I'm working on this and my other story simultaneously.

I was sitting on a park bench, nose in a good book, in full war armor. A shield, Aegis, and my celestial bronze spear were propped up against my leg. My helmet, complete with a regal bronze owl and blood red adornments, sat next to me. (A/N: Check my profile page...I have the URL to the painting "Rembrandt's Athena" posted there... its what his armor is supposed to look like. And yes, the helmet is the helmet in my profile pic) After weeks of gathering information, I had finally figured out what this looked like to mortals through the mist; a Kevlar vest, a broom, a dustpan, and a construction helmet with an owl painted on it. Which explained why the mortals tended to just shoot me funny looks; an eighteen year old dressed in Kevlar and holding a mop is not something you see every day.

I was on the second to last page of the gripping thriller I was holding, when a curious duo ran by me. A boy and a girl, about my age, in simple bronze armor and holding weapons. The boy had black hair, the girl was a blonde. They were unmistakable. It was Percy Jackson, hero of Olympus, and his best friend, Annabeth Chase. And they were running from a full phalanx of armored Laestrygonians.

I sighed. Being who I was, the son of such a powerful god, I never get much of a break from fighting, which is why I was wearing full armor for a simple visit to the park. In fact, the Laestrygonians were probably looking for me when they found those two heroes.

I put the helmet over my head, hefted my shield and spear, and yelled "hey ugly!"

"He over there!" one of the more intelligent Laestrygonians grunted, pointing in my direction, "son of power god! He over there!" The whole phalanx, all thirty of the ugly beasts, turned towards me, and broke out into a sprint.

I groaned. I was at least hoping for them to split up. I glanced around, searching for some sort of tactical advantage to make use of. Nothing was in sight. This was one of those meadow parks that were just one big, flat field that people played volleyball or had parties at.

Waiting until the angry beasts closed to about three meters, I leveled my Aegis at them. Unfortunately, the gorgon shield doesn't have as much of an effect on the bumbling Laestrygonians as it does on other beasts, but it gave them pause.

I let out a fierce war cry, and dove into the center of the phalanx, turning two monsters into golden dust with my spear as I did so. I rolled right under the second and third ranks, came up behind the confused creatures, and hacked about a half dozen more to dust. But, just like that, my advantage disappeared, and there were still about twenty of the things.

A nearby Laestrygonian swung a huge club at me. I raised my shield and braced myself. The swing almost knocked me off my feet, shield and all, but I just stumbled backwards and regained my balance. Diving under his returning arm, I ran the beast through the stomach with my spear, and he slowly crumbled to dust.

Nine down, twenty-one to go. And the others were surrounding me. Just great.

Suddenly, two others appeared by my side; Jackson and Chase.

"Glad you could join me," I muttered to the pair of them. Neither of them heard. They were both staring at me, probably wondering who the Hades I was.

The Laestrygonians slowly closed in, and I made a snap decision. I usually hated using my power- it made me very drowsy- but this was probably life or death. So I leveled my spear, and concentrated.

Slowly but surely, streaks of what looked like pure white light began to form, seemingly out of the air itself, and coalesce into a glowing, undefined ball at the end of my spear. As the ball of light grew to about a meter wide, I began to feel sleepy. Figuring I wouldn't be able to get it much bigger, I jabbed my spear in the direction of the main body of Laestrygonians.

The pulsating ball erupted into a river of white light, and flew in the direction the spear was pointing. It caught a Laestrygonian full in the chest. He dissolved instantly, and the white light began to jump and arc in streams from monster to monster, turning them to dust.

I concentrated hard on not letting it touch me or the two startled demigods behind me. That was a difficult task; after power is released, it hates to be constrained.

Finally, the last monster turned to dust, and the power began to dissipate. I staggered backwards, feeling the massive drain on my energy. Taking deep breaths, I patiently waited for my energy to return to me.

Finally, it did, and I rounded on the incredulous demigods. "Thanks for all the help," I said sarcastically.

"D…d…doesn't l…look like you…n…n…needed it," stammered the girl, Annabeth Chase.

"That was huge drain on my energy, you know," I told them, "it's very difficult to control that much power."

She was about to say something, but was cut off by a blood curdling shout. I looked into the distance. On a nearby ridge, the rest of the Laestrygonian tribe was forming up, probably a hundred strong.

I had to make a split-second decision. I had never taken anyone else to my fortress before, but it seemed like that was the only place for the three of us to go. I couldn't just leave them here, and we were in no state to fight a full tribe of Laestrygonians.

I made up my mind. "Follow me, and run!" I said, dashing off into a nearby forest. The frightened half-bloods followed without question.

Half an hour later, we arrived at my home; a massive Greek-style fortress in the middle of a Pennsylvania forest. The main building was a large rectangle, thirty feet high and adorned by columns, capped off with defensive ramparts. In each of the four corners of the building was a tower, each rising another ninety feet off the roof of the main fort. The whole thing was made of beautiful white marble.

I sprinted up to the main gate, opened a box, and entered my pin number. The portcullis withdrew, and I stepped inside. Percy and Annabeth were following me in the manner of zombies, staring around at the place, not really watching where they were going.

"Welcome, to my home," I told them, gesturing to the grand hall we had just entered.

I dragged the gaping demigods to the kitchen, where I thrust squares of ambrosia in their faces. "Eat," I commanded. "You'll feel better." They probably already knew that, but I wasn't sure how much they learned at that camp half blood, so it was best to play it on the safe side.

They both ate in nervous silence, glancing around at the expansive kitchen. I took off my helmet and laid it on the table next to my shield and spear. Then I just sat back, and silently observed the confused demigods.

Finally, Annabeth spoke up, "um, thanks for the…erm…," she gulped.

I shook my head, "don't mention it."

"Shouldn't we be concerned about the Laestrygonians. I think they followed us," she asked, nervously.

I shook my head again, "my automated defenses will take care of them."

"Automated defenses?" inquired Annabeth.

"Self-aware ballistae," I said, hoping they didn't ask too many more questions about this place.

"Sort of like automatons?" asked Percy, finally speaking up. So much for not being asked too many questions.

I sighed. "Sort of, I guess."

He was about to ask another question about my fortress, when Annabeth, sensing that I didn't want to discuss it, changed the subject.

"So…" she said, "I should probably introduce us. we are-"

"Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon. Annabeth Chase, daughter of Athena," I said, nodding to each in turn. "Quite the unlikely couple," I observed.

"What…we…no…not…" stammered Percy.

"Were not together," said Annabeth simply. Ha! As if. Before I could say something like that, she asked what my name was.

"Anicetus," I responded. I have a patently Greek name. I think it means "unconquerable".

"Weird name," murmured Percy. Annabeth slapped him.

"Perseus! Don't be rude," she growled at him.

"Don't call me Perseus," he responded angrily, rubbing the red welt on his cheek.

"I will call you Perseus if and when I feel like it, Seaweed Brain," she shouted.

"Ahem," I cleared my throat, reminding them that I was still sitting in front of them.

They both blushed. "Got a last name?" asked Percy, trying to avoid an awkward silence.

"No."

Annabeth raised an eyebrow, "you a god or something?"

I laughed. "No, just a demigod."

"You look about our age," she said, looking me up and down, "and I've never seen you at camp. How do you know about demigods and everything?"

Dang. I was hoping to avoid this subject, "uhh…" I said nervously, "my immortal parent drops in every once and awhile."

"Athena," she stated. I looked around, wondering why Athena would be here. But she wasn't.

"Um…what?" I said.

"Your god parent," she responded, "its Athena, isn't it."

She was wrong, of course. Even if I gave them eternity, they would never guess correctly. You see, my god parent is supposed to be dead. "What gave you that impression," I asked, curious as to why she jumped to Athena first.

"Grey eyes, for one," she began to list, "then there is the owl helm. And this amazing architecture," she said, gesturing to the building, "and you seem pretty smart," she concluded,

I shook my head.

"It's Apollo, isn't it," said Percy. Wow, he was waaaay off.

"What?" I asked, even more curious as to what led to the conclusion this time.

"Well, he's the god of the sun, ya know."

"Uhh… yea…" I said, not following his logic.

"And that awesome thing you did with light earlier," he said.

It took me a moment to realize what he was talking about. "Oh," I said, "that wasn't light, that was power."

"Excuse me?" said Annabeth.

"Power," I repeated. "It was a ball of pure power."

"Then you must be a son of Zeus," said Percy. oh, that was waaaaaaaaaayyyyyy off. Like, even farther than Apollo. Actually, my father disliked Zeus a whole lot. Understatement

I shook my head.

"Are you going to tell us, or are we going to have to play twenty questions?" asked a frustrated Annabeth.

"Neither, actually," I said with a sense of finality. I really wanted to avoid trouble. And if word of my father got out, there would be a whole heap of trouble.

After a minute of silence, "I'm assuming you want to go back to your little 'camp' now."

"Is it safe?" inquired Annabeth.

"I'm sure the Laestrygonians have crashed against my defenses by now," I observed, "and if there are any stragglers, you should be able to handle them."

Percy and Annabeth glanced at each other nervously, "actually," said Percy, "we want you to come with us."

Dang. I was afraid of this.

I folded my arms over my armor menacingly. "Why?"

Apparently I looked pretty scary, because they both cowered a little. Eventually Annabeth spluttered, "well…I…uhm…you wouldn't want us to…er…spread the word about this little hideout you have here, would you?"

I narrowed my eyes, "you wouldn't" I said, threateningly fiddling with my Aegis and spear on the table.

"Uh…yea we would," stuttered Percy, looking to Annabeth for support.

"Then I could always kill you," I bluffed. Percy was about to say something, but I answered the question he was about to ask before he asked it, "and I do know where your Achilles spot is, Jackson. The small of your back."

"How…what…I never…"

I leaned back in my seat, sensing victory. I had him thoroughly spooked. "I see the way you walk. It's slightly off, as if you are protecting something. Then, whenever I do this," I said, threateningly reaching for my spear again, "you move your hands back there."

Percy paled. Annabeth just studied me. "You're bluffing," she concluded in a calm even tone. "You wouldn't kill us." Crap. There goes my intimidation factor.

Freaking children of Athena! They're all so damn perceptive! I have no idea what my dad sees in that woman. Too smart for her own good, if you ask me. Then again, my dad and I are probably the same way…

"Fine," I huffed, "I'll come with you." It was probably a bad idea, but I didn't see any way out of this.

Annabeth stood, pulling a still shell-shocked Percy up with her. I grabbed my shield and spear, and fitted the owl-adorned helmet onto my head.

I knew how to get to camp half blood, though I had never been there, so I led us out the kitchen and back into the massive main hall. Hitting a few buttons on a panel, I opened up the main gate, and we stepped out. The massive door closed behind us.

Most of the long walk to New York was silent. I tried to keep my distance from the other two to avoid conversations. It's not that I'm a cold or distant person, it's just that I've learned that its best to try not to get to know too many demigods. Eventually, the topic of discussion would end up at my heritage. It was a topic I liked to avoid. Why? Because questions would be asked, truths revealed, and, judging by what my dad has told me about Athena, civil wars would be fought.

Unfortunately, Annabeth eventually tried to talk to me. Percy remained mute; I guess he was still a little freaked out that I managed to figure out his Achilles spot.

"So…" she began, "what do you do?"

"What do you mean," I asked her.

"What do you do? I mean, you must do something other than sit around or fight monsters, right?"

I knew where this was going; she was going to find out as much about me as she could, and try to guess my god parent. I was fairly certain she would never get it, though. My dad is supposedly dead.

"I have a sizeable personal library back there," I said. "All the classics, from Virgil to Steinbeck. Nonfiction, too. Books on law, engineering, military strategy-"

"You a strategist?" she asked curiously.

I nodded. "Strategist and tactician both," I frowned, "but living alone, I don't get to test my large-scale ideas very much…nobody to command, no army to lead." I glanced at Annabeth, "you're a strategist too?"

She nodded, "yup."

"It must be nice," I murmured.

"What must be nice?"

"To actually have other demigods to command," I said, longingly. "Have an actual army to wield."

Annabeth shook her head, "the responsibility tends to be a load."

I heard Percy mumble something indistinct.

"What was that, Percy?" I asked.

"Stop for lunch?" he said.

Annabeth said, "we didn't bring anything."

"No problem," I said, fiddling with the bronze owl atop my helmet. The metal creature separated from my helmet, and took off to the sky.

"Wow," said Annabeth, staring at the spot on my helmet where the owl had just been perched. She frowned, "come to think of it, I think I remember reading about a helmet like that." Crap, this was not good. If she figured out the history behind this armor…

But she just shook her head, "can't remember."

Percy's eyes widened, "Wise Girl can't remember something she read!? Hallelujah!"

"Shut up," she mumbled.

Percy was about to say something else, when the owl retuned, a dead rabbit in its bronze talons.

"Cool!" exclaimed Annabeth. "It hunts!"

I grinned, "I know, right?"

The bronze owl dropped the dead animal at my feet and returned motionless to its perch on my helm.

"Well, let's find some firewood"

Several long hours later, we staggered into camp half blood. It sure didn't look like an easily defendable spot; perhaps it had some magical defense against intruders. Whatever the case, I strode up the large hill in the camp and got a nice view of the place, standing next to a lone pine tree. There were a large number of cabins, one for each god, probably. There were a lot I could identify; Zeus, Hera, Athena, Poseidon, Ares, Aphrodite, Apollo, and so on. However, there were many smaller ones that I could not identify; probably cabins to the more obscure, minor gods.

"Were headed there," said Percy, pointing to what I would describe as a big farm house. "Its called the big house". Figures.

If you can guess who the main character's god-parent is, I will be extremely impressed...