Percy Jackson and Andromeda's Lament

A.N.

Okay guys. First things first, I am absolutely sorry that this chapter took almost a month. It's just my relatives borrowed my laptop for school but I know that's no excuse. I'm seriously way behind schedule. To make things worse, I haven't even delivered with my last announcement that I'll be including the minotaur fight. And I'm so guilty that this story reached 100 reviews and it was right before a late chapter.

Again, I'm sorry. I just wanted to post this as soon as possible so that you won't think this story was abandoned or that I died or something.

Anyways, to make up for the long absence, I'll try my best to update this weekend. Next Wednesday at the latest.

Now, apology done, on to the next chapter.

Warning: Lime in this chapter!


Chapter 8: So… I can Ogle, You can Look?

Here she was once more sitting in some restaurant that she had no right to be in. Well, at least she felt that way as the other patrons sneered and scoffed at her red and blue candy saleswoman uniform.

The restaurant she was in was obviously catered to the more opulent of customers. The décor and the overall atmosphere produced by the place just oozed of luxury, obviously meant to bring the customer a sense of lavish comfort.

For Sally, who worked in something as mundane as a candy store and whose home life was anything but fancy, it made her feel uneasy.

Considering she was alone as her companion had yet to arrive, it only added to her discomfort. They'd agreed to meet for lunch at the end of their last outing. Usually, she was picked up from her workplace but recent circumstances complicated their usual procedure. Instead, she was asked to wait for her associate at the restaurant and right now, she was sorely regretting it.

She noticed a waiter approach one of the more populated tables – one filled with good-looking men and women around college age and wearing designer clothes that looked like they cost more than her whole wardrobe combined – and converse with the man sitting at the head.

Their exchanged words were no more than hushed whispers that Sally had no chance of overhearing in such a populated restaurant but the message was clear when the man tried, and failed, to point discreetly at her table.

Great. Now they were going to kick her out. Hopefully her friend would arrive soon.

Honestly, Sally had stopped counting the number of times she had spent her lunch breaks or when lucky, Sunday brunch, with the woman known as Astra Black.

It had started around a week after first meeting the woman her son brought to her workplace. She'd suddenly received a call from said woman inviting her to lunch, which made her wonder how her number wound up in the woman's possession since they only met once before and she didn't give Astra her contact number.

In the intervening months since then until now, she had been receiving sporadic calls and invitations – with her offering an occasional invitation as well – to more outings with the woman, usually for lunch. At times, when the pig she had the misfortune of calling husband allowed it, they went for Sunday brunch. So far, this only happened once since Sally usually spent her Sundays waiting Gabe and his friends on his weekly poker games.

Well, not this time.

Sally usually took the Sundays off from work – which only led to more work for her at home – but she had to cover for one of her co-workers. It wasn't something that normally happened but it at least led Sally to have Sunday brunch with her friend, though she kinda cheated by having some toast before she left the apartment and started her shift.

Sally honestly liked the woman. Astra Black was younger than her but also more successful, more driven, more interesting and Sally was even humble enough to admit that the Miss Black was also more beautiful than her when she was at that age.

Furthermore, Astra Black was a sweetheart. It was no wonder that her son, as dense as he was, had some form of attraction to the woman and if her eyes weren't deceiving her, Astra felt the same for her son.

Sally Jackson might have attracted a god, but Astra Black had attracted her son. In Sally's book, that made the beautiful blonde the better woman. But the reverse was also true, Astra Black was smitten with Percy Jackson, and as any mother would when their son was in a relationship, she was afraid that her son might have bit off more than he could chew.

That fear was quickly being put to rest the more time she spent with the woman. It seemed that Astra genuinely liked Percy, at least from her own observations and all through all the doubts that Sally had and all the barriers that kept them apart – their age, their occupations, the difference of their wealth – she was actually okay with them together.

If Sally had fallen in love with a deity that was thousands of years older than her, then a ten-year or so gap was nothing. After all Sally had been through, she knew that age was just a number. They just had to be careful that Percy doesn't get made. He might start maturing faster because of his lineage but it didn't change the fact that he was underage. Sally didn't want Astra to go to prison.

If having a principal-student relationship while having a romantic relationship might cause them trouble, then all Percy had to do was transfer or something. It wasn't like he wasn't used to switching schools and Sally was sure that he'd do it in a heartbeat if it was necessary to be with Astra.

If their wealth was the problem, then Percy just had to work hard to close the gap. Besides, not everyone was as judgmental as the people she was currently sharing breathing space with.

The biggest thing that might come between the two was Percy's condition. It was something that might even make her lose her son. She felt it was coming. Percy had been growing too quickly for her tastes and soon, she might have to relinquish him for his own good. If that happened, she didn't know how the two would stay together and that worried her.

It would be a shame because Sally thought they looked really cute together.

Though sometimes, like right now, she just wanted to throttle that childish lady. Figuratively, of course. She wouldn't actually hurt the woman, she was quickly becoming a good friend.

Why did they have to get lunch in a place like this? There was a perfectly nice diner right across the street with burgers and fries that Sally knew were to die for. It was obvious that the other patrons weren't particularly pleased with her presence. Some of them were even hostile, judging from the looks some of the others were shooting her. The waiter from earlier was actually making his approach now.

Probably to ask her to kindly exit the premises.

"Excuse me, ma'am?" The waiter asked her snootily. He was wearing a white shirt and vest with black slacks, black leather shoes and a black bowtie. "Are you ready to order?"

"I'm waiting for someone, thanks." Sally replied kindly, ignoring the disdain in the man's voice. He tilted his head up and looked down at her down his nose like she was someone beneath him.

"Terribly sorry," Although the words were apologetic, his tone was definitely not. "But your… attire… does not meet with this establishment's dress code." Sally had a feeling that she wanted to call her uniform something that was much more scathing. "I'm going to have to ask you to leave, ma'am. There are some regulars that find your presence… disparaging." His eyes shifted in the direction of the table that she noticed earlier, the one filled with rich-looking young adults, before quickly shifting back to hers.

"You have a dress code for Sunday brunch?" Sally asked disbelievingly.

"Yes." The waiter replied stiffly.

Sally subtly looked at the table and noticed the overall mirth and amusement that was permeating the occupants, likely at her expense. They were probably unemployed twenty-somethings that relied on daddy or mommy for money, at least judging by their youthful faces and their clothes which were actually less formal yet obviously more expensive than her clothes.

It was clear that the waiter was simply pulling something out of his ass to make her leave and presumably earn a big tip from the wealthier crowd he just spoke with.

"My friend is about to arrive…" Sally said as she once more turned her gaze to the waiter who was asking her to leave. "She'll be in any minu-"

"I insist." His tone of voice brooked no room for argument. "Please make your way to the exit."

Sally sighed.

"Very well…" She shouldered her purse and started walking towards the exits, silently passing the snooty waiter whose mouth twisted into a victorious smirk as she went by. Sally didn't notice. She kept her head raised and looked forward, a lazy smile determinedly affixed on her face.

She walked proudly even through the humiliation she was put through. Her smile did not falter even as she passed the other customers. Her head did not lower even as the presumed trust-fund babies renewed their laughter as she passed.

This was nothing. The humiliation, the crude treatment of herself because of her clothes, the way she was treated like dirt was nothing compared to her life at home. She could bear this easily, the barbs and arrows shot at her by the condescending waiter and the rude customers simply bounced off of her scarred soul. Gabe could do worse. Gabe did do worse. Her life was worse.

But she could bear it. She would. Everything, even Gabe and all his abuse.

For the blue birthday cakes and cookies. For the weekends spent in their special cabin. For those sea-green eyes and that grin that lit up her whole world. For those soft raven locks that she ran her fingers through. For little red dresses and cartwheels. For stuffed wolves and afternoons on the piano.

She'd bear everything for her child.

Wait… what?

"I hope you've had a good meal! Please come again!" She was greeted as she exited the restaurant, breaking her out of her reverie. The receptionist, a pretty red-head with pale skin and an overabundance of freckles, who was likely unaware of what happened inside shot her a beaming smile which made her forget what she was thinking about.

"Yeah! I'll be sure to come back." Sally smiled kindly back at the girl. She didn't blame her for what happened on the main floor and at least the smile she received was warm. Sally needed that after all the scathing looks.

Walking past the receptionist who opened the door for her, Sally was trying to remember her previous thoughts. Her mind had went off on a tangent, the treatment she received back inside the restaurant making her remember how bad things in her life what and requiring her to think of the things that made everything worth it. She was thinking quickly and rapidly, enumerating all the things and experiences that brightened up her life.

She had been thinking about Percy… right?


"Sally!" Astra greeted the woman as she arrived, her arms moving to wrap the woman in a friendly hug. "Were you waiting long?"

"Not really…" Sally replied, a demure smile on her face.

Astra raised a finely manicured eyebrow at the older woman. "Okay…" She didn't know what it was, but Sally looked a bit down. "Let's go inside then. I'm starving!" She reached out to take the woman's arm, disregarding all notions about personal space, and tried to drag Sally along. Maybe she'd feel better after food. After all, Astra always felt better after a good meal.

"Actually Astra…" Sally started, planting her feet on the concrete, halting their movement. "I'm sorta feeling for some burgers and milkshakes." She nodded to the diner across the street. "Can we go there instead?" Actually, she just didn't want to go back to where all the stares and the whispers were. She wasn't masochistic to enjoy being humiliated and looked down upon.

"Uh…" Astra looked at the restaurant, thinking of the delicious eggs benedict she knew they had, then turned her head and looked at the aforementioned diner. She could see a tray of burgers, fries and milkshakes from the window. It did look yummy. She gnawed on her pink lower lip and alternatingly gazed at the two eateries, a mask of indecision on her face.

Sally was watching Astra who looked like she was making a life-or-death decision. She failed to smother an involuntary chuckle when a bit of drool slipped through her mouth – exactly like how Percy sometimes did when he was asleep. She was a bit worried, though she gave Astra all the time she needed to come to a decision. Sally really didn't want to go back to the restaurant and face that waiter again.

Astra gave one final longing look at the restaurant, thinking of the exquisite hollandaise sauce that she wouldn't be eating today, before resolutely turning to the diner. "Okay! Sure! Let's go!" She locked arms with the mother of her Percy and the pair headed to the diner entrance arm in arm. "Think they have pie?"

"I'm sure they do. And dear…"

"Yes?"

"You have a little something on your…" Sally pointed to the corner of her mouth.

"Ah…" Astra reached up to wipe at her face… completely missing the drool stain.

"Other side."

"Right."

"No, left." Sally corrected.

"I mean… right as in…" Astra sputtered, finally successfully wiping away the drool at the corner of her mouth, before noticing the look Sally was sporting. A wide grin was on her face. "You were having me on, weren't you!? How could you!?" She shot the older woman a playful glare, though you could tell that she was also somewhat amused.

"Sorry. Couldn't resist." Sally admitted, chuckling softly.

"Geez. That was mean Sally…" Astra pouted indignantly for a moment before breaking out into an amused smile. "It was pretty funny though… in a bad joke kind of way."

They entered the diner and was assaulted with the smells of different food being cooked wafting from the kitchen and the general noise produced by the establishment. It was not quite the time for the lunch rush but the diner still had a considerable number of customers. Sally even thought that there were more people here than in the other restaurant.

Astra's mouth watered as she smelled burgers cooking on the grill and the sound of the crackling oil as different food was fried. She couldn't wait to order.

"Just the two of you then? Sit anywhere you like." An older woman, around Sally's age, wearing an apron over her clothes called out to them as they entered. "I'll be with you in a moment." She was balancing a tray of food while weaving in and out of way of various tables, chairs and the occasional customer.

Ding

"Order up."

"Can you get that Annie!" The older waitress yelled to another waitress, a younger looking girl that could pass of as her daughter.

"Sure mom!"

Sally and Astra watched one of the waitresses, Annie presumably, pick up a plate of eggs and bacon from the kitchen window to deliver to a guy sitting on the counter.

"Where do you wanna sit?" Astra asked Sally as she perused the food selection posted above the counter. Good. They had pie.

"I think there are some open booths over there." Sally pointed deeper inside the diner.

"Okay, sounds good." Astra said walking towards the back.

There was a vacant booth, right beside a window, which the duo sat down in.

"So…" Sally began once they got comfortable. "Anything new?"

"Yep! I've finally managed to get the pterodactyl skeleton!" Astra replied excitedly. "It's just a replica, since I couldn't get my hands on the real thing but it's still gonna be really cool. I picked them up just before I got here and they're in a few bags in my car right now. I just need to assemble it then I'll have it hanging above my office."

"That sounds a cool."

"Mhm… I also got a new gumball machine installed. Which was a mistake, since now I can't concentrate on my work!" Astra said, her arms moving around in exaggerated gestures.

Sally laughed. "I can see how that's a problem."

Astra nodded vehemently. "Yeah! Good thing I'm not too busy… oh! And we've decided on the date for the tournament."

"Oh?" Sally raised an eyebrow. "Seems like it took a long time for you to finalize the date. When?"

"After the exams. May 28th."

"So just before school let's out… that seems like a nice time to do it, with it being the end of the year and all."

"That was exactly what I thought." Astra pointed a finger at her to accentuate her point. "We're pretty smart, huh?" She shot the older woman a dazzling smile.

Sally returned her smile indulgently. "Great minds think alike." She agreed. "How's Percy? Is he training hard?"

Astra's mood sobered. "Yeah… about that…"

They were interrupted when a waitress, the mother, approached their table to take their order.

"Hey there! I haven't seen you before… first timers?" Astra and Sally nodded. "Great! I'm Jo. Welcome to Charlie's! You'll love it here. My husband makes just the most wonderful food. What'll you have?"

Shooting Sally and apologetic look, conveying with eyes alone that they'll continue the conversation after the meal, Astra answered Jo. "Hello Jo. I'm Astra. That's Sally. What do you recommend?"

"Our specialty is the cheeseburgers…" Jo replied. "Though everything in the menu is pretty good, if I might say so myself."

"Great… so…" Astra tried to look at the menu up above the counter. It was a bit hard to read seeing that they were near the very back of the diner, but Astra could make it out still. "We'll have some of those cheeseburgers…" She shot Sally a questioning look while Jo brought out a notepad to write down their orders.

"That sounds good." Sally confirmed.

"Right. Two orders of cheeseburgers…" At that moment, the daughter passed by carrying a plate of cheeseburgers and Astra got a whiff of the delicious smell. "Actually, make it three. They come with French fries?" Jo nodded. "Great. Add an extra order of fries… Then…"

"I meant they came with fries, in case I wasn't clear enough." Jo interjected.

"Oh, don't worry. I understood perfectly." She smiled at Jo.

"Right. Got it." Jo wrote down the order on her pad and started to make her way to leave when Astra stopped her.

"Where are you going? We've got more to order." She looked back at the menu. "I'm starving. We'll have a plate of pancakes too. Do you want some Sally?"

"Sure, dear."

"Make that two. Add an order of eggs and bacon. Eggs over easy, please. Then…" She squinted, trying to read the menu. "Steak? Is that right?"

"That's steak and mash." Jo clarified, now honestly wondering how these two relatively tiny women were gonna eat all of this food.. "We also do steak and eggs if you want."

"I'll have some steak. With potatoes." Jo nodded and scribbled it down on her pad. "What else… oh right. Drinks." Astra looked to Sally. "What do you think?"

"Milkshakes?" Sally suggested.

"Right. Silly me. Two milkshakes. And a glass of orange juice." She looked to Sally who shook her head. "Right. Two milkshakes and one orange juice." Astra finished. "Can you please repeat that?"

Jo read out loud what she got written down, slowly getting more and more incredulous as she went farther and farther into her notes and Astra nodded approvingly.

"I saw you had pie?" Astra asked after Jo finished.

"Yep! We have apple, banana cream and blueberry." Jo confirmed. "Do you want a slice?"

"Yes please. One of each."

"Great! Is that all?" Jo asked, having learned her lesson the first time she tried to leave.

"I think that's enough for now." Sally answered, seeing Astra was about to order some more. Said woman pouted at her. "At least for now. We'll call you later if we want more." Astra stopped pouting at that, replaced by a winning smile.

"Okay. Food will be right out." Jo said before taking her leave, whistling a jaunty tune.

"Really dear? That was a lot of food you ordered. Are you sure you can finish it all?" Astra nodded confidently. "You know, you'll get fat if you eat too much…"

"But I'm huuungryyy…" Astra protested. "Besides, I'm going to Yancy after this to finish my pterodactyl and I don't know how long that will take so I'm eating a lot so I won't get hungry later…" She defended. "And, I won't get fat!"

Sally chuckled. "What would Percy think if he was with us?" She wondered to herself aloud, watching for Astra's reaction.

"Hmph!" Astra crossed her arms under her breasts and let out a huff. "If Percy were here, he would have ordered more."

"Right. Silly me." Sally then once again asked about how Percy was doing.

It wasn't long before their orders came and they dug into their meal with gusto. They were talking about one of their favorite subjects while they ate, Percy.

The burgers were the first to go and Jo was right when she said they were specialties. The patty was big and meaty, with a bold taste and a melt-in-your-mouth texture. The sauce was amazing, some kind of mayo or something, with ketchup. Then there was the cheese. One slice of cheese above and one below the patty, with another chunk mixed in with the meat. The buns were also nice and toasty and with the lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes and other vegetables, the burger also had a crispness to it. It was exquisite.

The pancakes were nice and fluffy inside. It was like eating a cloud. They also received some maple syrup and Astra being Astra nearly drowned her pancakes in the stuff.

The eggs were just what Astra ordered. Cooked well, with the outsides crispy but with the yolks still runny. The bacon was also really nice and crispy but it was too small a serving. Three measly strips. Astra kinda wished there was more of it.

The steak was okay. A bit too tough for Astra's tastes but it posed no problem. It still tasted pretty good and the potatoes were decent.

Astra near inhaled the food, though she somehow still ate in a dignified manner. It wasn't long before all they were doing was dipping their fries in their milkshakes and enjoying their pie.

"Hmm… guess this is the apple one." Astra said as she took another forkful. "It's pretty good. What did you get?"

"Banana." Sally answered. "It's good. Wanna switch?"

"I was just about to ask!" Astra said and the two switched plates, Astra getting the banana cream pie and Sally getting the apple pie. The blueberry pie was left untouched on their table. They could split it later.

"So, what was it you were saying?" Sally asked as they swapped one more time and finally finished their slices.

"You know he got scouted right?" Astra asked as she took the blueberry pie and ate a forkful. She slid the plate to Sally who took a forkful of her own.

"By uh… Ted Bird?" Sally asked, sliding the slice of pie back to Astra.

"Robins. Ted Robins, our resident sports prodigy." Astra said, trying to return the slice across the table but Sally stopped her. Shrugging her shoulders – 'More for me' – she started finishing the pie.

"Right." Sally nodded. She remembered Astra telling her this but it was a few months and she was a bit blurry on the details.

"No, left." Astra shot back with a wink.

"Haha. Good one."

"Anyways, Percy played football last week." Astra continued her story.

"That's nice. Did he have fun?"

"Yep! He really showed those high schoolers! I heard he scored six touchdowns."

Sally was nodding along as Astra spoke before she froze suddenly, her words registering. "Wait… high schoolers?" She asked worriedly.

"He participated in the team practice so of course he was playing with high schoolers." Astra confirmed.

"Is he alright? Was he hurt?" Sally asked hurriedly, her motherly instincts reacting to her baby in danger.

"He's fine. I told you, he had fun. And he scored six touchdowns!"

Sally started nibbling on her lip in worry. "I don't think I'm comfortable with Percy doing things like that…" She knew Percy was growing up and that he had a physiology that was naturally superior to mere mortals, but she couldn't help being concerned that he was playing with guys twice his size in such a violent sport. "Do you think you could…"

"Sally." Astra interrupted, making the woman look up at her.

Sally saw the seriousness in Astra's gaze, the usually warm blue eyes replaced by steely, cobalt orbs.

"Percy is… he's…" Astra looked like she was grasping for the right words to convey her thoughts. "You know, the night before we first met, Percy and I went on a date." She said finally.

"What?" Sally asked, off balanced by the sudden change in subject.

"Yeah. We went on a date. I was in this really pretty dress and Percy looked really handsome in this suit I got him." Astra went on, sighing contentedly at the memory, her fingers twirling in her platinum blonde hair, unconcerned by the confusion that Sally was feeling. "It was after the field trip, see. I ambushed him in the parking lot and we went to dinner."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"After our date…" Astra continued, ignoring the question. "We ran into these thugs. They were surrounding my car. I'm pretty sure they were planning to steal it when they saw me and they decided they wanted me too." She explained.

"Oh dear…" Sally reached out to hold the other woman's hand. She was still kinda lost on why they were talking about this but she wanted to at least give comfort to her friend. It couldn't have been easy talking about this. "Are you okay? What happened?"

Astra nodded, giving Sally's hand a squeeze, before letting go. "I was alright. They didn't get away with anything." She raised her head and looked Sally straight in the eyes. "Percy didn't let them."

Sally gasped. "What do you mean?"

"There were five, maybe six guys. I can't really remember." Astra told her. "But Percy beat them all up. There was this one guy who was huge. Maybe seven-foot. Then the others had weapons." Astra looked far out like she was remembering the scene. The pained groaning of the thugs, the pattering of the rain on the asphalt, the raw fury in Percy's voice, the loud bang of a gunshot. Astra relived everything.

Even the way she felt, the tingling below her belly and the wetness of her underwear at the sight of Percy exerting his dominance on the inferior male species, proving he was a true alpha.

"They had knives and chains and crowbars. One of them even had a gun."

Sally's hand went up to cover her gaping mouth as tears started pooling in her eyes. Her baby went up against that? She gulped. "Was… was he okay? He… Percy looked fine when you visited. What happened?"

"They didn't stand a chance." Astra said in a deadpan. "Percy beat them all up and all he got were a few scratches and bruises from rolling around on the ground."

"But… how?" Sally asked, disbelieving. Her son was good, it was in his blood, but without training?

"That doesn't matter. What matters is this: Percy is growing into a wonderful man. He already promised me he'd be the best man in the world." Astra told the mother. "And we can't hold him back, Sally. He should be allowed to take care of himself."

Sally gave those words some thought. Astra was right, of course. Sally already knew that but it was hard to let go of Percy. She still though of him as her baby. "You're right." Sally said, going against her motherly instincts. It was time to let Percy fly out of the nest. Maybe she'd tell him about camp. She nodded to herself, firming up her resolve.

That was a decision made.

Still, there was something she was curious about. "But how did he win against those thugs?"

Astra scrunched up her eyebrows and fiddled with her fingers nervously. Should she tell? She looked at Sally, the mother of someone so very important to her. The one person who loved him almost just as much as she did.

"It was raining." Astra finally said after a few moments of awkward silence, surprising Sally. Did she somehow know?

"What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean." Astra gulped nervously. She sincerely hoped her uncle wasn't watching. Hopefully he wouldn't be too mad she took this risk. "It was raining and Percy got soaked in water."

"Astra…" Sally's jaw dropped in surprise before her expression hardened. "Who are you really? What do you want with Percy. If you do anything to him I'll-"

"You don't have to worry, Sally." Astra interrupted. "I know you love Percy very much. Maybe as much as I do. He saved my life. Everything I am is thanks to him. I belong to him." She announced boldly, making Sally blush.

"That's why… that's why I'm trusting you with this, Sally." She reached out to grip one of Sally's hand in hers once more but Sally flinched and she dropped her hand back into her lap, her head lowering in disappointment. "You can't tell anyone. This is a secret between you and me and my uncle. No one else knows and it has to be kept like that. At least until after he comes back."

"What are you talking about?"

"I can't tell you everything, but you have to trust me." She raised her head and looked Sally right in the eye. There was no sign of malice or dishonesty in her gaze and Sally reached out and let Astra hold onto her hand. "You have to trust me, Sally. Percy is everything to me. Everything I do is for him." Astra squeezed Sally's hand. "Please, believe me."

Sally gave her hand a comforting squeeze and sent her a tentative smile, though her eyes were still hard. "Tell me." The least she could do for the person she knew as Astra Black, even though that even that might have been a lie, was to listen.


Percy was walking through the halls of Yancy with a conflicted heart. His destination? Principal's office.

It was somewhere Percy was no stranger to. He'd spent a lot of time in Astra's office over the year. This time, however, things were weird.

Grover and he were in the library, finishing up a history assignment, when one of the student librarians – another scholarship student – approached them with a missive. Percy was to come to the principal's office. Immediately.

He didn't do anything to warrant a visit to the Principal's office. He was busy all week with training and schoolwork. He didn't even have time to himself, let alone cause trouble.

Furthermore, it was Sunday. This was the second time in a row that Astra was in Yancy on a Sunday. Her schedule was a bit like a scholarship student – going home after a school day and spending weekdays away from Yancy.

So, he was worried. Did he do something that he didn't realize and now he was in trouble for it? Did someone frame him? Was he even in trouble?

But aside from the worry, he was also a bit excited. Astra was there. It had only been a week since the time at the Mr. Brunner's with the lap pillow but for Percy that had already been too long.

It didn't help that the last time they met face to face, Percy was a second away from kissing her. He'd been stewing over the fact that they got interrupted the whole week, much to the amusement of Grover.

Astra.

He wondered what she was up to. Maybe she just wanted to see him? Maybe she missed him? Maybe…

"Mr. Jackson!" Astra called out to him with the full force of her authority as the Principal of Yancy Academy. Percy found himself in her office, sitting on a comfy leather armchair in front of Astra's desk. The room was dim, with the only light in the room being the scarce amount of sunlight slipping in through the closed curtains. The door was locked.

"Mr. Jackson!" Astra called once more and he saw movement from the corner of his eye. His gaze following, Percy caught first sight of her and he gasped.

She was in an outfit that got Percy's pulse racing and his blood pumping to a particular organ.

a white long-sleeved blouse with the first few buttons undone and exposing a healthy amount of cleavage and her black laced bra

a short black pencil skirt, her black laced panties winking at him every time she took a step

a pair of thigh high stockings, secured by black garters that disappeared into her skirt and accentuated her sexy legs

high heels that made her stand on the very tips of her toes that made her ass, thighs and legs that much more attractive

her platinum blonde hair tied up with a few loose strands framing her beautiful face and exposing her slender, graceful neck

ruby red lips, full and seductive

a pair of black rimmed glasses that gave her that hot librarian look and magnified her big blue eyes

Percy's pants had gone unbelievably tight.

"You've been a very naughty boy…" Astra cooed, walking around him and periodically slapping a plastic ruler on her palm. "Very naughty…" She whispered in his ear, making him shiver.

She sauntered to the front of her desk and leaned her ravishing body against the table. "What do you have to say for yourself?" She asked him.

Percy ignored the question, too focused on the pair of seductive thighs right in his face.

Getting annoyed at the snub, Astra hit the arm of Percy's chair with her ruler. "Well boy!" She asked again.

"I'm not a boy!" Percy roared, shooting up from his seat and trapping Astra's body between the desk and his own. His arms were on either side of her, preventing her from escaping.

"Really?" Astra didn't look worried at her position. In fact, she actually looked amused. "Then prove it, boy…" She reached up a hand and cupped his cheek.

Percy roared and stretched up his neck to take her mouth. She wanted to see just how much of a man he was. Well, she was getting it. He devoured her ruby red lips with his own; sucking, biting, nipping and nibbling until they became puffy.

His tongue demanded entrance into her mouth, forcefully shoving itself inside her pink orifice. Her own tongue gallantly dueled with his but was eventually proven inferior to the sheer dominance his own tongue exerted and she moaned as she finally admitted defeat and let him roam and explore her freely.

His hands weren't idle, one of them reaching around her sensual body to grab her meaty derriere while the other forcefully took the plastic ruler from her own hands and threw it somewhere behind him.

The object in her possession removed, her now free hands went up to his hair as she pulled his head closer to hers, giving him better leverage to prove just how much of a man he really was.

Craving for more skin instead of her skirt, Percy pulled the hem up to her waist and out of the way, exposing Astra's thong-covered ass. His hands immediately went to those fleshy cheeks, squeezing, fondling, kneading and spanking them into a delightfully pink tone.

Percy loved this ass. Sometimes he was tempted to just take her over his knee and smack it red. It was like a peach. Round, juicy and now, pleasantly pink.

Astra moaned into his mouth with every spank, her underwear getting wetter and wetter by the second. Her screams were muffled by his own mouth when Percy's hand slid down to her stocking covered thigh, pulled it up to waist-level and grinded into her panty-covered center.

Their locked lips separated due to the lack of the unfortunately important resource known as air and Percy immediately dove in to land kisses on her flushed neck.

"Percy…" Astra whispered breathily as she tilted her head to give him better access to her neck. "Percy… ahhh… Percy…" Her hips kept grinding against his and both her legs locked around him, her entire weight supported by the hands groping her ass.

Encouraged by the sounds she was producing, Percy started interposing sucks, nibbles and bites in between his kisses and once more marking Astra's chest as his. "Yeah… Astra?"

"Don't stop… more…" Astra moaned, her hands locked behind his neck, her nails painfully (read: pleasurably) raking down his feverish skin.

Who was he to refuse a lady.

He put Astra down on top of the desk, her legs still wrapped around his waist. Percy's rough lips once more met her now bruised ruby red lips in a searing kiss. His hands went up to her blouse and pulled, ripping it open, the buttons falling to the ground.

Her bra soon followed, forcefully torn from her chest and ruining the small piece and exposing her breasts to his viewing pleasure. Immediately, he leaned down and assaulted her breasts, groping, nibbling and biting at the soft flesh and the pebbled nipples.

As Percy kept on biting and nibbling, more and more of Astra's flesh was being marked as his and Percy found a strange pleasure shooting through him with every added mark. It was a dark, carnal pleasure, like marking her as territory. Claiming her as his and only his.

It wasn't enough though. It would never be enough.

Using one hand to grab at a marker on the desk – the other was busy pinching her nipples – Percy started writing words on her body, right above her navel in big bold letters.

'Property of Percy Jackson'

"You're mine, Astra." He growled into her ear after finishing his graffiti, making her moan in agreement. He slapped her right breast. "Answer me. You belong to who?" He asked, slapping her breast again when she didn't answer.

"I belong to you!" Astra screamed. Another slap. "I belong to Percy Jackson!" Percy twisted one of her nipples. "Astra Black belongs to Percy Jackson!"

"Good girl." Percy said, gently caressing her abused and red chest. "You're so beautiful…" Percy whispered as he dove in and peppered her torso with more kisses, paying special attention to the words he wrote, making Astra moan both at the compliment and at his ministrations.

Her blouse was hanging loosely on her frame by her arms, the couple too involved in each other to bother removing it all the way. Her skirt followed the same principle, simply being rolled up to her waist. Her stockings and heels riled up Percy even more and her glasses disappeared without his notice, but her hair…

He took hold of the star-shaped pin holding it in place, wiggled it loose, and yanked it out. Her hair fell in gently cascades, like liquid silver, and she looked up at him with her sky-blue doe eyes that were filled with unrestrained desire. "Percy…." She whispered breathily and he growled.

She was his. She already admitted she belonged to him.

But he hadn't taken her yet. Hadn't laid the final claim to her being.

Mentally and emotionally, he already knew she was his.

But physically?

He was taking her. All of her. Now.

His hands flew to the button of his uncomfortably tight pants and

"Percy?"

Percy jumped, his hands snapping to his sides from their position over his pants' button.

"Are you alright?" Astra asked from behind him, a large sack – big enough that it touched the floor – slung over her shoulder.

Somehow, he ended up right in front of Astra's office. And somehow, he got here before she did, which was weird because he assumed she was already in when he received the missive.

Percy turned to her automatically. "I'm fine, just…" He trailed off as she dropped her sack with a clatter, her face flushed, jaw open in a perfect o and her gaze directed downwards. Percy followed her gaze and saw…

"Ehem." Astra cleared her throat.

"I see you're happy to see me." Astra teased as Percy covered his tented crotch with his hands. "That's good. Want me to help with that?" She shot him a smile and a wink and Percy's mouth went dry.

"Wha… uh…" He stammered, not knowing what to say. Was she just teasing or…?

"C'mon. Let's go inside." Astra told him, picking up her sack and walking towards the door.

Percy stepped to the side so she could unlock the door. As she passed by, he eeped as she palmed and squeezed the not so little, little Percy and shot him a wink. "Mmm. Very nice." She told him, making Percy flush and cross his hands over his crotch again.

'Down boy. Down.' He thought to little Percy who, thankfully, shrunk slightly to just above normal size.

Pushing open the door, the woman entered the office, leaving Percy staring after her swaying hips, her peach ass hypnotizing Percy with their movement. She was definitely putting more oomph to that swing, right? They can't normally be that nice.

"Aren't you coming, Percy?" Astra asked him, looking over her shoulder, though her gaze was still pointed downwards toward his covered crotch. It had gone up again after that display. "Hmmm?"

Percy gulped. "Yeah… just… give me a minute…"

"Make it fast. I assume you've got the rest of the day free. We have a lot to do… Actually," She began, looking him up and down. Percy cringed every time her gaze passed his crotch area. "Change your clothes. Something you won't mind ruining." Astra said before closing the door and leaving him alone in the hallway.

He sighed in relief. Okay. Right now, he really had only one option. Feeling the tightness of his pants, Percy determined that it wouldn't be going down any time soon. A cold shower would take too long. That left only…

"Gotta go to the bathroom…"


When Percy finally entered Astra's office, it was to the sight of Astra bent at the waist over the large sack she was carrying, that ravishing round butt of hers wiggling left and right enticingly.

What made it worse – or better in some cases – was instead of the jeans she was wearing earlier, she was wearing black short shorts. And by short, he meant tiny. They were so small that they were barely considered shorts, barely covering her fat cheeks. They looked tight too. Percy almost mistook them for having been painted on when he first laid his eyes on her.

Like Astra, Percy had changed from his t-shirt and jeans combo – something Astra gave him – into a ratty old tee and basketball shorts.

Percy closed the door behind him absently, his eyes never leaving the captivating sway of Astra's derriere before shaking his head and putting a hand to his face and covering his eyes. Not a moment later, a small gap appeared between his fingers, effectively giving Percy his very own hole to peep through.

"Ehem." Percy cleared her throat after a few more minutes of covertly admiring Astra, finally bringing his presence into attention. She had been to busy rummaging inside that bag of hers to notice him.

"Percy?" She asked, straightening up and turning towards him, letting Percy see the other part of her new attire. A thin, white tank top that exposed a lot of skin with a superman logo printed on the front. It was a size too big for her, hanging onto her voluptuous form by two thin straps that looked like they would just slide off with every sudden movement.

Her platinum blonde hair was tied in a high ponytail, revealing her delicate ears and slender neck.

Great. As if her shorts weren't distracting enough.

"Did you enjoy the show?" She asked him with a sly grin, making Percy groan.

Doubly great. She'd known he was here the entire time.

Well, if she was going to play it like that…

Percy shot her a grin and nodded. "Yeah. Will you do an encore?" He asked cheekily, not expecting her to actually do it and just looking to make her blush. "But don't blame me if I can't help myself. You have a really great Asstra." He said before cringing at his own pun.

Contrary to expectations – something that Percy really should remember considering the sugar incident during their date – Astra giggled at his joke before she turned her back to him once more. She bent forwards at the waist like before, though this time she looked over at him over her shoulder, her lower lip trapped between her teeth and with half-lidded eyes and wiggled her rear at him seductively.

"Percy…" She whispered softly, though somehow Percy heard her and little Percy rose to attention. Again. "Like it?" She asked as she did a particularly vigorous shake and Percy groaned.

He never can win with her. She was too irresistible.

Something inside him roared. It was something that kept happening recently and now it was a familiar feeling. Usually, it reared its head during training, either with the sword or with Ted. During those times, he felt himself work harder, swing the sword faster, shoot the ball better.

The first time, though, was different. It was during their date, when Astra was in trouble. Percy could still distinctly remember what it was roaring at him when those thugs tried to take Astra away from him. It was one of the strongest reactions he'd gotten. Actually, the most powerful ones usually involved Astra in some way.

This time was no different.

TAKE HER!

She was wonderful. Powerful. Healthy. Perfect. The pinnacle of the female form. The perfect mate to bear his children. The ideal mother of dr-

Then he felt something pulse, starting from the center of his chest, and the voice egging him on to take her stopped.

"I thought you were gonna touch me?"

Percy groaned. The voice might have stopped but the sight in front of him was still incredibly tempting. She was really testing his self-control. The sight of the desk, a set of armchairs innocently placed right in front of it, didn't help matters.

Hormones were horrible. Was he gonna be like this all throughout puberty?

Percy clamped down on his desires, willing the roaring to stop and firmed up his resolve. He exerted every iota of self-control he could muster to resist the temptation he was faced with. It was hard, the hypnotic sway of Astra's hips having a profound effect on his libido but he resisted the urge to give in.

Because they made a promise.

Astra Black was beautiful. Perfect.

Percy Jackson wasn't. Not even close. Not yet. But he will be.

And when they finally get together, he'll be good enough for her. Percy will live up to her expectations and be a brave, kind and loyal man.

It was difficult thing to aspire to be. Percy didn't have many good male role models to emulate and to learn from. He didn't really know his father and the less said about Gabe, the better. The only one he could really think of was Mr. Brunner, and even then, he didn't really think the wise, knowledgeable teacher schtick fit him.

But it was something to strive for. To be a man that Astra would be proud to be with.

He walked until he was within arm's reach of her, his gaze right on her form. Astra looked at him from over her shoulder expectantly, her ponytail swaying left and right following her shaking hips.

"Are you going to do it?" She asked softly. Her voice was husky, making Percy shiver and he locked eyes with her, sea-green meeting sky-blue. There was something dark in her eyes that Percy couldn't decipher but he decided he liked what he saw.

He hesitated; a final encounter with today's temptation making him freeze. Will he really let this opportunity pass? Can't he just give in now and wrap his arms around this woman like he often dreamed and fantasized?

"I am." Percy finally answered, winding up his arm and giving her juicy peach ass a loud smack with his open palm. Her cheeks jiggled at the impact and she let out a cute 'eep'.

Percy felt a wave of satisfaction. He'd treat it as payback for copping a feel of his junk earlier. That was all he'd allow himself. For now.

"C'mon. I thought you said we had a lot to do." Percy said as he walked by her and peered into the sack she was rummaging around in. "Are these bones?"

Astra straightened up, rubbing the cheek Percy spanked. She almost couldn't believe he actually did it, but she didn't really mind. Actually, she did mind that he didn't do more. "Yep! That's the pterodactyl. They're just plastic replicas though. I couldn't get my hands on the real thing."

"Ah…" Percy nodded, understanding the reason for his presence. "You want some help?"

Astra rubbed her cheek sheepishly. "Yeah… I thought I could do it by myself before I picked it up… but I didn't expect that there'd be too many pieces for me to do by myself." She explained.

"This doesn't look like much." Percy said lifting the bag and weighing it. It wasn't that heavy.

Astra silently pointed somewhere behind Percy, making him turn around and look. Five sacks just as big as the one he had were lined up next to the wall. "Not that much, huh?" She repeated sarcastically. The reason she wasn't in her office when Percy arrived was because she had to take multiple trips to get the bags from her car to the office.

Percy had the decency to look sheepish. "Fine. It's a lot." How did he not notice the others? Oh right. Astra's display distracted him. "Okay I'll help."

"Great!" Astra cheered, her movement making a strap of her tank top slide off her shoulder. "I was gonna ask Juliet but summer's coming so she had to start training again."

"Juliet's a part of a traveling wrestling group, right?" Percy asked as he absently reached up and replaced the strap back securely on Astra's shoulder. "Jade something?"

"Jade Princess." Astra supplied, squeezing Percy's hand on her shoulder in thanks. "I think some of her fights are on the internet. We could watch some during our break later, if you like."

"Cool."

"Yeah! I've also got some cheeseburgers from this diner me and your mom went to for lunch. They're good."

"You had lunch with my mom?" Percy raised an eyebrow. "How?"

"We're friends. I called her up a few months ago and invited her for lunch. She's really nice and I really like her. We usually meet up once a week." Astra explained. "That reminds me. She gave me a letter to give to you."

"From my mom? She could've just called."

"You don't have a phone, remember." Astra said, patting at her clothes before realizing she'd changed. "It was in my pocket. I'll go get it." She said walking to the door behind the desk. It led to her Yancy bedroom that she used for all those long nights when she was too tired to drive back to the city. "Take a seat. I'll start on the pterodactyl while you read."

Percy ambled to one of the plush couches, far away from the desk and the armchairs. Astra was distracting enough. He didn't need to add to his distraction with fantasies, no matter how much Percy wanted them to come true.

Plopping down onto the soft cushions of the couch, Percy thought about any repercussions that would possibly come out of his mom and Astra being friends. He wasn't really sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing.

On one hand, it meant that they got along and that on some level, his mom approved of Astra. His mom was nice and kind, but it also meant that if she didn't like you, she was nice enough to tell you to your face. The fact that they had lunch on multiple occasions was a good sign.

Conversely, that meant that they talk about all kinds of topics. Like about him. Percy told Astra lots of stories, but there were some that just weren't fit to see the light of day, like the birthday cake incident when he was four. Then there were the baby pictures.

He wanted Astra to think of him as a man. Showing her a picture of him buck naked and still covered in suds while running from the bathroom wouldn't help.

His moment of speculation was over quickly as Astra re-entered the office, a folded note in hand. "Here, Percy." She passed him the note. "Astra Deliveries. We get you your package in an hour or less!" She announced proudly, giggling at the end of her statement.

Percy raised an eyebrow as he took the letter from her. "Really… That's amazing." He said in a deadpan. "I'll be sure to recommend you to my friends. Do you have a hotline?" He joked, making Astra laugh and rub the back of her head sheepishly.

"Just read the letter Percy." She told him as she turned to the bags and started unpacking the pterodactyl parts. "Don't worry, I haven't opened it."

"I know you didn't." Percy assured. "And I wouldn't have minded if you did. I trust you, Astra." He turned his attention to the note, carefully unfolding the paper, and reading the contents.

He didn't notice how Astra suddenly froze and turned towards him. Nor did he notice the wide-eyed, unbelieving yet ecstatic look on her face.


Dear Percy,

I know this is unusual. There are so many ways I could've contacted you. I know you told me Grover had a phone, or maybe I could've emailed you, or maybe even just showed you in person, but Astra was with me and I thought why not have her deliver this to you.

Hopefully you appreciate this opportunity I gave you two. She told me she was going to be spending the rest of the day building her… pterodactyl I think. That should give you a few hours of alone time. Hehe.

Anyways, I should probably keep this letter short. We've already finished lunch and your beautiful girlfriend is starting to get a bit too hyper. I think she's excited to make her dinosaur.

Astra told me about Mr. Brunner's offer, Percy. About camp. And… I think you should go.

It sounds like it would do you some good and I'm happy that someone finally realized just how special you really are. I haven't told you this yet, but your father told me about that summer camp. It was one of the things we talked about, when to send you there.

It seems that the time has come.

I've been selfish, Percy. I should've let you go years ago, but I was too greedy. I wanted more time with you. You're my little boy and I want to take care of you forever, but I know you're growing up and becoming a man. You're not my baby anymore. You've even got yourself a beautiful woman.

The camp would be good for you. It'll help you reach your full potential and that's all I could really hope for you. You're strong. And brave. And kind. You'll be a wonderful man and going to camp will help you grow into one.

Talk to Mr. Brunner. Tell him you're going and know that I support you in doing so. This would be good for you, and I know your father would agree with me.

I hoped we had more time, but I guess it was enough. I know we'll make it through this, and I know your father is watching over you.

I'll see you after the school year. We probably have a week before you go to camp, so what do you say to a weekend at Montauk? We'll rent our cabin again and have s'mores over a campfire.

I love you.

xoxo

PS. I approve of your taste in women, Percy. Astra's a wonderful girl. Don't let her get away.


A few words were smudged and there were some wet spots on the paper, and Percy realized that his mom was crying while she wrote this. His heart sank. All the embarrassment he felt during the earlier parts of the letter faded, replaced by worry. What did this all mean? It was just a summer camp, but his mom acted as if this was a really big thing.

It felt like his mom was really conflicted about letting him go. And his dad… he didn't even know his dad. Why would he want him to go to some summer camp when he didn't even bother raising him?

He spent a few more minutes brooding over the letter, reading it over and over again. He tried to find some clues. Something that would help him make sense of all of this. Anything to make him understand what the hell was going on.

It was a good thing he was already sitting down. His legs had given out on him a long time ago.

"Percy?" He felt a soft poke on his shoulder and he was brought out of his musings. "Are you okay?" He turned to the voice, and as expected, Astra was there standing over him.

All the excitement she had for assembling her pterodactyl evaporated. Her blue eyes were filled with worry.

Percy could see pieces of the pterodactyl scattered on the floor behind her. A few were already arranged into what looked like a wing shape.

"I'm fine. Don't worry." Percy said standing up. "Now, what do you want me to do?"

"Are you sure? I can do this by myself if you don't feel up to it." Astra stepped in front of him, blocking his route to their project. "You can go and rest, Percy. You don't look too good."

Percy sighed, letting out some of his frustration with his breath. He didn't want to snap at her. She was only worried about him and he honestly appreciated it. "I'm fine." A strand of platinum hair escaped from her tight ponytail and Percy reached up to tuck it behind her ear, his fingers gently brushing her cheek as he did. "Let's go finish your dinosaur."

Astra touched her warm cheek, feeling it tingle from his feather-soft touch. She sent him a smile and Percy felt his spirits lift. "Okay! Let's do this!" She cheered, pumping her fist up in the air.

Percy smiled at her antics. "Yeah!" He agreed. "How can I help!" He asked now getting hyped by her energy.

"I need you to get a magnifying glass, a power drill, a lighter, a flashlight and a rabbit!" Astra ordered.

"Got it!" Percy answered near immediately, getting swept up in the hype. "What's the rabbit for?"

"I don't know! Emergency food supply!" She shrugged.

"Okay! Wait… what?!"

Astra giggled in response, bopping him on the head. "Just help me assemble the pieces, silly! Think of it as giant LEGOs."

"Right." Percy said, kneeling near the pterodactyl parts. Astra quickly moved and stood in front of him, pointing out how each piece connected.

He wasn't listening though. Percy's eyes strayed to her long legs and soft looking thighs. Can you blame him? They were distracting and, as fitting for the woman they were attached to, immensely sexy. Percy often didn't get to marvel at just how perfect they were. Usually his gaze was locked with her eyes or they find themselves ogling her chest and rear but not her legs. And especially not uncovered like they were now.

His eyes roved over her legs, his gaze entranced by just how amazing they were. He started at her feet that possessed graceful arches and elegant toes painted black before slowly moving upwards.

Percy felt like hours had passed as his eyes slowly trailed higher and higher and even higher. It was like there was no end to just how long they were, his gaze unable to move at any pace faster than slow, unwilling to miss even a single inch of her glorious legs.

Eventually, just before Percy started to fear that he was forever trapped gazing into the endless length that was Astra's legs, his gaze reached the hem of her tiny shorts. He noticed a marking on the inside of her upper left thigh, just visible from his angle. It was a tattoo, no bigger than a quarter. A small black star, a symbol of Astra's name.

"Had your fill?" Astra asked, making Percy's eyes jump upwards until they met her eyes. Her sky-blue eyes that were twinkling with amusement, like an anomaly of stars appearing during the brilliantly azure noon sky. Her mouth was curved in a smug smile.

Percy felt like crap. He did it again. Not even an hour after he last decided that all he'd allow himself was that pat on the ass, he started ogling her again.

He really hated teenage hormones.

"Sorry, Astra."

"Don't apologize Percy. I don't mind." Astra assured him, patting him on the head. He was still on the floor while she was standing. "As long as you don't mind it if I do the same." She sent an indiscreet glance at his arms. Percy didn't notice but he was clenching his fists hard in attempt to keep his hands to himself and it did wonders for his arms and upper body.

"Uh… okay, I guess." Percy agreed. At least this way, he wouldn't feel guilty. It seemed clear that although he could resist the urge to touch her, he couldn't stop himself from looking. He'll try his best not to ogle her, but the thought of having explicit permission to look and admire brought great relief and satisfaction to him.

The tension left his body as he roved his eyes once more over her wonderful legs and feeling the lack of guilt it brought, making Astra whine disappointedly. She was really enjoying the sight of his toned arms straining against the sleeves of his old shirt, something that didn't really fit his new frame. That and his eyes which had darkened with lust.

Those eyes sent shivers down her spine.

She'd actually noticed he stopped listening since almost the start of her talking. She was just patiently waiting for Percy to stop checking out her legs. Besides, he wasn't the only one doing the checking out.

"Now, how do we do this again?" Percy asked gesturing to the scattered pterodactyl in front of him.

"Okay. So, for example, you take this and this. Then you do this."

Once again, Percy didn't see what she did or understood a word she said. Like the hormonal teenaged boy he was, his attention was immediately drawn to the sight of female skin. Almost automatically, his gaze shifted when Astra leaned forward, reaching for a pterodactyl part.

"Did you get it?" Astra asked before puffing out her cheeks when she received no response. "Were you looking under my shirt?" She questioned, correctly assuming he got distracted.

"Sorry." Percy apologized, resolutely keeping his head down and focusing on the pterodactyl.

She sighed. "Percy… I know I said you can look but I've explained it twice now. We won't finish if you keep getting distracted." She chided though she didn't actually make a move to block his view. "I know!" She said and Percy could almost see the lightbulb above her head.

"We'll make a deal." Astra told him, a teasing lilt to her voice. "Don't get distracted for the rest of the day, just until we finish the pterodactyl and…"

She whispered something hotly in his ear.

It wasn't anything too much, just a promise for the future. However, it made Percy's throat dry and his blood pressure rocket.

Percy gulped.

Little Percy pitched a tent.

Astra giggled.

Damnit, not again!

Really, this woman will be the death of him.

He resigned himself to dying with a smile on his face.


"So… how'd you do?" Grover asked one Percy Jackson as he came out of the classroom, stretching his arms over his head to get the kinks out of his back.

They'd just gone through a grueling three-hour algebra test, the final exam of the year.

"Not bad?" Percy replied, sighing in relief as his spine made a particularly satisfying pop. "My back actually hurt more than my head this time."

"You didn't have trouble with problem three?"

"Which one was that?" Percy asked, having trouble remembering a question that came so early on the paper.

"Y'know. That equation with the pi." Grover clarified.

"Oh, that one. No. I think I got it." Percy replied, stepping out of the way of someone coming out of the classroom.

Mrs. Dodd's wasn't the sort to let students stay in the classroom after they'd finished. As long as you were done, whether you took the whole three hours or took only thirty minutes, you had to get out. Of course, she'd take the papers when the three hours were up, finished or not.

Grover finished pretty early at just two hours into the exam. Percy took a bit longer, finishing only fifteen minutes before the three hours were up.

Percy guessed she was just glad to have them out of her hair. Well, Mrs. Dodds. The feeling is mutual.

"I had most trouble with the word problems, actually. The dyslexia made it a bit hard to read."

Actually, his reading had improved over the last few months by leaps and bounds. He almost had no problems with the reading portions of their English test. His dyslexia just started acting up again because his head started to hurt after hours of math problems.

Still didn't hurt more than his back though. The past few days spent hunched over a desk really did a number on him.

"How'd you do on Latin?" Grover asked.

"Aced it. I think." Percy shrugged. They wouldn't get official test results until after the school year.

"So, you don't have to participate in the tourney." Grover told him. "Since, you know. You were only forced to join because you didn't get full credit for the field trip."

"That's what I thought." Percy agreed. "But when I asked Mr. Brunner when I realized I could pass on my grades alone, he said that I'd still have to participate. Said the grade for the field trip was just too large and that even half-attendance equaled to zero on his grading sheet."

"Well… that sucks."

"Tell me about it." Percy said ruefully as he cracked his neck. "I really can't wait to get some practice with Ted again." Percy commented, successfully changing the subject as they started walking back to their dorms. "I've been having this feeling that something was missing since we'd stopped meeting in the morning."

"Oh yeah… Most activities were banned a week before the exams." Grover remembered.

"It really sucks if you ask me."

"They made it like that so you could focus on the exams." Grover reasoned. "Besides, it's almost summer. You could spend the next three months running around in camp! You'll love it, I promise." He clapped Percy on the shoulder.

"I guess." Percy admitted. He'd told Mr. Brunner he was going the same week he received the letter from his mom. "But I doubt they'd have someone like Ted there. That guy's a monster."

"Look who's talking." Grover shot back. Percy had, in the last few months, proven himself to be just as talented as Ted when it came to pure athleticism. He'd actually set an unofficial record for fastest 100m dash made by a sixth-grader. "And you'd be surprised. We have a lot of different types back at camp. Remember Luke?"

"How could I forget. He almost took my head off!" Percy snarked. "But I get it. Mr. Brunner told me the camp was invite-only so I guess all the kids there are sorta special. I still don't really know how I got in, though…" Percy trailed off.

"What?"

"I… did my dad have anything to do with it?" Percy wondered aloud, remembering the contents of the letter.

Grover felt the back of his neck start to sweat. "Why'd you think that?"

They made sure he would be attending for the summer, and that was good, but knowledge could be dangerous. Chiron and he planned to tell the boy about demigods after he was safely in camp. Him knowing something he shouldn't was potentially lethal.

"It was in the letter my mom sent." Percy explained. "She said my dad knew about the camp you were talking about, which is weird because even I don't know the name yet and I'm going."

"Camp Half-Blood." Grover revealed. The knowledge of the camp name shouldn't be dangerous and at least he gave Percy something. He didn't want Percy to be curious or distrustful. That was as dangerous as knowing too much. "The camp is called Camp Half-Blood."

"Oh… right." Percy said the name a few times, liking the way it rolled of his tongue. The name was weird but oddly comforting for him. "It's an exclusive camp, right? Don't worry, I won't tell anyone." He assured his friend, knowing Grover probably told him just because he was already going this summer.

"Anyways, dad seemed to want me to go there. It was something they talked about before I was even born." He stopped talking. Grover had gone silent and his usual expressions – happy, nervous, scared, hungry, teasing; things like that – were replaced with an uncharacteristically serious look.

Percy waited for Grover to speak, maybe something profound or wise or something similar. His expressions were all pointing towards something like that or at least something similar. Grover was weird like that.

Then his stomach rumbled.

"Oh… I think it's time for dinner. Do you think they have enchiladas?"

Percy stopped walking, faced the wall, and promptly banged his head on it. Sometimes, a palm to the face just wasn't enough.

"Why did I even expect anything else?" He groaned.


Percy looked around his surroundings with wide-eyed wonder.

All around him was a stone structure stood filled with layer upon layer of smoothened slabs of stone and marble that acted as seats for the hundreds of people who showed up to witness this event. Percy strained his eyes, trying to see the very top of the structure, but no matter how far he tried to look, he couldn't see the end.

The tunnel they came through was right below an elevated platform, a balcony, that was obviously for any VIPs that came to watch the tournament. The balcony was one of the best places to watch from, close to the action but high enough to be able to see everything and anything. Its purpose was made even more obvious by the regal looking throne situated right in the middle of it.

Towering columns made of stone were periodically spaced around the circular area made of firmly packed dirt where Percy and his fellow contestants were standing on, acting more like decorations than actual support, seeing as the structure didn't have a roof. Their area was approximately thirty meters in diameter, giving them more than enough space to move around and fight.

All in all, the coliseum they were holding the sword tournament at was very impressive, especially considering construction started just after the final exams. At least, that was what he heard.

Percy honestly thought the venue would be the gym so imagine his surprise when several school busses were brought into the campus first thing in the morning. An hour and a half later, more than half the school and a fair bit of their parents were being ushered into a coliseum a mile away from campus. Too bad his mom couldn't get the day off.

Of course, it wasn't possible to use real stone slabs or polished marble in the construction. That would have taken too long. As far as Percy knew, the arena was mostly made up of gravel, quick-dry cement, and plywood, but honestly, he could hardly tell the difference.

It sure as hell looked good.

Percy's ears were ringing with the noise from the crowd, whether by the excited roar of the audience or the number of food vendors shouting out their wares.

He took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves, and his nose was assaulted by the distinct scent of polished leather. The leather armor they gave him fit him just right. It was thick enough to provide him sufficient protection from any blows he may fail to block but was light and flexible, not hampering any of his movement.

The helmet he was currently carrying under his arm was another story.

Percy tried the helmet on before they were asked to gather on the arena floor. It smelled okay since it was new, but it made it hard to breath, and it blocked his peripheral vision.

He decided that he would lose the helmet first chance he got, which was too bad because he honestly thought it was cool.

Looking around the other contestants, Percy saw that most of them had the same thing he had.

A leather breastplate over their casual clothes – for Percy that was a plain black t-shirt and dark jeans along with sneakers – leather bracers to protect their arms and a helmet was handed out to them on the bus.

In addition to the stock armor given to each of the contestants, Percy had on some finely-made shin guards and thigh pads made with quality leather over his jeans. They were dyed black and had a scale-like pattern etched on them. They were lying in a box on his bed the night before, along with a note from Astra demanding that he better win the tournament and that she was sorry.

He didn't know why she was apologizing but he appreciated the sentiment, both the encouragement and the apology.

With three different good luck charms from his lucky star – he rarely took off the fang pendant that Astra had given him so long ago – Percy felt pretty good about his chances of victory.

The contestants' swords were hanging onto their waists by a leather sword belt, safely sheathed inside a wooden scabbard. Mr. Brunner had handed them each one of the promised iron swords, though he was visibly worried as he did so.

If Percy was asked, he would have preferred his wooden sword rather than the iron sword he was given. He gave his new sword a few practice swings as soon as he got it and found that it was heavier than the wooden sword he used for practice.

This was something he expected, but he was still let down that it was even worse than he thought. Of course, the familiarity he'd achieved with his usual sword was gone, but even more than that was the balance. The feel was horrible in Percy's hand.

Still, he got what he got. All he could do now was try his best.

Percy was looking at his rival contestants while he waited for the event to begin. A few of the contestants were wearing something different to what Percy had. It was allowed to bring your own stuff, though he hoped that it was run by Mr. Brunner beforehand. He'd had his extra armor approved by the teacher just as they were boarding the bus. He would be seriously pissed if he had to fight someone with a live sword.

Out of the twenty or so contestants standing with him, a couple of them had on something different. Maria was one of them.

She was wearing some kind of robe, something that looked like a kimono that didn't restrict her movements, but Percy wasn't sure. (A gi) It was made of a dark blue cloth and it hid her feet when she was standing straight. She wasn't right now and Percy saw that she was wearing sandals.

Above her robes, she was wearing some kind of armor that covered just as much as a tank top would. She was also wearing arm guards, shoulder pads and a helmet, all having the same style as her armor. Her helmet had a mesh front allowing her to see and extended past her neck to protect her throat. Percy was happy he was wearing leather because Maria's armor looked kinda bulky.

Visible on her hip was the decorated hilt of a sword. She showed Percy what it was right when it arrived, a blunt edged katana from her dad. Percy knew that the blade was thin, long, and looked wickedly sharp, but Percy knew that it was as blunt as a metal rod. Maria was ecstatic when she received it. It had been a surprise, and a gift from her father, along with the promise to come and watch her compete.

She noticed him looking at her and shot him an excited smile, just visible through the gaps of the mesh front of her helmet.

Percy nodded at her in acknowledgement before turning back to his examination of his opponents.

There were two wearing fencing outfits, white bodysuit and all. They were talking to each other in hushed whispers, their black-fronted helmets hiding their faces. On their waists were thin swords with elaborate guards and gilded pommels, rapiers. Unlike the leaf-shaped swords most of the contestants had, the fencers' swords were obviously more suited for quick thrusts.

"Duuudee… you look so cool! I totally dig the red and black. And the sword! It looks so real! It was like Sparda himself gave it to you!"

"Thanks. You're not to bad yourself! Nice bandages. Good touch."

Percy's attention was drawn to the noise. It came from two guys, right at the edge of the group. They were wearing outfits that honestly freaked Percy out.

One guy was wearing a red overcoat with sleeves that were rolled up to his elbows and reached his ankles. Under the coat he had on a dark button-up shirt and dark leather pants. His shoes were also made of leather. Furthermore, the guy either wore a very convincing wig or he dyed his hair white which was frankly rather impressive to Percy if it was the latter. Gotta give him props for commitment at least.

Instead of having his sword on his waist like the other contestants, his was on his back strapped to some kind of harness. It was a heavy looking sword with a lengthy blade that was almost as tall as the guy carrying it. Percy could see it peeking over his right shoulder and it had this skull design right at the base near the hilt. Percy felt like the skull was glaring at him with those red glowing lights within the eye sockets.

The other guy wasn't any better. He was wearing robes that were similar to Maria, though they were purple in color. His right arm was free of its sleeve, letting only half of the top of his robe hang off of his torso. A katana-like blade was on his waist.

That alone would've been alright, maybe a bit lacking of protection, but still alright. Unfortunately, the guy had to add some weird shit to his outfit that just made him look downright strange.

From the top of his head to the tip of his toes, the guy was wrapped in bandages. Aside from small gaps for his eyes and mouth, his whole body was swaddled in clean white dressing, like a mummy. The little skin revealed by the gaps were black, but not like those of a health African American. They were black like charred meat and Percy honestly hoped it was just elaborately applied makeup. A few clumps of dark hair escaped from the wrappings on his head and there were two loose pieces of cloth that framed his face and covered his ears.

"I'm so excited!" The bandaged one exclaimed to the red guy. "First I'll be like shwoom then shlick and then I'll go whack…" He then went on, showcasing an impressively wide vocabulary when it came to incomprehensible noises.

The red guy simply grunted in reply.

"Oh, come on dude! Lighten up! We're about to go and cross blades and you're all brooding." Mummy guy complained, smacking the big sword guy on the shoulder.

"I'm in character." Whitey answered blankly, his face set in stoic indifference.

"Dude. You're doing it all wrong! Dante's a badass mofo! He doesn't go all worry wart before a battle! Be cool. Throw out some epic one-liners! Show me some swag! Snark at me bro!" Mummy scolded the other guy, wagging a finger at his face.

To his credit, Dante or whatever the other guy was dressed as, kept his annoyance mostly off his face. "And Makoto Shishio is supposed to be an idiot?" He crossed his arms over his chest and gave the bandaged guy an amused smirk.

Before Percy could overhear the other guy's retort – they weren't particularly keeping their conversation private – something else drew his attention away.

"I thought this was for 6th Graders! What are you doing here?!" Nancy practically screamed at some guy, poking her finger into his breastplate accusingly.

"Heh. I got in, girlie. That's that." The guy Percy knew to be at least two years older than them replied. "I don't gotta explain myself to you." He was wearing the same stock armor the school handed out to them, though it looked like they barely fit him. Even now, some straps on the armor were undone and Percy knew that he'd regret that later.

"But that's cheating! I can't believe they're letting this pass!" Nancy fumed, raging at the guy before stomping off to join her friends.

"Yeah… I don't wanna go against that. At least not until she cools down a bit." A voice commented from behind Percy and he turned his head to look at the source.

"If you do, be sure to keep a hand on your privates." Percy joked as he spun around to face Gregor. He clapped a hand on his friend's shoulder. "You weren't with us during practice. She got pretty nasty after Mr. Brunner showed her up. I wouldn't put it past her to take advantage of our… natural weak spot." He sent a meaningful glance downwards.

Gregor grimaced, his face scrunching up and his hand flew to cover his crotch. "I'll take your word for it man."

"Your welcome." He smiled at his friend, putting out a fist which was promptly met with Gregor's own. "Good to see you decided to join in."

"Yeah… just told Mr. Brunner last minute." Gregor shrugged, the stock iron sword on his shoulder shifting. "The organizers gave me hell. Told me off for trying to register so late and they nearly didn't let me participate." He shot Percy a look, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

"Well, you're here so they eventually let you in, right?"

Gregor nodded. "Mhm. Your girlfriend bailed me out. Outranked both Mr. Brunner and the organizers, being the school principal and all. Did you know she's the main sponsor? Paid for almost everything?" He gestured around them at the stadium. "The coliseum was her idea."

"Sounds like something she'd do." Percy agreed before he glared at Gregor. "And she's not my girlfriend." Yet.

"Yet." Gregor added, unknowingly echoing Percy's thoughts. "Admit it Perce, it's only a matter of time. Me and Grover, we won't judge you for dating our principal. I mean, she's funny, kind, smart and…" He nodded to something over Percy's shoulder, the VIP platform. "Just look at her. You're a lucky guy."

Anyone with eyes could see just how utterly gorgeous that woman was, and Gregor for sure had a perfectly working pair of eyes. Still, there was only one girl for him and she was out of his reach deep within her kingdom, training to eventually be queen. His mood noticeably turned wistful at the memory of a pretty girl with translucent pale skin, silvery blonde hair and violet eyes that suddenly reemerged from deep within his memory.

Has it really been more than a year since he'd since her? Since he'd gone down there?

Percy didn't notice his friend's change in mood, his attention immediately drifting to the VIP platform, looking for a particular set of eyes among the multitude of people that entered.

There were a lot of people that walked onto the balcony, Mr. Brunner on his wheelchair, a scowling Mrs. Dodds, Mr. Li and all the other teachers and admins.

Percy had no eyes for them. Not even the smallest sliver of his attention was diverted to the costume-clad teachers. They were only for her.

A crown of laurels was perched on platinum blonde hair, almost silver in the light of the sun, set in an elegant braided side bun. Her body was wrapped in a dress-like garment with cloth as white as snow at the top that gently progressed into black as night as it flowed downwards. It hugged her torso, with the dress starting just under her arms and hanging by a thin golden chord that wrapped around her neck like a choker. It ended several inches below her knees, revealing her ankles and the strappy gladiator sandals.

The upper part of the dress was also lined with gold colored cloth that shimmered in the sunlight like genuine gold. The lower part was littered with decorative gold stars, similar in material to the gold lining up top but shone even brighter because of the contrast between the golden stars and the dark cloth.

Wrapped around her midriff was a golden belt that reminded everyone of just how perfect her figure was. The belt was bejeweled with what looked like genuine precious stones. From what little Percy knew of jewels, it looked like an alternating pattern of black onyx and red rubies.

Hanging loosely off her arms, from her wrists to her upper arms, were flowy, sheer gold colored cloths that fluttered in the wind. They were secured on her limbs by gold armlets hugging her arms and having a strip of extra cloth that connected to a ring that Astra wore on her middle finger.

Speaking of her fingers, they were adorned with expensive looking rings. Hanging at her throat was a white gold necklace with a large, star-shaped black jewel the size of a baby's fist. She even had a silver anklet on.

The picture-perfect image of prestige, majesty and splendor. A textbook representation of nobility. An impeccable showing of how an empress would look as she gazed upon her loyal subjects gathered in her coliseum.

That is, except for the goofy smile on her face.

Percy didn't read much history or even those fantasy type stories but he sure as hell knew that a noble person didn't wear their hearts on their sleeve like that.

It didn't matter though, because she was beautiful. Not only on the outside but, no matter how cliché it sounds, she was beautiful on the inside. The way she expressed her feelings freely and not hid them behind some mask was something that was utterly appealing to Percy, one of the things that made her wonderful.

That was just who she was and Percy couldn't even imagine her being anything else. Astra Black was someone who expressed herself in her eyes, in her smiles or in her actions. An Astra that didn't was like putting soy sauce on donuts. They just didn't go together.

Their eyes locked, even from the dozens of meters of distance between them, and she shot him a wink and a smile before she stepped forward to begin her opening speech. Not even realizing what had happened, a goofy smile had also sprouted on his face, mirroring that of the woman he was enamored with.

"TODAY IS A GREAT DAY!" She yelled over the rising din of the crowd, her arms raised to the heavens as she grandiosely opened the tourney. Sometime after she entered, the dull roar had progressed into something louder. Ferocious.

The fact that most of the chatter Percy caught was about how hot Astra looked in her empress costume made his jealousy pulse and his blood boil. The people in the crowd, the ones who Percy heard, couldn't help the shiver that ran down their spines as they felt more than saw the sharp glare being directed at them.

Back to Astra, a simple glance towards the crowd expressed her full desire for silence. Immediately, the people complied, Astra's presence affecting them like the shining star she was. Everyone was captivated by her and were eager to hear her words.

"I know everyone is excited." Astra said, now in a just slightly above normal voice instead of a yell like before. Her earlier stunt had already acquired her the silence she requested so now she no longer had to shout to be heard. "I am too don't worry." She gave the crowd a grin that showed just how much she looked forward to the event.

The people cheered once more at her words. A loud, sharp hurrah that was easily subdued with a wave of Astra's hand.

"However! There are some announcements to be made before the event!" She looked around at her audience and saw disappointment in most of them. Guess they were really excited for the action. "Don't worry, I'll keep this short." Astra assured, shooting the crowd another smile, somewhat gratifying the more impatient of individuals. "First! I've got some good news and bad news."

She raised one hand to make a point. "Bad news. Although this is the very first instance of us having an event such as this, I have received numerous complaints, both from the department of education and even some of our parents. That is why, even though it pains me to say this, this will be the… final time… we will be having the Yancy Academy Annual Sword Tournament." She finished her announcement with a soft, vulnerable, miserable voice.

The effect took a moment to take hold – the crowd, competitors and even the teachers and admin behind Astra on the balcony stunned silent at her pitiful sounding voice and expression – before chaos ensued.

"Boo! Boo!"

"How could they do this!"

"We haven't even reached two years! At least let us properly call it Annual!"

"Principal Black! I have not heard of this before! When did this happen!"

"Fight the powah! Row row Fight the powah!"

As one, several hundred voices expressed at once a single sentiment. Defiance.

Even though Percy doubted that all of them actually gave a damn, the sheer charisma Astra had was enough to incite their anger. Even the parents were actually affected, yelling alongside their children.

Though it wasn't that obvious, Astra was a beloved figure in the school. Aside from her fun personality and being downright hilarious with her crazy antics, she was also good at her job. She was lenient when doling out punishments but stern when the situation calls for it – well, except when Percy was concerned. She obviously cared about her students and though she didn't show it often, the dedication she put into running her school was nothing to scoff at.

And it was something that the students appreciated and reciprocated.

That was why even though Yancy was predominantly filled with problem children, it was still considered a prestigious school that ranked amongst the best in the country. Their sports program, though not that impressive, was still decent. The fact they had Ted, who Percy had found out was actually offered scholarships to other, more sports-oriented schools, spoke for itself.

So, Percy wasn't actually all that surprised at the sudden outburst. It was something he saw coming and he was proud to say that he was among the ones who shouted the loudest. After all, he was the one who cared for Astra the most.

Another raised hand and the crowd promptly shut up.

"Now, now everyone. Don't worry because to compensate for our impromptu cessation of this new tradition…" She paused for dramatic effect and the people ate it up, sitting at the edge of their seats in anticipation. "I've decided that we're gonna end our one and only sword tournament with a bang! After this tournament is over, we party! Celebrate the champion! Greet the coming of summer!" Astra cheered, raising her hand high in the air.

The crowd followed, caught up wholly in her pace. They whooped in joy, shouted their approval, clapped their hands and stomped their feet in anticipation.

"FURTHERMORE!" Astra yelled over the cheering crowd. "The Champion will receive not only extra credit, a trophy, and a request to be fulfilled for next year, I've also decided to have them immortalized as a marble statue to be placed right at the main hall of Yancy Academy! Forever acting as a reminder of just how great our students are!" She shouted and the crowd cheered even louder. "AND SO THAT EVERYONE HAS A CHANCE TO GET A STATUE MADE OF THEM," She walked over to the corner of the balcony where something big was covered by a tarp. It was something that Percy had yet to notice until now. Pulling off the covering, she revealed what was hidden under the tarp.

Row upon row of stock swords and racks filled with stock armor of all sizes. "OPEN REGISTRATION! RIGHT HERE! RIGHT NOW! TO ANY MEMBER OF YANCY ACADEMY!" She declared proudly, taking one sword in her hand and raising it into the air. "TODAY! WE FIGHT!" And she roared a battle cry that dwarfed even the loudest of cheers currently resounding in the stadium. Really, she had an impressive pair of lungs.

Suffice it to say, the crowd went wild.

So that was why she said sorry in her note. Instead of competing against two dozen sixth graders, it'll be with the whole school. And of course, he'd fail Latin if he backed out now.

Oh, joy.


A.N.

Okay, that's it for now. I know, I know. Not much action this chapter. I even teased you with the tournament. Sorry 'bout that. I just didn't want any interest in this fic to die just because I haven't updated in a while. I promise, update schedule will normalize in the next few weeks. It just couldn't be helped that my niece and nephew needed my laptop for school and who was I as their supportive uncle to keep it from them. It was for the good of their education.

Again, I'll post the next chapter sometime this weekend to make up for the long absence. Next Wednesday at the latest.

Oh, and by the way, I could use some suggestions on some abilites or perks for the game system. Just drop a review or send me a pm and know that I greatly appreciate anything you guys can give me. I'm still finalizing some aspects of the system but for sure the game interface will pop up in the next couple of chapters.