Title: Chance Encounter
Author: vala (valinorean)
Rating: G
Characters: Percy, Jason
Summary: According to Chiron, Greek and Roman demigods occasionally run into each other during quests. They often end in tragedy and the gods do their best to wipe clean the memories of those involved. This is one such memory.
Word Count: ~700
Beta: none
A/N: set during The Battle of the Labyrinth
Chance Encounter
by vala
"We need a car to take us into the city," said Annabeth.
"I'll take care of it," Rachel said with a grimace.
Percy, Rachel, Annabeth and Nico have just landed in the Garden of the Gods, having jumped from a window in Daedalus's workshop. Stuffing the bronze wings in trash bins, they were trying to decide how to get back to the camp before Luke and his army attacks.
"I'll stick with Rachel, then," Percy said. "Meet you guys in the parking lot."
When they reached the parking lot, Percy received a 'Just wait here, please,' from a miserable-looking Rachel as she marched up to a chauffeured Lexus to talk to the driver. Percy nodded in acquiescence and leaned against one of the lamppost to wait for her.
Suddenly, the sky darkened ominously and a cool breeze cut through the afternoon heat. A shift in the Mist, thought Percy. His eyes narrowed and he took Riptide out of his pocket, looking left and right for signs of trouble. He fingered the cap of the pen, alert and ready for battle.
His first instinct was to look at Rachel and the driver of the Lexus, but he knew that if the driver was a monster, Rachel would see right through him immediately. He then scanned the rest of the parking lot, wary of monsters leaping out from behind parked cars.
Then from the corner of his eye, Percy caught a glimpse of gold in the air.
There!
Leaning against another lamppost on the far side of the parking lot was a boy about Percy's age, flipping a golden coin. Is that a Drachma? Percy thought, as his ADHD began to kick in. The boy had cropped blond hair, bright blue eyes, and a small scar on the corner of his lips. He was sporting a tattoo that looked like a barcode of sorts on one tanned arm. Nice tattoo, Percy's brain commented off-task.
Just then, the boy stiffened, as if recognizing the same danger, the same shift in the Mist that Percy had noticed earlier. Slowly, the boy turned to look at him as if sensing his presence. Intense blue eyes bore into emerald green ones.
Percy changed his stance, crouching slightly and readying himself for battle. He knew that look. It was the look of someone spoiling for a fight.
The other boy began to slowly walk toward him, still flipping that darned coin and holding his gaze. The air around them grew heavier and Percy could have sworn there were electric charges in the air. Literally. He felt the familiar tug in his gut as he automatically searched for a source of water he could control.
The boy began to walk faster toward him. Then, quick as lightning, the boy tossed the coin in the air and caught it as it turned into a javelin, just as he sprinted in Percy's direction. Just as quickly, Percy uncapped his pen and Riptide sprung into his hands. Percy shifted his stance, preparing to charge and deflect the first blow of the javelin with his blade.
Just then the black Lexus loomed on his right and he heard Rachel's shout.
"Percy! What are you doing? Get in!"
Percy's head snapped in her direction for a split-second, and when he turned to look back, the boy was gone.
The sky was bright again and the electrically charged air had dispersed. What the Hades just happened? was all Percy could think of. He was almost sure that the other boy was a demigod, but there was something about him that felt different from the other demigods at camp. Percy instinctively knew that the boy doesn't belong in Camp Half-Blood.
And there was that instant battle lust in his blood the moment he saw the blond boy. Where had that come from?
Percy looked at where the place where the boy had disappeared. He had a gut feeling that their paths would cross again.
Someday.
End