Disclaimer: I own nothing recognisable, no matter how much I wish I did. Frown-y face.
Zeus P.O.VI wasn't entirely sure I wanted to read more about this kid, he knew my wife's daughter, my wife actually cheated on me. I never say it out loud but it really hurt. What did this kid do to endear the Fates to him so much?
True to her words, nobody even realised I was gone, I suppose after running around all of space and time with her, twice I should have had more faith in her. I reckon with my luck some doubt is to be expected.
"On a scale of one to ten, how bad do you reckon this kid luck is?" Poseidon asks artlessly.
"Probably over ten" Athena comments. I had to agree with her.
"Hey Percy, it's time to go" Grover yelled, I don't know what he remembered for the last few weeks, at least I think it was weeks, it was years for me. So I opted for acting normal.
"Always good" Hermes agreed with the book. He is such a kleptomaniac, he's thousands of years old he should be over it by now I grumbled internally.
"Coming Grover" I yelled grabbing my pre-packed things. It turned out that Grover really was taking the same greyhound bus as me. He seemed to be freaking out epically, looking around trying to spot something, and then it hit me. Grover was looking for 'monsters' see the sarcasm. "Looking for Furies?" I asked as he looked out the windows.
"Oh, busted" Ares called, "Wonder how he's gonna get out of that?"
"Not very well I'm guessing" Hades said, "He doesn't sound like that good of a liar"
"What, no what's a Fury" he asked in a rush, his words all running together and then boom. The bus filled with this disgusting smoke, which would have smelt so much grosser before last week's little adventure with the slime aliens on Alpha 45.
"Ok, rewind… where?" Apollo asked, "Slime Aliens where?"
"No idea" Hermes said, "I don't like not knowing places" I was really starting to hope this kid was insane, because aliens, really?
Across the street were three old ladies knitting a pair of gigantic electric blue socks. I knew after only seconds of looking at them that the bleached cotton dresses and the withered leathery skin was only what they wanted people to see. Curious I crossed the street.
"No" the entire room yelled. Oh Gods the kid suicidal.
"Why is the kid going to visit the fates?" Mr D. asked astonished, in fact I was astonished that he sounded like he cared. He usually hated campers, maybe he was finally reforming it was about time.
"Percy" Grover hissed grabbing my arm, "What do you think your doing?" I ignored him and crossed the street. Walking directly towards the little old ladies.
"Why isn't the satyr stopping him" Hades demanded, what was it about this kid that had us all so concerned? I didn't even want him to die that almost scared me. Stupid brat.
"I can't see what you are," I said, looking at the directly. They all looked up and smiled at me serenely.
"Oh you've got to be kidding me" Artemis whispered, then said louder, "Whose kid is this?"
"What makes you think we don't look like this?" the middle one questioned. I knew I should of felt uneasy, maybe even frightened but I didn't. I took the empty seat that I was sure wasn't there before.
"This kid has no self preservation" Demeter said shaking his head, "Maybe if he makes it to camp my kids will give him cereal"
"If he makes it to camp?" Poseidon asked, "He better get to camp." That was an odd comment to make.
"Why do you care brother?" I asked genuinely curious. He just threw me a look.
"Don't you?" he responded, "No matter whose kid he is, he's family." He had a fair point.
"I just know, and when I try and see what you really are I just see shadows," I told them. They giggled.
"Oh fuck" Apollo said, "He can really, actually, properly see them." I was going to guess that he shouldn't have been able to.
"Bit not good?" Aphrodite asked painting her nails, actually interested.
"No, that's really good. Provided he doesn't try to see us and see our divine forms and you know, die." He answered.
"Oh so a bit not good then" Ares said. Apollo just nodded and Demeter continued reading.
"Dear child, you don't know what we are do you? Else wise you would sit with us, but amuse us seeing as how we don't know for once. How did you try to see us as shadows?" the one down the other end said cheerfully.
"Good question" Hermes said quietly. Out of habit and knowing what happens when Hermes is that serious I checked my wallet, finding it missing I held my hand out and he tossed it back.
"I looked, I looked where I didn't want to look, where I never want to look. Right out the corner of my eye, a friend taught me that trick. It lets you see what's there, but I only saw shadows and that mean that you don't exits" I explained, well at least as best as I can.
"Ok, glad that cleared that up, it would have been confusing, you know if none of that made sense" Athena said sarcastically. Poseidon snorted.
"That made perfect sense your just not keeping up," He said. I rolled my eyes at there bickering; they both need to grow up.
"But if we don't exist, how can you see us now? Hmm dearie, how can we be if we aren't real?" the said, falling back into what I assumed was an old habit of finishing each other's sentences. The middle one was fingering a thread, a pair of huge shear like scissors in her hand. I laughed.
"No, not good" I found myself saying, "Dumb kid, just fucking run"
"You misunderstand me. I never said you aren't real. Just that you don't exist, well you do exist. The best way I can put it you're everywhere and nowhere all at once," I thought out loud.
"I'd never thought of it like that" Hades said, "And he's right, anyone want to bet on if he figures it out?" About half betted yes and half betted no, I went with yes, the kid was surprisingly insightful.
"I don't think that's fair. We don't want to cut the string now" the middle one said as she laid down the scissors. "We like you"
"But they always cut the string" Hera said shocked, "No matter what, they do there job. That's just the way it is" everybody was on the edge of there thrones.
"Sometimes there's an exception, even though there's never been before" Hades told us. I was hoping there'd be an exception today; I wonder what would happen if we ever met this kid, for some reason I wanted to.
"And if you cut the string something bad happens" I concluded, "You stopped bus. What happens if you cut the thread?" I wondered.
"You die" I sighed, even Ares looked upset by this prospect, but if the Fates sent us the book maybe they wanted us to change it.
"You die," they answered as one. They were everywhere and nowhere, held power over who was meant to die and who wasn't, they weaved together and cut threads. I smiled.
"Crazy kid" Mr D. muttered. Hades smiled.
"No, smart kid, dying isn't something to be afraid of" he said, "It's just something that happens"
"Everybody dies, and I'm beginning to think it just might be Fated" I leaned forward and whispered the last part. They all grinned, almost happy to be found out.
"Pay up" someone yelled, for five minutes the book was forgotten as people passed up money and it was divided.
"It is fated, and so we must carry it out. That does not mean that we want to" the one on the right looked up dismayed, "Will you run now?" she asked tearfully. I shook my head, eyeing the middle one whom was still holding the sting between her fingers ready to be cut.
"He must be so scared" Hestia said tending to the hearth, "Do you think he'll run?"
"No" this surprisingly came from Ares. "I have a feeling this kids seen war. Enough to know that there are some thing's you just can't stop"
"That sounded almost wise, Ares" Athena taunted.
"I don't think so, just a feeling" he responded ignoring the opportunity for a fight, which told me that he cared what happen to this kid to.
"No, I'm going to help you" I said picking up the scissors and slicing the string. "Just this once it's not your fault," I told them. The bus spluttered and roared to life, I turned to walk away. "Goodbye"
"That was kind" Poseidon said, looking exceedingly pale.
"It was" Athena agreed. The was total silence for thirty seconds before everyone turned to them and said,
"You two agreed, do you think we'll finish the book before the apocalypse"
"Wait" they called. I turned and the three old ladies weren't there. There was and old lady a mother and a child. The child threw herself at me and hugged me. "Thank you for making it not my fault" I squeezed back. "Here" the eldest handed me a peach from the fruit stand near by. "Enjoy that on the bus, for our inconvenience"
"D you think that it does anything?" I asked thoughtfully.
"No, it just tastes good" Apollo said, I think we were all completely numb from what happened with the Fates to care that he'd seen something again.
"Thank you" I waved and ran back to the bus. Grover was waiting for me and he was shaking.
"Of course he was shaking" Aphrodite said irritated, "We're shaking." With a small amount of shock I realized that I was.
"What were you thinking? Do you have any idea who those old ladies were?" he demanded, panicking. "Did they cut the cord?" he muttered to himself and then louder, "You just disappeared into the fog. I couldn't find you even though you were right across the street"
"It must have been scary for him" Artemis commented, "Not knowing what was happening" I agreed with that sentiment.
"I'm sorry G-man, didn't mean to make you worry. They didn't cut the cord," I told him. He looked so relieved that I almost didn't say the last bit. "I did"
"No, don't tell him that" Demeter said, "You'll break his heart"
If I had any doubts about whether or not Grover knew more than he was letting on they vanished after I'd said that. He demanded that he took me home. I pretended to agree, but ditched him at first opportunity. The Fates were genuinely sad about my dying, so I don't think it was going to be a non-violent death and that meant Grover was going to be in danger. So I split, got in a taxi and went straight home.
"Stupid kid, he gonna get himself killed, running away from the only person who can lead him to camp, not very wise" Athena sniffed. She sounded condescending, but I knew it was just her way of trying to care less. To bad Poseidon didn't.
"Athena, shut up. Nobody cares" he said, he seemed to be more on edge than anybody else.
Before I get to that bit I want to tell you about my Mom, Sally Jackson she is without a reservation the best person in the whole wide world. She had to deal with me, and as I know I'm one of the more difficult to deal with kids.
"What a wonderful Mother, it great that he loves her that much, it sounds like she deserves it" Hera commented, I agreed. She sounded lovely, so whom did she have a kid with?
She always smells like candy from her job at the sweet America store, when I come home she brings home a big bag of blue candy. When my step dad Gabe, smelly Gabe actually but I'll get to that later, said there was no such thing as blue food my Mom went out of her way to eat it. She's rebellious like that.
"Way to go, whoever's girlfriend/ex this is" Apollo cheered, "Loving the rebellion"
Smelly Gabe was great, till Mom said I do. Then he showed his true colours as a first-class asshole. He treated my Mom like crap, hosted stupid poker parties, which he always lost, drank and smelt. Find the smelliest garbage disposal and have someone live there for a month and they would smell better. I don't know why she stayed.
"She wouldn't, would she" Athena muttered, but I was curious.
"Wouldn't what?" I asked her.
"The smell, if he smells as bad as she says then it would keep away the monsters. Do you think that she stay to protect Percy?" she explained. The rest of the Gods were floored at this woman's dedication.
This summer we were going to our annual beach trip. Three nights same cabin as always, Mom said she met my Dad there. She'd get a little sad, apparently he was there for six months but then he had to go somewhere important, something to do with his job. Got on a boat and disappeared. Not dead, lost at sea. I didn't believe it but I refrained from mentioning it to her.
"It's sweet that he care enough to let her believe what she wanted about his Dad" Aphrodite said. But I wasn't focused on that, lost at sea. Poseidon, Percy was Poseidon's son. I decided not to mention it until I had proof.
"So, how was school?" she asked excited to hear about me as always. I told her about all the normal stuff, neglecting to mention my vacation, the fury or the Fates. It had been a lot longer for me than it had been for her in terms of time spent apart, so I was quiet content to lay in the cabins double bed curled up with her. She was trying to convince me to go to some sort of summer camp. The weather was getting really bad, when all of a sudden a round of urgent knocking started up at the door.
"You think that Grover finally caught up," Mr D said. Most people agreed I hoped it was.
"Percy" they called from outside. My Mom opens the door and outside stood Grover. "We need to go, now" he said grabbing my arm. "It's time" he looked right at my Mom as he said this, and I began to just how much she wasn't telling me either, because she grabbed my hand and dragged me to the car.
"So she knows, how much do you think?" I asked aiming it at Poseidon.
"Maybe she's clear-sighted," he said shrugging, to bad I knew my brother well enough to know that this was killing him on the inside. I shared a look at Hades and we mentally resolved to talk to him after the chapter.
"Percy, what haven't you told me" she said turning on the car and speeding towards the highway. I my head was scrambled as I tried to come up with what to tell her.
"I know I'm supposed to tell him to lie, but he really needs to tell them what he knows," Hermes said pouting.
"Hermes, you're talking to a book," Artemis reminded him. He just shrugged.
"Probably as much as you haven't told me," I said, watching the rain pound outside. There looked like there was going to be a hurricane as far as I could tell through the frequent lightning flashes. "Where are we going?"
"You to are fighting again?" Hades whined, "Jeez, you guys kill people when you fight do you have any idea what that does for traffic in the underworld?"
"Yeah, we get it" Poseidon and I chorused.
"To the camp your Dad wanted to send you" she said, "You'll be safe there" she sounded so certain. But I had a bad feeling that I'd end up doing more dangerous things there than would anywhere else.
"Is it sad that he's right, and we still send our kids there?" Ares said.
"But the monsters can't get in?" Aphrodite said.
"No, because then we send them out on quests, then we make life harder for them because we either don't acknowledge them or ask to do things that get them killed" Mr D. said. The part I hated was that he was absolutely right.
"I don't want to go, I can think of a bunch of places that I would be safer than some random camp that someone from twelve years ago thought would be a good idea" I said, trying to use logic, but I knew I had no choice.
"He's right, arguing would cost them precious time they need to get out of the way" Athena said, we mostly ignored her.
"Percy, you have no idea how powerful the people chasing you are, this camp is neutral ground" Grover said sounding urgent. "Please, please just… just go. Without a fuss"
"I wonder if he'll let it go that easy?' Hestia asked grinning, "Probably not if he takes after whomever his Dad is"
"Fine, but just let the record show that I was against this," I said. BANG! Something crashed into the car; it rolled and landed on the roof. Disorientated I looked around; Mom and Grover were both moderately ok.
"Moderately, I suppose that alright then" I said trying to keep the attention of Poseidon, whom was having trouble breathing right.
"You need to get out," My Mom said looking out the window in terror. Out the window there was a huge half-bull half-man thing. Oh hell, half-bull, half-man that's a… but I was distracted.
"What could possible distract him at a time like this?" Hera demanded.
"Grover, why are you taking you pants off?" I questioned, more than a little freaked out, but Grover wasn't naked under his pants he was… "Oh Goddess, you half goat"
"Oh" she said, "Fair enough" Everybody was trying not to laugh. "Wait, oh Goddess, I'm really starting to like this kid"
"Percy now is really not the time," he said, kicking out the back window. Taking my Moms hand I drag her out the car, trying desperately to remember what Mr Brunner taught us about this… thing.
"Smart kid, not even thinking the name" somebody commented. I didn't really think he knew that.
"We need to move" my Mom said, just past this tree is the property line. "It can't see very well and it can't change direction once it's charging. Use that to your advantage" I hope we could outrun it but was to close. It grabbed my Mom, "Run boys, it can cross the…." It squeezed her and she disappeared into golden dust, Grover was thrown against the pine tree. And then I did something dangerous, and then I got mad.
"This kid is twelve, statistically, how bad can it be?" Hades asked rhetorically.
I walked almost calmly to stand in front of the tree as the bull charged. I intended duck to the side at the last moment but it didn't work like that. I jumped up and flipped on to its back. Crack! It hit the tree with enough force to wrench my shoulder out of its socket. But it did the job, it's horn snapped off in the tree I jumped down as it stumbled around. Water rose up from the ground and poured into its nose and mouth with force.
"I'm guessing very bad Hades, Poseidon, you kids got skills," I said, examining my fingernails.
"Am I the only one who didn't break the oath?" Hades asked in shock, "Damn"
"Um, aren't you going to fight?" Ares asked tentatively, anticipating a good family brawl.
"Later" I decreed, "Now I want to know if the boy lives, before we make a fuss about him." Poseidon sent me a thankful look.
Horn, get the horn I told my self, I walked over to the tree yanked out the horn and rammed it through its side. It burst into soggy dust. Walking over to Grover I tried to drag him up over the hill but my vision was going in and out.
"So he calmly tricks the bull into getting its horn broke off, repeatedly drowns it as a distraction and stabs it with it's own horn all without training that we're aware of?" somebody comments.
"Yep pretty much" Poseidon said shakily, "But when you put it like that it's just kind of…"
"Awesome" Artemis said, "Shame his not a girl"
"Were gonna be fine Grover" I said, "They can't have you to" just over the line my legs gave out.
"Poor child" Hera said sympathetically.
"Do you think he's the one?" was the last thing I herd before blacking out.
"Alright, I don't know about everyone else but I think we should break for lunch or something cause I don't know how much more I can take" Hades said. Everybody agreed whole-heartedly. I motioned for Hades and Poseidon to follow me. What I was planning to say I don't know.
And there you go people another chapter out 3583 words. Review for me I need comment, thanks for reading.
