Okay... My first foray into Percy Jackson Fanfiction. This fic was just begging to be written and I couldn't help myself. Anyway enjoy.
Prologue.
The 6 demigods stood in front of the Olympian Council. There were supposed to be seven of them. The war had claimed one. The loss had hit all of them hard, but one was taking it worse than all of them put together.
Percy Jackson.
He was staring right ahead, his face expressionless.
Zeus was giving his usual speech about the greatness of Olympus and heroism of the Olympians. However not all of them were paying attention to him. Poseidon for one was studying his son a very worried look on his face. He wasn't the only one. A few thrones down from him Athena, the Goddess of Wisdom had a similar look on her face as she gazed at the Son of Poseidon.
"Now its time to reward our heroes, who fought for Olympus and the World in their hour of need." Zeus continued as he gazed with a paternal pride at the assembled demigods.
"Lord Zeus." Percy's voice rang out echoing the Halls of Olympus. It was said in a deferential tone, but something about it felt like a challenge. A challenge issued to the gods. All the others stared at him gaping with their mouths open at his nerve, so did most of the Olympians.
"Yes Perseus." Zeus voice rumbled dangerously.
"I suppose this is the part where you reward us for our efforts?" Percy's voice held just a tinge of mocking edge.
"I was getting there, yes." Zeus was more puzzled than irritated at being interrupted. His curiosity at what the young man had to say keeping his fury at bay... Barely.
"There is only one gift I would like." Percy said all the while keeping his gaze steady on Zeus, all pretense of submission now gone.
"What would that be?" Zeus raised an eyebrow. He had a feeling of deja vu.
"Before that I would need a solemn oath from all of you... my Lord."He added as an afterthought.
Zeus's eyes flashed dangerously, before Hera put a hand on her husband's arm calming him.
"Fine." Zeus conceded. "If your request is within our power to grant, it will be granted. This I swear on The Styx."
Percy smiled for the first time that day. His next words would echo in the halls of Olympus for years to come.
"I would like to break off all ties with Olympus."
An explosive silence enveloped all those present.
"You dare..." Zeus began his voice trembling with rage..
"I hold you to your oath. For the rest of my life I would be left alone by the Olympians. No more quests and no more oaths. That is the gift I want." Percy's voice hardened as he spoke these words.
Zeus stared at him meeting his challenging eyes, before his eyes softened in understanding.
"It is granted." The sky rumbled at Zeus's declaration.
Without another word Percy turned on his heels walking away, without so much as a backward glance, leaving the hall speechless.
As he was walking Frank tried to stop him by putting a hand on his shoulder.
"I am sor..." Frank began.
"I understand why you did it. Doesn't mean I forgive you." Percy brushed off his arm walking away, leaving Frank on the verge of tears and the hall silent.
2 Years Later.
Alex was running through the streets of Brooklyn, panting as she turned a corner into a street. The minotaur was closing in and fast. It was supposed to be a regular extraction mission. One of the satyrs had found a demigod in one of the schools in Brooklyn. She had volunteered for the mission. She thought she could handle it.
In normal conditions she could have too.
But these were anything but.
The first part of the mission had gone down well enough. She along with Matthew, son of Hermes had turned up at the school and the extraction had gone smooth enough.
Then all hell broke lose.
No soon had they gotten him out they were ambushed by a pair of empousa disguised as school cheerleaders. It was only because of Alex that they got out of that one, considering the effect the empousa had on the boys. She had injured her sword arm in that fight.
Things had only gotten worse after that. Fighting through a horde of Lamias and Mormos they had decided to split up.
She had decided to be the diversion, while waiting for reinforcements from the camp. She had used the first opportunity to contact camp that she could find. Chiron had assured her help was on the way. She just had to survive till then.
Then came the Minotaur.
It chased her down 4 streets. Her feet instinctively carrying her away from the more populous parts of the city. Something told her she would find safety or help if she kept going the way she was.
Turning the corner she collided with a what she thought was a concrete wall. Just her luck. A wall just around the corner of a street.
"Are you alright?" Came a gravelly voice to her eyes. It was then that she realized that she hadn't run into a wall. It was a man. Or more specifically a boy. Couldn't have been a couple of years older than her. Dressed in gray overalls he looked like a construction worker.
"Its not safe to be wandering the streets at this time of the night you know." The boy continued, pulling her up to her feet. Alex paid little mind to him. She had to get of there. She tried to run before he grabbed her arm. "You're bleeding. Let me get you some first aid."
"Please let me go..." The rest of her plea was lost in the roar of the Minotaur.
Crap he had caught up to her. Her eyes widened in fear as she took in the frame of the bull-headed monster. But what surprised her was the boy with her. He merely stared at the monster with a languid almost bored gaze.
"Its been a while since I last saw you." He said.
The mist is probably interfering the boy's perception of the monster. Only heaven knew what he was seeing right now. She had to run away. Draw the monster away from the mortal.
Usually they won't attack mortals, but she didn't know what they would do, if they found one between them and their pray.
The pray being her in this case.
Well she couldn't endanger a mortal. But before she could say or do anything the boy calmly beckoned the minotaur. Was she imagining it? The Minotaur actually seemed to be hesitating, it seemed... scared.
"I gain nothing by saving her." He spoke calmly and the Minotaur charged bellowing a battle cry swinging his weapon an ax in the shape of the greek letter Omega at the boy. Moving in speeds she could barely follow, he pulled a blade. Stepping inside the arc of the swing he plunged it in the Minotaur's throat and pulling it out in the same motion. The monster disintegrated before it hit the ground. "But I lose nothing by destroying you either." He finished, but didn't drop his guard.
A faint growl alerted Alex to the presence of a hellhound in the darkness. The boy held his ground almost as if daring it to attack.
The hellhound growled for a few seconds before finally retreating in the shadows. Alex let go of a breath she didn't know she had been holding. The boy sighed and before her eyes the sword turned into a pen which the boy then proceeded to pocket.
"My place isn't far from here. why don't you come with me so we can get your arm bandaged." The boy offered.
15 minutes later they Alex was sitting in a spartan one bedroom apartment, her arm bandaged and sipping some coffee. She stared at the boy in front of her as he went about working in his house working almost mechanically.
He looked about nineteen. Messy jet black hair fell over his forehead. He was tall and built like an athlete and had melancholic sea-green eyes.
"You're a demigod." Alex said. Finally finding her voice for the first time since she allowed herself to be led to his apartment.
The boy went to the only window in his apartment and gazed out into the streets as if looking for something.
"Someone should be coming soon to pick you up from the camp." He said disregarding what she had said.
"Wait you didn't answer my question." Alex protested.
"You should go." The boy told her not relenting.
Soon she found herself back out on the streets. The jerk. What does he think of himself? She fumed to herself. But she didn't have to wait long before the promised reinforcements came in the form of a goth kid walking out of the shadows.
"Well good to see you in one piece Alex." Nico said giving her a once over. "I have been looking all over for you."
"Yeah, no thanks to you." She glared at him. Her nerves were still frayed from her near-death experience.
"But thanks to someone I see." He said indicating her bandaged arm.
"Yeah I got some help. You should have seen him Nico. He took out the Minotaur with one blow and even scared a hellhound into retreating." Alex said.
"A demigod helped you?" Nico raised an eyebrow.
"Yes. He has to be. But I have never saw him in camp." Alex said. "You wouldn't happen to know anyone like that would you?"
Nico stayed silent for a while. "No, I don't."
Well there you go. Don't forget to drop a line and tell me what you thought of it.