Disclaimer: I do not own The Pjo series or it's characters.
Okay few things to avoid confusion...
1)Percy is a girl
2)Percy is also a daughter of Zeus, not Poseidon why? Because I just felt like it...she's always a daughter of Poseidon, why not mix it up a bit?
3)The OC in this, Oswald Hawke, that's his name, he belongs to River W. who was kind enough to let me use him(Really hope I was able to keep him in character)
Reviews are loved!:)
Chapter One:Prologue
Do you ever have one of those dreams where you're left dreading the moment you'll wake?
Well I, Persephone Jackson am pretty sure that right now, I am experiencing just that. Only I call it something different, being a demigoddess and all. I call it a nightmare.
It was raining. Hard. I wasn't sure exactly where I was, but a part of me was secretly grateful that for once I had not woken up in some dark, ominous cave or over some big empty looking pit that lead all the way down to Tartarus.
No, this place actually looked... normal. I don't just mean that in a weird sort of demigod way where there were fewer monsters or anything, but instead normal in the sense that it felt like an everyday town in an everyday city where everyday people were just experiencing a little bit of rain.
As I noted my unfamiliar surroundings , I came across a sign. It was lit up with bright neon colors. But due to my dyslexia, I was pretty hopeless at reading anything unless it was in Ancient Greek. It wasn't of course. Very few places outside of Camp-Half blood seemed to know any sort of Greek at all these days, much to my dismay.
I heard the distinct sound of wet feet scurrying against the pavement, drawing my attention back to see a tall, pretty looking woman with a child at her side. As I saw her grin down at the splashing boy, I instantly smiled. It reminded me so much of my own mother and how I would love to go splashing around in the rain back at our vacation home.
My clothes would easily get soaked, but she would always just greet me with a smile when I came through the door dripping wet pushing the stray bangs out from in front of my eyes. I had an awesome mom and I knew it, but then again, she was able to win over the heart of the one and only King of the Gods himself. So I must not be the only one to think so.
"Mommy look! I can see a rainbow!" the small boy cried, making the older woman laugh as she patted his head affectionately.
"That's very nice Oswald dear, but be careful. We don't want you getting too wet, alright honey?" The lady soothed as she held the young boy's hand, just as a car came whizzing past them. As if on cue, the wheels of the vehicle splashed against the puddle the boy had been standing in, splashing him with water and making Percy growl in annoyance.
"Hmph, what a jerk..." Percy muttered, glaring as the car drove away and the mother began to fuss over her child.
"Oh what a careless driver. Are you alright hun? Here, why don't we switch places so I'll be the one walking in the street for now hmm? At least until we get home, that is." She spoke with a gentle smile on her face the entire time, one so sincere and full of love it even made Percy forget her angry in favor of smiling while reminiscent of her own mother.
"But mom, I'll be fine as long as you're okay. I want to protect you from getting wet too!" the small boy said stubbornly. It made Percy laugh, thinking of how chivalrous he was at such a young age. Not many were like that. It was rather rare nowadays to see somebody like that. And the fact that it was so rare was a big part of the reason why people like Lady herself had lost faith in all men.
"Oh such a sweet young man you are, I'm sure one day you'll find someone just as kind-hearted and caring as yourself someday... You're so much like your father." she said. Percy could barely sense the hint of sadness that reached her eyes when she mentioned the word 'father'. It was almost as if she were hiding something...
"Come on, let's get home" she said, turning and watching him follow along as they turned, taking a shortcut through one of the many surrounding alleyways. It was then that Percy felt it. A terrible twisting sensation in her gut, similar to the type she usually got right before getting sucked into deadly combat with a monster. Suddenly, a high pitched scream sliced through the air, followed by a yell of pure anguish and terror.
"MOM!"
Percy ran. Swiftly turning the corner herself and taking in the scene. What she saw made her feel a sickening sense of dread.
There lying on the ground with blood beginning to pool around her, was the same smiling, happy mother she had just seen walking in the rain with her child. Percy didn't need to check her pulse to know that she was gone, her body was already deathly pale. Her hair was strewn across her face, dampened by the ever falling drops of water from the sky.
Percy was just about to turn away and try to forget what she had just saw, when she suddenly remembered the little boy who had been with the woman. If his mother was dead, then where-?
She froze.
Persephone Jackson froze with a look of silent horror on her face as her sea-green eyes widened, having just lifted from the woman's body looking up a few inches and seeing another body close by. This one was wearing more torn and raggedy clothing from the looks of things. In one open hand was a steel knife now stained with crimson. Percy immediately put together that this was the killer. It was the woman's... this man had just killed her.
At first the thought made Percy angry, angry that this... this mortal would dare do such a thing. Especially to someone who was just trying to get home. She had a freaking kid with her for gods sakes! And what was his incentive? Money!? Was he hoping there had been a couple of priceless jewels on her he could have stolen? A few hundred bucks stashed in her purse she managed to keep from grocery shopping?
Percy wanted to cry. Not so much as she was personally hurt by this, but because of how unfair and unjust it seemed.
Just when she felt a few tears start to slip and roll onto her cheeks, a small muffled sob broke out.
It was the child's, the one who had now just lost his mother. He was kneeling beside her, giant streaks of tears already gliding down his face. His little hands were balled into tight fists pressed against his eyes, not wanting to believe that his mother was truly gone. Not wanting to believe that he was now all alone.
He shot up in a cold sweat, his first instinct being to reach for the comforting feel of cool steel in his palm. His fingers wrapped against the concealed knife he kept hidden beneath his pillow whenever he slept and that motion was soon followed by the scanning of the surrounding environment, as if to make sure nothing there could harm him. There, of course, never was anything to begin with, but he still felt the need to do it regardless.
Finally after about several more tense minutes of pure silence filtering through the air, he took a breath, calming himself like he had been trained to. He brought his face to rest in his hands before running his fingers through his short, pitch black hair. "That dream again..." He muttered secretly, thankful no one was ever around to hear him.
beep!beep!
He turned, seeing that it was now 3 in the morning. He took notice of the light seeping in from the nearby window. It was still dark enough outside where he could do his work in peace.
In all honesty, he didn't like the job he had. But at the same time, he found it ironic just how well suited it was for someone like him. He stepped outside of his single bedroom apartment, locking the door behind him when he heard a familiar pair of light footsteps from up on the higher level.
He paused, not really being one for putting his nose where he didn't belong. Though when he heard the sound of glass being broken, something inside him seemed to snap, bolting for the steps and coming to a halt just outside of one of the old rickety doors. A split second was all it took for his foot to make contact with the dead wood, knocking it down. He stalked inside with his usual mask of eerie calmness. He wore it in this type of situations. His eyes darted over the room, quickly observing everything in his viewpoint.
Cowering in the corner of the kitchen was a wife and her teenage daughter. Heavy streaks of tears were running down their faces, while fresh new blemishes and bruises decorated their usually flawless skin. "Hey, what the hell are you doing here you little shit!?" a crude voice snarled from behind him, soon followed by the not so subtle clicking noise of a gun being loaded.
He frowned, slowly turning. He felt his blood lust levels start to rise as anger bubbled up inside him, threatening to take over. Just like it did that night with his mother... His pupils seemed to dilate ever so slightly, threatening to turn the familiar horrifying shade of crimson.
His deep black eyes met the bloodshot alcoholic ones he had grown accustomed to over the years of knowing the man. His perfect mask of calmness and indifference never once slipped from his face, even when he was staring eye-to-eye with two barrels filled with smoking lead.
"Mr. Cheng, put it down." he said, slowly pronouncing each syllable. All the while silently skidding his feet against the rug underneath him, carefully bringing himself closer to the unstable man before him.
The older gent however didn't budge. His knuckles gripped the double-barrel piece of machinery as his finger rested on the trigger, continuing to tremble violently. He shook as nervous beads of sweat continued to cover his brow in a thin sheen.
Oswald heaved a barely audible sigh. He really didn't have time for this today much less the patience. His lack of sleep was already starting to impair his judgement. This was proven when the man easily caught sight of his foot flinching as it silently crept closer.
"You stay where you are!" He hollered, shifting the gun a bit. He raised it to be more eye level with himself, pointing it directly Oswald. The boy cursed in an inaudible language that sounded vaguely similar to that of ancient Greek. He realized that this wasn't going to end without some kind of physical restraining on his part, something he had really planned to avoid, less he draw more unwanted attention to himself...
"Look, this is your last warning. Put the gun down now or I'll-"
Just as the words left his mouth, the door of the apartment swing open. This time, a swarm of police stepped inside. Oswald blinked, before using the sudden chaos as an opening. Quietly slipping out by melting into the shadows surrounding the dimly lit room, he reappeared outside. He took a moment to look up at the late night sky overhead.
"*sigh* What a great way to start out the day..."
He started to walk, but not before picking up on the faintest hints of an unknown presence behind him. He ducked behind one of the corner walls, peeking out into the distance of the open alleyway. Someone was watching him...
Who? He didn't know. Why? Again, he was clueless. Perhaps it was someone out for revenge... again.
He didn't confront them, figuring it was best to wait and see what they would do. If they should choose to approach him first, fine then. As long as innocent bystanders were not involved, he was fine with it. He preferred that no lives be needlessly taken. He was starting to get out of that terrible habit of his.
Every now and then he would shudder, thinking back on the person he once was and the things he had been capable and oh so willing to do. It was a recurring nightmare every night for him and he sought nothing but redemption from it. A way to try and atone for all the damage he had brought unto others for no real reason.
'How much longer... until the heaviness in my heart can be lifted?'