Disclaimer: I do not own the Percy Jackson and the Olympian series, or the Heroes of Olympus series. All rights and ownership belong to Rick Riordan.
This story is set a number of years after the Blood of Olympus. Material from multiple books in the PJO and HoO series will be included. Some content may be inspired from other series besides PJO, but will not have, or acknowledge, any characters from other books. Constructive criticism, suggestions, and additional information are welcome.
Ever since I was a little girl, I'd wanted to be a hero. Whether it be a spy, a knight, or a superhuman, I wanted a part of the action. I just felt this need to help people, to do whatever I could to make New York as safe as possible.
I would hear the stories about damsels in distress, locked in their pitiful towers, being saved by courageous knights. And even as a young, impressionable little girl, I would think, I want to be the one that saves everyone. I want to be best knight the world has ever known, and no one was going to get in my way.
I haven't really figured out why, but I think my overwhelming need to do good started when I was five and saw my mom crying in her bedroom, murmuring about how she had to keep me protected. My mom almost never cries.
Ever since then, I'd always wanted to be the one to protect her. To protect everyone. Even from a young age, I'd always felt as if one day, I would be needed by someone who truly required my help. And when that day comes, I want to be ready.
When I was only around six years old, I came to my mother to ask for help. "I need armor if I want to be a knight," I had said,"Maybe a sword. I want to be a hero mom, like in the stories. I need your help."
My mom looked at me funny for a little while, until a weary smile grew on her lips. "Oh Brynn," She said, "You don't need armor, or weapons, to be a hero. All you will ever need is in here." Mom tapped my forehead. "And here." She then placed a hand over my heart. I put my hand over my heart once she took hers away, wondering how passion and fire could end up overthrowing fists and swords.
"I can help you if you want to be a hero, but there will be many obstacles in your way. I suggest that you keep helping others a secret, so that no one will try to stop you from doing what's right. I should've told you this before, but becoming a hero is not easy. Becoming a hero is actually incredibly hard, and many people will not rise to the challenge. But I believe in you, Brynn Hunter, I really do." I nodded at her, my eyes wide and admiring.
"If you want to be a hero, you must train extremely hard every single day, and never give up, no matter what happens. You must always give your very best, and expect others to give their best in return. Not every battle will be as easy as the last. And if you fall, you must get back up, Brynn. You have to get back up. Okay?"
I could see tears glisten in my mother's eyes and quickly nodded, not used to her getting so emotional. "That is most important out of all of this, it is the core of being a hero. To be a hero means you are responsible for others lives. You must do whatever it takes to keep those lives safe, even if it means giving your own. Are you ready to give up anything you've ever known to become a hero, Brynn?"
At the time, I was too young to truly understand what Mom was asking of me. I couldn't comprehend how unusual of a thing that was for a single mother to say to her six year old child. Despite my initial confusion, I said yes.
In some grotesque, corrupt way, I got what I'd wanted. But there's a reason people say, be careful what you wish for.
O.o.O
I am an idiot, I thought, as I walked down the streets of New York. Thunder rumbled loudly, as if to agree. The sky was incredibly overcast, with a slight, neverending drizzle, but I was accustom to it by now. The Big Apple isn't exactly known for being a sunny, happy place. The yelling people, overly loud car horns, and barking dogs were just a part of everyday life for me, the complete, absolute, without-a-doubt, idiotic mess of a fifteen year old girl, named Brynn.
I pulled my black hoodie tighter around myself as the rain picked up even more. My gray sweatpants were starting to get wet, and clung to my toned legs.
The whole point of wearing them was to hide my feminine curves, so I would look overwhelmingly normal. Their annoying stickiness was not exactly helping.
Usually, people don't give you a second glance when you are walking on the streets of New York, but Zac insisted that I put that much more effort into being invisible. I didn't really understand why, but I did know one thing for sure. A guy with muscled, but definitely feminine legs would cause some strange looks.
I walked casually, breathing in the damp air around me. Running had always helped clear my mind, but that would draw attention, so I had to settle for walking. Shaking my head, I tried to remember as much information as possible.
I had completely forgotten almost a whole month of school work, and hadn't bothered to study, even though exams were tomorrow. Tomorrow was the second to last day of school at Yancy, and exams were pretty much a pass-or-die type thing. My dyslexia made it hard to read and pay attention in class, and my ADHD made sure that whatever I did remember, went right out the window.
However, my learning disorders didn't just give me an excuse to fail. No matter what, my mother expects me to put forth my best effort, and I expect myself to do that and then some. If I don't pass exams, my mother will make sure I don't pass my sixteenth birthday.
Shaking my head, again, I tried to recall anything somewhat important from last quarter. I walked down the street, noticing subconsciously how there was a slightly less than average amount of people on the sidewalk.
I knew what that meant very well. People were avoiding something farther down the sidewalk. Once I passed an alley to my right, I knew what they were trying to elude. Four masked men stood above a businessman in expensive looking clothes. One held a gun.
The poor guy looked to be a lawyer, and sported a slowly forming fresh black eye. I felt bad for him, since the fear in his eyes probably indicated that he had a family at home who needed him (he also had a smiley face sticker on his hand, which probably didn't get there by itself).
The four masked boys seemed to be pretty well off, based on their clothing, just under college age. At least these guys had the dignity to try and hide their identities, but the fact that they already had plenty of money made me sick.
One of the masked men demanded the lawyer to hand over all his valuables, while another kicked the victim in the stomach. The lawyer whimpered at the kick, and curled up even tighter, as they pushed the gun closer to his head.
It was a cheap, poorly made gun, but could still fatally injure someone. I couldn't just stand there and wonder how those guys had gotten their hands on a gun. I wouldn't just stand there. It was time to teach those boys a lesson.
I probably should've approached them discreetly, so that the element of surprise was on my side. If I had gone up more quietly, in the shadows, maybe it would've been over even quicker. I was planning on coming in at a normal walking pace, and act surprised at seeing the mugging, to distract them. However, that all changed when one of the boys bent down, and ripped the smiley face sticker right off the lawyer's hand.
Something inside me snapped, and my blood started to boil, as I watched the teen blatantly disrespect the victim's child. I put aside all rational thoughts, and stepped into the alley.
Pulling my hood even farther over my face, I walked into the light, rain pouring dramatically from the sky. Getting ready to speak in a voice much lower and manlier than my own, I looked straight into their eyes, daring them to continue. I glared at the wanna-be criminals, and said, "I don't think so."
The guy with the gun laughed gruffly, obviously amused by my sudden appearance. He gave me an evil smirk that was barely visible under his black mask, and barked out, "Get outta here, boy. This is none of your business." I shook my head, and replied, "Put down the gun, and no one gets hurt." I took another step closer, clenching my fists. "Okay kid, I'm done playin', alright? Get the fuck out." I shook my head, again, stepping even closer.
"I said, get the hell outta here." He said, no longer looking amused at my interference.
Oh well, I'd tried to warn them. Their mistake.
One boy with an ear piercing stepped forward to throw a clumsy jab at me, and a familiar feeling flowed throughout my body. Time seemed to slow down, as a sensation I knew all too well coursed through me. His arm moved slowly, as if through water, and I could've easily just walked away before his fist made any contact.
After a few seconds of watching the guy's swing in amusement, I caught his arm, and judo flipped him. His back hit the concrete hard, and the boy instantly started spitting out curses that I'm sure would get me grounded for the rest of my life if they ever came out of my mouth.
The others looked at me in shock, but I didn't pay them too much attention. What had just happened was probably about four or five seconds long for them, but seemed like at least forty to me. I refused to give them any more time to register what I had just done, and walked towards them. Stepping forward, I drove a punch straight into another boy's nose.
A crack rang out, and I knew his nose was busted. He yelled even worse curses than the first boy, glaring up at me. He looked at me incredulously, not expecting me to have broken his nose so easily. No one really expects me to be so powerful. Oh how I love being underestimated. It just makes it all the better when I prove everyone wrong.
I put my heel on the guy's neck, pushing down on his pressure point. He almost immediately went slack, passed out on the wet cement. I turned to the first bully, the one I had judo flipped oh-so-easily.
Pure rage darkened his features as he stood, and started to run at me. I didn't panic, though. I just let myself get carried away, focusing on the torrents of rain coming down from the blank gray sky. I was used to doing this, and had finally tuned all my senses to be aware at all times. My perception of time, now only slowed if I was in immediate danger, or if I was about to make a blow to the opponent. As the second guy came forward, I relaxed and let my instincts take over, knowing that I wouldn't end up with a scratch.
The enraged teenager flew at me, with the intention of tackling me to the cement. I just dodged his reaching arms, and pushed him to the ground. The guy fell on his chest, getting the wind knocked out of him, and stayed on the pavement, desperately inhaling.
The third boy growled at me, going to punch me in the back of my head while I was distracted. Warning signals flashed through my brain, and I instantly ducked.
Getting down on all fours, I swept a leg around the guy's ankles. His feet were kicked out from under him, and he landed hard on his back. I brought a knee down on his temple, and the boy was out like a light. The second one finally caught his breath, and scrambled up, a line of blood dribbling from his nose. I was getting bored of playing around, and did a roundhouse kick to his skull.
The guy was done for, and got knocked out the second my foot connected to his head. He crumbled to the ground in a heap, and I whipped around to find the last one watching me. His hand was visibly shaking as he pointed the cheap gun at me. The boy obviously wasn't planning on using the small thing, but he looked terrified enough to consider it.
"Leave now, boy, or you'll regret it." He said, but there was no real bite behind his words.
I didn't want to risk getting shot, but the poor businessman was still on the floor, clutching his stomach in pain. In a split second decision, I kicked the boy with the gun right in the hand.
His finger wasn't on the trigger, thank the gods, and the gun slipped out of his grip.
I quickly kicked it out of reach, as the boy clawed at his wrist in pain. I lashed out again, kicking the boy in the gut. He doubled over, wheezing, and clutched his stomach. Not even bothering to knock the boy out, I hit him between the shoulder blades with my elbow. The guy fell face first on the street, which was slick from the pouring rain. He curled up into a ball, and spat even more curses at me, as I walked past to the poor man on the concrete.
My concept of time quickly adjusted to its normal perception, and I realized that what had seemed like a ten minute fight to me, probably happened in under three to anyone else.
I shook my head, as if to shake off what had just went down, and put on my most reassuring smile. I wasn't done until the victim felt safe, and I'm sure after watching me fight those boys, he felt less than secure.
Bending down so that I was eye level with the lawyer-looking man, I stuck out a hand to help him up. Even though I was trying to be gentle and kind, he just stared at my hand wearily.
My unflattering black Adidas hoodie, and gray sweatpants still obscured my feminine areas, for the most part. He obviously thought that I was just another spoiled male brat, who didn't want to share his new punching bag. I felt bad for the man, who obviously expected me to continue his tormenting.
Taking off my hood, I let my face and long, wet ponytail fall into sight. He scrambled upright, sitting with his back to the brick building neck to us. "You-you're a girl?" He rasped in surprise, looking at me with wide eyes.
I nodded and smiled gently, offering my hand again. This time, the lawyer took it, and I helped him up. The rain seemed to fall even harder in that moment, and I smiled as all the bad feelings in the alley were washed away.
The man's soaked coat seemed to weigh him down, almost, and I supported the majority of his weight as he stood. "Do you have any injuries besides your black eye?" I asked, eyeing him cautiously. "No." The lawyer replied simply, as I leaned him against the brick wall of the building next to us.
The only conscious boy left, the one who had previously held the stupid gun, looked at me in fear. "You're a fucking girl?" He choked out, groaning on the pavement.
I payed him no attention, and picked up the sopping wet smiley face sticker that had attached itself to the street. I handed it to the man, and asked, "Did they steal anything?" He nodded, looking at the flimsy yellow sticker, and told me the different items they took.
I then proceeded to take his iPhone, wallet, and house keys from the unconscious teenagers pockets, and hand them over to their rightful owner. I used his iPhone to call the police (thank the gods it worked, despite being fallen on, rained on, and viciously tossed around), and then made sure that he had gotten all the objects stolen. With the police on the way, I finally relaxed a little bit. Mission accomplished.
"What-what're you going to do about that gun? And h-how did you do that? How did you knock out all those boys?" The lawyer asked, pocketing the items that had been stolen from him, and putting the soaked sticker back on his hand. He looked at me, equally amazed and frightened.
"We already called the police, they'll take car of the gun and the jerks that decided to bother you in the first place. And, as for me knocking out all of these guys...well, let's just say I don't like seeing innocent people getting hurt." I replied, looking at his swollen, blackening eye.
He looked at me quizzically, probably wondering if that was the full story. However, he seemed to let it slide, since I'd kinda just saved his ass.
"Thank you. Thank you so much! W-what can I do to repay you? You just saved my life, and I know I can never fully rid of the debt I owe you, but, still, you-"
"Sir, it's fine. You don't need to give me anything. I just want you to be more aware, and try not to get in such dangerous situations." I replied, smiling at his proposition.
"You-you don't want anything in return? I'm a well-off attorney, and I have a lot to offer. Without you, my daughter might have ended up without a father, and I want to make it up to you, somehow." His smile was genuine, but I just shook my head at the man, smiling even wider at my correct assumption of his career. No matter how rich the guy was, true heroes didn't require payment to do good deeds, and I didn't plan on changing that anytime soon.
"No really, if there's anything I can do for you..." He tried again.
"It's okay, really. All I ask of you, sir, is to help others. You may not want to run and get in front of a man with a gun like I did, but try to help out here and there. It's the small things that really count. If you see someone in need, help them out. Don't be like those people on the street, who didn't even give you a second glance. That is all I ask of you." I replied, smiling softly at him.
"I-okay. You just saved my life, so it's only right to pay it forward. Th-thank you again, thanks so much. I..I'll try to do as you say. I've never really done anything to help others on the street, I'm ashamed to say, and I'll probably never be able to do anything as brave as you did. Still, I'll try to help when I can. Thank you again, so much."
I just nodded at him, and left the alley, going in the direction of Yancy. I needed to get back to my dorm, as soon as possible. I was not tired at all, but I needed to give my brain a break, and get dry clothes.
As soon as I got out of the alley, I started to run, leaving the attorney behind. The guy had already told me that he wasn't injured, could speak despite the shock, and was an attorney for gods' sake. He could handle a few police officers by himself. I was not about to wait around and be questioned by some cops who would try to stop me from helping people, and from "taking their job" (which they should be doing, anyway). "Wait! You never told me who you are!" The attorney shouted, behind me, over the pouring rain.
I just ran harder and harder, weaving through the few people on the streets. My legs moved in a rhythm, and my strides got longer with every step.
I probably should've worried about slipping on the wet concrete, but I knew I wouldn't. Soon, I forgot about the criminals, about the lawyer, about everything really, and just ran. Because sometimes, running towards something can make you feel just as alive as running away from something.