Chapter 2
Hermes POV
I patiently watched Zeus sit on his throne from the bottom of the stairs as he quietly thought, tapping a finger on the arm of the throne. I was called before his presence for a task.
"There is a human girl I would like you to meet." An image of a young, beautiful girl appeared in front of me. She had black hair and brown eyes. "She had contact with Percy." As he continued speaking, a clip of Percy and the unnamed girl played, showing their interaction.
"He would be taking her out to a lake for a picnic on Saturday."
"That boy is weird. He claims to hate his father yet he still loves being around water, knowing that his father is lord of the sea." I said.
"Silence. He is not weird. It means that there is still hope to get him to us. It means that he doesn't completely resents his father. The boy is just hurt. He felt that his father's presence could've prevented his mother's death. But we all know why Poseidon couldn't stay."
"I see. So what do you want me to do?" I asked.
He stood up and slowly walked with his hands behind his back until he was standing beside me. "Percy hasn't dated since Annabeth dumped him. He was clearly heartbroken. If he's decided to get over that and date again then this girl must have potential of meaning something. What I want you to do is have a chat with her. Fill her in on the situation and what we would like for her to do."
"And what is it that we want her to do?" I asked him.
"Make him fall in love with her. I've had some of my messengers do some research. Hades' spell on Percy can be broken by love. I assume that Hades thought Percy would never fall in love again. If this works, his eyes can go back to their normal color and Percy can be on Earth for as long as he pleases, giving us more time to persuade him because we cannot reach him in the Underground; well we can but not with that spell over him."
"So what I have to do is guide her through the journey of having him fall in love with her?"
"Yes. Exactly."
"And what if she doesn't love him back?"
He looked directly and me and scoffed. "Well you see my son," he paused as he walked back up to his throne and sat on it. "That isn't an option."
.
.
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POW
"Did I get it?"
"Yep you got it sweetie. Right on target."
I watched as Selena and her dad was out hunting. Her dad is a hunter so he's been teaching her how to hunt animals ever since he trusted her to hold a gun at the age of 16. She's been hunting game from the woods a mile away from their home ever since then and now she's 19. I expect her to be very good with a gun.
After their activity, they drove home and I followed behind them, which wasn't hard to do. They were going at 55 and I was getting quite bored. They're such snails. It's like I was only walking behind of them.
Finally they got to their home and I followed Selena up to her room. My speed makes it near impossible for them to see me. She went into the bathroom so I sat on her bed and waited. About half an hour later she came back into the room and almost screamed upon seeing me but I dashed over to her and covered her mouth.
I guessed that she was surprised and scared at the same time at how fast I moved, but she was very frantically trying to get away, to no avail.
I decided I better explain because she doesn't show signs of calming down anytime soon. "I am Hermes. Messenger of Zeus and the fastest of all gods. I came here with a message from my father for you."
She calmed down and I slowly moved my hands away from her. She ran away to her drawer for something but I let her, curious to know what. She soon aimed a handgun at me with shaky hands.
"Wow. Your father trusts you that much for you to have a gun in your room? I blame him for gun violence on earth." I laughed.
"Hermes? Aren't you a Greek god?" She asked, with shaking hands holding the gun at me.
"That I am."
"I read about you in English class. Y-you're a myth. Y-you aren't real." She stammered.
"I'm a myth to you all on Earth. I'm right here standing in front of you aren't I? And my speed cannot seem mortal like to you. I'd like to see a human move this fa –"
I was cut off from speaking from a bullet that I had to dodge. Another one was fired at me, but this time I turned around and grabbed it with two fingers after it passed me. "Tsk tsk. This is how you humans die. You want to shoot me for explaining myself." I flicked the bullet out of my hand and through her window. "How nice."
She lowered the gun and sighed. "Alright. You proved yourself. What do you want with me?"
"I can finally speak now? Oh joy. As I was saying, Zeus sent me here. That boy you're going out with today, Percy? He's the son of Poseidon."
"Woah woah woah. Hold up one second there."
I paused and waited for her second to finish.
"What – "
"You're second is up."
"Just let me talk! Why would the son of a god want to go out with me? A human." She asked.
"Gods fall in love with humans all the time. Percy himself is the son of a god and a mortal. I see you haven't gotten too far in 'Greek mythology'."
"Okay…so uh, what's it to you if he's going out with me?"
"You know of Hades right?"
"Yes."
"Well, Percy ran away from his training camp to Hades, who is his uncle because he hates his father for leaving and didn't want to live up to his father's legend. Percy is very powerful with much potential and we fear that Hades might try to get the boy to side with him to take over Olympus."
"Again, what does this have to do with me going out with him?"
"Let me finish. Zeus seems to think that he might be falling in love with you. Percy hasn't asked anyone out on a date since he was 15, which is when he got dumped by Annabeth. She broke up with him because he wouldn't return to Camp Half Blood." I started moving closer to her and she raised the gun again. "Ah, still don't trust me I see."
"Not taking any chances."
"Fair enough. Now where was I? Oh. Right. Zeus needs me to guide you. Tell you what you do right or what you say wrong. I have this unknown power to read people's thoughts. I'll be with you on this date later today and all other dates letting you know what he likes and what he dislikes until you two are completely infatuated with each other and Percy's spell is broken."
"Wait. Spell? What spell?"
"Oh right. Hades fears that Percy might change his mind about being in the Underworld so he put a spell over him. It makes his eyes red and a pain comes in them if he's out longer than the time Hades permitted him. If he's still out after that time then Hades gets the exact location in which he is in and either sucks him through the ground or personally comes to Earth to get him."
"So that's what happened that time when he held his hands over his eyes." She mumbled. "And that's why they're red! He lied to me. That's not a good start for a guy I'm dating."
"He really couldn't if you think of –"
I had started walking towards her again while I was saying that and she shot me. The bullet landed right in the middle of my chest and blood started drawing. I quickly pulled it out of me and flicked it through the window like the last one.
Her mouth was agape, partly shocked because she didn't know why she did that.
I smirked at her. "Attempted murder of a god? I think that gives me a right to banish you to the Underworld don't you think?"
"What?! NO! No! I am so so sorry!" She dropped the gun and raised her hands.
"This hurts. It's either you get banished or I'll have to take away your soul, leaving your body dead, and still take you to the Underworld. Either way, you're going there. Your choice if with body or body-less."
"Wait wait." She raised her hands to her temples and looked terrified. "Isn't there a way for me to stay on Earth? Please! I don't want to go to hell." She dropped to my feet and started sobbing. I felt sorry for the girl. I'd hate to see a beautiful face like hers waste away in the Underworld.
"There is one thing you can do…" She hurried up to her feet and wiped at her eyes.
"Anything. Tell me what it is."
"Make the boy fall in love with you. Not just that, but after he does you'll have to make sure he opens up to you. Make him feel close. Make him trust you with every deep secret. And get Percy back on his path of destiny."
"Do you know how long that would take me?! People don't just open up to someone on short notice! Especially if they're just getting to know them."
"Yes. I am very aware of how it works. Which is why I'm giving you 6 months to get this done."
"6 months?! I'll need more time than that."
"No you won't. Percy falls in love quickly. He fell in love with Annabeth in only 1 month. But I do realize that he's still healing and she was his first love, which is why I even gave you that long time period."
"I can't do this…"
"And just in case you get discouraged, I am placing you in the Underworld."
"WHAT?!"
"To give you a taste of how painfully boring it is down there. In body form of course. Souls don't have it so easy. After the date you shall be down there with the boy, just to make sure you get enough time around him. Seems like a smart idea doesn't it?"
"Well…kind of but – "
"No buts." I ran around her and at top speed and then halted. She was now dressed in red bottoms and a white top. "These clothes are what will permit you in the Underworld and force Hades to not interfere with you. He will be aware of the plan but can in no ways harm you because of the clothes. If you take them off, he will be able to. The shirt will change to a light shade of pink when you've reached the half mark of your time, which is 3 months. After that it was gradually turn darker and if the 6 months is up…it turns red and you shall remain in the Underworld…forever."
"Forever?! Why forever?!"
"Did we not just go through this? You shot me! I am still bleeding over here!"
"Right. Sorry." She sheepishly apologized.
I heard the doorbell ringing and her father soon called up to let her know that her date has arrived. I swiftly ran around her again to make the top and bottom more fashionable, but the same color.
She looked down at herself then looked at me.
"What? I just thought it'll look more presentable than a t-shirt and shorts, don't you think?"
"Oh. I have no problem with it. I'm just surprised that it's what you chose. It's just exactly what I was thinking of wearing, just in different colors."
"Ah. Well, like I said, unknown power."
"What is your unknown power?"
"Were you listening to any of the things coming out of my mouth?"
"Not really." I realized a smirk playing along her lips and soon figured out that she's only teasing me. "You are pretty boring."
"Get out of the house before I send your soul to hell this instant."
"Alright, alright. Don't have to threaten me. I'm leaving."
She left and I watched out her window as she greeted Percy and they both drove off in his car. I briefly returned to Olympus to get myself treated then followed them onto the date.
This ought to be fun for me.
