Hello again! I would've updated last night, but the Internet was being stupid and wouldn't cooperate. So here we are.

Disclaimer: Again, I don't own anything in Percy Jackson and the Olympians.

Recap:

My eyebrows furrowed. I still wasn't sure what had happened. I hoped I would find out soon and go home. I was starting to feel a little homesick. I missed my mother. Nevertheless, I said what this whole city made me think: "I think I died,"

I thought Aphrodite would confirm what I said. Or that she might look at me like I was psycho. Or try to comfort me. But she simply burst out in laughter, hugging her sides. This went on for a minute, and I just stood there awkwardly, feeling really stupid. While Aphrodite wiped away some tears, I asked, "So this isn't heaven?"

Her charming smile had returned. She shrugged a little, as if saying so-so. "No, child," She turned to fully face me and took both of my hands, making my cheeks heat up. "This is Olympus, home of the gods,"

Chapter Two: I Make A Few Immortal Friends

People say I'm gullible, but they never tell me what it means. But it was always in a situation like this one. I believed what everyone said to me. I believed everything I saw. Recently, when my mom dropped me off at Pre-K, I swore I saw a snake woman standing across the street. She glared at me, but made no attempt to come any closer. My mom saw too, but she refused to let me believe it actually happened.

"Percy," She'd say whenever I asked her. "You have a wild imagination," And just like that, she'd shrug it off, and I fell for it. I even fell for her casual behavior when I saw a tall man with one eye at the park, hiding in the shadows. My mom told me it was time to head back home, but I wasn't upset to leave the park early; the man was watching me intensely, as if I were his next meal. Still, my mom acted like it was nothing.

Aphrodite's statement made me feel like that. I expected her to say, Gotcha! and laugh like a lunatic. I didn't want to feel even dumber in front of her, so I raised an eyebrow in disbelief.

That set her off.

While she giggled until she was hoarse, I glanced around the place. I may be four, but I knew what Olympus was. My mom reads me stories from Greek mythology every night. In fact, she named me after the first Perseus: the guy who killed the gorgon Medusa and ended up marrying Andromeda and killing his grandfather by accident. The point was, I was not clueless about Olympus, which is what made me extremely suspicious. I had grown up believing they were myths...

I interrupted her fit. "So you really are Aphrodite?" It was more of a statement than a question. She nodded, and I continued. "I always thought Greek mythology was just a bunch of stories,"

"You're familiar with this?" She sounded a little surprised.

I nodded. "Mom tells me about Greek mythology, but she made it seem like a bunch of bedtime stories," My gaze traveled the city. Even though I'd been here for a little while, I was still in shock. What made this even more shocking was that I knew I was on Olympus. It was a real place. Everything in those books were real. That made a big difference in the way I saw the city around me.

Aphrodite was quiet for a moment, until she spoke up in a soft voice. "Tell me, Percy," I turned towards her. "Is this a bedtime story?" She gestured to our surroundings.

I didn't even hesitate. "No way,"

"Am I a bedtime story?"

I shook my head. Aphrodite felt like a real person. This definitely wasn't a dream, either. I could use all my senses; I felt the slight breeze, smelled a bakery down the path, felt the cool marble columns. No dream was this vivid. And I wanted to believe that this was real. It explained so much to me.

Though, there was still a lot I didn't know yet.

We had reached the menacing building. The presence made me stop in my tracks. My legs felt like gooey marshmallows. Aphrodite pranced right in, not even the slightest bit hesitant. I looked behind me and saw civilians glance at me. They silently goaded me to leave, as if my life would be on the line if I followed Aphrodite. In a way, they were right.

Well, what is it? Fight or flight?

I took a deep breath. My mind, body, and everyone in the streets watching told me flight. Aphrodite told me fight.

Fight it is then.

What did I expect? I don't know, maybe a two-ton fire-breathing dragon. Or a monster truck rally. Maybe even a miniature hurricane.

I braced myself and stepped into the torchlight - and saw four men playing hearts. Not exactly what I was expecting, which is why I stood dumbfounded for a moment in the doorway. Besides the card table, the room lacked furniture. There were a few random deadly weapons scattered in the corners, but other than that, it was just a plain, unused room. No wall decorations, no big fancy architecture like the rest of the buildings. Aphrodite gestured for me to come closer, which I did, a little more positive about this whole situation.

We stood by the card table. None of the guys looked up. They were too engrossed in their game. One had to take the trick, which included three hearts. He grumbled about cheating and the room shook a little. No one seemed to notice or care but me.

"Eh-hem," Aphrodite somehow cleared her throat in a lady-like way. Still, not one single man looked up. She blinked, stunned. I could tell Aphrodite wasn't used to getting so little attention, because she hit the table with her palm and stood with her arms crossed.

Finally, one spoke in a bored tone. "What do you want this time, Aphrodite?" He had hair the color of a thunderstorm - gray and black - with a trimmed beard. His eyes were steely, his face proud. He radiated more power than I'd ever felt in my life, and I got the urge to bow down at his large feet. I felt the need to obey his every command. I knew who this was: Zeus, Lord of the Skies, King of the gods. He was the one causing the thunder, which totally made sense to me now. "Can't you see we are in the middle of a very important meeting?"

Something about his voice startled me. I couldn't place it, though.

Aphrodite had quite the opposite reaction as me to Zeus. She adjusted one of her bracelets and casually leaned against the table, choosing to ignore what Zeus said. "I brought everyone a present," This comment caused the other three to look up, eagerness displayed all over their features.

"Can we have it now?" said a young blonde guy who could easily pass off as a California surfer dude - tan, muscular, and handsome, with a slightly crazy look in his eyes, as if he were a fun-loving kind of guy.

Aphrodite's smile was sweet and wicked at the same time. "Sure," The surfer and a young guy with salt and pepper hair and jogging clothes exchanged glances.

I guess this is where I make my appearance.

Just as I thought, Aphrodite turned around and beckoned me over, looking giddy with excitement. I stepped forward, and she picked me up as if I were her own child. If any other lady did that, I would have freaked out, but Aphrodite reminded me of my mom. Not just the way she looked, but also how she made me feel like I was important. Like I was the only thing that mattered. I was actually special. I felt safe from the power the four men emitted.

Two of men looked confused. One looked as if the world exploded into a million pieces right before his eyes. The last dropped his hand of cards, which fluttered to the ground. His eyes narrowed.

Aphrodite seemed unfazed. "This is Percy Jackson. Him and I are good buddies now,"

Zeus lifted up a shaking finger to point at my face but spoke to Aphrodite. "Where did you get that?"

"That?" The surfer dude asked incredulously. "That is a him,"

Zeus chose to ignore him by picking up his fallen cards.

Aphrodite rolled her eyes at the Lord of the Skies. "Be polite and introduce yourselves,"

The blonde guy immediately stood up and shook my hand forcefully. I guess a four-year-old doesn't really have the right to say this, but this man reminded me of a little kid slightly off his rocker. "I am Apollo, god of music, poetry, prophecy, healing, light, archery -"

"Please, Apollo," The man in the jogging suit said. "Your ego is hurting me. Try to contain it a little," He turned to me and shook my hand. "I'm Hermes, the messenger god. I'm also the god of thieves, commerce, and travel. I'm considered the cleverest and fastest of the gods, and I invented the Internet -"

"Oh, who's egotistical now?" Apollo said with a grin.

"Silence," Zeus murmured in a controlled tone. I drew back a little, slightly scared by him. He looked at me as if contemplating on how to kill me. By the looks of it - slowly and painfully. "I am Zeus, Lord of the Skies," He made no attempt to shake my hand.

We turned to the last man, the one who still looked in shock. He recovered after noticing five stares and held out his hand. "I'm Poseidon..." He said in a sort of daze as we shook hands.

I nodded. "God of the sea,"

"And earthquakes, horses -"

"You're my dad, " I said, cutting Apollo off from his rambling. "Right?" I didn't mean to sound so unsure. One look at Poseidon brought back an old memory: a smile. It wasn't too long after I was born. My mother held me in her arms while a man brightly smiled at me. It left me feeling warm, but then I saw Poseidon again now. He looked scared. It made me feel a little hurt and confused. Was he scared of me, his own son that he'd never even met?

He glanced at Zeus, who trained his vision at me, burning a hole of hate through my soul. After too long a moment, Poseidon said, "Yes," then winced, as if Zeus's opinion mattered most. However, Zeus did not have a change in expression.

"I knew it!" Aphrodite exclaimed. "Poseidon, Percy looks a lot like you,"

Apollo and Hermes murmured agreement.

Zeus tapped the table impatiently. "Now may you answer my question, Aphrodite?" They seemed to have a glaring contest.

Zeus probably won, because Aphrodite said haughtily, "Percy was wandering all alone. He said he woke up by the elevator. I found him adorable, so I took him in to meet his father," She pointedly glared daggers at Poseidon, who just shifted slightly in his seat.

"Where did you come from?" Hermes asked.

Aphrodite looked at me, waiting for me to answer the question. I furrowed my eyebrows. Where did I live? In an apartment with my mom and Gabe. Just the thought of him made me shudder.

I guess I should explain who he is.

I still don't know why my mom married that idiot. Gabe Ugliano is not attractive, and he makes hardly any money. He sits in our living room every day, playing poker, drinking beer, smoking cigars, and never picking up a single thing. His attitude is horrible. He's never said thank you, let alone a simple please. It's as if he was born to ruin my life. Gabe hates me. In fact, he's more than once told me that he'd love to throw me in a dumpster full of hungry coyotes. The only thing worse than his mean personality is his odor. It's as if he bathes daily in a mixture of garlic, sweat, and old cigars. Yeah, not a delicious combination.

I've asked my mom why she married Gabe before. I'm still waiting for an answer.

Anyway, to answer the god's question, I said, "Manhattan,"

"So, right below us," Apollo clarified.

I wasn't quite sure what he meant. I guess the look on my face gave it away, because Apollo laughed. "Olympus is above the Empire State Building, high up in the sky. Hundreds of feet below us on Earth is your city: New York. You were living below Olympus. Cool, huh?" He concluded with a happy expression.

I looked down, thinking about that. How come I'd never seen it before? I had lived in the same apartment building my whole life. I've looked up at the sky millions of times. In fact, I've even been to the empire state building before. So how could I have been so blunt and not seen a giant, magnificent city like Olympus in the sky?

"The mist blocks mortals down on Earth from seeing Olympus," Poseidon spoke up, as if reading my thoughts. "That's why they don't know we are here,"

Well, that didn't really explain much, but I decided not to press the matter. Like, what was mist?

Aphrodite readjusted her grip on me. I was grateful because her long, manicured nails were digging into my skin. "Well, if you all don't mind, I'm going to show Percy around,"

"Mind if we join?" Apollo asked, gesturing to himself and Hermes, who smiled sweetly, like a baby angel.

Aphrodite rolled her eyes. "Sure," The other two gods fist pumped and jumped up to join us.

Just before we were out of earshot, I heard Zeus mutter, "Well, the game was ruined anyway. I guess I am the hearts champion yet again,"

"Way to show up that dumb satyr, kid!" Apollo grinned, giving me a high-five. "I think I'll compose a haiku about how awesome you are,"

Hermes and Athena groaned. Apparently, Apollo was not good with poetry, which was funny because he was the god of poetry. Albeit that fact, we let him proceed. He took a moment to think - his lips pursed, eyes squinting - before he lit up and cleared his throat dramatically.

Perseus Jackson

I wondered how he knew my real first name. Of course, he is an all-knowing Olympian...

He climbed a tree really fast

He's a freaking beast

Apollo bowed to imaginary clapping, congratulating himself. I seriously wondered if this god was mental.

We were all chatting and laughing. These three really liked me. When Aphrodite told us that it was time for me to go to bed, we all groaned. I hadn't even realized that the sky was dark, but I suddenly felt really tired. I yawned, and Apollo picked me up. "Come on, squirt," He said, heading towards some smaller buildings that were no less amazing that the larger ones. I felt like I was hit by a freight train full of magical sleeping dust (if there was such a thing). I had never had so much fun in my life. It really drains a toddler.

Before I could really comprehend much more, I felt myself being placed in a warm comfortable bed, the thick, cool blankets being pulled up to my chin. Someone kissed my the top of my head, and I heard Aphrodite whisper, "Good night, Percy Jackson,"

"Sleep tight," Hermes said.

"Don't let the hellhounds bite," Apollo finished.

I smiled a little at their version of the saying and mumbled an incoherent, "Night," as the light went out, and I drifted off into a fitful sleep.

My dreams were terrifying and real as usual. I found myself walking with Aphrodite, having a nice conversation. We passed by a small shop with big windows and an open roof, and she stopped dead in her tracks. She squealed when she saw a beautiful pearl necklace. "Percy, I'll be right back. I have to check that out," Just like that, she disappeared into the shop. I watched her through the window, when I saw Ares out of the corner of my eye. He looked mad.

"Ares!" I called, waving. He scowled and started to walk away, but sometimes I just can't take a hint. I followed him, sprinting to catch up. "Hi," I said cheerfully.

Ares only rolled his eyes, which I had just noticed were empty sockets of fire. "Kid, you're really not on my friends list,"

"Can I be?" I asked enthusiastically. I thought it'd be great to be friends with Ares. Big, buff, and mean, he'd be able to defend me from anyone.

"Leave me alone," He growled. I didn't show it, but I felt a little hurt. I had thought that Ares might want to be around me like Apollo, Hermes, and Aphrodite did. Then again, I was taking all the attention away from this guy. I could tell that he used to be the center of the circle; I had stolen his spotlight.

"I'm sorry," I blurted out. I knew I should've stayed silent, but now it was too late. "I didn't mean to take Aphrodite's attention away from you. I'll even tell her tomorrow. I just want to be friends," I said, then quickly added, "If that's okay with you,"

Ares seemed to be making a difficult decision. I probably stood there for a few minutes before Ares spoke. "Kid, I suggest you leave Olympus right now,"

I was stunned. I felt like I had been punched in the gut. Even after my apology, Ares still hated me. What more could I do? Heaving an unsteady sigh, I turned away. Maybe the war god was right. Maybe I should leave Olympus. My mom would be down there, waiting for me with her arms open. We would forget this whole ordeal even happened and pick up in our lives where we left off.

But that's not what I wanted.

Still, I started to leave anyway, feeling like I'd done something wrong, but a hand clamped onto my shoulder. I didn't have to turn around to know who it was.

"Not for the reason you're thinking," Ares said, shaking his head. "There's a reason you're here right now. If you didn't know that Olympus was here, you couldn't have made the trip yourself. Someone summoned you."

I blinked. My dream shifted to my birthday party with just my mom and I while Gabe was actually at work because of some "missing inventory emergency". My perfect day had been torn apart when a rumbling voice had taken me away and dropped me off here at Olympus. I could see that scene: the candles on my cake blew out, but this time, the room didn't darken. I could see everything. The sound was muffled, but I could see the room shake, and heard an angry voice, saying, "You're time is up,"

I felt like a had just had a ton of bricks thrown at me, then got trampled by a herd of elephants. I knew why I thought the voice was familiar, and how I got a chill down my spine around this man.

I wanted to wake up. I could feel tears sting my eyes. Pinching my arm, I hoped to see my bedroom again. This was all a nightmare. My mom was still alive.

But even before I opened my eyes and saw that I wasn't home, I knew I was just kidding myself. My eyes shut again, almost involuntarily. I saw more of the scene earlier this evening.

"Percy!" My mother's desperate voice sliced through my heart like knife. I felt myself being pulled away, but not before I saw the look on her face. She was terrified. She was in pain. She couldn't think of anything worse than losing her little boy.

The hairs on the back of my neck raised. The apartment was blasted to bits, and I woke up in a pool of sweat and tears, the horrible truth settling in.

Zeus killed my mother.

That took awhile to write, but hopefully it was worth it. I'm having a lot of fun writing this story, even though it's only chapter two.

Wow. I absolutely have to give a shout out to my first three reviewers: Thalia's Royal King, riml, and SONxOFxCHAOS. I love you guys :) You deserve presents... which I don't actually have... awkward.

I'm going to try my hardest to update as often as possible. Thanks again guys! R&R!

~Ms. Blueberry Muffin