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Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson or any characters associated with the series or in actual Mythology.
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A large truck sloshed through the street, bumping over potholes and trash intermittently. It was an old vehicle, rust adorning the sides like a second coat of paint with little dents peppered across the bumper, the evidence of an impatient driver. On the side door, painted in dark orange lettering, 'Jim's Car Mechanic' was plastered unevenly across the door's expanse.
The truck soon pulled over to the sidewalk, near large stone-carved stairs and stopped, ignoring the angry honks of indignant drivers behind it. Two guys, one white and the other black, hopped out of the truck, both with hoods pulled over their faces, shielding them from the pelts of rain. The taller one of the two boys handed something to the driver and the truck quickly whizzed away, spraying water onto the sidewalk by the gallons.
The shorter one, who was aided by crutches, quickly bounded up the stairs, agilely skipping every other one with a click, click, click. The taller guy lingered behind, head moving around, scanning his surroundings. He then slowly walked up the steps until he was aligned by his companion.
The two quickly entered the building, ignoring the large sign which read, 'The New Greek and Roman Galleries'. As soon as they entered, both pulled off their hoods as an employee quickly approached them.
"Hello, is there anything that I can help you with?" It was a stocky, obese man who seemed to be balding prematurely. Acne scars were swelled across his cheeks and sweat stains were visible on his clothes.
The taller one quickly replied, "We're here for our class' field trip. Sorry that we're late, but traffic was terrible. As a result, we missed the bus and were forced to hitch a ride. If you could just point us in the right direction, sir, we would be thankful."
The obese man licked his lips, "You two are in sixth grade? You look like you could be in high school. You also don't sound like... sixth graders."
The shorter one, with the crutches, laughed, almost sounding like a horse. "No, don't worry, man. We both get that all the time. We're used to it. We were both held back and had early growth spurts - puberty hit us early, my friend."
The employee relaxed, fingers reaching towards his mouth, wiping away saliva. "Oh, good, good. Well, right now, your class is in the Ancient Greece area - very cool stuff in there." He pointed towards a hallway, "Follow that hall, take a left and then two rights. Do you need me to guide you?"
"No, don't worry about us, man. Thank you for your help. You've been invaluable."
The obese man perked up and beamed, turning towards another group who had just entered, whistling merrily.
"I can't believe that we're doing this again, Percy," the one with crutches said almost tiredly once they were alone. "Remember what the principal said? 'No more, you two!' Does that ring any bells? We could get expelled, and I know that you don't want to disappoint your mom."
Percy glared at him, pitch-black, slightly curled hair tumbling past his ears and to his eyebrows. "I know, all right? I know, but I just have a… feeling. Plus, I'm worried about him, Grover."
Grover rolled his eyes, "You're always worried about him, my friend," his crutches clicked against the floor as they started walking. "You're not always going to be around to protect him, Percy. Someday, he's going to be out on his own in this world without you being there to look out after him; life happens, man. This is New York City, dangerous to the weak-willed."
Ignoring his friend, Percy motioned forward, "Come on, let's go,"
XxXxXxXxXxX
Shoes squeaking with every step, Percy slowly peered around a corner and saw a group of kids huddled together, staring at a statue of a man with what looked like a... lion's head. He narrowed his eyes and immediately relaxed when he saw the familiar form of his younger brother amongst the other kids.
He felt Grover stop next to him, his only friend's crutches scraping against the floor softly to assure their stealthy 'visit'. Grover shook himself like an animal and water sprayed Percy, flowing to the Museum's floor in a small puddle. Percy sighed and looked down at his clothes.
It had been raining heavily the entire morning, rain falling in a perpetual downpour. Both he and Grover's shoes were sopping wet and the sound of the monstrous morning rain was echoing everywhere, pinging off of the roof of the building like dropped bombs. He was almost worried that the rain would break through the roof for it seemed so strong.
It had been that way for months, since Christmas, it seemed, constant thunderstorms, hurricanes, and earthquakes plaguing the world, killing thousands.
"Hey, is Jim picking us up?" Grover asked in a whisper. He was hunched on his crutches, neck leaning forward like a turtle.
Percy shook his head, "No, he can't do it. We'll need to find our own way back. He doesn't even like us; the only reason that he has helped us in the past was that of the time when I saved his kid from being hit by a bus."
"Well, I hope you have a plan then, Percy." Grover murmured, peering up at him through fur-like eyelashes. "While I don't mind ditching school - in fact, I prefer it - we don't want your brother to find out. He's tired of you watching over him all the time. Remember last time?"
"I know, I know," he acquiesced, staring down at his only friend. He had met Grover earlier in the year and had been pleasantly surprised when a friendship had resulted from their mutual 'loner' mentality. It probably had helped that both had dyslexia and ADHD, nightmares academically for the school and teachers. In fact, Percy's mother had it and from what he had managed to piece together from various clues, Percy had realized that he and his brother's nonexistent, different fathers had both had it as well.
Grover, unfortunately, also had a disability that warped his spine, making him look like a hunchback. As a result, he couldn't walk without the aid of his crutches, forcing his arms to help carry his body.
It was a shame because Percy knew that if it weren't for his friend's disability, he would have been an excellent athlete like Percy himself. Despite easily being the most athletic kid in their school, Percy allowed himself to be overlooked, preferring to stay away from the other kids.
"Hey, look," Grover elbowed him harshly and Percy was reminded of how strong his friend was despite his unfortunate disability. "They're moving to the next exhibit."
He nodded and peered out around the corner, watching his brother shuffle forward with his group. Percy went to follow, but out of the corner of his eye, he saw a flash of something, almost like darkness.
He slowly turned to his right and felt his features pale drastically. Mrs. Dodds, he and Grover's algebra teacher was glaring at him with murder carved into her ugly face. He swallowed and licked his suddenly dry lips. "Grover, we're utterly screwed."
His friend glanced up at him in bewilderment and then Grover saw Mrs. Dodds. "Oh, shit," he went limp against his crutches, "Man, I told you this was going to happen." He whined almost fearfully, sounding like a goat for a split second, blood drained from his features.
Percy hung his head in defeat and watched his teacher stalk towards them with a predatory gleam in her cold eyes. "Mr. Jackson, Mr. Underwood. Follow me and let us discuss your blatant absence from school today." She briskly stepped through them and with no further option, he and Grover followed.
She led them into an abandoned room, ancient replicas of weapons placed intermittently around the expanse. She slowly turned around and tilted her head to the side, "This is most unsurprising given your track records. I believe that this is over a dozen now, correct?" She smiled and Percy tensed at the sight of her sharp teeth. Before his eyes, they seemed to elongateinto fangs so deadly that Dracula himself would have been green with jealousy. He blinked rapidly but the vision remained. "Now, I believe that you, Mr. Underwood, know who I am, correct?"
Grover suddenly shook like a cat in the rain, "N- …no, ma'am," he stuttered, looking more scared than Percy had ever seen him. "I… have no clue-"
"Enough!" Mrs. Dodds screeched and Percy swore that the glass in the room quivered. "My master has tasked me with finding you, Mr. Jackson, and ending you. You look just like him. I have no idea how you have stayed out of their gaze for so long, and why you have no scent or aura, but no matter! I will do what I must - my master commands nothing less."
Percy stepped back slowly, "Mrs. Dodds, I can assure you that this is all one big misunderstanding. I don't believe for one second that Principal Gentz wants you to kill me." He chuckled nervously, noticing that Grover's shaking intensified, terror tangible.
"Not him, you fool!" She exclaimed, "You will tell us where you've hidden it! If not, we can always use your brother as… sufficient motivation."
"'Us'?" Grover asked shakily while Percy froze at his teacher's words. He suddenly realized that he no longer knew where his brother was at. The class field trip could have already ended!
"What… what do you mean?" Percy whispered in fear, "What have you done with my brother?" His fists clenched and he felt something trying to rise within him like a mighty storm but it kept hitting an immovable wall. "Where is Athos?" He screamed.
Mrs. Dodds grinned savagely, a monstrous glint in her sulfur-filled eyes. "Why don't you ask him yourself, Mr. Jackson?" She snapped her fingers and before he and Grover's very eyes, the shadows in the room swirled in a dance of death.
Three forms appeared out of the darkness.
Percy swallowed as his little brother, his beloved, baby brother stared across at him with fear and anger. His bright eyes were filled with tears and several claw marks decorated his face, harshly marring his delicate features.
Grover cursed, "Percy, I didn't know, man! I'm sorry!" He bleated like a goat, "Fuck! I should have known. Things were going too well for too long!"
"You knew about this?" Percy demanded, whirling on his friend, "You bastard!"
His friend paled, his thin, pubic-looking facial hair quivering. "No, no! I didn't know about Athos, man! You have to believe me. I always suspected that Mrs. Dodds was a Kindly One, but I had no idea that all three of them were here. Son of a bitch! We are absolutely fucked in every torturous way possible!"
"What the hell is going on?" Percy exclaimed, seeing the truth shine in his friend's grass-like colored eyes. "'Kindly One', you said. What the fuck is that?"
"No, man," Grover swallowed. "Who the fuck is that?"
"Tell us where you've hidden it!" Mrs. Dodds roared, her voice reverberating everywhere, "Where is the weapon?" The two others, who were holding his brother, stepped next to her, sharp claws held to Athos' jugular, an anticipatory gleam glowing in their malevolent orbs.
"What weapon?" Percy cried out, "I don't know what the fuck you're talking about!"
Then Mrs. Dodds grinned, eyes flashing with the colors of hell. Before Percy's eyes, she tore through her own body, shedding the skin as a snake would.
Now, a large bat-like creature with leathery skin snarled at him, "Last chance, Jackson, or your dear baby brother will enter my master's realm forever!"
"Alecto!" A voice roared from behind and Percy whipped around, staring at the man in the wheelchair.
His jaw dropped, "Mr. Brunner?" He didn't fail to notice Grover sag in relief, features becoming less terrified.
"Let Athos Jackson go or I swear on the River Styx that I'll rip you to pieces!" Mr. Brunner threatened, thunder roaring across the heavens as he said it and Percy tried to process everything that was happening. His paralyzed history teacher vowed to rip Mrs. Dodds, his algebra teacher who had turned into a bat, to shreds because Percy's baby brother was being held by Mrs. Dodds' sisters.
It was a nightmare.
Mrs. Dodds or Alecto cackled in seeming genuine amusement, "You overestimate yourself, Chiron. You are a weak disgrace in the eyes of your siblings. Don't kid yourself, trainer. You could never defeat me."
Mr. Brunner wheeled closer and Percy noticed that his teacher's eyes were ancient. "Make no mistake, Alecto. I may be 'a weak disgrace' but he is not." His paralyzed teacher then pointed a strong finger directly at Percy. "Threatening his little brother, whom he had vowed to protect from the moment he had laid eyes on him, wasn't a smart decision." Percy blinked and wondered what the actual fuck was going on.
What were Mr. Brunner and Mrs. Dodds talking about? Why was Athos being held hostage by his insane algebra teacher and her sisters? Why was Grover not doing anything, and more importantly, why did Mr. Brunner believe that Percy could defeat three apparent bat creatures with claws?
"Jackson has no scent or aura, trainer." One of the women bellowed, a sharp claw beginning to dig into Athos' neck, making Percy stiffen. "If he was able to do anything, he would have already done so."
Mrs. Dodds glared at the woman, "Shut up, Megaera."
Mr. Brunner hummed, glancing at Percy curiously, "Yes, you're right," he murmured.
"Silence!" Mrs. Dodds suddenly gripped Athos by the back of the neck, effortlessly hoisting him in the air, her talons wrapping across his Adam's Apple. "He's stalling, sisters, hoping that someone will appear, but it is useless to pray for a miracle. Leave now without the half-bloods, Chiron, and our master will show you mercy."
"You are beaten, trainer!" The last woman laughed cruelly, eyes flashing with glee.
"Quiet, Tisiphone!" Mrs. Dodds growled.
Percy's history teacher sighed and his shoulders slumped, "I had hoped to convince you to be reasonable,"
Mrs. Dodds sneered. "A pointless endeavor,"
Mr. Brunner nodded, "I suppose, Alecto, but know this: whatever happens is on your head." In a blur of motion, Percy watched in disbelieving awe as a bow was pulled out of Mr. Brunner's wheelchair, and an arrow was fired all in the blink of an eye.
His algebra teacher's eyes widened and she was barely able to jerk away from a deadly strike, but she wasn't fast enough to avoid the arrow.
Mrs. Dodds howled in fury as the arrow embedded itself in her shoulder. She dropped Athos and Percy instinctively bolted forward, avoiding Megaera's sudden spiked tail that had appeared out of nowhere, vaulting over the poison-coated tips and landed next to his brother.
"Come on!" He cried out, "Run! Just run!" His brother was shaking greatly, eyes wide with shock and fear. Percy knew that it was up to himself to get them both out of here.
"Percy!" He whirled around, watching as Grover ran towards him like a donkey with a sword in each hand, crutches nowhere to be seen. "You need to fight!" His only friend rushed out, eyes wild with anxiety. "We can't defeat them without you! They are considered by some to be the queens of monsters - gifted life from the blood of Ouranos himself!" He yelped and narrowly avoided a poisoned spike thrown by Tisiphone.
Grover abruptly lashed forward, leaping forward dozens of feet, cracks shaped like hooves appearing in the marble floor. He clashed with Tisiphone, visibly struggling against the demonic creature. Percy cursed and was about to enter the fray when Grover's hands glowed like wild nature. Then, animals appeared throughout the room, roaring as they all simultaneously helped Grover, aiding in the attack against Tisiphone.
Tisiphone screamed in fury and a wave of dark energy exploded out of her bat-like body, destroying all of the animals like flickering images, sweeping Grover from his feet.
Athos cried out in pain, "Percy, help!"
Percy saw the claws marks on his brother's face writhe, warping his cheekbones with death. He stumbled towards him, "Hold on! Don't worry, it will all be fine, okay?" He soothed, hoping that his uncertainty wouldn't be visible or audible.
To his relief, Athos believed him and nodded, "It hurts worse than when- behind you!" His eyes widened with unadulterated terror, an expression that Percy had never seen before carved into his little brother's innocent face.
He turned around just in time to see Megaera flying at him like a fallen star, fangs glistening with anticipation for the taste of blood. "Our master will discover where you've hidden it, Jackson!" She screeched, winds whipping towards Percy, who instinctively rolled to his right, towards Mr. Brunner's wheelchair. He dimly noticed Grover help Athos, trying to ward off two of the creatures and losing.
"Percy!" His history teacher shouted over the furious roars of the creatures, "The pen in my pocket - take it! It will help you and your brother." His arms were blurring as he continuously fired arrow after arrow at what had been Mrs. Dodds.
Percy didn't question it and reached into his teacher's worn jacket, fingers grasping a smooth, throbbing object. He yanked it out, feeling something soothe his body, his mind. It was as if all his fears and anxiety faded away, leaving behind a new, ready-made canvas.
"Flick off the cap, my boy!" Mr. Brunner sounded exhausted and Percy knew that he didn't have much time. He could hear Athos' fearful whimpers and Grover's heaving breaths, the sounds filling his body with strength.
He snatched the cap off of the pen and narrowly avoided the long, majestic sword that sprang from the top of the object. He ignored the sheer impossibility of the situation and stood to his feet, bolting towards his brother and friend, roaring like an enraged beast.
Tisiphone and Megaera loomed over Athos and Grover, wounds littering his friend's body, blood pooled on the marble. Athos was shrunk behind Grover, eyes scrunched shut tightly, body shaking with terror. Grover weakly, but defiantly, glared up at the two demons and Percy was eternally grateful he had such a friend.
He screamed and leaped forward, feeling the rush of something trying but failing to release inside him again, like an explosion trapped inside a detonating grenade.
The two bat creatures spun around, forms standing about ten feet tall, disgusting, vile faces twisted with sadism. They rushed at him with a speed that no human could ever achieve and swiped their claws at his face.
Percy somehow narrowly ducked away from Tisiphone's talons and swiped his sword into Megaera's arm, watching in fascinated awe as it fell to the floor, dark black blood oozing from the limb.
She howled in rage and pain, "I will curse you, boy, inflicting unimaginable agony upon you in the Fields of Punishment!"
Tisiphone pivoted and her large, spiked tail blurred at his face, aching to cleave his head from his shoulders. Percy was barely able to raise the blade in time, feeling the hot blood splatter across his face as the tail was severed. He ignored the boiling feeling across his skin as best as he could and blitzed the screaming Tisiphone, ramming his sword through her chest.
Before his eyes, Tisiphone dissolved into golden dust with a hysterical, animalistic screech of defiance towards the heavens. He glanced down at the dust caking the marble floor and noticed several objects gleaming in contrast to the gold.
Percy cried out in pain as he was suddenly slammed from behind, sharp claws digging into his back. Megaera's teeth sank into his shoulder, "Nobody gets to hurt my sister but me!" She smashed his face into the floor, further injuring his seared face and then she flipped him over, blood pooling beneath him, drenching his shirt. "You will suffer, son of- " she gasped abruptly as an arrow tore through her head, embedding in the wall. She gazed at him with utter hatred and suddenly dissolved into golden dust just as Tisiphone had previously.
"Percy!" Grover and Athos appeared in his vision, helping him to his feet, "We gotta get out of here!"
Mrs, Dodds laughter filled the room, echoing ominously. "Unless you want your beloved teacher to enter my master's realm, you will surrender, Jackson." She held Mr. Brunner, a crackling whip of dark, hellish energy wrapped around his body.
Percy watched Mr. Brunner shake his head, exhaustion carved into his face and Percy knew that that wasn't an option; Mr. Brunner had killed Megaera at the cost of his own survival.
"What do you want?" He called out hesitantly and wearily, feeling his shoulder and face throb with the memory of Megaera's attack. He clenched his fist around the sword, feeling it hum with pleasure.
Mrs. Dodds snarled and in a blur of motion, smashed Mr. Brunner into a pillar. Suddenly, she appeared in front of them, Athos held in her grip. "You know what I want, Jackson: the weapon for your brother. Which is it that you value more?" Her talons slowly dug into his little brother's delicate skin, making Athos whimper in pain.
Percy's vision tunneled and all that he could see was his beloved baby brother's face twisted in fear and agony, trauma carved deep into his bright eyes.
Something broke.
The feeling was intense and overwhelming; a lesser person would have feared it, but Percy embraced it like a lost sibling. With the rush of a tsunami, power flooded his body in a raging fire, running rampant through every vein and cell. He felt all his wounds heal instantly, but he didn't stumble or fall. No. In fact, he stood taller and stronger. It was as if a part of his soul had awakened from a forced slumber, his blood singing with the truth. He was no longer a blind painter, a deaf musician, or a tasteless chef; he felt alive for the first time in his life.
Mrs. Dodds looked ecstatic, "Finally, my master will reward me greatly-" she didn't get the chance to finish as Percy roared and every dam that had ever kept this pure power at bay shattered. He zipped forward, running faster than he had ever thought possible and wrenched Mrs. Dodds talons away from Athos' neck with a sickening crunch. Then, he blurred his arm upward and sliced the sword straight through her other arm, watching almost contentedly as black blood gushed out in a small stream like a river.
He punched his fist straight into Mrs. Dodds face, the grinding of bones on his skin a sound of victory pounding in Percy's ears. He kicked her back with a devastating impact on her leathery chest, feeling her sternum quiver before his strength. His algebra teacher cried out in a raspy voice, pain carved into her snarling face. She stumbled several yards away in a heap of bat limbs.
The echo of deafening thunder roared across the heavens, sizzling lines of lightning flashing like veins. The winds howled above the Museum, rain pelting the roof like relentless gunfire, cracks appearing with every second passed.
Mrs. Dodds suddenly looked terrified, bat-like face cracking with realization. The shadows in the room suddenly swirled and flew towards her in a last ditch effort and Percy instinctively knew that he couldn't allow that. He felt a massive, slightly painful tug in his gut and to his disbelief, lightning smashed through the roof in a shower of blinding light and stone, electrifying Mrs. Dodds.
Immediately upon contact, she screamed in agony and burst into flurries of golden dust.
It was over.
Percy fell to his knees as an exhaustion that he had never felt before poisoned his body, causing him to collapse, the sword transforming back into a regular pen, rolling out of his numb fingers and on to the floor soundlessly as gravity claimed Percy. Luckily, Grover caught him, but he soon felt the darkness beckoning like a selfless lover, and Percy welcomed the relief away from the weariness.
XxXxXxXxXxX
It was strange. Images blurred through his mind, condensing into an impossible collage which portrayed a world of gods and monsters, of immortals. Through his mind's eye, Percy saw a massive throne room, infinitely dwarfing the size of a football field, a dozen majestic thrones circling the area in a 'U' formation.
The thrones were alive, seeming to dance in the light. The throne in the center was made out of lightning and air and clouds, built out of the sky itself. Percy glanced at the throne to the right of the center throne and saw pure roiling waters condensed into a throne. Every other throne was supernatural in the same ways, created out of the impossible.
In the center of the thrones, hardly visible unless one focused, a crackling hearth seeped warmth into Percy's soul. Sitting in front of the beautiful, blazing fire, a young girl of about eight years old stared into the flames. Her hands were inside the hearth and Percy began to panic, but then he noticed that the girl wasn't in any pain. Rather, it seemed that she was content.
Suddenly, the girl turned her head, staring directly at him with an intensity that stole his breath. Her face was regal with fiery freckles peppered across her cheeks, adding allure to her appearance. Warm brown hair cascaded down the girl's back and her skin glowed under the light of the fire. Percy realized that despite this girl only being eight years old at most, she was the most beautiful person he had ever seen. She was flawless and radiated elegance and beauty.
He swallowed as his eyes connected with her own. He had always been ashamed of his pure white orbs. He had no iris or pupil - only an unnatural glowing white sclera that made him loathe his eyes. Now, looking at this girl, he somehow didn't feel ashamed any longer. Her own eyes were just like his own except the color - flaming embers roared in her orbs, flickering with fire.
The girl's lips twitched in a small smile and she nodded slightly towards her left and Percy slowly sat down next to her, somehow feeling completely at ease with the girl. The hearth was soothing and calm, washing away any lingering anxiety like an irritating speck of dust.
She didn't speak for several moments, but when she did, it was with a voice filled with kindness. "Your life is going to change in ways you cannot fathom, Perseus." She said softly, "Your power is now too great for your mother and me to contain. With your brother growing as well, it would be impossible to conceal either of you any longer."
"Wait, what?" He leaned back slightly, "Is this about the… the Museum? Surely, that was just a… nightmare. And who are you? What is this place? If it's a dream, then it's the strangest setting I've ever encountered and that's saying something because my dreams are… weird."
The girl sadly shook her head, "We both know that it wasn't a nightmare, nephew. I am a friend and this place is real, a realm forgotten by the world and forced into legend."
Percy blinked, trying to understand, "Then why am I in this place that no longer exists in the eyes of the world? What the hell is going on? Can you please give me some details?"
The girl seemed to ignore him, staring at him solemnly. "You've been gifted something precious, something that most in your position could never dream of: a normal life. Your mother did everything, and I mean absolutely everything in her power and abilities to keep you and your little brother ignorant and safe for as long as she possibly could until the Fates deemed it time. Normally, a situation like in the Museum today, which was real, would have happened years ago." She grabbed his hand, cradling it gently and softly, her warm flesh calming his warring mind. "You must now wake up, nephew," her fiery eyes darted from side to side in what looked like nervousness. "By now, they all know of your existence, and there is nowhere on heaven or earth where they can't find you."
"What is going on?" He asked desperately, "Please, just tell me. I don't know what to do. Who's 'they' and why would 'they' care about me?"
"There's no time, my dear," she squeezed his hand, urgency suddenly carved into her divine features. Percy didn't get a chance to ask her what she meant as the girl suddenly stood up and gently kissed his forehead. "You must awaken and I promise that my brother will answer your questions. Soon, everything will be revealed to you, nephew, so be patient and wake up."
He shot up from the floor with a gasp, eyes wide as he wildly searched for the girl only to be met with fearful and concerned gazes of Athos, Grover, and Mr. Brunner.
Athos' eyes brightened intensely, practically blinding, and he rushed into his chest, arms squeezing with strength. "I thought- …you didn't die!" He shuddered against Percy's chest, "What's going on, Percy?" His baby brother pleaded, tears soaking his shirt, and Percy was filled with rage. His eyes darted towards his history teacher.
"What the fuck is going on, Mr. Brunner or Chiron or whatever the flying fuck your name is?" He jumped to his feet, Athos still hugging him tightly, "Start talking."
Mr. Brunner sighed and he glanced around, eyes wildly roaming the room. "I cannot answer your questions now, Percy. I can sense that your aura and scent is no longer suppressed. Now, every monster in the country will be drawn to you like bees to honey, all salivating with the unholy desire to consume your blood. You and Athos must flee to the Camp - Grover will guide you!" He hissed out, looking fearful and Percy knew that whatever the hell was going on was deadly serious.
Athos lurched even further into his body, trying to find sanctuary from the nightmare, "I want to go home," he said against his chest. "I want mom."
"Excellent idea, young Athos." Mr. Brunner interrupted, "If you all wish to make it to Camp, your mother's services will be required. Also, I need to… question her when you arrive."
Grover paled, "Why does it sound like that you won't be helping us reach Camp?"
Mr. Brunner rolled back in his wheelchair, "Because I won't be - I can sense the Fates' decree; they have deemed it necessary for this trial to be undertaken alone without my aid. My hands are tied, Grover, for we both know the inability of anyone to undermine the Fates' command. This is a trial you all must burden alone." He closed his eyes and then to Percy's disbelief, vanished like smoke.
He licked his suddenly dry lips, still trying to wrap his mind around everything, "Grover, you knew about all of this?"
His friend winced, "That's why I was enrolled in your school. Because of my heritage," he gestured to his covered legs as if they were visible, as if it explained everything. Percy couldn't help but stare at his best friend in bemusement while holding his brother close, "I can sense half-bloods - just like all Satyrs. The moment when I met you, I could feel that you were one of us, a half-blood, but there was no tingling sensation - unprecedented by all accounts I'd ever heard. I quickly alerted Chiron and when he arrived, he immediately ceased his duties at Camp whence he saw your appearance."
"Why?" Percy demanded, "What the hell does that mean? Mrs. Dodds and those freaks said something similar. What am I not being told? What else are you keeping from me, from us?"
Before Grover could try to answer, a green flash blinded them all temporarily and an overpowering odor of pine needles filled Percy's nostrils.
Athos leaped from his arms, "Mom!" He ran towards the middle of the room and Percy turned around just in time to see his mother engulf his little brother in her arms, kissing his head.
"Oh, I feared the worst when…" she trailed off as her vibrant green eyes connected with Percy's. "I'm sorry," she whispered with such anguish that Percy immediately ran towards her, placing his hand on her tense shoulder, "I was too selfish. I should have never allowed it to come to this." She threaded her fingers through Athos' soft, messy hair. "Forgive me, my precious sons. Your lives have just transformed into… a curse."
Grover coughed loudly, "Hey! I really hate to interrupt, but we need to leave! The King of the fucking Underworld is after you, Percy!" Suddenly, his friend's swords vibrated and his crutches then reappeared, taking the place of the swords. Then, without even hesitating, Grover ripped off his pants.
Furry legs that were buckled like a donkey assaulted Percy's eyes and he blinked, trying to process the vision of his best friend who was apparently half of a farm animal.
Athos' bright eyes widened, "Wow! Grover! You- …your legs! They're like an animal's!"
Grover nodded half-mindedly. "Yeah, yeah, I know, but we can discuss this later, okay?"
"Man, what exactly are you, dude?" Percy's question floated in the air.
"That doesn't matter right now, my friend."
Percy's jaw dropped, "It doesn't matter?" He exclaimed, "From the waist down, my best friend is a fucking donkey!" He cried out, arms waving. "You're literally an ass!"
Grover bleated sharply, sounding like the animal that he obviously was. "You're the one who's acting like an ass, now! GOAT! I'm a fucking goat from the waist down, Percy!"
"You just said that it didn't matter." Athos pointed out, staring at Grover's legs in fascination.
"To me, it doesn't matter, but there are Satyrs who would gladly trample you both underhoof for the perceived insult. It's just a warning; when we arrive at Camp, you need to be careful - you never know who is listening. Oh, before I forget, that pen that Mr. Brunner gave you will always return to your pocket - it's charmed, and a powerful weapon." Grover glanced around as Percy checked his pockets and he swallowed as he felt the pen jutting out of his pocket slightly. His friend bleated and stamped his hooves. "While I would love to continue this lovely, enlightening discussion, we gotta go, and I mean now, like right now!"
Percy's mom quickly nodded her head and slowly stood to her feet and Percy noticed the fatigue lining her face and actions. She placed a glowing green hand on Athos' forehead and a blinding light highlighted the room. Then, after a moment, it dimmed and his mother stumbled, falling into Percy's arms. He dimly noticed that his brother's eyes were brighter, practically blinding with radiance.
"What's wrong? What is it?" He asked. "What did you do? How did you do that?"
She smiled tiredly, "The backlash of you and your brother's… awakening took its toll, but don't worry. I'll be fine," she stood up.
"How did you get here?" Athos asked, staring up at their mother with bright, scared, haunted eyes. "And why do I feel different?"
"I teleported with my magic," she said softly. "I know that you both have questions, but now isn't the time. Once we arrive at Camp, answers will be given."
"Come on, daylight is fading!" Grover cried out, gathering all of the objects on the floor left from where the demonic creatures had died. They must have been… trophies. "Sally, can you teleport all of us to the Camp?"
"No, it's exhausting to teleport with another person, nonetheless four." She glanced around the room and quickly waved a hand, and out of nowhere, a large sack with sturdy strings of what looked like pure lightning appeared in her hands. She glanced at him and tossed it. Percy caught it unconsciously, staring at the lightning straps, remembering the lightning that had killed Mrs. Dodds because he had commanded it.
"I made it for you when you were just a babe, prepared for when you would enter this cursed world. It has infinite storage," she looked towards Athos, "and there is another for Athos." She pulled out a bright sack, glowing like a powerful flashlight, and tossed it to his brother. She smiled brokenly, "Good, now we can leave."
XxXxXxXxXxX
The scenery blurred by as Percy stared through the window, fingers clenching and unclenching in rhythm with his heartbeat. In his other hand, the pen-sword that Mr. Brunner had given him was twirled between his fingers with expert precision. His mother was driving while Grover and Athos sat in the back, his brother asleep against his seatbelt, his new glowing sack his makeshift pillow, small droplets of drool spilling onto the gift. The brightness didn't bother his brother. In fact, he seemed to take comfort from it.
Grover was chewing an apple, crutch-swords lying against his shoulder, and reading a magazine, obviously trying to remain oblivious to the tension in the car.
After leaving the Museum, to everyone's disbelief, Percy's mom had somehow pulled a beautiful sports car out of nowhere. Now, for the past hour, the trip to whatever Camp she and Grover and Mr. Brunner kept alluding to had commenced.
Percy's fist clenched tightly and he could feel it, the lightning under his skin, begging to be unleashed. He felt a power inside him, one that had never been there until Mrs. Dodds. In his lap, the sack lay across his legs, the lightning straps only making him more furious. He looked back out the window.
Wind slammed against the car, battering it relentlessly. Bullets of rain lashed everywhere, reverberating in his ears almost painfully. Flashes of lightning and thunder erupted in a colossal display of power, bringing peace to Percy's soul.
He felt connected to the chaos outside of the vehicle. As if they were part of his very being.
"How are you feeling?" His mother asked quietly, looking at him in concern.
Percy sighed, "I feel incredible, better than ever. I feel invincible, unstoppable, powerful."
"That's how it tends to feel, it's part of the curse."
"What curse?" He snapped and noticed Grover flinch in the backseat, "Would you just tell me? All these sly maneuvers to avoid the question aren't going to fly any longer! Just, for the love of everything peaceful, tell me."
His mother's eyes squeezed shut and she shuddered, "This is about your father and Athos', Percy, and who they are, what they represent."
"My father is dead, you told me that yourself. I barely remember Athos' dad, I was like two-and-a-half-years-old." He pointed out quietly, "Are you saying that that was a lie? Is my father alive? What about Athos' father?"
She swallowed, "Your father is alive, Percy, and so is Athos'. I kept you both hidden for as long as I possibly could and received aid from a family member."
Percy blinked and remembered that strange dream, "The girl helped you," he whispered. "She called me 'nephew' and shit. Who is she?"
"She's your aunt."
He glared at her, "Of course she's my aunt! What's her name? Why won't you tell me, tell us the truth?"
"The truth isn't simple, Percy. It's convoluted and peculiar to-"
"You're stalling!" He interrupted, feeling something crunch in his hand. He looked down and saw the handle to the door mangled in his grip, almost unrecognizable. He pulled away as if burned and stared at it in horror.
"I never wanted this cursed existence to lay claim to you and your brother, Percy." His mother said softly, unperturbed by the mangled handle. "The Fates are never kind. …The truth is blood-soaked and abhorrent, only imagined in the minds of the truly deranged."
Percy gently squeezed his mom's hand, afraid that he would crush it like he had the door handle, "I still want to hear it. A truth is better than a lie, even if it's painful."
His mom laughed almost brokenly, "I suppose you're correct," she quieted and patted his hand softly. "You have made me so proud and I know that…" she trailed off and her eyes wildly looked everywhere, glaring at the mirrors with an intensity to rival the sun.
"What is it? What's wrong?" He asked hesitantly. Suddenly, he heard a deep bellow from behind the vehicle, like that of an enraged, ravenous predator.
Grover suddenly stiffened and he quivered, "Dí immortals," he whispered. "I've never felt such a raw, hateful aura. Not even from the Kindly Ones." He quickly shook Athos awake, "Hey, wake up, buddy. We're going to get out soon, so rise and shine!"
Percy then looked out the back of the car, above Grover and Athos and felt his jaw drop as a hulking figure's shadow was visible in the pale moonlight. It was easily over ten feet tall and it looked like it had a large helmet with two horns attached sprouting off its massive head.
His gaze snapped to his mom as she slammed her foot into the accelerator, lurching the vehicle forward even faster. Percy watched the speedometer pass well over one hundred miles and he glanced back out the back, paling when he noticed the hulking figure growing larger in his vision. Suddenly, small, powerful earthquakes rumbled across the road.
The creature was running and gaining on them, his very steps shaking the ground itself.
"Sally, look out!" Grover screamed and Percy's world shuddered as the car abruptly smashed into something. The feeling of weightlessness, like flying through the air, poisoned his limbs, not allowing him to react as his face lurched forward and smashed into the dashboard, sparks flying sporadically.
Strangely, there was no pain from the impact. It was like he had hit a pillow - weird.
He slowly peeled his face away and stared down at the imprint of his features stained onto the dashboard. He blinked and looked around, noticing many things at once.
A bulking tree, dozens of feet in diameter had landed in front of the car, causing them to crash into it. The entire front of the car was mangled, gnarled beyond any repair. The windshield was gone and rain poured into the car, drenching the two in the front. His mom was obviously dazed, slowly trying to open the car door, but failing badly. Grover and Athos were sprawled in the back, looking none the worse, only large bruises blossomed across their faces.
"Hurry!" His friend screamed, "He's coming!" Suddenly, Grover bucked like an animal and his hooves smashed the back door off its hinges, the sound of metal being crumpled echoing in the night. He quickly began to climb out, the smell of a powerful storm filling everyone's nostrils.
Athos sniffled, "I'm scared," his voice faltered and Percy looked at his little brother, noticing the unusual pale coloring, the terrified eyes.
"It's going to be okay, you're going to be okay, all right?" He soothed and reached back, gripping the seatbelt and with the power surging through his blood, he effortlessly ripped it away like a tattered piece of cloth. "Now, follow Grover, okay? He can help you while I help mom. Can you do that, buddy?" His brother nodded and scampered out of the vehicle, following Grover, his glowing sack gripped tightly in his hands.
Percy ripped off his own seat belt and focused on helping his mother. A bloody wound to her forehead met his eyes and he clenched his fists. "Mom, can you hear me?"
His mother shuddered, tongue darting out to wet her lips, "Percy," she croaked out. "You must enter the Camp. It's only…" she trailed off, her eyes staring into the still-usable side mirror with utter fear.
He looked back and in a flash of screeching lightning, through the cracked, mud-splattered rear windshield, Percy saw a behemoth trudge toward them, its steps cracking the road like eggshells. Now that he could see clearly, he realized that he had been wrong earlier; the figure was much larger - over fifteen feet tall.
Before his very eyes, a monster straight out of the Ancient Greek textbooks that Mr. Brunner was so fond of hulked into his life.
The Minotaur.
The creature was enormous, dwarfing the biggest bouncers in the world like they were small insects. Muscles were draped all over the monster's body like a second pair of clothes, like bowling balls harshly forced beneath his thick, vein-webbed skin. It made every man that Percy had ever seen on Men's Fitness magazines look like anorexic children.
Its neck was a destructive mass of muscle and blood-matted fur leading up to its massive head, which had a snout that looked almost as long as their car itself. Foaming nostrils with a gleaming, blood-colored brass ring breathed pure smoke and what even looked like embers. Spiked-bones sprouted from its skin across its shoulders, layering his body with armor. Its mouth was permanently set in a menacing snarl, large teeth similar to Mrs. Dodds' gleaming in the moonlight with blood. Finally, it's blood-stained horns looked to be sharp enough to raze the world with a single strike, and in one of its beefy hands, a large, pulsing, powerful hammer was gripped tightly, the anticipation of the kill gleaming across the metal.
"Um… mom?" He called out softly, "That's the Mino-"
"Pasiphae's son," his mother interrupted, beginning to heal as Percy watched his mother's bloody wound glow bright green. Then, it faded and the skin was fresh and pink.
Percy then quickly helped his mom out of the car, realizing that they were the prey in this impossible situation. They began to run, "I see Grover and Athos." He called out, "They're at the top of the hill about three hundred yards ahead. They're just standing there," he felt his sack hang off his back, doing nothing to ease his anxiety.
His mother huffed out a breath, "There safe and that's what matters. Now, we need to get you to join them." Their steps sloshed through water, creating much noise but it was unavoidable.
"You too, mom," Percy hissed out adamantly, guessing his mother's line of thought, "I refuse to leave you. You're coming with me, with us." He squeezed her hand.
"The Fates are never kind, my beautiful boy."
Percy ignored his mom and tugged her forward, not failing to notice that the Minotaur had passed the wrecked vehicle. They kept running, and Percy tried to grasp that feeling that he had had in the Museum when he blurred towards Mrs. Dodds, but it was out of reach. He could feel the power under his skin, throbbing with tension, but he couldn't hold it! All the power that he could grasp was only the memory of that feeling, but it was nowhere near enough!
The Minotaur bellowed in rage and suddenly, the earthquakes intensified a hundredfold, creating massive shockwaves as the creature abruptly bolted forward, animalistic roars echoing.
Percy gasped and realized that they weren't going to make it. With every step they took, the Minotaur was able to take over ten. The scales were uneven and the power under his skin refused to release! He didn't know how to control it!
They were still about a hundred yards away when his mom halted, swiping her hand away from his, "Go and don't look back," she said quietly, but somehow audible over the deafening shrieks of lightning, thunder, and the Minotaur.
"No, no, no!" He shouted, "Don't you fucking dare, mom." He would have never cursed at his mother, but desperate times called for desperate measures. "Don't do it. I can save you; I can and I will, mom." He desperately glanced at the hill, "Come on, I can get us there; I can save us, save you!"
His mom's lips curled in a soft, gentle smile. "But you already have, Percy. You've already saved me. Without you, my life would have never had meaning or joy or purpose or love. The greatest gift that the Fates ever gave me was you - and your brother, too. You've both done so much for my life, so let me return the gift, my beloved son. Now go and live." With that, she suddenly sprinted towards the Minotaur and Percy could do nothing to stop her - he was too shocked, too distraught.
Percy slowly felt his body begin to continue towards the top of the hill, his wet steps slapping loudly like a gunshot, but his eyes were riveted on his mother, his brave, loving, and kind-hearted mother.
She raced down the hill, green lights dancing across her hands beautifully. The Minotaur's head was down, blazing forward with its blood-stained horns pointed at his mother with the intention of a gruesome slaughter, every step rippling across the area like a curse.
He saw his little brother trying to run back down, but Grover thankfully kept him from doing so, one arm gripping Athos' arm with intensity.
Percy whipped his head back and felt his body stop moving, completely frozen in the ankle-deep water, as his eyes befell an image that shook him to his core.
His mother's hands were held over her head, her shoulders hunched almost painfully as a green wall of shimmering energy exploded from her fingertips. A wave rolled towards the Minotaur in a tsunami, dwarfing the creature's immense size.
The creature bellowed, the sound causing the water soaking the green grass to quiver, and the Minotaur ran even faster, torrents of fire shooting out of its nostrils in a showcase of impending death. With a mighty roar that seemed to shake the air itself, the monster smashed through the wave of energy with a resounding crack.
A shockwave exploded across the area, causing Percy to stumble as he fell to his knees, the water drenching his clothes even further. He saw his mother waver, weariness tangible.
The Minotaur violently shook its head for several moments, trying to readjust its equilibrium. Then, with an enraged, prolonged cry, it blurred towards Percy's mother.
Percy gasped and bolted to his feet, ignoring the sloshing water around his ankles. "Mom!" He screamed as the Minotaur advanced, looming over his mother as death's incarnate.
He knew there was nothing that he could do; his mother was about to die before his very eyes. The power buzzed beneath his skin like an angry beast, but nothing would happen! The power refused to aid him!
The Minotaur burst through his mother's body, but no blood sprayed into the soaked grass. Rather, the image of his mother flickered like a dying television screen and then vanished.
Thunder boomed across the sky as the Minotaur sniffed and hunched its head, looking like a bemused dog. Percy was doing no better - what the hell had just happened?
Where was his mother? Was she… dead?
Suddenly, a bright flash of green light and his mom was leaping onto the Minotaur's back, a deadly-sharp knife wedged into its neck. Percy smiled in relief and watched as the monster bellowed in frustration and pain before bucking wildly, trying to dislodge his mother whom held in the weapon with all her strength, sparks of green attacking the creature.
Percy walked closer, beginning to feel anxious when the Minotaur continued to buck and buck and buck. The knife was being repeatedly jabbed into the creature's neck, but it only seemed to make it angrier.
Abruptly, the Minotaur jumped into the air, the force cracking the ground with spiderwebs, and the monster reached the tips of towering trees and Percy felt his heart go still as the creature plummeted back down to the ground like a streaking comet. He could glimpse his mother being held in place by the Minotaur's hammer, painfully stretched across the creature's beefy neck onto his mom's head. The gleaming metal was glowing, seeming to keep her from teleporting like she had done previously - a dampener.
"Mom!" He screamed in despair as he knew the inevitable, the truth - his mother was going to die.
The Minotaur smashed into the ground with the force of a meteor, shaking the entire forest area like a nuclear bomb. Water exploded from the ground towards Percy in relentless waves of energy, but he just stood there, feeling the water harmlessly bypass him. He watched through sightless eyes as the monster stood up unharmed, howling with joy, the howl of an animal who had captured its prey.
His mother's broken and desecrated body decorated the crater that the Minotaur had created. Her eyes were glazed over, bones flattened to the point of nonexistence. Then, she dissolved, melting into the very inky darkness of the night, a shimmering green and golden form, as if she were a goddess.
He heard his little brother scream in agony, his wailing cry snapping through the suddenly silent forest like a detonated bomb. A flash of radiant light exploded behind Percy, but he didn't look.
A swift and terrible rage, the likes of which he had never experienced, flooded through Percy's body, making ever cell buzz with hate. He noticed that he began to shake and felt the bitter tears spill down his face in globs of misery. He unconsciously pulled out the pen and flicked off the cap, basking his features in a malevolent light, the sword glowing under the flash of lightning.
Images flashed through his mind, memories of his loving mother, the one person in the entire world who had always been there for him, had always loved him no matter how much he had fucked up.
His fist clenched painfully, his nails drawing blood, but he didn't care. There was only one thing that he cared about: avenging his mother.
Percy dimly noticed the water slowly swirl around his ankles, as if cowering before his unholy rage. He felt the power inside him and hated himself even more. He should have, could have saved his mother if he had been able to control the power, but he couldn't do it because he was a failure.
His thoughts slowed down and a monstrous roar of thunder and lightning flashed across the heavens, alighting the forest with a brightness that was painful.
The Minotaur was hiking up the hill, hammer waving in its hand, blood staining its body like a pair of clothes. As it noticed Percy standing there, it bellowed and rushed forward, the lust for more blood overwhelming the animal.
Time stood still.
Percy screamed with all the sorrow and hate raging in his heart, and exploded down the hill, blazing down in a streak of lightning. With every step, he felt stronger as the sky itself seemed to give him power, crackling with the intensity of the sun itself.
He smashed into the creature, sending them both tumbling down the hill. Percy jammed the blade repeatedly into the creature's stomach with multiple satisfying squelches. Dark, boiling blood splattered across his body as the Minotaur bellowed in pain, black eyes flashing with the promise of pain. "You will suffer, you diabolical fucker! You killed her, the only one who always supported me and loved me!" Percy screamed, sadistic emotions flowing through his body.
The Minotaur howled and smacked the sword away just as Percy reared forward to stab the monster again. The sword fell to the ground and Percy wasn't able to avoid the mind-shattering punch from the Minotaur. He was smacked back dozens of yards, head ringing, but the rage in his heart swelled, granting him strength.
Percy quickly jumped to his feet, ignoring the pain and tackled the Minotaur, squeezing his fingers into the creature's skull, beginning to feel the bones beneath the blood-matted fur quiver and crack.
The monster roared, eyes flashing with death and Percy was wholly unprepared for the bone-busting, black-energy pulsing hammer to collide with his ribs.
He was flung like a rag doll hundreds of yards away and he felt all of the ribs on his right side shatter, but the pain was fleeting as they healed, mending within seconds.
The ground shook as the Minotaur barreled at him with murder carved into its snarling, disgusting face, horns pointed straight at his chest.
Percy smiled almost evilly as he somehow instinctively levitated off the ground, watching the creature zip under him with an enraged bellow.
He didn't give himself a chance to hesitate as he zoomed down into the monster, smashing into its back painfully. Percy quickly gripped one of the Minotaur's horns with both hands. The image of his mother's broken body haunted his eyes and with a snarl, Percy ripped the horn out of the monster's head, torrents of black blood gushing out of the gruesome hole from where the horn used to be.
The Minotaur screamed and leaped onto its back, breaking several of Percy's ribs again and knocking the air out of his lungs. The creature stumbled to its feet and Percy sat up, feeling the jagged bone in his hand, the size of his entire arm - a perfect, poetic weapon.
He stood up, gazing at the monster with satisfaction, its whimpers of pain soothing his bleeding soul. He felt all of his physical wounds heal, and he gripped the horn, watching as the Minotaur bellowed, shaking the ground, and turned around, eyes flashing with absolute hatred just like Percy's own.
Man and monster faced each other, over twenty-five yards distance, but the overwhelming fury between them was suffocating.
As if a signal was launched, both rushed forward in a last ditch effort, in the last, final stand.
Percy felt the thunder, the lightning in the sky and, instinctively, he called it down, feeling it spasm through his makeshift weapon, brightening his features into a hateful snarl.
He and the Minotaur both leaped forward at the same time.
Just as Percy sank the lightning-sizzling horn through the Minotaur's face, the monster's hammer smashed into Percy's head with the force of ten-thousand punches.
They both fell to the ground bonelessly and the last sight that Percy saw through his pain-hazed eyes was that of his mother's murderer dispersing into golden dust.
Then, nothing.
XxXxXxXxXxX
He recognized the room immediately for it was where he had last woken up after Mrs. Dodds. It looked exactly the same, except there were twelve enormous men and women sitting erect in the massive thrones, absolute power radiating from each and every throne-bearer, each and every being bickering amongst themselves, warily maneuvering their attention to one another.
In the middle of the thrones, he saw his 'aunt' sitting in front of the hearth completely alone. She tilted her head almost imperceptibly and nodded towards him slightly, looking completely at ease.
None of the other… men and women seemed to notice Percy's arrival at the place forced into legend by the world. He froze as he quickly realized that he himself was the very the topic of conversation: the boy who had triumphed over the Minotaur with wavy black hair and had been traveling with three others.
The man in the centerstage throne suddenly smashed his lightning-coated fist into his throne, roars of absolute deafening thunder screeching in rage. Percy almost blacked out from the sheer noise and power. He managed to keep his eyes open and that's when he finally took in the man's appearance.
The man seemed as tall as large forests themselves, dwarfing the Minotaur easily. He was impossibly handsome, radiating beauty that Percy was in awe of. The man's sheer presence was daunting, seeming to overpower everyone in the room at the same time. The man was perfectly-proportioned and immensely muscular, his muscles all coiled tighter than any snake in existence. The man's hair was a lustrous white, tumbling past his shoulders, making him look even more imposing. The man's full beard was just as white, coating his face beautifully. His cheekbones were strong and his lips full and the man's whole face was broad, and Percy swallowed as he gazed at the man's eyes.
The same as his own - pure white orbs shined like a blazing star, burning with colossal power.
Percy suddenly, somehow knew that that man was his father. Despite the white hair and beard, the man was a picture-perfect, photocopy of Percy himself.
"Silence!" The man who Percy instinctively knew was his father roared, causing all side conversations, all arguments to cease. "I will not allow your accusations to continue."
The man sitting on the right of whom Percy believed was his father raised an eyebrow, looking completely calm, yet deadly serious as well. "You must admit, brother, that the similarities are astounding. He couldn't pass for anyone else's child save your own, don't you think? It's funny, isn't it?" The man leaned forward, perfectly-sculpted chin jerked in the air, "Another child whom you have sired - breaking the Oath for the third time - has been sighted and yet I have kept my word."
A beautiful woman sitting erect on a throne of scrolls snorted, arms crossing over her chest, eyes analytically seeking to wound with the sharpest words. "Most surprising for a conniving, whoring nuisance, and a heartless-"
The man slowly turned his gaze to the woman who had just spoken and Percy shivered at the turbulent seas rolling in the man's eyes, looking like pooling orbs of the ocean themselves. Even the woman looked unsettled but it was expertly hidden beneath a facade of arrogance. The man smiled coldly, "I am in no mood for your snark, niece. The fact remains that my brother violated the agreement of the Big Three thrice and I demand recompense. Also, if we all happen to remember, our weapons - the most powerful in creation - have been stolen by an unnamed enemy." The man glared at Percy's father, "You have done nothing since sending Ares, Hercules, Apollo, Athena, Hermes, and all your immortal children on a fool's crusade to find only your weapon except to order innocent half-bloods to conduct impossible Quests and point your blood-drenched fingers at myself and our elder brother. So, why don't you actually do something, air-for-brains."
Percy watched his father glower at the man who claimed to be his brother, "I am the King of-"
"And I am the King of Atlantis, ruler of the oceans, seas, and every body of water that Pontus created when he fell." The other man cut him off, smiling unpleasantly, "Hades is King of the Underworld, the dead, and so on. You are not the only one who is a King. You would be wise to remember that while you defeated father, it was I and Hades who aided you when nobody else would. Without your two older brothers, you wouldn't be sitting on your throne, nor achieved victory over the Titans. I think I can safely speak for my arrogant, bicker-prone niece when I say that it would be most unwise to plot war against me or Hades, brother. Because if I am provoked, I will not hesitate to drown Olympus itself… and every one of its inhabitants."
Percy's father shuddered out a harsh breath, the air itself quivering from the movement. "I have not, nor will I ever forget the priceless gift of your's and Hades' assistance when we all dethroned father and divided creation amongst ourselves." He drew in a deep breath and exhaled it slowly, "You have been invaluable, my greatest ally since our triumph." The two brother's eyes locked, "That boy is not my son; it's impossible."
Percy glanced at the beautiful woman sitting next to his father, swallowing as the unholy indignation howled in her eyes, crackling across her features with untamable might. "You cheating, man-whoring bastard!" She shrieked, the sound making the marble crack. "Don't lie! His aura is your aura! He looks exactly like you except for his black, curled hair. The lightning explains it all! You cannot outwit yourself from this, oath-breaker! Must I kill all of the disrespectful bastards whom you father, the ones who are bore through the women who have caused you to stray from our marriage bed for countless centuries, since the end of the Titans?" Her face was cold and her blazing eyes even colder, beautiful yet deadly: a woman scorned.
The temperature in the room dropped, causing Percy to shiver uncontrollably, watching as the other men and women, save his father's 'brother', swallowed, nervously adjusting themselves in their thrones. His father stood to his feet, lightning dancing across his body. "You presume much, my wife, and you are bold, quite stupidly so. That boy is not of my blood; I have no recollection of the boy's mother. Everyone knows that gods don't forget, Hera." He stepped closer, each step the sound of thunder itself, "Your ostentatious need, your unwilling obstinacy, has hardened your once-tender heart. You are what the mortals call a 'bitch', my spiteful wife. You do not control me, Hera, and you never will. I am Zeus, King of the gods!" The sound of lightning erupted in waves of a deafening screech, "And I could cast you off Olympus! Your notorious, vengeful, life-threatening promises hold no weight against me!"
Percy closed his pure white orbs, the realization blinding him greater than any ray of sun. All the pieces condensed together into the abhorrent image until all that remained was the truth. Mr. Brunner had forced him to study the Olympian legends during class, focusing on Percy with an intensity that he finally understood.
He was the son of Zeus, a demigod whose very existence was a personal slight against the Queen of the Heavens. He was literally standing on Olympus, home of the gods!
He felt woozy from every epiphany flashing through his mind.
"Be that as it may," the man on Zeus' right spoke once again and Percy gathered the clues from the man's features, position, earlier words, and throne. That man was Percy's uncle - Poseidon. "You have been known to dabble in Dionysus' collection. His alcohol could have… intoxicated you like a mortal." Poseidon's brows rose mockingly and Percy admired that. "Also, your son has yet to gather that his own brother is like him; sounds quite like his dim-witted father." Percy blinked and felt insulted. Of course, he knew that Athos was like him; his mother had said as much.
"Enough, brother!" Zeus' fury was tangible and the entire throne room shook. "I swear on the River Styx that that boy is not my son." Percy, despite his best efforts, felt hurt by his father's apparent disgust with him, the cruel way that Zeus had just disavowed him despite the obvious truth.
A woman's chilling laughter suddenly echoed through the area, causing everyone to swivel, including Percy himself, to see a beautiful, pale woman step out of the shadows. Her skin roiled with dark, murky water, but in her eyes, Percy could somehow catch glimpses of the secrets that she alone knew.
She was dreadfully beautiful and the woman graciously stepped fully into the light, "How foolish you are, King of the gods." Her laughter was bright and genuine. "This is the fourth time that you have broken an Oath on my waters which pertains to any of your blood and the second time in a result of that boy."
Zeus stepped forward and Percy suddenly fell to his knees soundlessly, the sheer power that his father was emitting was like the weight of the entire world. "You dare threaten me, the King of Olympus?"
The woman waved a watery hand, laughing merrily, "No, no, not at all, King of the gods, the greatest of immortals. I have no desire to a banishment in Tartarus itself nor to fade if the Fates are unkind." She smiled, "Not you, Zeus. I would never attempt such a foolish act by threatening you, but your son? Yes, I would; one must suffer the consequences! Because of your multiple failures to keep the same Oath in my name, your son will reap the ramifications for your mistakes."
Zeus snarled, "Be gone, oath-keeper," he struck his hand and the woman was forcibly ejected from the room, shadows swirling around her body until nothing remained.
"Father?" The beautiful but cold and arrogant woman asked, gray eyes held in a facade of unfeeling. Percy gathered that he was staring at Athena, the favored child of Zeus, Percy's own half-sister. He shook his head, trying to stay calm. "What of the boy? With Thalia Grace gone, he must be the Child of the Prophecy; there is no other."
Percy perked up, ears listening attentively but he froze when his 'aunt' by the hearth snapped her gaze to him and urgently flicked her hand.
The world blurred away and the last sight he saw was that of his father radiating absolute, unfathomable power.
XxXxXxXxXxX
That's chapter one, folks! It was very fun to write and I hope you had fun reading it! Please, leave a review and tell me what you thought. I would really appreciate it!
Here's my reasoning for things:
**Yes, Percy and Grover are slightly older than they were in canon and yes, Grover is based on the movie version because, to me, he was far more enjoyable in the two films. Whereas in the novels, I wanted to reach through the pages and throttle him because I found his character so tedious most of the time.
**Percy has a younger brother who is Sally Jackson's child, but we don't know who his father is. His father is not Zeus, unlike Percy. He is in the sixth grade, so his age will be what canon Percy's was.
**The Furies and the Minotaur in one chapter. Those scenes were very fun to write, and I hope that you all enjoyed them.
So, like in canon, Sally Jackson dies trying to protect Percy from the Minotaur. In this story, I can promise you that that whole debacle will realistically traumatize Percy and Athos, whereas, in canon, I had found the emotional reaction to being very lacking.
**Percy is summoned onto Olympus by an unknown force and learns of the gods and of who he truly is - a son of Zeus. I utilized the goddess, Styx because in canon, Oaths on the River Styx, at least to me, are hardly explored to the depths that they should be. Zeus broke his Oath multiple times and while Styx could never hope to punish the King of the gods or any of the Big Three, all of his mortal children are fair game. I personally always thought that Styx could have been as much of an enemy in the Percy Jackson series as the Titans themselves because of the sheer control that she possesses over half-bloods and 'minor' gods.
Well, I think that's everything. Once again, leave a review and tell me what you thought of it. If you have any questions, feel free to ask!
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ButtonPusher