RoseBadwolf1000: Thanks for the advice, and suggestions, I've kept that in mind :)
CrazyBlueOwl, Guests (all SEVEN of you), DiamondTruth2, Fiercest-Dreamer, Dorian Havilliard, princessmelz, ResidentOfCabin6, Luna: Thanks for all the suggestions! I think I included most of them, but not all... I have to keep Percy's memories to roughly the same length as everyone else's, so I tried to pick the most loyal memories.
Ruby: I will reveal all in the next chapter, hopefully. That's a really good theory... no spoilers as of yet. ;)
Rosycat: Thanks so much! Glad you're enjoying it!
8DemigodRunner8: Awesome, thanks! I have no idea what my writing style is, to be honest. But thanks for informing me!
SuzuBells: I know, right? I didn't really think about it before...
greekgeekgirlbro: Why, thank you. *bows*
Anyone else I might have missed: Thanks for the review/s!
Okay, I know I said I was going to include some of the lunch scenes, but Percy's memories take a long time. All that lunchtime drama will come next chapter. And this week is my birthday!
Piper
Piper wrinkled her nose in disgust, stepping back a bit—no, a lot. Even though it was just a memory… damn, it reeked. Alcohol and smelly feet and unwashed clothing… she could definitely see why Percy called the overweight mortal "Smelly" Gabe. But the troubling bit of it was that she had no idea who the poker-playing man was. Percy, Annabeth, and their flaws were on edge. And based on Percy's cussing (did all sons of Poseidon have dirty mouths? First Arion, now Percy… oh gods. They were related!), he definitely didn't have a good opinion of the foul-smelling poker player.
"Who in Hades is that?" Jason looked appalled. Piper felt for him—his mother had been an alcoholic. This couldn't have been good for him. But then she remembered. He prefers Reyna… she managed to get her emotions under control.
She couldn't say that she hadn't expected it. But she thought that maybe… maybe he would choose her. But apparently not. Look at me, the daughter of the love goddess... she swallowed. Enough self-pity. I don't need a boyfriend! But the thing that hurt the most was that Jason hadn't even tried to apologize to her. Sure, he'd stumbled over an explanation, but Piper didn't want one. She just wanted a meaningful apology. Was that too much to ask for?
A nudge in her side form Leo jolted her attention back to the memory. "Sally! Get your stinkin' but over here!" Gabe yawned, showing off his (very) yellow, crooked teeth. He reclined lazily on a plush armchair, holding a beer can in one hand and a TV remote in the other. Both his shoes and socks were off, and his feet were propped up on a low coffee table cluttered with card decks and assorted beer cans. Though the memory-watchers were halfway across the room from him, Piper could still smell the stained, worn carpet and the alcohol on Gabe's breath. She shuddered. Who was this guy? What did he have to do with Percy?
"Coming, Gabe, dear!" a woman with bright eyes smiled cheerfully as she walked in, humming an upbeat tune. Piper smiled, though she wasn't even sure what for. Percy's, mom, Sally, just had that kind of effect on people. Her face, though lined, was warm and welcoming. So this must be Percy's stepdad… but I thought he was nice? Percy mentioned he was named Paul Blowfish or something…
"Hey, Seaweed Brain, it's alright," Annabeth nudged Percy.
"I thought I would never have to see his ugly mug after Mom turned him to stone…" Oh! This is his first stepfather! The one Sally used Medusa's head on!
"Good riddance!" Inferiority spat, his gaze locked upon the booze.
"That—" Hazel started saying some not-very-nice things in Latin.
Insecurity was livid, while Frank looked like he wanted to punch Gabe's lights out. Of course, Gabe didn't seem very bright, so he might not have had any lights to speak of.
Despite herself, Piper glanced at Jason and Duty. For once, they wore the same expression—disgust and utter revulsion.
"I want some salsa and chips for me and my poker buddies, Sally!" Gabe yelled.
"We've run out, honey!" Piper wondered how she could stay so upbeat. Had Percy really had to live with this… monster? She cursed at the disgusting mortal.
"Then go buy some, dammit!" With a roar, Gabe launched the half-empty beer can across the room. It slid across the floor, staining the carpet even more.
Sally's knuckles were white. Without a word, she spun on her heel, briskly walking out the room. Piper heard a door slamming shut loudly. Smelly Gabe merely yawned again and laughed cruelly.
"What's your problem?!" someone spat. Piper turned, expecting to see one of the flaws. But instead, she saw a nine- or ten-year old Percy standing in the doorway.
"I've got no problem, brat," Gabe popped the lid of another can of booze, casually licking his lips.
"I hate you!" past Percy yelled furiously.
Smelly Gabe rose—all the demigods plugged their noses from the stench. "Yeah?" he growled, hefting up a full beer can like a baseball. "Come up here and say that to my face like a man!"
Very bravely—or stupidly (probably both)—past Percy glared defiantly and stepped towards Gabe. With astonishing speed, Gabe hurled the can at past Percy. The metal and Percy's face barely missed each other. "No—good—useless—brat—son—of—a—bit—" Piper's hands curled into fists. She moved her hand towards her side, where her knife was strapped. IF THAT PIG HURTS PERCY…
"Don't call my mother that!" Loyalty and past Percy simultaneously launched themselves at the disgusting excuse for a human being. Piper wanted to torture the guy. Then kill him. Slowly. And painfully. Annabeth and Pride managed to restrain Loyalty with difficulty, glaring daggers at Gabe themselves. However, they had to watch past Percy without interference. Gabe simply stepped to the side, and past Percy missed and crashed into a bookcase.
"Did he—that—Gabe—he really—" Annabeth glared furiously, clutching her knife so tightly that Piper was sure she would have imprints of the hilt on her fingers.
"That stupid, sick excuse for a—" Piper growled.
"Holy crap!" Inferiority and Insecurity glared at each other.
"Gods of Olympus!" Duty's eyes blazed.
"The Hades—that better be a one-time thing!" Leo and Fear.
"I want to kill him, then use his dead body to—" Grudge started.
"Gods, guys! You're overreacting; that only happened that one time—"
"Shut the Hades up, Percy!" Pride exploded.
"We're not overreacting!" Guilt took a deep breath.
"He should get arrested for that!" Jason and Frank.
"He could have killed you!" Hazel.
"I wish I killed him when I had the chance." Loyalty shut everyone up.
There was a gold flash. Now, Percy looked older—Piper guessed that he was around thirteen. The group stood in a long school hallway lined with motivational posters like "You Can Do It!" (Some idiot with a preschool sense of humor had changed it to "You Can't Do It!") Piper rolled her eyes, watching past Percy.
He was facing off with an average-sized guy with shaggy black hair dressed in brands Piper recognized as ones that were very expensive, though they looked like they came from a charity clothing drop box.
"Listen, Jackson—you could be cool if you ditch that loser!" the boy shrugged casually. Piper wondered who he meant by "loser". Grover? Someone else?
"I hate Matt Sloan," Loyalty growled. The rich guy must be him…
"I would never 'ditch' Tyson, Sloan!" past Percy glared, his arms crossed. Piper laughed at Sloan's stunned, dumbfounded expression as past Percy ambled away smugly.
Another flash—now they were on some sort of beach. The sky was cloudlessly blue, and Piper heard soft waves gently breaking in the distance. There was a lush meadow in the distance, along with a huge—a huge flower garden.
Percy, Leo, and their flaws gasped in recognition. Piper's mind raced. Beach, probably an island, Leo and Percy— oh! Her eyes wandered to two distant figures—a female and a male.
The girl was beautiful, with a timeless face, flowing hair, and a sweet scent. Calypso. The boy was Percy, of course. They stood, talking intensely. Piper jogged closer to them to hear their conversation, followed by the others.
"You could stay with me, Percy." Piper sensed the romantic tension between the two—Calypso obviously liked Percy.
Annabeth actually growled at past Calypso. Past Percy stared into the red sunrise, his forehead wrinkled. A peaceful expression and a relaxed posture made the entire scene look like a tourist brochure. Come one, come all! Join us on this enchanted (literally) island for a relaxing tropical vacation! While Annabeth/Pride looked angry at Percy and Calypso, her face betrayed her curiosity. After all, nobody except Percy and Leo had ever actually been on Ogygia.
Briefly, Piper wondered what would have happened if she were Percy or Leo. Would she have stayed or left? Percy could have escaped the prophecy. Leo would have simply quit the Giant War, and escape the line about to storm or fire the world must fall. Both would have been safe, on an island with a beautiful girl for eternity. Would Jason have stayed? Immediately, Piper shook the thought aside. She'd been overreacting about what Duty said, perhaps?
"I can't. My friends need me." A gold flash, just barely masking the joyful grin on Annabeth's face.
The group was now in a desert… of sorts. Piper shook her head to clear it. There was a… giant metal statue… hitting itself in the face? All around the automaton were heaps of various junk—Piper spotted a broken dagger, a toy piano, and what looked like a giant sculpture of a lightbulb, of all things. It was like the gods' scrapyard. In fact, it probably was. Around the gigantic piles stood several figures (not including the bronze giant). Five, to be exact.
"Talos!" growled Loyalty, his eyes blazing.
"That's Hephaestus' junkyard!" Annabeth exclaimed, gesturing at the huge piles of discarded metals.
"BIANCA IS IN THERE!" Grudge screamed, his throat raw. Piper gasped, horrified. Nico's sister was in the bronze machine—Talos? She vaguely recalled Percy telling her how Nico's sister (not Hazel) had died to save Percy on a quest. She felt a stone drop into her gut. The pain and emotion in Grudge's voice… Nico… Grudge.
A Hunter of Artemis (Piper guessed it was Zoë, the lieutenant before Thalia) yelled something about Bianca, and past Percy, wide-eyed, screamed for Bianca to watch out for a nearby power line.
But it was too late. The giant metal monster tripped over the power line and began to spark and go crazy. An arm fell off. Piper ducked, and a huge finger whistled by, narrowly avoiding her. The head nearly fell on Frank, who leaped to the side just in time. Then it crumbled to bronze dust, leaving nothing behind. Piper craned her neck, searching for a figure in the wreckage.
There was none. Bianca di Angelo was gone.
Loyalty and Grudge both trembled as Hera's light flashed once more, and Piper blinked furiously.
Now Percy and Annabeth's past selves were fighting back-to-back on a crowded bridge, vaporizing dozens of monsters. Now Percy was concentrating, manipulating a personal hurricane. He fought a scowling Titan, who shot out blinding beams of light. Hyperion. Then he was small again—maybe eight years old—sitting on his bed in the dead of night. "Maybe I should run away," he whispered. Then he shook his head. "No. Mom…" he crawled into his covers. During that memory, nobody spoke. Except Grudge.
His voice was raspy and hoarse. "You let Bianca die."
Piper wanted to go give him a hug, but figured that wouldn't work out well. Loyalty bowed his head down. Percy stayed silent. Grudge looked like he was about to boil over; however, when the light flashed, he stopped.
Piper steadied herself as the flash cleared. That was the good thing… the bad thing? Piper hadn't exactly wanted to pay a visit to Tartarus… but then again, neither had Percy. Nor Annabeth. Nor Nico, for that matter… and speaking of Nico, Grudge became pale at the sight of the new memory, his anger at Percy over Bianca temporarily forgotten.
Piper had seen photos of famine victims before. They looked like the goddess standing in front of past Percy and Annabeth—stick-thin, swollen joints, ragged clothing, emaciated limbs, caked skin, sunken eyes, greasy hair, bleeding cheeks—the whole deal. In front of her stood Percy and Annabeth, along with a silver-haired Titan—Iapetus/Bob. They were talking, but Piper focused on the landscape around them.
Tartarus… it was horrible. That was the best way she could describe it. Horrible. And Percy and Annabeth looked so tired and worn out. Their eyes spoke of the horrors they'd seen. She couldn't even begin to imagine what had happened down there. Sure, they'd told their story, but without much description—Piper got the feeling they simply couldn't describe the endless abyss. The pit felt alive, even in a memory. They were standing on the body of Tartarus.
Her attention was drawn to the goddess, Akhlys, again as Percy scowled and Loyalty made a whimpering sound. The goddess flicked her wrist, and suddenly past Percy and Annabeth looked… dead. Percy's hair was matted, chunks falling out. Mist swirled around him, and Annabeth looked the same. Their shoulders slumped, and even their arms looked half-rotted. Sunken eyes sockets and the hollow, resigned posture of the couple added to the effect. Add that to the stick-thin goddess wailing while brandishing her claws, the dark surroundings, and bleak atmosphere—it was a scene straight out of a nightmare. The pit was a nightmare. Piper knew they'd had to use the Death Mist, but… wow. She became aware of Akhlys cackling with insane laughter as the goddess of misery grew claws and attacked past Percy.
Piper could barely watch the mostly one-sided fight, even if Percy was "insulting" Akhlys with compliments like "cuddly" and "fuzzy". (Fuzzy? Seriously?) But then past Percy was trapped on a tiny island made entirely of smoke.
Past Annabeth was battling Akhlys, but Akhlys pretty much ignored her, sending a poison flood straight at past Percy. He glared at the fumes. Piper shrank away. He—Percy—he looked so powerful—angry—
The poison suddenly blew backwards, back at the goddess. She shrieked, wailing in tortured agony, tearing at her hair. She began to choke and splutter. Her eyes watered, and past Percy manipulated the liquid of her tears to choke her even more. Piper felt cold, and it had nothing to do with the temperature. There was a maniacal gleam in past Percy's eyes—he wanted to choke the goddess, to drown her, to kill her.
"She deserved it!" Loyalty bellowed, glaring daggers at anyone that dared to meet his gaze. Percy didn't look so sure. In fact, he looked terrified—of himself. Then there was very welcome flash, taking them away from the chilling scene.
The giant-sized gods sitting in their thrones on Mount Olympus, all glaring at each other with random sparks of power, were actually a relief after Tartarus… and Percy. However, Pride grimaced.
"Percy Jackson!" a bearded god in a Hawaiian shirt called out, his voice echoing throughout the throne room. Poseidon—Percy's dad. This must be after the second Titan War…
"Perseus Jackson—if you wish it—you shall be made a god." Zeus rumbled as thunder punctuated his words. Past Percy blinked, and chaos broke out (with Duty doing most of the yelling).
"You got a chance to be a god? You?"
Piper examined past Percy. He was sixteen and deep in thought, but she noticed he kept looking at one thing—person—in particular. Past Annabeth. She looked nervous, her face pale and drawn. Piper couldn't contain her grin. Percy had turned down immortality and godhood for Annabeth! That was loyalty. And judging by Aphrodite's serene smile, she'd expected him to turn down Zeus too.
Past Percy snuck one more glance at past Annabeth, who didn't meet his eyes. Piper held her breath, and even Duty quieted down to hear the single word come out of Percy's mouth.
"No."
Then there was a flash of light, and all fifteen demigods and flaws were back at Camp Half-Blood, along with Hera herself.
Hera met everyone's eyes. "Demigods, flaws—you shall be taking a short break before the next set of memories. Here is your lunch—" with a snap, a tray of sandwiches appeared on the nearest table—"I believe that's about it. I trust you will not disturb the frozen campers." With a final glare, she vanished with a flash.
Immediately, several demigods grabbed sandwiches and began milling around (the constant memory-travelling did work up an appetite). But Piper didn't take one, despite her growling stomach. Instead, she caught up to Jason, who had started to argue with Duty. She grabbed the son of Zeus' arm. He spun around, disregarding his flaw.
A strange feeling welled up inside Piper as she gazed at Jason. She had been mad at him before, to say the least. But now—bizarrely, that was gone. She just wanted to kiss him. So she did.
I think I'll reveal the stuff about why everyone's acting weirdly next chapter. Thanks to everyone who said their theories, though! The next chapter will have a bunch of drama with Jason/Piper, Jason and Piper and some others cornering Leo/Inferiority, reactions to Percy, and a confrantation between Frank/Insecurity and Leo/Inferiority. At the end I'll start off Leo's memories. I'm actually really really excited for that because Leo is my favorite character and he's just so awesome and amazing and gahh...
I'll shut up now :)
Next chapter will be updated sometime between Thursday-Saturday. I'll aim for Friday?
Wish me a happy birthday? Okay, I'm out!
