Little Percy's POV

August 18th, and I spent it in my bedroom alone.

Today was my 5th birthday, but nobody was here to celebrate my birthday. Mom has to work late at her candy store, my stepfather Smelly Gabe (whom I nicknamed for a reason) hates my guts and I (sadly) don't really have any friends. I've always been a "troubled kid", having both dyslexia and ADHD.

"Happy birthday to me, happy birthday-"

"Hey! Keep it down in there! Don't you know that I have an important game going on?" Gabe yelled out from outside my room.

I gritted my teeth, but didn't say anything back. I've learned that a long time ago, with the scars on my back as proof.

I stared at the walls gloomily, knowing that I will have to spend my birthday alone for sure. So why not go to sleep early? I figured. I went to the washroom to brush my teeth, then took a quick shower.

But when I opened my bedroom door, it was nothing as I'd expected.

9 people about the age of 16 stood in my room, looking at me in shock the same way I had been staring at them. I opened my mouth to scream, but a big Chinese guy rushed forward and clamped over my mouth with his hand.

"Shhhh!"

"Lemme go—"I screamed. I thrashed around, but he didn't let go. I bit his finger, and the big guy winced and shook his hand in the air violently. At least he let go.

"Ow, ow, ow!" He whispered shouted, "This kid's got some sharp teeth!"

I was stunned for a moment, then I remembered to yell.

"HHHEEELLL-" Again, I was cut off. But this time, it was a girl.

"Shhh, it's alright. Don't scream." She said. Her choppy brown hair was braided down her shoulder, and her kaleidoscopic eyes were pretty. "My name's Piper, and this is Annabeth, Jason, Leo, Hazel, Frank, Reyna, Nico and Percy. What's your name?"

Somehow, her words calmed me down and I stopped screaming.

"Why should I tell you? Are you some of Gabe's friends?"

Everyone of them looked confused, the guy who was apparently to be my namesake was the most surprised out of them all.

"Why would you think that?" He asked.

"None of your business." I said, crossing my arms. Percy looked surprised. He opened his mouth to argue, but the girl with the pretty grey eyes cut him off.

"Hey, kiddo. My name's Annabeth." She told me.

"You're pretty," I observed.

Annabeth blushed, then dropped down to the same height as me.

"We're not here to hurt you. We don't know who Gabe is, and we're definitely not his friends. We want to be your friends. Can you tell us what your name is?" She asked.

I hesitated for a moment, then decided to trust them. "My name is Percy Jackson."

Annabeth's POV(An hour before the incident)

That night, we were all at Camp Half-Blood joking around and roasting marshmallows. Even the Roman Half-Bloods came to join us.

"Oh-my-gods. These are some of the best marshmallows I've ever had!" Hazel said through a mouthful of marshmallow.

"I know, right? I could live on them!" Percy said.

I laughed, then wrapped my arms around him.

We would've stayed like this forever, until Leo ran up to us panting and holding a huge mirror. He had a wick look in his eyes, and immediately I could tell that something bad's gonna happen.

"Guys! Guess what I just invented?"

"Ugh!" We said together.

"Leo, not that we don't care but…we really don't want to know," Jason said.

"Nah, come on, guys! This one's gonna be awesome! Applause, please!" Leo raised his hands dramatically.

We sighed, then clapped.

"Introducing…Leo Valdez's time machine!" He said as he set the mirror down then pretended to take a bow.

We stared at him.

"A time machine, Leo? No offence, but this is the worst joke ever." Piper said.

I nodded, and Leo looked undignified.

"Fine, if you don't believe me, try it!"

We looked at him incredulously, then nodded. Percy took my hand, and whispered, "I'll let anyone call me seaweed brain for the rest of my life if this thing actually works." I squeezed his hand, then told him, "It's a deal."

Leo pressed the button on the bottom of the mirror.

Nothing happened.

"See Leo? I told you—"Suddenly, the mirror swirled and all sorts of light poured from it.

"Woah, is it actually working?" Jason asked, his eyes wide.

Leo nodded.

"But Leo, this isn't—" Before I got to finish my sentence, the mirror sucked the nine of us into the portal and we landed face first in a small, dark room.

"Possible."

Percy's POV

It was small, it was dark, and it was a place I remembered way too well.

I've spent nearly all my childhood in this room, tortured by my step-father every single day. I did NOT want to ever come back.

Then the door creaked open, and I saw a tiny figure standing by the door. I opened my mouth in shock. It was me. But as a five year old.

Great. First I get sucked in through a magical portal that's supposed to be impossible, and the next thing you know, I meet my 5 year old self.

Just great.

5 year old me opened his mouth to scream, but Frank rushed forward to muffle the sound.

"Shhh!" He said.

"Lemme go—"Little me yelled, thrashing around. Finally, he/I bit Frank.

"Ow, ow, ow!" He whispered shouted, "This kid's got some sharp teeth!" I nearly cracked up, but controlled myself.

Then Little Me decided it was a good idea to scream for help again, which, I admit, if I was in the same situation as him, I would've done the same thing. Hey, wait…weren't we the same person?

"HHHEEELLL-" He said. I wanted to tell him to shut up, but Piper cut me off.

"Shhh, it's alright. Don't scream." She said."My name's Piper, and this is Annabeth, Jason, Leo, Hazel, Frank, Reyna, Nico and Percy. What's your name?"

Somehow, her words calmed five year old me down and he stopped screaming.

"Why should I tell you? Are you some of Gabe's friends?"

I nearly laughed out loud. Me? Gabe's friend?

"Why would you think that?" I asked.

"None of your business." He said, crossing my arms. I opened his mouth to tell him that he can at least TRY to be friends with us, but Annabeth cut me off this time.

"Hey, kiddo. My name's Annabeth." She told him.

"You're pretty," Little me observed.

Wow. Even as a kid I had good taste.

Annabeth blushed, then dropped down to the same height as him.

"We're not here to hurt you. We don't know who Gabe is, and we're definitely not his friends. We want to be your friends. Can you tell us what your name is?" She asked.

Percy Jackson. I thought

He hesitated for a moment, "My name's Percy Jackson."

Bingo.