth, he knew that no matter how much he thought it 'it is what it is' would not help, he was responsible for them till the end of the quest, 'that is how it is.'

With an internal sigh not having the time to actually heave one Percy analysed the situation, it was quite simple to understand what was going on. Annabeth had Arachnophobia, she could not think straight, Grover, on the other hand, was not good at leading, so he was stuck there holding up Annabeth on his shoulders and the Shield and Scarf in each hand respectively, not having a plan to follow he was just letting time run out.

Percy didn't have the water or time to condense enough to force an extraction with it and even if he tried it was a bad idea with the shield, so he did the next best thing, fixing Annabeth.

Percy had not had an opportunity to use the mist to confuse a fearful mind away from their fear, but it was extremely easy. It was easier than tricking a mind that was not paying any attention to what was trying to be tricked. That was what previously Percy thought was the best scenario for using mist control.

He put it to the back of his mind for later contemplation. Percy watches Annabeth switch from thinking the spiders to scorpions, it cleared her of enough fear to think straight. And it was only moments later that she came up with a solution, "Grover use the flying shoes."

It was a close call but Grover got out with Annabeth, the shield and the scarf.

That night as Annabeth and Grover slept after their 'Harrowing experience', Percy tested and experimented with learning and discovering more about his powers. Gaining knowledge was one of the few things that brought him pure joy when he had nothing else he had his powers.

That is why he became Obsessive with Mist control, it was another part of his powers. Learning and practising Mist Control was not as good as his water powers but the feelings of safety and comfort were still brought to the fore of his mind with the association.

And the potential advantages where nothing to scoff at, he could probably become the youngest president ever if he felt so inclined, or maybe the king of England. He reflected that he didn't really feel comfortable with throwing a contrary in to ruin with his laziness, and there was no doubt in his mind that the country would be ruined, he would not have the constitution to deal with the work and subsequent effort.

His mind continued to wonder as he tested his powers against the symbol of a god, ones discovering all he could Percy decided to put it down in his notebook.

When he first saw the notebook he had originally paid it no mind, but then a question started to gnaw at him, so 'Percy's Mist Control Notes' were created with two reasons.

Could Pen Sword, be used as a real pen? And Percy couldn't think of anything else to write about.

Percy started a new section in his notebook about his Hydrokinesis. He started at the start, first water healing him, then moving it with his mind, breathing underneath it, and sensing it, condensing it from the air, solidifying it. He then added in other things like ice and steam, and how he could not change the temperature of the water but control it in any state.

He then finished this first section with controlling water over long distances as long as he could sense it, or controlling the water inside mortals and other animals, he added in his account of making the pigeons in the park nearby the department of family affairs building chirp 'rockin' robin'. It was late into the night when he finished this bit.

Then Percy added things that he learnt more recently, not being unable to sense water in Monsters and Unable to control it in Centaurs, Satyrs, Nymphs and his predictions that this would translate to anything born mystically. Or the way he could slightly control the water in demigods, and how it became a lot more difficult when they are fighting or using their godly talent as when the Morpheus kid is sleeping. By the time this section was complete dawn was in site.

Percy still pressed on he Wrote,

"When testing Hydrokinesis with Ares Symbol of power, the first thing is that it interrupts any control I have over the body of water in contact with it, it doesn't matter what state the water is either steam and ice are just as susceptible. I lose any control I have over water that is in contact with the shield, or any water in contact with affected water.

Conclusions that water acts as a Conduit for Mystical power and Ares Symbol of power acts as a power source.

Note that things that don't take mystical effort are not affected by the shield. When in the hotel pool I could still breath under water and even though the shield was in the pool with me blocking my control of the pool, this is also backed up by me being able to Sense the water of the pool with the shield in it.

I have not come to any conclusions with this information.

The last and most interesting thing to note is that that the shield does not affect the momentum of the water, even when I create the momentum with my water powers the shield does not affect it.

Personal note I would like to find out how these interactions change with the presence of Ares, or how these changes differ with other Symbols of power.

By the time Percy finished with the Hydrokinesis part of his notebook, Grover was waking up Annabeth.

X

They only got to the dinner after the breakfast rush. Percy was being difficult, not in the way of purposely heeding their progress, more not helping out languidly standing around.

This probably saved them time, in the end, dragging Percy through the streets is easier than being dragged by Percy to whatever catches his interest, then everything is seeming to turn up Annabeth when she finds that Ares was already there at the diner.

With a simple shove Percy obediently sat next to the immortal, she then took a step back so Grover was in the window seat facing the god, she was on the opposite side of the booth. During the first few minutes she found it much easier to keep her anger in check then the first time, it was actually when Percy's glassy-eyed thousand yard stare sharpened did she feel her composure brake.

And like always after a positive turn of events there is a negative, so just as Annabeth is trying to get her equilibrium when the god of war asked for the items distasting her from her task, so Annabeth found it whole exemptible to slammed them on the table an action in complete contrast to her previously calm demeanour.

The aggressive action did little to calm Annabeth but she found it cathartic enough to get back to reassembling her equilibrium rather than hurl them at the god's face. Percy then immediately skived off to the toilets with a, "got to go be right back."

Percy's abrupt departure was the Cue for Ares to put on a display of the shield turning in to hundreds of different weapons, Annabeth could not be sure but she thought that she saw her dagger but when she checked her pocket her weapon was still there making it a look-alike that she saw.

A shake on her shoulder brought her focus back to the table, Grover handed her a backpack, Ares told her and Grover, "this backpack has your reward for finding my shield."

Percy got back from the toilet, Ares tried to continue "As I was saying," but as soon as those words came out of his mouth the food arrived, the serving girl looking very intimidated by Ares.

The three kids tried to devour their food but Ares didn't give them time to dig into breakfast before telling them. "As I was saying I have given your group an extra reward for getting the scarf back there is a truck in the parking lot, it will help you continue on your journey."

It was a bit of a rush Grover taking an extra thirty seconds to shove as much of the food on the table into his mouth before Annabeth dragged him along, Percy was already at the truck. And it was not a pretty scene, he was waving his hands about wildly and a motorbike helmet on his head, thirty seconds to go from sanity to insanity.

Annabeth sighed as she continued to drag Grover to the truck, she got a tad of vindictive pleasure when Percy yelped from the shove she pushed him into the back of the truck with. She was rather impressed by Percy's dedication, he continued doing the crazy arm movements even while laying face down in the truck. Annabeth used the time to get comfortable on the hay, Grover followed suit it was only moments after Grover sat did Percy get up.

Percy glowered at Annabeth, it was rather ineffectual with a helmet on his head.

During the stare down the driver came around to the back of the truck grumbling about animals, and he completely ignored the three kids in the back of his truck even though he looked past them to see the animals.

Percy gave a lopsided smile and excitedly whispered "it worked." Then turned back to Annabeth the positivity and joy drained from his face, he mumbled something under his breath then gave a placid smile that didn't reach his eyes and in a monotone declares, "it is time to sleep." Percy then lays across the rest of the hay and goes to sleep.

Leaving Annabeth to feel like crap for the way Percy acted.

X

There should be a few things noted at this point in time. One for all the power that comes with being a god of Olympus, Omniscience is not one of them. Two that for all of his years alive Ares was not good at keeping track of anything including symbols of power.

These facts of life cumulated into Percy is one of the luckiest thieves in existence, if Ares had noticed or realised that Percy took the helm, Ares would take vengeance against the punk, his family and his friends. As previously mentioned Percy is one of the luckiest thieves meant that Ares only noticed that the helm of Hades was gone a week later during the summer solstice, drawing too much suspicion to Ares for the god to take vengeance.

X

Percy woke with a voice in his head, "oh, praise Poseidon the lord is awake."

Percy staunchly pushes aside dealing with the voices in his head to do a check of his person, the first thing he noticed was the helmet was still on his head, that was good Percy didn't know why it was completely covered with mist.

It would be better he finds out then Grover or Annabeth, if something happened to them Percy figured that with them being his responsibility then he would feel bad. It looked like an average motorcycle helmet but it was the helmet from Ares bike and layered with a strong mist tethering.

"What would you command of me, my lord." Percy figured he really needed to get on top of the voices. But kept it aside to deal with the odd weight on his stomach.

After a bit of fumbling he discovered that it was a backpack, must be the one that was given to them by Ares. After a quick check of the contents money, food other things he could not recognize whilst in the dark, but after a mist check for the helmet, Percy discovered the backpack was concealing something.

It was tethered with mist like the helmet but it was seamless blend with reality. Unlike the bike helmet that is a gash in the mist letting Percy spot and take it while they were talking to Ares or the patch job, Percy did on the truck to keep the driver from noticing them that is a gaping hole in the mist.

This backpack was like it had been surgically done, there was only the smallest inconsistency to notice that something was mystically off.

After the equivalent of mystical poke and prod, Percy determined no matter how hard he tried he would not be able to beat the tethering.

"Please my lord let me serve you, your Royalness." Percy wondered how he was 'your royalness', then he realised he was off track and he should be checking his two comrades. Percy was pleased that they didn't lose the shield and scarf for the three hours he was out of it, after being awake all night. Percy was still wary over their usefulness but he had claimed them for this quest, and he was reconsidering whether that was as big as a mistake as first thought.

Keeping them safe is going to prove a challenge, either way, so Percy decided letting the sleep a little longer would help more than waking them up. So Percy changed priorities, it was time to deal with the voices, with a light whisper as not wake up his comrades, "who or what I'm speaking to?"

Ten minutes later

If it was the last thing he would do Percy would make 'never trust a zebra' a common saying, as he dodged a truck on the strip, yes that strip the one in Las Vegas. Then with an agile jump, Percy jumped to safety barely avoiding another car.

"Told you so." Percy gritted his teeth at Grover's gall, but rather than arguing with Grover on whether they would be alive if Percy had followed them, Percy just strode forward, muttering his mantra "it is what it is". If Grover was going to be a prick about it Grover was going to be a prick, Percy would just ignore it like everything else.

They were in the truck and Grover told Percy to follow him and Annabeth, then they promptly ran into the traffic jam caused by the zebra. But Percy was not ok with letting his charges get run over so he manipulated the water in the closer drivers hands to swerve out of there way of the duo. It was not a very big traffic jam.

The two survived with Percy's interference and arrived outside a hotel before Percy traversed the traffic himself and he only made it through unscathed from the combination of his agility, reaction time. And the precognitive likeability Percy gets from his now automatic water sensing, he gets an instinctive feel for the environment or anything with water condensation on it.

With unspoken and assumed agreement Percy entered the nearest hotel, it was a bit on the smaller side and named 'the lotus casino', halfway to the door Annabeth overtook him, probably hungry or something. No longer in the lead and nothing to make Percy think that they were in danger, Percy focused on the bag and the helmet inside, he was determined to find out what he stole and lays beneath the tethering making it look and feel like a Motorbike helmet.

X

It would be good to note at this point that the Lotus Eaters have had 3000 years to perfect the art of trapping both mortals and demigods, thus their unique way of using a mist and magic ability to trap unsuspecting victims would only be noticed by Percy if he was looking for it on a good day.

Unfortunately for Percy, Annabeth and Grover, Percy was not looking for any deception, trusting his charges to do it after they successfully proved their proficiency at handling issues, when they dealt with Ares. Instead, he was completely absorbed by deciphering the helmet in the backpack.

This was not all that bad for Percy, even though he lost his charges to the Lotus food without even realising it. As he was completely absorbed in his own little world of the backpack and the helmet, meant that the Lotus Eaters were unable to get Percy's attention and then trick him into eating the specialised food creating the mind fog they use to keep people pliant and excepting of the situation. After all, if he had only taken one bite he would have no chance to escape without outside influence, the Lotus food was very good at doing what it is meant too, having been perfected over the last 3000 years.

This situation also had a silver lining for the Lotus Eaters, other than getting two new demi-gods and the ambient power they could provide. The Lotus-eaters had been alive from a certain perspective for the last 3000 years, this was a long time to develop human traits such as curiosity, one of the most vexing parts of their existence was the time dilation field.

They had learnt a few things about it over the years, whenever they gathered the dilation effect would become more pronounced The more that where present the more increase in the effect. At the stage where enough of them gathered to see a significant effect change with the sundial, it was noted that only there body was affected by the sped up time not the mind.

The next things tested was how the time dilation effected mortals and other creatures and found they experienced time sped up for their mind and body this was the same for those who had or had not partaken of the Lotus food, whereas if a Lotus Eaters partook of the food and had not yet developed an immunity to its effect then they would experience the feeling of time dilation in both body and mind.

Percy Jackson represented a golden opportunity to expand their knowledge and remove one more query they have, what happens when a demi-god comes within their time dilation effect. This path of knowledge gathering had been banned by the elder, after the attack by Odysseus. But he had died long ago and the current elder was only a child when the attack had happened time and distance having forced the pain and sorrow to fade.

So when presented with to break the ban, or potentially have a repeat incident, from 809 A.D. When they had got forceful with a demigod and she had discovered their existence, two of them had died that day and it took 4 century's for Hestia to grudgingly forgive them and their relations were still frosty too this day.

The elder chose to break the ban, curiosity an ever powerful motivator.

X

After they got to the room and cleaned up Annabeth and Grover went to check out the hotel, this was fine with Percy, he was now being left to himself and the helmet he requisitioned from Ares bike.

There were no clocks in the room not even a digital bedside one, so Percy could not tell the time. It felt like a day had passed, (he had eaten enough of the junk food around the hotel room and felt tired enough for it to have been an entire day). When Percy was close to finishing the monotonous task of untethering the mystery object, best equivalence to having a present covered with a million individual pieces of sticky tape, Percy had to take them off one by one not having the power or skill to just rip it open.

Percy put the hunger and tiredness down to the monotony of the untethering making him feel that a day had passed when really it was only a few hours, Percy was eased by the assumption if it had been any significant amount of time Grover or Annabeth would have come in.

By the time he finished untethering the tether on the helmet, it was revealed to Percy as hades helm. This unsettled Percy, yes the implications would be numerous and most likely Percy would not be able to comprehend most of them, but either way, he would have to carefully consider them but that was for later. What currently unsettled Percy was the aura of the helm, not being able to form a whole thought without a random childhood fear making its imaginary presence felt was very disruptive.

So he just powered through his tiredness, powering through, Percy was able to sloppily apply a tethering on the helm, it blocked all the same mystical signals, he could put a whole through together again.

His first thought was if he was feeling this tiered he must have underestimated how much of a strain long-term use of mist control would make.

His second was that the helms physical appearance was not done so well, the new tethering showed it as a battle helmet that didn't come out of the forge quite right. Percy couldn't really dredge up a care for its appearance now that he had gotten out of its aura.

Percy's third and final thought before sleep claimed him was how compatible the bed looked, hopefully, Grover or Annabeth would have to wake him up soon, who was he kidding, he already knew the hope was in vain.

Percy woke up feeling well rested, this vast contrast to what he considered normal, instantly clued him into something was off. Well for normal whilst on a quest with a time limit, given he didn't actually have much experience to back up his conclusion. But that didn't necessarily make it wrong.

Percy quickly packed up, he put the helm in his backpack, the rest of the food from the hotel room, he had no idea if or when he would come back after all. Then focused on the constant stream of background information looking for where there was a blank spot in his power. Seconds later Percy was on the most direct path to Grover, he could not find Annabeth without alerting a hotel full mortals to the fact they were not in control of their own body's, and it was a big hotel, much bigger then he remembered, he put that down to being focus on the helm.

X

"William", Percy stammered out in irritation. William considered maybe confronting the demigod face to face might not have been the best of ideas, but it was a little late for such sentiments, "William", Percy said again in a growl with an underlining promise of pain if there was still in action.

William's name was not actually, William. But the elder of the Lotus-eaters refused to be distracted by such things as he confronted the demigod, "Percy we must have words as I understand you are under a time limit it would be best for us to go outside."

William noticed how he obviously tensed and a hand went to his left pocket, but that was all he was willing to do. William was glad for the naivety displayed, his reaction displayed that he thought of William as a threat, but was not yet cynical enough to attack immediately, now William felt stupid for feeling any amount of fear.

William had planned for it to the encounter to devolve into violence where then nearby Lotus Eaters were positioned to step in and help, only after they had defeated and disarmed him, then not killed him would he realise that they wanted to talk.

Walking long next to the Demigod feeling the mild disappointment did William realise how stupid that plan sounded. Then he heaved an internal sigh, it would not do to show any feel this early on in his interactions with Percy but the ambient power having two symbols of power in the hotel for three days had been enough to power, sustain the enchantments on the building for the next decade and a half.

They got outside to where a table and chair was already set out after William seeing common courtesy was seen to he got down to business as Percy eyed the water in his glass speculatively. "So I require to know how time acted around you while in the hotel?"

"What are you talking about?" William actually heaved a sigh with this, it was not all that unexpected, he was a boy all things considered, but that meant that William only holds out a faint hope that the answer would come with no questions asked.

"The place we just exited has a strong time dilation effect, for example I think at the same rate whether I'm under the effect or not, but under the effect my body ages at 25 times slower give or take about .5% on random variables, it was actually how however of them where in there at the same time. If you look at today's newspaper you will notice that it is the morning of the 23d, three days have passed since you entered."

The light of realisation appeared in Percy's eyes, and then he muttered, "I had to eat three days' worth of food and had three days of sleep, it all makes sense now." William could not believe his luck, he could hear the child mumble the answer to one of the major life questions for the Lotus-eaters. "why do you want to know?"

William probably would have gloated at this point and given Percy all the answers he could want, but he would not have to worry about wasting the energy in the enchantments if this demigod solved the current tensions. William was very attached to the enchantments after all the times an angry Godling came knocking and the enchantments kept the Godling busy until the Godling was called away to domain maintenance. And there was the secondary concern that if this place had both magical items then it would quickly be a place of destruction, William was not confident in the enchantments withstanding the resulting destruction.

When hates turned up almost month ago grumbling about the war and dirty thieves, asking William if the debris of a godly war in the north would pose any potential harm to the establishment and his children inside. William guaranteed their safety, knowing he could not then he would live very long and have a very unpleasant afterlife if he did manage to get either child killed then the afterlife would be absolutely awful.

That meeting and what his agents, got from the two rambling quest companions William was able to put the pieces together, he didn't like the image it makes, so getting the brat to stop asking questions and get moving soon. "You can come back later and I will answer all your questions, but for the same reason we are outside now you don't have the time to waste asking questions, you need to be on your way."

"What about Grover and Annabeth?"

William held his less savoury feelings in, "there is no time, you can collect them on your way back." He got a glare, "it's a big place, half an hour to get to halfway through the complex, an hour searching, half an hour to get out, that is your final two days gone."

Suddenly there was a swirl of movement from across the table, William tried and could not move a muscle there was a thin layer of water around his body stopping any movant, a second later sword at his throat, well fuck. The fear came back with a vengeance, he almost lost control of his bladder,

"Swear on the Styx" William was caught between genuine horror and some rye amusement, the kid could kill him with a slip of the blade, but had finally stopped asking inane questions during a time-sensitive mission, there was also the long-term effects of the Styx to be concerned with.

It was not well known because most didn't break vows on the Styx's but gods, but because gods are not actually directed by the braking they didn't really matter all that much. In relation to how it affected Lotus-eaters and after some testing it was proven that the same rules applied to humans, and the rule is the intent as the words are spoken matter more than the words.

So if he thought about 'not saying a really obscure word' for the next minute but said, "I will not attack Percy". Then he immediately attacked Percy he would be fine but never be able to say the obscure word, because when the meaning loses any time restriction with intent.

Another part of the intent when spoken is how the speaker defines the word so they could say, "I will not attack Percy for a week." And they would be restricted to doing anything they would think of as attacking when giving the oath, if that did not consider verbal abuse to be an attack then there would be nothing stopping them from verbal abusing Percy.

So he gave his vow as much consideration as he thought he could when the pressure from the sword increased, William vowed. "I Swear on the Styx that I will not do anything to heed Percy when he comes back." The second he said it before the thunder boomed he noted the mistakes and wanted to yell in frustration he should have included the names of the companions.

X

Percy heard the boom of thunder and finally felt satisfied this was definitely an odd monster hybrid, but he finally felt as if he came out of a monster exchange with the upper hand, that might be because of the loss of Grover and Annabeth in an unobtrusive way.

Percy wondered if it was to do with their time powers or what that protected the friendly monster from his water powers, he was not even sure they were monsters, he could feel the water in them, just like the Centaurs or Satyrs could feel the water but not interact with it. Percy was sort of becoming disappointed with the powers usefulness. Can't use it on monsters fredilyish of otherwise, Can't use it on Centaurs or Satyrs, difficulty with using it on demigods almost impossible in battle, and mortals were more likely to be a disadvantage rather than an advantage.

Percy summoned some of the water from the backpack, he put it in the best places to stabilise floating and then solidified the water. Next, he floated a few meters of the ground willing the mist to show nothing and then headed in the direction of LA.

Four minutes later

Percy smashed into the ground after only four minutes of 'Flight', he had already made it out of the city limits to the desert at this time. Learning that his speed while having water make him float was limited to his endurance, had him wanting to find a way to increase the endurance, currently, he could get to a speed where it felt like his face would peel off from the air resistance.

He had already found a way to protect his eyes, he covered them with water with a thin layer of water, it protects them from dust and other things when he tried to cover the rest of his face the air resistance was too much for the water without a flattish surface.

Then yelling at the top of his lungs for the last minute because he was exhilarated, became an awful idea when a bug got itself lodged down Percy's throat. This thoroughly distracted Percy from any water control and he plummeted the three meters or so he was in the air to the ground.

X

Something else should be noted at this point, you are aware of the theory that you should stay relaxed to keep your body from injury with major blunt force trauma. If you have ever been in a life-threatening situation where you are conscious and this advice was applicable you would still find your self-tensing up on instinct, for most Demigods there power does not affect this, and most of the time that list includes children of Poseidon.

But Percy Jackson was conscious when he began to fall, and with his natural instincts in effect, Percy's muscles tensed. But these instincts were able to enact Percy's powers, and Percy had broken the mental barrier that most of the Poseidon demigods have stopping them using their powers on people, this meant that not only did Percy's muscles tense but also all the liquid in his body also tensed.

This created an innumerably large amount of minuscule injuries.

X

Blinking his eyes open after the crash he noticed everything hurt, even where the water had started to heal his hurt. He got back into the air with a closed mouth and a sore body, he was a tad bit slower than before, as the water continued to heal him.

A 20 minutes later he got to L.A.

With no idea where to go Percy wondered around aimlessly, until lunch. He then floated down and took a seat at an outdoor café. In-between him sitting in the seat and the waiter coming over asking for his order did Percy realise how tired he was.

Flying from one state to the other took about a three quarter of is energy, sleeping for an entire day really does throw your estimated limits around, Percy was not sure it could have done a tenth this distance at that speed after getting out of the truck.

He got simple ham and cheese sandwich and sat there until mid-afternoon, using his water sensing ability to find the entrance to the underworld. It was about three when he made a napkin look like a hundred and put the rest of them in his pocket for a moral emergency. He walked on a path directly to Hollywood, there was a hellhound here and there, a monster in a waterbed shop, Percy considered drowning him but then decided to not.

The entrance was only a little bit away from that shop when he a approached a gated community that was in his way he just floated himself over the fence, it was about 3:30 when he got to the entrance, and about 4:00 when the guy in the suit finally let Percy through. It took half an hour for that simple conversation because every three seconds Percy would have to calm himself down, mentally chanting 'it is what it is'. Percy didn't know what about the guy set him off so much but it did.

Percy floated himself over Cerberus and all the way to the palace. The second he crossed the threshold of the palace gates, he notices the second power source. It was playing havoc with his sensing ability, not that there was all that much water down here.

He first stepped off to the side of the path, then he looks down into the bag and there it was the lightning bolt. Percy didn't know what to do the right way, and half a minute later when he made a decision, he could not tell if it was the right decision. He took the tethering from the helm and put it around the bolt, he definitely could not have done it in the 2 minutes he did do it in if the tethering on the helm was not done by him.

Percy decided to switch, reasoning he planned on leaving the helm so it didn't need to be disguised, but did plan on keeping the bolt till he got to Olympus so it would be better for it to be disguised.

This actually changes his plan, he originally planned to plead for the bolt, his plans changed during the flight to L.A. He was going to trade the helm for the bolt and then make a request, but now he had both helms and bolt the could trade for just a request and it was a lot better than the original plan.

Entering the garden he determinedly refused to look towards the pomegranates. There was a bit of trepidation before Percy knocked, but he did and the doors opened very ominously, it showed a throne room, with a twenty-foot-tall being lounging, in the grand thrown on the dais.

X

Hades was reconstructing his furies when the alarms went off informing him that there was a living thing in his domain

Hades was confused at what his brother was playing at, after three thousand years hates thought that he could have figured it out. But having his demigod child come with the helm and no escape was very out of character for Poseidon in actual fact this whole stealing symbols of power was very out of character.

Hades would be lying if he said he was not curious for what this child would have to say, the underworld has a lot more defences than a surly gatekeeper that will take a bribe from anything as long as it has money. Charon was mainly for ambience if Hades actually cared to take the soles across efficiently then he would have had a bridge built.

"This is amazing, so much space. Do you actually have all the space under the earth? And how does that work with a mortal explanation of crust, mantle and core?"

Hades wondered if the flattery was genuine or not as he answered the question, "simply put the crust is the barrier between the world and the underworld, the mantle is the underworld and Tartarus is the core."

"ok so you know that I have the helm what are you willing to trade?" the impudent demi-god asked.

It was only from the millennia of self-control that gave hades the ability to stop his eyes bugging out of his head, at the question. It did leave him with a few questions, "do you have the lightning bolt, are you aware that I am a being of more power then you can comprehend, what is stopping me from just killing you and taking it?"

The child took some time to compose the answers, "It is with a person I trust. Yes, I get it, I'm nothing in your eyes as a demi-god I will be lucky to have 100th of your lifespan. Crowd management with war, if you just take it and kill me the person I trussed with the lightning bolt will not bearable to prevent the war and war means a lot more dead."

Hades found it amusing all the questions were answered well, it was also a good argument even if it let Hades conclude that it is a mortal Percy trusts, because if it was a demigod then the demi-god would take the lightning bolt to Olympus and end this.

Hades really didn't like this situation, it had happened a number of times before an uppity hero thinking that their family should get a second chance at life. When Hades heard that son of Poseidon that killed Alecto, got a quest he went to check the family members, Hades found that there was one close relation, his mother, she had died three years ago, much too long to consider any sort of resurrection. She also had an awful death, drowning, the kid probably blamed himself for not saving her, when he found out that he was Poseidon Spawn.

A threat to send the loved one to the fields of punishment usually gets compliance that was actually going to be his next threat. "Give me my helm and I will leave your mother in the fields of asphodel, continues this impudence and I will move her to the fields of punishment."

The kid went through a myriad of reactions, Shock and Anger most prevalent then something new for Hades, a baleful silence, the kid was calling him on the threat, what sort of kid risks eternal punishment for their dead mother, fuck! Hades didn't really want the judges to grumble because he did an overruling on past judgment, but needs must. He gave the mental command and sent out a skeleton worrier to have it done.

"Now give me the helm." Hades put power into the words and the child began to obey but unfortunately Hade's words of power work on the dead much better than the living, it was a bit of a long shot.

"Are you ready to trade?" the question was repeated with some boards, Hades considered a little murder for the presumption shown by the boy, how dare he imply that he feels bored while dealing with a god.

Hades focused is fear Aura on the demi-god, as expected he immediacy withered under its power after a minute of the boy curled on the grown rocking back and forth Hades released him. "Are you ready to trade?" Hades asked in a mocking drawl, rather satisfied with the way the child was still shivering as he stood up.

There was a moment where the child got his shivering under control than with a small stutter, "a guarantee for isles of the blessed." Hade's grin the child was crazy, he came to the underworld, with a symbol of power for the god of the underworld, in order to trade it to the god of the underworld, so he gets the best spot when he dies, it is so ridiculous Hades could not help the smile.

No wonder he could not figurate Poseidon's game, it was Percy's game all along. But it also made sense a mortals death was a part of there life no two ways about it, but to know that one's it was done you would be in the best spot possible. Even Hades could imagine the draw, he could imagine the feeling the wariness he associated with fading, no longer affect his actions would be worth a trip to Tartarus.

"So do we have a deal?" the question brought Hades back to reality and the situation, he must have looked like a loon sitting there smiling saying nothing.

"Yes." He answered simply

Percy had a smile as he pulled the helm out of his bag, then water moved to engulf it in a blob of liquid. Then the blob moves the helm up to place it in Hades outstretched hand. Hades was not sure why but that act reminded him of Triton, the two-tailed show-off, when Percy did it, it did not seem boastful.

Percy then hovered back the way he came, Charon was probably still there waiting for a bribe the greedy fucker.

X

Percy was exhausted leaving the Underworld by the time he got out it was getting to ten and Percy just wanted to get some sleep. Luckily for him, he knew where a nearby bed store was, the monster had 'pen sword' in his head before he could even get a word in edgewise.

His last thought before he fell to the realm of Morpheus, was that it was a good thing Hades could not sense the lightning bolt.

X

By all rights Hades should have been able to sense the power of the lightning bolt, the original reason Percy didn't die immediately on entry to the underworld with such a weapon was because of the backpack, this immunity would not work entering the place, when hades would try sensing again for anything he would have missed.

And this is where a few interesting coincidences that seemed to conspire with the objective of keeping Hades from discovering that the most powerful weapon of the gods was within two paces, well two paces for his godly form. The first was an incredible amount of luck and skill on the part of Percy and his successful tethering mist on the lightning bolt and accompanying removal of the mist tethering on the helm of darkness, this one action diverted most of Hades wild and erratic attention to the helm. And the rest of it to his interaction with Percy.

The second would have to do with why his attention was wild and erratic when Hades was newly made the god of the underworld and wealth of the earth he was completely sained. He was given the helm of darkness from the forge of Olympus, this helm had many magical effects, from three different master enchanters.

The helm increased hades strength, health and endurance this was done by one of the enchanters, a different enchanter created it to steal the life forces of the beings around it as well as being a conduit to increases the fear aura hades produces, this was going to be the end.

But A third saw how the helm gave strength, health and endurance and how the life forces steal, took strength health and endurance so this third master enchanter allowed the increase the helm gave to hades draw on the stolen life force.

Of Course, the life force is made of many other things than just strength, health and endurance. There are the instincts of the thing with life force, even it is the life force of the rocks instincts to do nothing because it is inanimate but when there are sapient being some personality, beliefs, hopes and dreams come with the life force. The third enchanter was a master just like the others so he was able to block the helmet from giving Hades these parts of the stolen life force.

But he was not infallible so he was not able to make the conclusion that Hades fear aura would have things of life force give of sanity to be stolen, and thus didn't stop the helm from giving hades the sanity. This is why on the occasion described the helm as making people feel like they're going insane. This extra sanity paradoxically made hades insane, not in a conventional way the stream of sanity eroded way hades own over the centuries until hades were reliant on the helm for his sanity.

That's why it is said that when Persephone around it makes hades have better mood, this is not completely correct hades is better when Persephone is around because she is a good source of sanity for the helm.

So being deprived of the helm for the six months didn't leave hades as the most stable of individuals, and his wild and erratic attention being primarily focused on the helm.

It should also be noted that it was a good thing for the denizens of earth that hades rather than begin to act erratically instead fell back to the familiarity of running the underworld rather than coursing a zombie apocalypse.

X

This, of course, was completely wrong Hades could have sensed the lightning bolt through the bag before they even got to the underworld if he was trying to, trying to sense the lightning bolt was not something that Hades was doing during the discussion. During the discussion, he was focused on sensing whether the helm that Percy had was the real deal.

The next day

Percy woke up nice and rested, he took a minute to ransack the store of anything mystical he only got a few gold drachma out of the cash register, after that he found a map and spent half an hour to figure out that, it would not be viable to hover his way over America in a day.

So instead he decided to look like a madman and yell at the sky, "Zeus I know you're listening, I have the lightning bolt so it would best if you don't shoot me out of the sky!" then Percy took the biggest risk of the quest and got on a plain.

It was not that simple there was a lot of mist trickery and some blackmail/death treats with one monster security guard and a monster doughnuts chain but the blackmail/death threats were able to keep the piece.

It was a bit of a hassle for Percy trying to convince the security guard that Olympus existed on the top floor, so he decided to just float his way up, on the way Percy wondered about the competency of Olympus if they have mortals employed by them out of the know.

When he got to the throne room it was just Zeus and Athena before I could do anything, Athena spoke, "Father it would probably be best to have Poseidon here."

Zeus waved his hand airily, thunder rumbled across the sky, instead of an answer. Only moments later did the thrown next to Zeus flash and Poseidon was the there. They all stared at him silently as if he was meant to show respect or some such tripe

"I have it," Percy replied to the stares, he used water just like with hades helm to bring the bolt to Zeus. After Zeus's display, Percy continued, "So what reward do I get?"

A small frown appeared on Poseidon's face, Athena had a small smile, Zeus kept the same neutral look, "what reward would you expect?" the king of the gods asked.

"A magic item," Percy answered he could see the frown grow while Zeus seemed to hold back an eye roll, Percy expanded, "this Backpack with never-ending space, never get heavier and unable to take damage." Percy took off the backpack for emphasis.

There was a moment where Zeus looked to Athena their eyes connected and secret information must have been exchanged, Zeus then finally answered, "I will hear a retelling of your quest before making any decision."

Percy almost got to the end of his retelling before he was interrupted by Athena, "you haven't gone back for them."

"yet," Percy added the simple amendment

Poseidon actually facepalmed, "this is my child's fault I will deal with it." Then Poseidon disappeared in flash, Athena gave a sniff and followed suit, Percy was tempted to ask where she was going but held his tongue and finished his retelling.

"Very well Zeus answered it seems war has been avoided, you may go." Percy turned and began to exit just before he left the throne room, his backpack became weightless.

X

Annabeth and Grover were back from the quest before Percy and had made up their own version of events where they left Percy at the casino. Percy was surprised that his past companions were so unhappy with being left behind, but they were back safe and no longer his problem.

Everybody at camp avoided him, not even bothering to get the other side of the story, including Lou, witch Percy found odd that he even bothered noting. Percy really didn't give enough of a shit to go out of his way to correct them. Soon enough he was labelled as a coward, not that he actually found out, with such little interaction with the other campers it's not like he ever had a chance too.

Time flew by for Percy after the quest, that is what a routine will do to you. Dionysus taught Percy about Aura and Aura sensing in the evening, along with more anecdotes from the life of the wine god. Percy did sword practice in the morning when no one was about to bother him. And during the rest day practised his water powers.

Percy found it was the Aura sensing that most intrigued him. The way all of the mystical sentients pulled in mist the more powerful the bigger the pull or the more the power was in use the bigger the pull. Percy had been able to clearly notice that his original conclusions when it came to water manipulation of mystical beings was proving to be right, Chiron was taking in just as much Mist as Dionysus but unlike Dionysus who had a small amount of Aura, Chiron had not put the mist back in to the world exactly before.

And that was all that Aura was, the by-product of mystical beings taking in mist processing it for their powers then not using it and releasing it making their Auras. Unfortunately, Percy difficult time making progress, he could barely find Mr D's Aura.

Percy then learnt from a note that while he was gone on the quest that, Chris in his enmity had been telling everybody and anybody that Percy was 'a no good waste of space', this had primed the camp to wholeheartedly believe Annabeth and Grover were telling them the truth when they got back. Now with the minor mystery of why no one bothered to get Percy's side of the story, replaced with who gave him the note, Percy decided that now was great to leave the camp.

He had been making plans since before he returned, well one plan. On his way back from Olympus Percy had collected the documents for the department of family affairs. Then he had spent many exhaustive nights trying to decipher the words through his dyslexia, but he did and eventually completed all the paperwork for his fake guardians, and year 7 transcripts. When he left he would use a little mist and they would be processed.

So it was close to the end of June when Percy skip out of the camp with a simple note.

'It is what it is'

Percy

X

This exit had an odd effect on how the other children of the camp saw Percy. Every week there would be a new rumour about the son of Poseidon, he was a coward, he was an in a secret relationship with a girl from the Aphrodite cabin, he was actually the lightning thief and had tricked everybody into thinking that he had retrieved it. He was in a secret relationship with a guy from the Aphrodite cabin.

It is assumed that the Aphrodite cabin is the instigators of the rumours due to how common they are in them

Percy's complete indifference let the other campers conclude that 'you can't trust anything that you hear about the guy', at the end of each week. The next rumour would follow shortly, it just happened to be one of those times when the general consensus was 'you can't trust anything that you hear about the guy' when Percy left. Despite the logic of how they came to the conclusion, Percy's action of doing something whilst there was a general conclusion meant the conclusion firmly set as the truth in the minds of the demigods.

X

Poseidon coalesced into existence with a sea breeze, it had taken millennia to not instantly fall flat on his face and then another one to not stumble at all, but all the time spent practising was worth it for the entrance he just made. He looked around to see there was no one to see it, and then as if he was being mocked the shadows coalesced into his brother.

Poseidon's brother Hades gave him a look, conveying all his anger and bitterness about getting the underworld all those years ago. This look also contained, the questioning 'why he was asked hear', putting extra emphasis on the 'asked', and the implication that he would not have turned up if he was not curious.

Poseidon returned the look with an 'I know that you could not resist', then he switched to words, to answer the question, "I know about your kids, I have been to the casino." As much as he wanted to just say 'I know about the kids', Hades would have denied it, thinking it was a setup.

So Hades asked, "what do you want?" with a growl.

Rather than beating around the bush which he knew hades loathed, "Your support."

"Why?" Poseidon disliked this trait of his family, they refused to accept that war was coming till it was on their doorsteps when his demigod child didn't even realise that his entire quest was due to the machinations of, 'Cronus'. It spurred Poseidon to action when finding the di Angelo children in the lotus cosine, he knew that it was a good opportunity to force Hades to get ready.

"War is coming." Hades rolled his eyes instead of commenting on how ridiculous he thought it was.

"From what I heard war was just avoided." Poseidon actually contained his eye roll at the intentional naivety.

"Our father, his manipulations might have affected Areas, support me in the coming war with him."

"O.k," Hades replied making sure to imply that he was just humouring Poseidon, with the agreement made Poseidon exited the way he entered not letting Hades have a grand exit was almost as good as if he were to have a grand exit.

A.N.

Long wait till next chapert.