A/N: It's that time again to start another story! As I'm sure you saw, it's another AU! I enjoy writing them because it allows me to give a little more of a personal, creative touch. I think this is probably the darkest story that I've written yet, so be warned. More extensive details about the content will be below, and I urge you to read through to make sure you aren't sensitive to the material. Anyways, enjoy the story, and I always welcome reviews. It's the best way for me to contact my readers, whether they have praise or constructive criticism in store. Thanks!

Rating: M for strong violence and adult language, and some sexual content.

Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson, or any other characters that appear in the books. Each and every one of them belongs to Rick Riordan.

One: Cattus et Mus

"Before you embark on the journey of revenge, dig two graves."

The stench of stale cigarette smoke wafted poignantly through the hall, as the jingling of a single key broke the silence. It was used to unlock a door, before quickly being pocketed. He pushed the door open, and promptly stepped inside as he latched it behind him. Instantly, his nose wrinkled at the smell of the apartment. The old cigarette smell was even stronger, intermingled with other foul scents.

He did his best to ignore the odor, as he pawed his hand against the wall, searching for the light switch. Finally, he touched it, and blindly flipped it on. A light bulb suspended from a frayed wire flickered to life in the small hallway of the apartment, as he walked towards the kitchen. He dug into his pockets, and rummaged out two separate wallets, both identical in appearance. The first one held a few small bills, an expired coupon, a slew of receipts, and a New York driver's license with the name Perseus Jackson printed on the front, along with his mug of a picture on the identification.

Cringing at his picture, he closed the wallet and tossed it onto the kitchen counter. He opened up the second wallet. It held a handful of newer twenty dollar bills, a single credit card, and another New York state license. It had the same picture as the last license, only the name was completely different. It belonged to one Jack Espy.

He returned that particular wallet to his pocket, and was slightly startled when his cell phone in the breast pocket of his coat vibrated. He dug around for it, examining the caller I.D. before answering the caller,

"Percy! Or should I say Jack Espy?"

Percy gritted his teeth as he tightened his grip on his phone, "What is it, Grover?"

"Hey, man, ease up there, a little," Grover replied, "It is Thanksgiving, after all."

Percy pinched the bridge of his nose with his free hand.

"That's exactly why I'm mad at you, man. I was going to spend it with my mom, but then you decided to fuck that up by sending me on a last minute job for you."

Grover was quick to answer, "And because it's a last minute job, I'm going to set you up with a little more dough for this one. Alright? Don't get your fucking lace panties in a bunch."

Percy leaned away from the kitchen counter, walking towards the living room as Grover rambled on about him needing to loosen up,

"Hey, we should go for massages soon," Grover suggested, "You seem kinda tense."

Percy scooped up the folder sitting on the coffee table, shaking its contents out. A wad of cash tumbled out, along with a stapled stack of papers and pictures,

"I don't have time for that shit, Grover."

"Then quit that dead-end job of yours, man!" He practically whined, "Come work for me full time."

Percy rifled through the pictures wordlessly.

"You still there?"

"Yeah," Percy mumbled, "And I'm never going to work for you full time, so forget it."

His friend sighed on the other line somewhat dramatically.

"Fine, fine," He sighed again, "But enough fooling around, did you see the folder?"

Percy hummed in response, staring down at a floor plan of a rather large house,

"I'm looking through it now. This place looks locked down."

Grover chuckled, "Yeah, man. It is. I'm tellin' you, these rich suburb fuckers know where to put their money."

He flipped through the papers again with a sigh,

"Well where the hell is my opening, then?"

"Relax, man," Grover said, "We've got that all figured out. Look, the guy's living in a suburb, right? Well, his house is in a newly constructed lot."

"So?"

"So," Grover continued, "Most of the houses nearby are vacant. So, no witnesses. So...This job is going to be a damn cakewalk for you."

Percy looked at the picture of a man that was shuffled in with the papers. His target. He turned it over and found a handwritten note, hastily scrawled down and smudged here and there.

This man had my husband killed. All because he lost at a game of fucking poker to him. And every night since I've had to put my kids away with some kind of explanation why their father hasn't come home. Please, the only way I can move on from losing him is if this son of a bitch dies. I'll give you all the money I have if it means him getting wiped off the face of the planet.

"Can you get this job done, Percy?"

Percy, after a moment, nodded once, "Yeah. Like you said...It'll be a cakewalk."

Percy sat in his idled car, waiting in silence in traffic. He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel, growing more and more impatient. He fiddled with his radio, searching for a station that wasn't playing ads. Finally, he got one.

"New York City's number one Christmas music station-WLTW!"

Almost instantly, he shut the radio off with a growl.

"It's Thanksgiving, and they're already playing fucking Christmas music."

Percy reclined in his seat, still waiting in traffic. He was startled once more from his phone ringing, and answered it without bothering to look at the caller I.D.

"Hello?"

"Percy?" His mother's voice replied.

Instantly, his foul mood reverted slightly as he cracked a grin, "Hey, mom."

"I have to say," She beamed, "This may be the best Thanksgiving dinner I've made yet. When do you think you're going to get home? Everything's all cooked and ready when you are."

He bit his lip, his grin vanishing,

"About that..."

"You've got a late shift tonight, don't you?" His mother sighed, "I don't see why someone else could just take it, just for tonight."

For a short stretch of time, he was quiet, calculating in his head,

"How about this," He offered, "I'll get off of work early tomorrow, then you and me can have Thanksgiving, just the two of us."

"...Alright," His mom finally answered, "I wish you would quit that job of yours already. Driving trucks late at night..."

"These shipments can't deliver themselves, you know."

"What about Grover's company, er-business, or...Whatever he's always trying to talk you into?" She questioned, "He's your best friend, you know he'd take care of you if you worked with him."

Percy almost laughed at the irony. If she knew what kind of "business" Grover was involved in, if she knew that her own son was really involved in it, he knew for a fact that she would say otherwise. The only thing she saw when she saw Grover and him together was a pair of best friends who had grown up together since middle school. And despite being an unlikely duo, Grover being the seemingly snotty rich kid and Percy being the 6th grade punching bag, it had been the perfect formula to form a friendship. Still, a lot had changed since then.

It was no longer vouching for the other if they didn't turn up after lights-out at Yancy Academy. It was no longer giving one another a boost over the fences, running through muddy, soggy alleyways filled with trash, escaping a storekeeper chasing them for two missing cans of soda. No...What they were doing now was far more dangerous. And if they were caught now, their lives would be ruined. They would be devastated completely and wholly. He pursed his lips together,

"Maybe," He responded, "But I'll check the newspaper for any new jobs first. Grover's helped me out a lot over the years. I want to be well-off myself if the time ever comes that he needs my help."

The traffic in front of his car began to lurch forward,

"Hey, I've got to go. Traffic's finally moving."

"Alright, then," His mom sighed, "Drive safely."

"Will do. Love you, mom."

"I love you, too."

He took the phone away from his ear and hung up. Quickly, he switched gears, and started to make his way out of the city. If he really was working his job at the delivery company that evening, he would be in the city the entire night, dropping off packages of chips to convenience stores. The few times he had had late shifts had been hell, between staying awake at the wheel or just getting deliveries on time. But, tonight, he almost wished that he was doing that job, instead of the one that he was driving towards.

Percy followed the directions Grover had scribbled down for him and had left in the folder. For a while, he was on the highway, but after an hour so of driving, found himself in a sea of suburban houses. On the way, he had taken a few wrong turns, as he found it near-impossible to read Grover's handwriting at times.

"Damn it, Grover," He sighed to himself, "No wonder why you flunked out."

He looked up from the paper, and up at a street sign that matched one of the roads among Grover's awful directions. Percy turned down the road, which was devoid of any other cars. He was sure that everyone else was busy celebrating Thanksgiving at relatives' houses, which he knew was exactly where he should have been. As he got closer to the outskirts of the suburbs, he found that the houses were growing more and more empty-seeming, with lights out and no cars at all. He stopped his car in front of a two-story house with its' front lights on. And just as Grover had assured him, it was only one of two houses occupied on the street. The rest had a 'for sale' sign posted on the lawn.

Percy drew in a breath, and clamped his eyes shut. He turned the car off, glancing over at the passenger seat. Two small briefcases sat in it, and he opened up one. Inside was two pairs of gloves, a ski cap, as well as other various tools. But considering this place had enough security systems to put the White House to shame, as well as the lack of neighbors, all he could do was walk up to the front door.

He pulled on both pairs of gloves, then the ski mask. Finally, he reached over to the second case, which had a hard black shell, and opened it. Inside was a 9mm Beretta, and attached to the muzzle was a sleek silencer. Percy rearranged the mask on his head, as the polyester material was already sticking to his face, before picking up the pistol and loading it with the single clip he had brought with him. He clenched his fists, in an attempt to fend off the trembling, and stepped out of the car.

Percy pulled the hammer back on the pistol, as he put it to the side, out of sight. He jogged up to the house, and up to the front door before knocking. Percy tightened his grip on the gun, and rang the doorbell. When no one answered, he let out an anxious sigh. Was the house empty?

He continued to ring the doorbell, over and over. Perhaps with some persistence, he could get someone to answer the door. Percy's chest contracted when he saw a light on the inside of the house turn on. There was the click of a lock, and then the door swung open. A portly, balding man wearing a blue robe was standing in the doorway,

"Who the hell do you think you're-"

Percy raised the gun so that it was level to the man's massive gut. His eyes widened,

"Woah, woah," He said, "Look, I don't want any trouble."

"Good," Percy hissed in an attempt to sound threatening, "Neither do I. Now get inside the house. Now!"

The man quickly backed inside, Percy following him with his gun. He kicked the door shut behind him, his gun trained. Percy motioned towards the sofa nearby with a nod of his head,

"Sit down."

He obeyed, and Percy sat down across from him on the other sofa, his pistol still aimed. A coffee table separated the two of them as they sat for a moment, not a single word passing between them.

"Now," Percy said after a moment, "Is there anyone else here besides you that I need to worry about?"

The man quickly shook his head.

"Good. Are you planning on anyone else being here anytime soon that I need to worry about?"

There was another quick shake of the head.

"Now...What's your name?"

"Gabe."

Percy rearranged his fingers on the grip,

"Alright, Gabe. Do you know why I'm here?"

The corner of Gabe's mouth twitched, "What is this, twenty questions or something?"

Percy aimed at a spot on the drywall a few inches to the left of Gabe's head and pulled the trigger. It was a more quiet shot with the silencer attached, but still jarred Percy as he closed his eyes sharply. Gabe yelped, jumping in his spot on the sofa.

"Do you know why I'm here?"

"Yes," Gabe answered, "I'm guessing that bitch hired you to kill me for offing her husband. He was always a cheat when it came to poker. I suppose I lost my temper."

Percy reclined, "How the hell did you get away with killing him, then?"

Gabe shrugged, "Eh, used to be a cop. A few of my buddies still working on the force took care of it for me."

Percy let out an airy chuckle in disbelief.

"You know," He said, "This job can be really shitty sometimes. You kill some sick bastard, turns out he's got a wife, maybe some kids. And sometimes the kids, sometimes even the wives, they're clueless, they don't have any idea what the guy was doing when he wasn't around them in order to get murdered. Then they've gotta live the rest of their lives wondering why their husband or dad was killed."

Percy swallowed the knot in his throat,

"And sometimes...You feel guilty for having to do it. Not for killing the guys, but for just how clueless their families really were. But guys like you...The guys who don't have anyone in their pathetic lives, it feels damn good to wipe scum like you off the earth."

Gabe burst into laughter, "So, you think you're doing good for the world? Blasting guys like me in the head for a living? What about you, huh? You don't think those kids aren't going to grow up, wanting to blast you in the head for killing their daddies? You just wait, kid, someday you'll have a gun pressed to your head."

Percy raised his gun, "Well, as long as I can take guys like you down with me, I could care less."

"Heh," Gabe chuckled, "Keep thinking that way. Someday, kid...Someday, you will care. Or, you'll have people in your lives that you care for. And then, not only will you be killed off, but so will they. And it will be your fault, it will be their blood on your hands."

Percy only paused a moment longer, then squinted his eyes, aiming the sights between Gabe's eyes, "Keep still, will you?"

Gabe cracked a smirk, raising his hands in surrender. He pulled the trigger. Then Gabe's brains were splattered on the wall.

Percy unlocked the door to the apartment, stumbling inside. He closed the door shut behind him, stumbling into the living room as he tumbled onto the couch. Exhausted, he could hardly notice the awful stench of the apartment. His murder kits tumbled to the floor as he dropped them beside the sofa. He felt himself dozing off, despite his intentions on returning home, when his cell phone vibrated in his breast pocket. Percy dug it out, eyes heavy from exhaustion,

"Yeah?"

"There you are!" Grover's voice nagged, "I called you a million times! I was beginning to worry, you know."

Percy sat forward, scratching the back of his head.

"Sorry," He muttered, "I didn't want to be on my phone while I was driving."

"No worries," Grover replied, "So...Did you get the job done?"

"Of course I did."

"Good. You see, what did I tell you?"

Percy lifted his legs up onto the splintered coffee table as Grover continued to ramble on.

"I'll let you go, man," Grover eventually said, "Get home and get some rest. I'll come by for a visit tomorrow alright?"

"A visit-?"

"See ya then!" Grover cut in, hanging up before he could protest.

Percy sighed, shoving his phone back into his pocket.

"Bastard," He muttered under his breath, rising from the sofa with a stretch. He wandered towards the door, stepping out into the hallway as he locked up his apartment. Percy took the stairs down to the ground floor, and stepped out into the biting November cold. Within minutes, he spotted a taxi, hailed it, and gave him the address to his mother's house.

"That's ten minutes out of the city, buddy," The taxi driver grumbled, "It's gonna cost you some dough."

Percy brandished one of the hundred dollar bills from his assignment money that he had grabbed, showing it to the driver.

"Is that enough of an incentive for you?"

The driver took it, nodding slowly, "Yeah...No problem."

Percy leaned against the closed door of the taxi, leaning his head down as he began to doze on and off until he got home. The taxi driver barked at him when they finally arrived. Percy thanked him, stumbled out of the car, and walked down the pathway leading to the house. He pulled out a separate key for the house, unlocking the door. Percy stepped inside, the screen door shutting behind him.

He hung his coat and kicked his shoes before heading straight to his room on the second floor. Percy, as he walked down the short hallway, peeked around the ajar door to his mom's room. She was slumped over, dozing. Her glasses sat on her face, and an open book was in her lap. He stepped inside, removing her glasses as he put the book onto her nightstand.

She yawned, stirring slightly, "Percy?"

"Hey," He whispered, adjusting her pillow, "Get some sleep, alright?"

"You too," She muttered.

His mother tucked a strand of her hair over, before pulling the covers over her. Percy shut off the lamp beside her bed,

"Goodnight, mom."

"Night."

Percy stepped out of the room, closing the door behind him. He crossed the hall into his room. Sighing slightly at the extreme dishevelment of it, he walked over to his bed, flopping down on it before falling into a dreamless sleep.

Damn it, he thought to himself before turning onto his side, I forgot sleeping pills...

A/N: How was that for a first chapter? Good, I hope. Just as a side note, I started writing this a little before Thanksgiving, which explains the Christmas music scene. The chapters will get longer at times, so there will be much more to read in the coming weeks. Normally my first chapter is a tad bit shorter, just to lay the groundwork down and to set the scene. As usual, I'll update every Saturday, or on really special occasions if I have enough chapters written. Like I said, I appreciate all the input one can write, and favorites or follows I appreciate immensely, too. Please, don't be shy to me know if you're enjoying the story!

Thanks,
Leaded-Pegasus