Chapter 7: New Beginnings
It seemed the gods were at least a little apologetic for the inconvenience the move caused Sally and Paul as when they reached their two-story house in the suburbs of Kuoh Town most of their belongings had already been unpacked and organized. Everything was put away in a somewhat logical place. Cups and plates went in cabinets over the stove and counters; the clocks were already hanging on the walls and set to the correct time for Japan; even the little trinkets and knick-knacks that Sally collected over the years were displayed throughout the hallways and living room. It was almost perfect. Sally still moved a few things around to suit her wants. Percy suspected it was more likely a little of that rebellious personality that supposedly drew Poseidon's attention in the first place. Just a little rub-it-in-your-face attitude from your typical mortal to immortal gods. Percy just hoped Athena and Hera, the two most likely to have set everything up, didn't visit only to find their work changed up.
When they first arrived at their new house everyone looked up in amazement at how the white marble had matched the other houses in the area and at the same time differentiated it. Other houses seemed to be made from clay or wood with plastic casing; not Percy's though. The front had a balcony like the next-door neighbor but whereas the neighbors had a door at the side of the house, Percy's house had a staircase leading right to the middle of the home and a giant blue door with a trident door knocker to request entry. Percy's balcony was held up by Grecian columns that extended from a layer of marble just between the house and the yard up to the base of the balcony. It was gaudy looking but Percy couldn't help admiring the regality of it as well. Windows lined both stories of the house and the slanted roof was sloped and designed with little waves to look more elegant than neighboring houses. Normally slants and columns don't really go together but somehow this worked and all three had jaws open taking it all in.
As they opened the door and saw most everything all set up they also noticed a letter lying on the dining room table addressed to Percy. He hesitated only a moment before pulling the letter out of the envelope and began reading aloud to both his mom and step-dad.
"Dear Percy" he began.
"As you may have note-not-noticed we have already stepped up your meho." He looked up to see his mom giving him an encouraging smile and Paul with a small smile on his face as well. They could have read this quicker than him but they would let him do it. In Paul's words "practice makes perfect" and apparently that was even more true for dyslexic demigods.
"Umm… sorry. Let me try again." He grinned back at them.
"Dear Percy,
As you may have noticed, we have already set-up your home. Both Hera and I organized this based on your mother's previous design at your apartment in New York and followed a similar style here. Aphrodite added a few things to "spruce it up" as she said. Also, Apollo left you a gift in your bedroom and Hermes left you something in the garage. Hermes' gift is your payment for your services over the past few years. He said to say "consider us even". We will be in contact with you in the next two to three months with more information about the faction you will marry into but in the meantime, you are to gather intel on the factions. Anything useful should be relayed to either myself, my father, or your own father immediately. Remember your duty demigod.
We will talk soon,
Athena, Goddess of Wisdom, Battle Strategy, Handcrafts, Useful Arts and Advisor to the King
Post Script: I hope your first day of school is enlightening.
Percy struggled to get through the letter and when he did he felt mixed emotions. He felt proud at having read the letter but more than that he felt angry at Athena's not so subtle jab at his intelligence again. Her arrogance once more reared its ugly head as she listed all her titles unnecessarily. Looking up he could see that Paul was uncomfortable with the contents of the letter but his mom was angry with it. She was slowly getting more and more exposed to how the gods actually acted with demigods and it only made her furious. Fortunately, she didn't say anything this time and Percy released a breath he didn't even know he was holding.
Hoping to diffuse the situation, Percy gave his mom a rueful smile and ripped the letter in half, then quarters. It certainly made him feel better and it apparently gave his mother some pleasure too as she let her anger go and let out a soft laugh. Paul looked between the two before shaking his head and moving things along.
"Why don't we go check the garage" he said. "I want to make sure Hermes delivered the car with everything else and we can see what he left you."
"Sounds good to me" Percy said back.
It took them a few moments to actually find the hallway that led to the door to the garage but once they did it was pretty obvious what Hermes gift had been. Paul's blue Prius was situated on the right-hand side of the garage but on the left, was a blue and green motorcycle. It had a curved seat and was naked, showing no coverings on the engine. The tires were thick and could be used on both the streets and be taken off-road. The parts of the motorcycle that were covered blended to look like the sea and where the typical flames design that would appear on a car or bike were replaced with silver wave like designs. Sally gave a slight gasp when she saw the bike but Percy felt a grin grow on his face and immediately went over to it. He found another letter laying across the seat. It was from Hermes.
"Cousin,
I assume you've found my gift if you're reading this. The motorcycle is the Ducati Hypermotard 939SP. It's one of the best on the market today and can be used to take you anywhere. I wanted to go with an orange color but when your father heard about this he insisted on the sea green. This gift should be considered payment for all the help you've done for me over the past few years. Plus, maybe a few more deliveries I have here in Japan as well. I'm sure with it you can impress the ladies around town. Nobody ever said you couldn't have a little fun before your marriage eh?"
Enjoy!
Your cousin, Hermes"
Percy turned to look at his mom but before he could even speak she already beat him to it.
"No" she said.
"Mom-" he began again only to be cut off once more.
"Absolutely not Percy. Motorcycles are dangerous and with your luck you'll have crashed this thing within the month. No."
"Mom please?!" Percy practically begged. "This is amazing. The gods don't ever give gifts unless their forced to but it really looks like Hermes did this one on his own. I'll do anything! Just let me keep it."
"I said no Percy. Now that's final." The conviction out of Sally's voice left Percy no room to argue. When his mom's mind was made up that was all there was too it. Thankfully a voice from the high heavens started defending Percy then.
"Sally" Paul began, "maybe we could consider at least letting him keep it. Percy's almost an adult now and gods only knows he's definitely mature enough."
Sally then turned on her husband with a slightly incredulous look to her. That was short lived though as it morphed into one of anger.
"No Paul. I will not have my baby riding around on that death contraption. You understand how dangerous his life is. I mean look at your car!" she said while pointing at the hoof print on the hood of the Prius. They hadn't gotten around to getting the indent fixed and somehow after a year it had become somewhat of a reminder to everyone that anything could happen to Percy at any time with his father's side of the family. "He doesn't even know how to drive it! He'll get hurt for sure."
"But I can learn mom." Percy quickly said. "I'll take all the tests and do all the studying. I'll get all the safety gear and wear it every time. I'll do all the maintenance myself and you won't have to worry about anything. Just please let me keep it!"
There was a moment of quiet between them. It seemed Sally was mulling over her son's words but when Percy looked into her face he saw nothing but resolve. Despite their best attempts both he and Paul failed.
"I said NO Percy. Now that's it. Another word about it and you're grounded until school starts in two weeks." Sally gave Percy one last pointed look, as if daring him to actually speak about the bike, then promptly turned and went back into the house with a smile of satisfaction.
Paul turned to his step-son as soon as he saw Sally disappear into the house.
"I'm sorry Percy. I tried. Unfortunately, your mom has final say on matters like this. I don't really like sleeping with one eye open, if you know what I mean." He gave a self-deprecating smile at that and pat Percy on the back before walking back inside himself.
Percy turned away from the door and went over to the bike. He admired how sleek and stylish the machine was. Every inch was compact and designed for speed and control. For combined street and off-road travel there probably wasn't a better motorcycle on the market today. Percy ran his hand up the seat from the tailpipe all the way to the handles trying to imagine himself on it. He gave a heavy sigh and turned back inside away from his present.
Still feeling down about the bike and admittedly still tired from some jetlag he found his mother changing the positioning of some of the pictures on the wall. She turned when she heard him and went over to give him a hug.
"I know you're upset Percy but it's for the best. We'll keep it in the garage for now considering it's a gift from Hermes but we'll sell it in a few months. We can use the money to go to your college fund." Sometimes it seemed as if Sally simply ignored the reason for the move in the first place. He had a gut feeling telling him that in a few months things would already be well on their way to the complicated scenario that the gods were arranging for him.
"Sure mom" he said just to placate her. "I think I'm going to head up to my room now. Do you know where it is?"
Sally pointed up the stairs in an offhand manner. "It's upstairs I believe. Paul and I are in the master bedroom down here on the first floor and there is a nursery for the baby next door to us. Your room and all the guest rooms are on the second floor." They released their grip on each other and Percy made his way upstairs to find his room.
It wasn't difficult to locate. Upstairs was a hallway that led to six different rooms. The first one on the left was a bathroom, complete with a shower and toilet. Across the way was the first of the guest rooms. It was pretty bland with tan colored walls and a queen size bed along with a dresser to store any clothes that were brought. To the left was another guest room except this one was darker in color. The walls were painted a deep midnight blue with a matching comforter on a full-size bed.
Must be for when Nico visits he thought to himself.
Across the hall from that one was a third guest room. This one was left with white walls and pure white comforter on a queen size bed. It made Percy think of angels at seeing how pure and virginal everything about the room felt. There were a few dressers in this room but much like the previous two it was fairly bland.
He closed the door and went diagonally across and opened the last door on the right. It was a second bathroom but this one was bigger than the first. It was filled with both a tub and a weird shower to offer both an American and a Japanese feeling to it and the counters were made of marble. A large mirror covered the wall above two sinks so multiple people could use the bathroom at one time. The toilet sat in the far corner in the room next to a window that overlooked the street. It was the largest bathroom he'd ever seen for one person.
Retreating, he turned around and came across his room. It was fairly obvious it was his room as the starfish that hung on his door said the name Percy on it. He felt slightly nervous but steeled his nerves and opened the door. He didn't expect what he saw but he certainly didn't feel bad about it. Inside was almost an exact replica of his room back in Manhattan. The same posters of The Eagles and The Killers were hung up on the walls. The same queen size bed with sea themed comforter and sheets sat on the back wall. Off to the side was a table that rested an alarm clock he didn't own back in New York. It had a sticky note on it that read "from Apollo". It was fitting that the god of the sun would leave him an alarm clock somehow.
The same oak desk was across the room and filled with all his books on Greek Mythology. When he went over to the small collection he found that there also happened to be a few new ones as he didn't remembering owning; From Samurai to Kamikaze: A History of Japanese Warfare and Imperial Japan: A Look at the Ruling Dynasties. Those books were in Japanese and the gods were definitely right about his dyslexia not being improved by the blessing. He might even go so far as to say that it was worse considering all the squiggly lines of the language seemed to jump everywhere. He heaved a heavy sigh and collapsed on the bed. Before he knew it, he was asleep.
And that was how the first week and a half went. He'd get up every day and go train. He found the gods left a training room in the basement so he could practice his sword fighting and wrestling skills. It even had a boxing bag in the corner to help improve his feet work which Percy found himself enjoying a surprising amount. When he wasn't helping his mother move something around in the kitchen or living room he was in the basement staying in shape. At night he joined his parents in the living room as they turned on tv. The gods had been even more generous it seemed as when they turned the television on they found a whole selection of channels strictly in English. He'd never seen his mother give such a breath of relief.
With only two days before school started Percy began feeling cabin fever. He'd been cooped up for too long and needed to get outside. His mom had only gone out to do some grocery shopping with Paul but other than that she was mainly confined to the house due to her pregnancy. It would only be a few more weeks until his little sister was born and nobody wanted to chance something happening now. According to her the town was pretty easy to navigate as the streets were in a similar gridlock style as some of the cities back in the U.S. though there were a few roads that led their own way. So, the next day Percy threw on some gym shorts and his camp t-shirt, grabbed riptide and made his way outside.
His body had finally adjusted to the time difference so it was about 10 in the morning. The sun was shining down providing warmth throughout his body and he felt a grin grow on his face. Not too many people littered the roads so Percy didn't need to worry about pedestrian traffic though he did still come across some teenagers his own age. He began his training run at a decent jog and ran up and down a 30-block radius. He paid particularly close attention to his surroundings in an effort to learn them quicker and so he could get home faster.
One thing Percy quickly noticed about Kuoh town was the fact that the suburbs seemed fairly close to the downtown district. In fact, the further Percy went from his house the more he noticed that the number of shops increased.
So, I guess the gods kept us pretty far from downtown he thought to himself. He didn't exactly understand why but he assumed it had to do with the fact that in the opposite direction he'd find the school and park Paul had mentioned. That was actually one of the few things that attracted Percy to the idea of going for a run in the first place. Apparently, Paul had gone into the park one day to get a break from his lesson planning at the school and he came across a giant fountain in the middle. Percy was intrigued and wanted to find it as well. Now realizing just where he was, Percy quickly turned around and began running in the opposite direction.
Percy was warmed up by this point so he turned on his jets. His slow jog gradually increased into a quick jog, then a slow run, and now that he was motivated to find the park, that run increased into practically a full-on sprint. The people he passed on the roads looked at him nervously and he distinctly heard one elderly man ask him in Japanese if he was alright. Percy quickly responded he was fine and, without slowing down, continued for another 30 minutes until he reached the park.
It was reminiscent of Central Park though it was smaller in scale. However, Percy did notice that there were plenty more trees than his hometown park and that put Percy slightly on edge. More trees meant less visibility and less visibility meant a higher likelihood of being attacked. But then Percy remembered that he was in Japan and not the U.S. or the Ancient Lands so he didn't have to worry about any monster attacks. He gave a light chuckle at his own paranoia and started to slow down when he noticed the fountain in the distance.
Paul had been right when he described it as giant as the top of the fountain was easily three times Percy's height. It was shallow, maybe only going as deep as his knees, but it was decently wide still. The water sprayed out from the top in all directions and gave a cool mist off that eased Percy's tired muscles. He took it all in and enjoyed the comforting bliss of the water. Coins littered the bottom of the fountain telling him this was a wishing fountain. He only had drachmas on him but with the mist he figured this would be a good spot to make an Iris Message if he needed to.
As he was resting against the fountain he began stretching his tight leg muscles when he heard some voices across from him. They were muffled but with his increased hearing from his latent demigod abilities he could make out the conversation.
"Will you look at the ass on her?" one of the voices asked.
"Oh, she's got it all. 34-26-32. Very nice measurements." A second voice added.
"I just want to squeeze the giant boobs. I'd get my face right between them and give her a motorboat she'd never forget."
Yeah. Percy thought. Probably because she'd slap you for groping her.
If there was one thing being a demigod and training for years at camp taught him it was women were just as capable as men and could easily kick his ass just like he could theirs.
Percy slowly started making his way across the fountain to see who was actually having this conversation. What he saw didn't surprise him in the least. All lined up in a row with binoculars were three teenage males wearing normal street clothes. In the distance Percy could make out a group of teenage girls doing yoga. As he approached he heard the three continue their conversation.
"How do you know what her measurements are Motohama? You're always able to tell us exactly what they are?" one of them asked.
"It's a gift" the kid named Motohama said. "My glasses enable me to look at a woman and just instinctively know."
The glasses that Motohama wore were square in general shape though they did round out at the bottom. He was wearing a grey buttoned-down shirt and had long flowing black hair that ended just after his neck. The hair flaired out from the top of his head resulting in bangs that partially covered his glasses. He was lying down on the grass so Percy could only estimate his height at around 5 feet 8 inches.
To his immediate right was another teenager though he was taller than Motohama. Maybe around 5 feet 10 inches in total. He wore a black t-shirt that lacked any logos or designs on it but the smile he had could only be described as lecherous. He had the slanted eyes that were typical of those of Asian descent and it looked like he shaved his head bald if the very minor growth of hair was any indication. He turned away from his binoculars to look at Motohama and gave his friend a conspiratorial smile.
"You're so lucky" the guy said. "I'd be using that superpower of yours every day and every night saving the images away for the spank bank."
Then the last guy spoke up. He was on the far right and was somewhere in the middle range of height to his two friends. Most likely about 5 feet 9 inches. He had longer and thicker hair than Motohama though his were a deep chestnut brown color. This last kid had a yellow button down that was clearly unbuttoned though Percy couldn't tell what his undershirt was due to him laying down.
"You're one to talk Matsuda" the last guy said. "I mean look at you. You were a sports star and you could have gotten any girl you wanted. You didn't need some superpowers like Motohama or myself."
Motohama gave a condescending scoff at that. "And what superpower do you have Issei? The only ability I've ever seen you do is fall asleep in history."
"I got plenty of abilities" said a defending Issei. "They're just taking a while to show up is all. You'll see. This will be the year. I'm going to go into school and seduce all the giant breasted ladies. Then they're gonna be lining up to join the Harem of Issei Hyoudou!"
By this point all three friends were standing up. His height guesses were accurate but he could see the Issei kid had a red undershirt on now. Percy gave a laughing scoff when he heard Issei speak. Unfortunately, it wasn't quiet enough and the three heard him. They turned around quickly and gave him a glare that he supposed was meant to be intimating. Percy definitely laughed at that.
"Yeah I can see all the women just lining up for you three now" Percy said.
"What's it to you?" the guy named Matsuda asked. He tried glaring even more but Percy just smiled back at him. If there was one thing Percy was good at it was pissing people off.
"I bet between the three of you you've never even kissed a girl." Percy continued. Maybe spending time with Thalia had rubbed off on Percy as he wouldn't normally act this way towards anyone but he called bullshit when he saw it.
"Of course we have," Issei said. He looked uncomfortable saying that but he quickly turned his weak defense into an attack. "Who are you anyway? I've never seen you before."
"My name's Percy" he said. "Now why don't you three run along before those ladies spot you spying on them."
"Please" Motohama said. "We're too far away for them to see us. Besides it's not like we care. Those ladies are meant to be spied on. They were asking for it just sitting in the park doing yoga. It would be rude of us not to watch them."
Percy frowned at that. It reminded him distinctly of some things he remembered Gabe saying when he was younger. Gabe was obviously a piece of shit and any lesson he taught Percy was automatically null and void. Not to mention that just as a general principle the kind of attitude the three guys had was borderline rapist. Artemis would have already changed all three of them into deer to hunt at this point.
"You won't ever get a girl if you don't respect them." Percy said. "Nobody wants to date someone just because you only find them attractive."
"Nobody asked you!" Matsuda replied fiercely. "We'll get all the girls in our harems doing it our way! Now why don't you just run along. You're going to get us caught."
Percy gave one of strongest wolf glares and the three flinched back. He could see a losing fight when he had one and this was definitely a losing fight. He couldn't get people he didn't know to change overnight so he stretched one final time and got ready to run again. He promised himself he'd make an effort to watch these three though. If they were willing to spy on women out in the open like this he didn't want to know what else they might be willing to do.
He began to run then when he had an idea. It was a vindictive idea but he thought it might teach the three boys a lesson. So, Percy turned slightly and started running at a 90-degree angle through some trees. He noticed that the three had gone back prone on the ground and went back to watching the ladies in the distance. Percy nodded his head at seeing this and immediately turned and ran parallel to the boys before he came into the clearing where the girls were doing yoga.
As one all the women turned their heads to get a look at Percy. He felt a little uncomfortable from all the stares but he stayed a bit to the shadows so the three friends had difficulty spotting him. That's when he began talking.
"Hey ladies" he said. "My name's Percy and I was just running in the park when I noticed that some guys back there were watching you with binoculars. I tried to get them to stop but short of actually kicking their asses there isn't much I can do. I thought you might want to know."
A few of the women turned discretely at the direction Percy had pointed out and they gave a deep sigh.
"It's that damn Perverted Trio again" one of the girls said.
"Of course it is Katase," said a second one. "I didn't even need to check to know it was those three."
"Umm…" Percy said, "you don't seem all that surprised. Does this kind of thing happen often?"
As one, all the girls nodded their heads. This caused Percy to frown even more. Spying on women was disrespectful and degrading to them. He had enough strong women figures in his life to recognize this and was definitely angry at those three.
"Do you want me to kick their ass then? I just moved here so I didn't want to cause too many problems already but it seems like this might be necessary."
A third girl chimed in then. "No that's ok. Thank you though. We'll just go and kick their asses ourselves."
"Damn right Murayama!" the girl name Katase said. They all scrambled to get off their yoga mats and reached down to grab a long piece of hallow wood in the shape and length of a sword. Percy took a peek in the direction of the guys and noticed that they hadn't moved yet. They probably just thought that the women were changing position but, before Percy could even register what was going on, the girls rushed off in the boys' direction.
Shouts of "I'm going to get you Motohama" and "You're such a pervert Matsuda" and "Get back here Issei" could be heard in the distance. Percy winced when he heard the recognizable sounds of wood whacking flesh and was extraordinarily glad he wasn't over there right then. It only lasted for a few minutes but those few minutes were enough to convince Percy that this group of girls was definitely not one to cross in the future. He waited patiently for them to return. The looks of laughter and smiles left him feeling good though he did feel sorry the three boys had to get beat up to learn their lesson. He just hoped it stuck.
"Well it looks like you guys are alright" Percy said. "I'm sorry you had to deal with that but I'm glad you got a chance to teach them a lesson. And by the sounds of it it's one they won't soon forget." He laughed a bit at that last sentence but was brought short by the girls talking again.
"I doubt it" the girl named Murayama said. "We have to beat them up about every week for their peeping. Those three are the Perverted Trio. They'll never change their ways."
It was a sobering thought and Percy felt bad. He really hoped Artemis didn't find them if she ever visited him. Then again, maybe if she turned them into girls they might actually learn their lesson then.
Feeling slightly awkward by that point Percy tried to make a quick getaway.
"Alright then. Sorry for the problems. It seems like you guys got everything in hand but if you need help in the future just let me know. I'll see you around." He then began trying to run off but found himself surrounded in a circle of women. They didn't appear hostile but Percy felt his hand drift to his pocket where Riptide rested anyway. Better to be safe than sorry.
He gulped and felt some sweat roll down his head to his back. He just heard and saw how vicious these women could be. Maybe they wouldn't be as bad as the hunters were but he certainly wasn't going to test them. He definitely did not want to get hit with wooden swords right now.
"What's the hurry" Murayama asked. Clearly, she along with the one named Katase were the leaders of this group. "You said your name was Percy?"
Percy nodded his head. "Yes. Percy Jackson. As I mentioned, I just moved here with my mom and step-dad for his new job."
"That's pretty cool" Katase said then. She was standing next to Murayama so Percy fortunately didn't have to turn his head far to address her.
The conversation seemed fairly innocent so Percy just smiled at the group. They were definitely better than the Perverted Trio and Percy thought he could use some friends here.
"Yeah. Paul is going to be a new teacher at Kuoh Academy so we moved into the neighborhood."
"Oh really?" one of the other girls asked then. Percy hadn't heard her name but he nodded and gave a smile back to her.
"Does that mean you're going to Kuoh Academy as well?" Another girl asked.
"Yes. I'm supposed to be started in my second year if I understand how the school system works. Everything is still new for me so I'm not quite sure how it all works yet."
"We're going to be second year students at Kuoh Academy too!" Katase said. "Maybe we'll be in the same classes."
"That would be pretty nice actually." He said. "I don't really know anyone here so it might be nice recognizing somebody."
It was starting to get late at this point and the sun was already halfway past the midpoint in the sky indicating that it was more than likely afternoon time. He promised his mom that he'd only be gone a few hours so he knew it was time to head home now. Before he could relay that to the girls though they tried asking him more questions.
"Where did you move from Percy" one of the girls behind him asked.
"Where do you live?" another questioned.
"Do you want to go karaoke with us later" Katase asked. The first two Percy expected but definitely not the last one.
"Well I just moved here from New York. In the United States that is. And as for where I live, it's actually pretty close by. Only about 20 minutes away from here. And umm… is karaoke like a thing people do here? It's usually only something people do when they get drunk at bars back in New York."
The girls giggled at that. "Yeah it's really popular here" Katase said. "A lot of days kids from school head on down to the karaoke club and spend their afternoons there. So, do you want to go with us?" she asked with a hopeful gleam in her eye. Percy didn't recognize that though. He might be more experienced now but he was still fairly oblivious when it came to the fairer sex.
"I wish I could. We don't really do things like that back in the U.S. and it sounds pretty fun. Unfortunately, I told my mom I'd be home a little while ago so I got to get going. But thanks for the offer though. Maybe we can do it some other time?"
He could see the girls deflate a bit at his rejection but when he offered to go another time they all got visibly happy at that. He didn't quite know why but he smiled at their happiness. It felt good to make people happy.
"We're going to hold you to that Percy" Katase said. "We'll show you how to have fun Japanese style!" the other girls laughed and smiled at him.
"I got to go now" Percy said. The girls started opening the little circle that encompassed him and he walked out. He gave a little wave before he took off on a fast jog through the trees trying to get back to the main path that led to home. In the distance he heard more giggling laughter from the women and the sounds of them picking up their gear and leaving the clearing.
(Line Break)
It had been made another 25 minutes since Percy left the group of girls and he still hadn't found the main path yet. There were many small side paths that wound around the park but not the main one that he could follow till he reached the exit. In that time the trees felt more constricting and ominous. The shadows grew deeper with the setting sun and Percy was starting to feel like something was following him. He slowed his jog down to conserve what energy he still had and turned his head around watching his surroundings. It was moments like these that he was extremely grateful that he had ADHD.
His hand dropped down to his pocket and he pulled Riptide in her pen form out. He didn't uncap her yet but he wanted his weapon at the ready in case anything did jump out. Percy didn't know what was watching him but he knew it was strong if the gut feeling he was experiencing was anything to go by. One of the tell-tale signs that something was wrong was the lack of noise and people around. He hadn't picked up on it for years but he found that when the animals went quiet and people seemed to suddenly just disappear there was probably something about to attack.
It's probably one of those Devils or Fallen Angels he thought to himself. Of the three factions they seemed like the most likely to attack a human. Or a demigod in my case.
The sun was still shining but the tree tops seemed to reach out and prevent the sunlight from reaching the ground. He was in a fairly enclosed area with lots of tree cover in case of ranged attacks. One of the first things he learned about warfare at camp was to know your surroundings. Unfortunately, Percy didn't know this area well yet but he did know that the trees could give him an advantage based on his quickness and potential cover.
He stepped on a twig that was lying in the middle of the path he was on and froze. Percy scanned the woods immediately to see if his blunder antagonized whatever was watching him. Without moving a muscle, Percy remained motionless for about five minutes before heaving a sigh of relief and resumed walking. He was still on edge but he relaxed his posture slightly now. If whatever it was hadn't attacked by then then whatever bible creature it was probably wasn't going to attack him now.
Percy was making slow progress when he finally saw an opening in his path leading to a much larger one.
Thank the gods! The main path. Finally!
He quickly started making his way there when he heard it. It was a low sound, almost like a cross between a growl and a hiss. Immediately he uncapped Riptide and he felt movement from behind him. The wind shifted and carried a terrible odor that only thing had: Monster. And more specifically he remembered this particular scent from years ago. It was so bad that he ended up committing it to memory. Which obviously turned out to be both good and bad because who would want to actually remember a terrible monster smell and it gave Percy a chance to remember the beast.
Percy quickly dropped to the ground and turned around just in time to see a giant paw try and swipe where he had been standing previously. It wasn't the biggest paw he'd ever seen but it was certainly in the top three behind Kampe and the Nemean Lion. The beast roared at Percy and the white fangs from the front jaw glistened with saliva.
In front of Percy stood the Chimera; the fearsome beast that raged through ancient Lycia and was slain by his brothers Pegasus and Bellerophon. The Chimera was as fierce as ever with it's lions head, goat second head and snakehead tail swishing back and forth menacingly. The last time Percy encountered this monster ended up with him being bitten by the snake and falling 630 feet down into the Mississippi River. He wasn't looking forward to a rematch.
A brief pause occurred between Percy and the Chimera but was quickly demolished when the Chimera realized who its opponent was. It seemed Percy wasn't the only one to remember their previous matchup. With another roar the Chimera charged and closed the distance between it and Percy. It tried to bring its goat's head down and ram Percy with its horns but a quick slash of Riptide convinced the monster that was a bad idea. With a simple flick of the wrist, the horns of the goat were cut off and the Chimera let loose a bellowing cry.
"I'm not so simple as last time huh" Percy taunted. "I've seen bigger and killed stronger than you. The Nemean Lion was 10 times the challenge you are and I killed him in less than five minutes." Ok that might be some exaggeration but it clearly got the Chimera's attention as the monster fed more of its anger and charged again.
The goat head might have been damaged but it could still cause some harm if it gets too close. The real danger to Percy though was the snake head. He distinctly remembered how powerful that venom was and he wasn't eager to experience it again. He had no water this time should he actually get bit so he had to be smart.
Seeing that the monster was closing in quickly Percy took a page from his battle against the Minotaur and rolled out of the way. The Chimera, not expecting the move, continued to charge and before it knew what was happening it was already past Percy and trying to lash out with its snakehead tail.
"Olay!" Percy said while rising quickly to his feet. He continued to taunt the monster by pretending to wave an invisible matador flag in front of him which only seemed to enrage the beast further. Which was exactly what Percy wanted. Without Echidna to give comfort and advice to her son the Chimera was only getting dumber and dumber with its decision making. All Percy needed to do now was wait till it made a fatal mistake and he'd capitalize on it.
As he continued rolling and avoiding the monster he would occasionally take swipes at the beasts hide with his sword. The number of cuts was increasing dramatically and soon Percy could see green monster blood oozing out of the cuts. It's what the monsters bled out until they actually died and turned into dust. Some cuts were deep and some were shallow but each cut was taking its toll on the monster.
However, Percy couldn't keep it going forever. He was starting to get fatigued even more from his run from earlier and this fight was catching up to him. He began feeling sluggish and knew he'd have to make his move soon. Percy's rolls went from perfect barrel rolls to more side rolls and eventually he was just flinging himself out of the way.
Even with the cuts the Chimera had accumulated they both knew that the monster had the upper hand now. The Chimera let out the occasional burst of flames from its maw but as soon as Percy made to attack its neck it learned that it couldn't get away with that in such a close distance. And Percy made sure that he stayed close to prevent the monster from doing that. It had been maybe five minutes since the start of the fight but Percy knew it was now or never.
With pure determination and a little bit of guess work he took his chance after the Chimera made another swipe with his paw. Upon seeing the monster lift his leg Percy jumped forward this time, instead of jumping to the side, and he turned just enough so that he was on the left side of the monster's lion head and brought Riptide down in a fierce stroke. He put all of his energy and strength into the strike and felt Riptide sink a good few inches into the neck.
What happened next Percy didn't quite understand. Oh, he knew what happened he just wasn't sure how it happened exactly.
Percy realized that the strike to the monster's neck would be a fatal wound; it was just a matter of how quickly it would be fatal. He hoped it would be immediate but Tyche seemed to have other plans as when Percy pulled out he saw the Chimera bleeding out but still alive. Unfortunately, the swing left Percy's left side vulnerable to attack from the snake's head so it wasn't really shocking when Percy saw the snake strike out at him. And then things seemed to go into slow motion for him.
He immediately felt the familiar tug in his stomach but he also felt that same presence he remembered after his dad released his sacred gear. It seemed to register what was about to happen and without even realizing what was happening the left arm of Percy had changed into some kind of blue armor casing. It reminded him of some of the drakon claws he'd faced during the Battles of Manhattan and Camp Half-Blood. But Percy wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth right then so he quickly turned his hand and felt the snake head latch around the metal armor. The fangs of the snake tried to pierce his arm but his metal hand withstood the force of the jaw clamping down on him. Luckily, that was all the time he needed as the next moment the Chimera burst into golden dust and returned to Tartarus.
Percy collapsed onto his knees and started sucking in air. He'd been fit and strong but that was still way too close an encounter for his sake. The extra energy he expelled from his earlier run definitely drained him more than it should have. Still, it felt good knowing that he had defeated yet another legendary monster from ancient mythology.
Next to him sat the pair of goat horns he cut off from the Chimera.
Why do I keep getting horns for spoils? he asked. He now had horns from the Minotaur and the Chimera that he'd keep. He gave Medusa's head to his mother so she could turn Gabe into stone and he had to sacrifice the Nemean Lion's pelt to his father to get safe passage for Grover and the Ophiotaurus. It seemed only the legendary monster left spoils of war as most of the cyclopes and hellhounds and other monsters he killed didn't leave anything behind for him.
After a few minutes rest he grabbed the goat horns and again took off at a slow jog back to his house. He never did see the woman with long black hair and violet eyes watching him disappear down the road.
(Line Break)
It was only 15 minutes later that Percy finally made his way home. He's clothes were singed from the Chimera's flames and he had a few scratches on his arms from where the monster managed to get a few lucky paws strikes against him but for the most part he was fine. He figured he'd just sneak in and go upstairs before his mother noticed his disheveled appearance.
As soon as he opened the front door though he was immediately bombarded by the worried expression of his mother. When he looked at the clock resting on the wall behind her he saw it read 3 pm and he cursed himself silently for his bad fortune. He must have spent longer on the run and subsequent talking with the Perverted Trio and those girls than he anticipated.
"Perseus Jackson" Sally began. It never ended well for Percy when she said his whole name. "Where have you been? You said it was going to be a simple run and you'd be back in two or three hours. Not five."
Normally his mom wouldn't care too much about such a small infraction given his life but it seemed with a new baby on the way and the move Sally was being a bit overcautious. Maybe for good measure given what happened at the park.
"I just went for a run mom. I wanted to go to the park but ended up downtown first before I turned around and made my way there. It's no big deal." He said.
Then Sally took in her son's appearance and Percy saw the color drain from her face. It was slightly worrying at how quickly she went from glowing radiant to ghostly pale.
"What happened?!" she exclaimed. Immediately she stepped up and closed the front door and started looking him over. She could see the cuts and bruises from his fight and pulled him further into the house to get a closer look. He was forced to sit in a chair at the kitchen table and was quickly seen to by his mother. Sally dabbed his cuts with a wet paper towel and in no time the wounds started knitting themselves back up.
"Well I guess it seems monsters can track me even here in Japan." He said now answering her question. The cool water from the paper towel was soothing his aches and pains and he let his mother administer to everything. "It's nothing to worry about though" he said trying to placate her. "It's nothing different than how things were in New York. I just got to learn the neighborhood and streets a bit quicker is all."
Sally looked at Percy; blue eyes met sea green and Percy could see the worry in them. However, all she did was turn away, give a small sigh and continue cleaning the cuts.
"Percy," she said, "didn't you take any Nectar or Ambrosia? We have a stockpile of it under the counter here." Percy winced as his mom rubbed a particularly sensitive spot on his arm.
Percy shook his head no knowing there wasn't' anything he could do about it now.
His mom gave another sigh right then but this one much deeper. "Remember what Chiron said. Always be sure to carry some of the godly food on you. You know that already." Percy just nodded his head to confirm he would remember to grab some in the future.
After cleaning and subsequently healing most of Percy's cuts Sally nodded to the horns on her table and asked about them.
"What are those?" she asked curiously. Percy knew she had seen his Minotaur horn and would want to know what these were as well. And while Percy didn't quite want her to know just what exactly he fought he knew he owed her mother the truth.
"There just the horns from the goat head of the Chimera" he boasted. Percy couldn't keep the smirking grin from his face when he saw his mother gasp at the news. He was proud of himself and when Sally's gasp turned into a grin too he saw she was proud of him as well. It was pretty rare that a legendary monster attacked a demigod and it was something to gloat about now that he had succeeded in slaying the beast. He wouldn't advertise it but between himself and his mother he knew he could feel happy about his kill.
"Alright then mighty slayer" she said to knock his ego down jokingly. He grinned at her again before standing up. "You go run along and take a shower. You might smell like a barn animal but I certainly didn't raise you like one." She got another jab in about the goat causing Percy to chuckle softly.
He went upstairs and into his bathroom at the end of the hall before stripping his clothes and tossing them in the hamper. The shirt would have to go but the shorts only smelled of smoke so they'd be good to use after a good washing. Using his powers to turn on the water he looked at himself in the mirror while waiting for the water temperature to get comfortable.
It was then he looked down and stared at his left hand and arm. The drakon armor that covered it while the snake tried biting him had receded. He didn't even realize it till he started walking out of the park but it was as he was looking in the mirror that he tried to think of it.
It must be my sacred gear he said to himself. I remember that my chest and left arm were feeling especially jittery after dad unlocked the gear. I guess it's manifested itself in the left arm. Kind of like a shield actually. Now I can use it to defend myself while still attacking with Riptide. He felt a twinge of excitement at the aspect of having a shield again. Ever since he threw the shield Tyson made for him at Kampe he always wished his brother would make him another. The shield was useful as it allowed Percy to be more versatile with attacking and defending. But whatever his sacred gear was now allowed him to do the same thing. He could attack with his new arm and block other attacks too.
Percy tried calling forth the gear but he was having a bit of difficult. That same presence he felt earlier was still there but Percy couldn't seem to make contact with it.
Hello Percy asked mentally. Is there something there?
Nothing verbally responded but Percy could feel a gentle hum come from inside him. It was definitely odd and somewhat reminiscent of his former empathy link to his friend Grover but at the same time it was completely different. Whatever it was remained quiet and Percy had no choice but to give up temporarily. He'd try again though. Now that he knew there was something there for sure he would find out how to unlock it.
(Line Break)
A woman of medium height stood in a large room with Victorian style couches and chairs. The interior of the room was lined with wood panels and the floor was tiled with simple tan stone tiles. Candelabras with candles on them lined the tables throughout the room and a large mahogany desk sat along the back wall with a large throne like chair behind it. In the middle of the room was a coffee table that rested an old-fashioned chess board with pieces lining it. The black pieces were closing in on the white king but the white pieces had strategically positioned themselves so they would win the game before being overwhelmed by the black.
In one of the couches that sat on either side of the coffee table was another woman. This woman was often described as extremely desirable with her deep blue eyes and large bust. Most people tended to focus on her more prominent assets but her crimson hair was the most captivating feature to her.
"Ms. President" the first woman spoke, "I think I found someone we might want to keep an eye on."
The President was clearly focused on the game at hand but she knew she had her opponent beat in three turns. With little difficulty she turned to her companion and addressed her.
"Akeno" the President began, "who have you come across to attract your interest?"
The woman named Akeno moved one of her bishops diagonally across the board and opening up her king to an attack from one of the President's knights. "I don't know his name but I saw him in the park earlier today. And the thing that got me was he managed to not only attract but also slay an ancient monster from the Greek pantheon."
The President raised her head and eyebrow at that but quickly moved her knight into position.
"Check" she said. "He killed a Greek monster huh? Did you recognize it?"
"It was the Chimera President" Akeno said. "He fought it with some kind of sword and then managed to summon some kind of blue sacred gear to defend against the snake tail attacks. I thought I might have miscalculated and he would die but when the monster burst into dust I knew he'd be alright. I didn't know monsters burst into dust though. They don't dissolve into particles and feathers like angels and devils due?"
"I've only heard rumors of what happens to them." The President said. "I've never come across and fought a monster from another pantheon so I can't say for sure what happens. Perhaps my father or brother might be able to confirm for us."
The woman named Akeno nodded her head and made her second to final move of the game. She moved her queen just in front of her king though to the right side of it and opposite the President's king. This freed Akeno's king from check while also putting the President into check. What she didn't notice though was that she positioned her queen exactly in line of one of the President's bishops and left her vulnerable to both the President's rook lined up to along the right side just behind the enemy king, the knight which was vertically behind the king, and a simple pawn that was lined up to put the king in checkmate next turn.
"He was very strong President. I swear he was just as good with a blade as Kiba and his strikes against the monster were just under Koneko's strength. We should keep an eye on him."
Akeno made the only move available to her which was to position her second knight in the pathway of the President's newly moved bishop. At this point Akeno recognized she would probably lose but most games between her and her President ended that way so it didn't completely surprise her.
The President capitalized quickly and made the final move of the game. She moved her pawn one space up in the pathway of the Akeno's king.
"Checkmate" she said with little inflection to her voice. Akeno let out a little whimper at losing again but she quickly changed to question her President.
"What do you want to do President?" she asked her.
"You said you don't know his name?" the President asked in return.
Akeno shook her head in the negative and the President continued on.
"If that's the case then we'll just keep an eye out for him. Maybe he'll show up at some point and I can judge for myself. I won't commit to anything without at least first knowing someone. It's my responsibility to protect this area for my brother and if someone is messing around then I will deal with it."
It was pretty obvious the conversation was over and Akeno started picking up the board game. She gingerly held the black queen in her hand thinking over everything that had happened to her. She was about to lose herself to memories when her President came around and grasped her hands softly with a gentle touch. Akeno smiled at her President and the President smiled back.
"Come on" the President said, "we have some contracts to do tonight and my brother said that Riser was planning on coming for a visit soon. I'd rather not be here when that happens." She scowled at the name but was otherwise indifferent. Akeno knew the truth though about her President and she had to admit that being anywhere where Riser wasn't was a good plan to her.
"Sounds good. Let's get out of here."
And with that, a glowing red circle appeared on the floor and the two vanished into thin air.
