Percy frowned. It wasn't his fault he was beat every day, but Percy thought that he should be able to defend himself against Smelly Gabe. He opened the front door quietly and tried to sneak past the living room without being seen. "Boy!" Smelly Gabe called. Percy stiffened. He hated that word. "Where are you going without my money?" Smelly Gabe smirked. The room smelled of beer and dirty socks. Percy wrinkled his nose. "Come here, boy!" Smelly Gabe scowled, obviously very drunk this afternoon. Percy shuffled up to him and dug $9 out of his pocket. "Almost, boy, but you're missing one dollar." Smelly Gabe punched him in the gut. Percy fell over clutching his gut and closed his eyes tight, fighting the pain. Then Gabe kicked Percy in the chest. There was an audible snap and Percy's body slid halfway across the room. Right up to his mother's feet. Sally's mouth was gaping hole. She had dropped the bag she had been carrying. Over the two years Smelly Gabe had physically abusing him, he had managed not to let his mother find out. For some odd reason water seemed to heal him. At times when Smelly Gabe was in a bad mood, he had needed to soak for two hours. Smelly Gabe hadn't ever hurt Sally and Percy didn't want her to get hurt because she was worried about him. But oddly Sally had come home early today and saw Smelly Gabe beating up Percy. "What did you do?" She shrieked. She smelled faintly of candy and was still wearing her red, white and blue Sweet on America uniform. She stumbled up to Smelly Gabe and slapped him in the face. Smelly Gabe stood up. He slapped her seven times before she fell over. Smelly Gabe walked over behind her, drew his foot back and kicked the back of neck as hard as he could. There was a snap and the life drained out of Sally's eyes. "Oops." Smelly Gabe cackled. Right before a red arrow sprout from his neck. Smelly Gabe fell over. Percy was still lying on the floor where Gabe had kicked him. Frozen in shock. Percy struggled to get up. "It is too late for her, child. Now sleep. You have many wounds." As Percy's mind slipped towards unconsciousness, he glimpsed the eyes of Smelly Gabe's assailant. Bright yellow. Like the sun.
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"What are we going to do with him?" Percy heard the ancient voice from before. "Maybe I could put him with the hunters of Artemis?" Replied what sounded like a little girl. Percy tried to open his eyelids. "He's waking up." said the little girl voice. Percy's mind sank into unconsciousness once again. When Percy awoke again, He was easily able to open his eyes and move. He stood up and evaluated his surrounding. Percy was standing on a cloud. He stumbled back and fell on his butt. He looked behind him and almost had a heart attack. There was the man with suns for eyes and a little girl with flames for eyes. Yup, just your average day thought Percy as he stumbled back away from the two. "Who are you?" said Percy. Then Percy remembered what had happened to Sally. Tears started to fall from his eyes. A feeling of peace and calmness washed over him, but it only lasted a second before it was overwhelmed by sadness. "I am Hestia and this is Aether." said the little girl. They stepped closer to him, but Percy didn't care. He was too grief stricken to care. The little girl wrapped an arm around him. "Promise you'll try not to blame yourself." said the little girl. Calmness washed over him once again making him trust the little girl. "I-I can-n try." he stuttered. Then Hestia held out the bag Sally had dropped before she slapped Smelly Gabe. "Look inside." said Hestia. Percy wiped his eyes and peered into the bag. His throat constricted and his stomach tied up into knots. Tried to resist the tears. He failed miserably. Inside the bag was a Happy 8th Birthday cake. Sally had come home early for his birthday. It was his fault Sally was dead. "It wasn't your fault, Percy" said the ancient voice man-Aether. It wasn't my fault he realized. It was Gabe's fault. But Gabe was now dead. How was Percy supposed to get revenge? "You can get your revenge later," said Hestia, "Right now we need to explain a few things." Percy blinked. Did she read his mind? Before he could say that out loud Hestia said. "Yes I'm trying to explain that right now. Have you ever heard of Greek and Roman mythology?" Percy shook his head no. "The Greeks and Romans were people who lived on earth a long time ago. They believed in many different gods and other beings. We are those beings." Hestia explained to Percy the different aspects and primordials and much more with Aether chiming from time to time. Aether didn't seem to like talking much. "Now for information that directly involves you." As if the rest didn't thought Percy. "You father is Poseidon. But that's not all. You are a grandson of Lupa" Percy was confused. Wasn't Lupa a maiden?. "Yes she was," Said Hestia replying to Percy's thoughts. "She was weakened by monsters and then kidnapped and raped by Ouranus." Percy gasped and covered his mouth. "She was rescued by Artemis and they became friends. But soon Sally was born. She grew up with the hunt and received partial immortality at the age of 13. After a few thousand years in the hunt she decided that she didn't want to die in combat. She left Artemis and made a home for herself in the mortal world. When she turned thirty, she fell in love with Poseidon. You were soon born." Completed Hestia. "So I'm the grandson of Lupa and Ouranus, and son of Sally Jackson and Poseidon?" Asked Percy. Hestia nodded. "You have different powers from each of them. Except Sally. You can do one really cool thing." said Aether, tapping Percy's head. Knowledge flowed into his head. Percy grinned and transformed into a wolf. Hestia gaped. "How did you know he could do that?" "I'm a primordial." responded Aether with a grin. Percy transformed back into a human. "Now Percy, me and Hestia have got some gifts for you." Aether started chanting in an odd language. Percy's body glowed yellow. After a few seconds, the glow faded and Percy felt the most pain he had ever felt in all of his 8 years. The pain was centered in two places on his back, under his shoulder blades. After 30 seconds of agony that seemed never ending it finally stopped. Percy's chest heaved. "Sorry the most I could do was half the pain and I've heard that it hurts less when it is least expected. Though the results looked great." Said Aether looking past him. Black wings stood out against the clouds. "Wow!" said Percy. He experimentally flapped them. Hestia grinned. "You can also retract them." chimed in Aether. They slid in with a shink! "My turn!" said Hestia. Percy glowed red this time. There was no pain. After a few seconds, when nothing happened, Percy asked "Did it work?" "Yep" replied Hestia. Suddenly, a fire popped out of nowhere. "Step in." said Hestia. Percy hesitated for a second then went in. The fire just tickled. "You also have a lot more powers that you have to discover." commented Aether. Percy's grin almost covered his entire face. Then the grin faded from his face. "Why isn't my dad here? Poseidon?" Hestia's smile faded too. "Right now Poseidon is battling Pontus and losing. He has been stopping Gabe from hitting Sally, but he couldn't do it for you because you were a demigod. As soon as Poseidon sensed Sally's death he sent me." Percy was happy to know Poseidon hadn't abandoned him while he was growing up. "Percy, your existence is a secret. Do not tell and one your godly parent. Zeus is very paranoid would kill you as soon as he knew your parents." continued Hestia. "Where am I supposed to go?" asked Percy. "I will try to get you to go with the Hunters of Artemis." said Hestia. Percy paled. He agreed that most males were bad, but the Hunters didn't discriminate respectful boys from the rest. "I will iris message Artemis." Soon Artemis flashed in. She immediately joined Hestia in a heated discussion. Artemis yelled a lot. Then Artemis walked up to Percy. "Hestia has persuaded me to read your mind, boy. I better not see anything I don't like." Percy flinched at the word boy. Artemis delved into his memories. She was horrified by what she saw. When she finally surfaced, her face was emotionless. "I'll take the bo-Perseus." Hestia smiled "Thank you Artemis!" Artemis held out a silver necklace with a moon pendant. "This is your tracker. It'll lead you to the hunt if you are lost." With that she put a hand on his shoulder and they flashed out.