When I woke up, I had no idea where I was.

Mostly because I was falling.

Instinctively, I tucked in a barrel roll, landing not-so-gracefully on my feet. My back flared in pain and I collapsed promptly on my ass, my world spinning.

What day was it?

I thought for a moment. The last thing I remember, I was storming out of the school…

But what happened after that?

I tried to think, subconsciously leaning back against the tree.

Dull pain spiked down my arm and I hissed, sitting back up straight.

Wait… my arm?

Instantly, I slipped my shirt off and looked behind me.

"Oh… My.. Gods."

I was face to face with soft feathered-gold, white, and brown wings.

Where the 2 red scars had been was the point where my skin met feathers. They looked so soft and fragile, but so realistic at the same time.

Slowly, I willed them to flutter out. I watched in awe as they extended out until they were about 15 feet long.

"Holy Zeus." I mumbled. "Gods, they are beautiful… how…?"

My words caught in my throat. I had wings. Not fake halloween costume wings. Not Daedelus-grade wings. Real, in the flesh, wings.

Zeus was going to kill me.

I heard a giggle to my left. I turned to see a girl with mossy green hair and dark-oak toned skin hiding shyly behind a tree.

My face burned bright red.

"Uh… Don't tell anyone, please?"

She giggled and held a finger to other mouth in a shushing matter. Then she melted back into her tree without a word.

I was left alone in embarrassment.

Silently, I pulled on my shirt and set off on foot towards the sound of morning traffic.

"You did what?!"

Athena's sharp pitch made Zeus flinch.

"I may or may not have cursed Percy."

Athena pinched the bridge of her nose. "Passive aggressive answers are not allowed."

"Okay! So I placed a curse on Percy. Poseidon's mad at me and I don't know what to do."

"Well of course Barnacle Beard is mad at you!" She screeched, much like an owl. "His only mortal son is living with… whatever you gave him."

"Wings…" Zeus muttered. Athena's expression changed.

"Wait… what?"

"When I cursed Percy, I wasn't thinking straight. I was angry that he was in my domain with my weapon. I accidentally cursed Percy with wings."

Athena's expression turned cold as stone. Her poker face held so much muted anger that Zeus almost assumed she would smit him with her owl staff.

Finally, she sighed.

"There isn't much I could do, Dad."

"But you're the goddess of knowledge!" The king protested. Athena shook her head.

"As prejudice as I might be, there is nothing I can do. You, on the other hand…" She fidgeted with her cape. "You're going to have to find a way to make Percy forgive you. And, most importantly, to get you to forgive Percy. Emotion-driven curses are tricky like that, and they work their way into souls, like termites in a tree. You might be able to drive the curse out, but the damage… It might be irreversible."

Zeus sighed. "I guess… I could smit him?"

Athena frowned. "That is the worst idea I've heard since Ares proposed more 'Can You Weave Better Than A Goddess?' should be filmed."

Zeus grumbled. "Fine. I'll… I'll see if I can talk to Percy."

"Seems fair. And, Dad, I'd avoid telling anyone else. Percy is as infamous as he is famous. Many gods would jump at the chance to kill him in his confused state."

"Gee, thanks for the warning." He said sarcastically. Athena smiled.

"Welcome!" And with that, she puffed away in a sparkly spray of gold light, leaving the King God alone in his private quarters.

Hitchhiking that the worst option in a situation like this.

Sure, I could probably fly, but Zeus kinda hates me, so that's out of the window.

I stood at the edge of the road, watching the traffic buzz along at 30 miles an hour. Judging by the mile marker, I was 10 miles away from Manhattan, which was totally reassuring.

It was freezing cold outside, despite the fact it was the end of May and it should have been 80 degrees out, not 30.

But, sure enough, it was snowing in May.

I watched faces slip past me as each car drove on without slowly down for me. For a while I walked along the edge of the road. The farther I got from Olympus, the warmer it seems to get.

Or maybe it was so cold that I was going numb. I couldn't tell anymore.

I hobbled the edge of the highway for a half an hour before an RV pulled over on the side of the road. I shivered softly and looked up at it.

A man in his 40's climbed out of the front seat.

"Hey, bud, you okay?"

His accent was thick and very American, like the redneck accents you hear people try to mimic. I looked up, offering a weak smile.

"Ye… yeah, I'm fff… fine?"

He frowned and started towards me. Instinctively, I reached into my pocket for Riptide. The man stopped dead in his tracks.

Great.

I took a step back from him.

Then he did something unexpected.

He lifted his sleeve on his right arm just enough to show a barcode of 10 lines and a few letters: SPQR.

"You sure you're okay? I don't bite."

My teeth chattered. "No." I admitted, almost sobbing. "I have no idea what I'm even doing out here, where I'm going, or how I got here in the first place. I just… I just want a normal life for once."

The man's face softened and he walked over, wrapping his jacket around me.

"Let's get you in the RV. I might be able to contact camp for you."

I shook my head. "I'm trying to avoid the demigod side… at least for now."

He hesitated, before nodding. "Okay."

The man guided me to the vehicle, helping me inside and onto the couch. I heard the man's wife chattering about something in the background , but for some reason the pull of sleep was too strong. The moment my head hit the pillow, I was out like a light.

Poseidon couldn't believe it.

His only mortal son, only mortal child, had wings.

Of all the things he could have been cursed with, it just had to be wings.

The biggest insult of all: It was Zeus' fault.

Triton lounged lazily on his throne, watching his dad pace angrily around the room.

"10 drachmas states he takes his rage out on Florida." Kym whispered, leaning closer to her older brother.

Triton thought for a moment. "Naw, Florida has been in his good graces lately. He'd probably attack North Carolina."

"No way would he do that. There is no point!" Kym defended, crossing her arms. Rhode sighed.

"Would you two stop it?" She chided. "Dad's mad and no one else knows why."

Triton huffed. "Probably about Percy."

"Oh gods, don't even get me started on Percy." Kym scowled. "Good for nothing demigod stuckup."

"Children," Amphitrite said, playing with a sea-bass. "Please be mindful that your father is right here and is going to tell us exactly what's on his mind."

"Hm?" Poseidon looked at his wife, who had a steeled look on her face. "Oh, yes, sorry dear. It's Zeus again."

"Ew, that guy?" Rhode wrinkled her gills. "What did he do this time?"

Poseidon spun in trident around in his hand, watching the whirlpools it made. "He cursed Percy."

Triton nearly choked. "He what? I mean, I understand that Percy's not the most respectful demigod, but surely he wouldn't have been cursed."

Poseidon scowled. "Yes, I wish that were the case. Apparently this was while the boy was 12… Zeus has always been the jealous type. He wished it was his own child who had brought back his bolt and saved Olympus."

"Dear, if you don't mind me asking," Amphitrite gently pet her pet bass. "What exactly was Perseu- Percy cursed with? Permanent case of the flu? Chronic Irish Dancing?"

Kym tried to keep a straight face, but the idea of her youngest mortal brother constantly having to dance was a brilliant image.

"Wings."

Kym choked. Triton fell off his throne in pure surprise. Rhode nearly impaled herself with her dagger. Amphitrite's eyes widen.

"W-wings? As… as in…" Kym sputtered out.

"Bird wings, yes." Poseidon looked down.

"Holy Black Sea, Percy has actual functioning wings? Like a harpy?" Triton sat up, leaning against his throne for support.

"Much like the Boreads, only these ones are white, gold, and brown instead of purple."

"My gods, my little brother has wings…" Rhode blinked. Then she smiled. "Hey, maybe he could finally beat Triton in that race."

Triton wrinkled his gills. "As if!"

Kym smirked. "What is it, dear brother? Afraid that a punny mortal could be better than you?"

"Why you little-"

"Children, please." Amphitrite chided. "Why don't you 3 go set up the table for dinner tonight?"

The three gods looked nervously between them. Amphitrite's sweet gaze turned sour. "Now."

"Yes mama." The three sea children flashed out of the throne room. Poseidon looked half relieved.

"Dear, I understand that Percy means a lot to you. He is quite the charmer, if I do say so myself." Amphitrite got up and glided to her husband. "But you must remember that he is still a hero, and he must find his own way around this curse."

Poseidon frowned, but nodded. "I suppose you're right…."

"I know I am, sweets." She kissed his cheek, wrapping herself around him. Poseidon raised an eyebrow.

"So that part where you refered to my son as a… charmer…?"

Amphitrite laughed. "Oh dear, it was merely a compliment."

Poseidon frowned. "You don't have hots for Percy, do you?"

Amphitrite shrugged nonchalantly. "No clue what you are talking about, dear husband."

Poseidon chuckled softly. "Whatever you say."

"Come, we should go check on the children… make sure they don't bet too much on their youngest brother."