The Condemned
I re-did this story, added some things^^ Enjoy.
/Percy POV\\
"Hey Percy, can I talk to you for a second?"
My mom's, Sally Jackson's, voice filtered through my door.
"Sure mom, one sec."
I looked down at the letter Annabeth had sent me only a week into school year. She was in one of those girls only academy's, with Rachel. Rachel Elizabeth Dare, the Camp Half-Blood's Oracle.
I set it-the letter- down my bedside table and proceeded to walk into the living room where my mom sat with something in her hands.
"Yes?"
"Oh. Percy…"
She watched as I sat on the couch beside her. Being closer, I saw that she held a folded up paper clutched in her grasp.
"What's that?"
"This…" She looked down, at her hands, worried on her lip, before speaking.
"This is a letter, Percy, for you, something I hoped you would never get, something…"
"…Something that I hoped we wouldn't have to talk about…"
She peeked up at me and I saw tears in her eyes before staring back down.
"Mom?" I whisper helplessly, watching as she hands me the thick paper.
It is not, in fact, a paper, but two.
"What…?"
I attempt to read, it and the more I read, the more disbelieving I am.
I stare at the second paper, a list.
"I know…I know you probably don't understand…of course….You don't…so I'll try to explain it the best I can."
"You see, it was before I met your father. Long ago, as a child, I was brought up in a world, filled with chaos and disorder. I wasn't safe. My father…is-was-dangerous, the reason I left, so my mother…"
"Mother? Left what? Wait…Father? I have a grandfather?"
"Had, Percy…he um, well, died. But,"
She held up her hand to stop the flow of questions that threatened to spill from me. I held my tongue, and she continued.
"Questions later, alright?"
I nod.
"Anyways, my mum took me away from my home country…"
She sees my shocked expression and smiles.
"Yeah, I know, shocker, aint it? I came from Britain. Escaping from my father, a power hungry…killer…"
She swallows hard. I'm completely shocked to my very core. I don't know why she wants to talk about her family now because she never did before at all, and I'm wondering if this has to do with my letter…
"I don't know how to start…I was taken away one night, by my mother because he didn't want his followers to find out about his bastard child…"
I take her hand, trying to ignore the how she called herself a bastard child so bitterly and angrily.
"She took me to the airport and told me to flee, to America, find somewhere safe and hidden where my father wouldn't find me…yet,"
"He did, somehow he did and he demanded I come back to him. I didn't of course. I met your father, Poseidon and had you. I didn't get any threats at all until you were fourteen, fifteen-ish. And I knew he was back from whatever it is that stopped him from sending anything. I had no idea….the horrors….my mum endured…..and others that fell to the tortures and death that went on over there…by my father's hand…."
"Mom…" I whisper and hug her tightly, letting her sob into my shoulder.
"I knew that you would be special, Percy, strong. Stronger than anyone and I was right. You have my father's powers too…"
A knock sounded at the door and I jumped. I let go of my mother and go to answer it.
I opened the door to the oddest people.
An aged woman stood there wearing glasses and clothes that fell to her ankles. She wore a tall black hat, pointed at the top. Beside her stood a younger woman but not as not as weirdly dressed. She wore a dark brown overcoat, and shocking pink hair. I didn't like the way she stared at me though, it was wary…definitely like she wanted to beat me up or something. But the way she stood and the bags under her eyes, I realized she must have lost somebody important. I knew because I've seen that look on people at camp after the war.
"Hello? Can I help you?" I said, completely confused.
Four people walked up to the apartment door, teens about my age. In fact I could see that look on all their faces. But why…? How…
"Yes you can, but may we come in? We will explain all we can, no doubt your mum tried. We have some information you out to know." The woman said in a wary kind of voice.
"Information? How do you know my mom?"
"Let them in Percy, its ok." His mom put a hand on his shoulder and guided him to the side to watch the strangers pass them into their living room. I could sense how tense she was in the strange people's presence. I wondered why.
Who were they, exactly? From the letter, I guessed they came from there, and assuming they did, wouldn't they wait until I got there to introduce themselves? Or wait…did this somehow have to do with my grandfather? My mom did say he was ultimately the most dangerous person in Britain, so they had to have come from there, if I go by their accent. But, he mused, only one of them had talked with that accent, so only he could assume one travelled from Britain. And if they all were from Britain, why send so many people? Did they think he was dangerous, as a grandson of my mom's father? In a way, I supposed I was, being a half-blood and all, and besides, I couldn't ignore the fact that I had helped with my other grandfather, Kronos, to die. So they couldn't have been all wrong with their worries of me being so dangerous, I already am.
I walked into the living room, musing over my thoughts as the teens sat on the couch and the adults, on the chairs.
"Percy, honey, can you grab a couple chairs, please?"
"Oh. Sure."
I went back into the kitchen and took two chairs and brought them for my mom and I to sit on.
"We're terribly sorry for the intrusion but we had to see the surprising grandson….for, well, safety measures. On my -I guess I can call-boss's orders of course. Again. Sorry."
"Oh, no worries. I was kind of expecting someone to find Percy. I wanted a normal life for him, as normal as I could be getting threats and summons from my father."
"Yes, and seeing as Percy has skipped going to school, for-"
"Six, seven bloody years, mate." The red head exclaimed, sounding surprised.
"Language!" The older woman scolded.
"Anyways, yes, in fact we had no idea what to do with him. I've never had to deal with his kind of case before and it was only when I stumbled into the headmaster's office and discovered the clue to finding Percy, actually I-we, the Order-managed to piece together what he had found or questioned. Thus we contacted you and I'm so glad you're so willing to cooperate Mrs. Jackson or we wouldn't be here and Percy wouldn't have found out about world he never knew existed." The woman babbled nonsense about what he already knew and Percy patiently waited for why they were here. Did they want to take him away?
"Professor?" The teen with glasses asked, politely interrupting.
"Oh, right, yes. Percy, dear I'm afraid, you're not in fact a wizard-"
"What? Then why-" Percy started.
"Yet,"
"You don't exactly have your magic because I used a powerful spell to contain it within you, to trap it and hold it until you come of age." Sally said and I frowned unable to comprehend anything she said. Magic? I have magic? Spell? What…I'm so confused, even more now.
"Erm, what? What age is that?"
"It should be…your next birthday. But beware. I think I remember reading that you might have some pent up magic from not using it for so long so just please, be very careful."
"But my birthday is next month…"
"Yes. And I think we should start with your father." The older woman started.
"My father?"
"Oh sorry, your grandfather. Yes, you know his name?"
"Um, no."
"Oh, the name he was born with is Tom Marvolo Riddle."
"Oh?"
"Yes Percy, your full name is Perseus Marvolo Jackson-Riddle."