Thanks for all the feedback! I know Percy would usually have a lot more control, but I had an idea later of how to play this into my overall plot, so I'm going to keep him pretty OOC for a reason. This is the first part of the chapter (I decided it was just too long in one piece); the second part will be up by the end of the day, I Swear on the River Styx.
As Danny steered me out of the building, I remember thinking that of all the hideous monsters and near-death experiences I've faced, being personally gutted by Chiron or Annabeth for harming mortals with my powers would be a pretty sucky way to die. To be honest, I really hadn't been that mad at Dash. I mean, yeah, the guy was a total jerk and needed to be taught a lesson, but I've learned over the years that the best way to deal with bullies is to ignore them.
Why had I gotten so mad, then? I honestly couldn't say. But I was still trembling with rage as Danny led me to a park near his school. It was like the first time I'd met Ares: my blood had started to boil just looking at him. But Ares was still hesitant to show his wimpy podex without other godly support, and he definitely would've made himself known.
I took a few deep breaths, calming myself down, and sat on the park bench next to Danny, taking in my surroundings. The park was pretty much empty, as everyone was at work or in school. Trees dotted the grassy fields and paved concrete paths. I could almost imagine looking out and seeing the New York City skyline, as I'd done in Central Park so many times before, but all I could see were the semi-vacant streets and small buildings of Amity Park. Needless to say, it really didn't improve my mood.
"Hey, Percy, you okay? You looked about ready to choke Dash and his gang- not that they wouldn't deserve it," Danny joked half-heartedly.
"Yeah, I'm good. Just a little shaken is all," I sighed. "I don't exactly appreciate it when people are mean to my friends and family. A personal loyalty sorta thing." Danny nodded as if he understood.
"Well I don't think you can go back to school without being totally mobbed, and I'm as good as dead if my parents catch me ditching..." He trailed off.
"Oh gods, I didn't mean to get you in trouble. We should probably head back to your school. I'm sure your teachers and Tucker and everybody's wondering where you are anyways."
"They're used to me disappearing by now," He laughed.
"What?"
"Oh, um, nothing," Danny said hastily, as if we'd once again ventured to a topic he didn't want to discuss. Then again, if I was skipping classes all the time, I wouldn't exactly want to talk about it either, but still, it made me suspicious. "Anyway, we've already missed most of my computer class, so by the time we'd get back, there's only an all-school assembly left for the rest of the day. Some crap about setting goals or making friends or whatever. Do you really mind going back?"
"No problem. Lead the way," I replied. We began the walk back to Casper High.
"It's all about you! What you want, what you are going to do to get it, and how you are going to overcome the obstacles life throws at you!" Unfortunately, the so-called motivational speaker was too loud for me to doze through the lecture. Seriously, was I really supposed to care about 'goals for the future' and 'believing is achieving'? Danny and Tucker, who were both seated to my side, seemed to share my lack of enthusiasm. Just as we were about to begin 'the key to self-discovery', the double doors of the auditorium flew open.
In flew a giant owl, talons extended and beak as sharp as Captain Hook's namesake hand. The students yelled and ducked. The owl screeched, the high pitch cracking some of the lights and nearly deafening most of the school body. The owl's wings beat powerfully, sending stray papers and the like tumbling all over the auditorium. Its head whipped around constantly as if looking for something. Unfortunately, I had a pretty good guess what- or who - it was searching for.
"Athena can't hate me this much, can she? What did I even do this time?" I muttered to myself. It turned and for the first time I could see its huge, hate-filled eyes. They looked more like snake eyes, totally blood-red with a tiny black pupil in the center.
That couldn't be right. Athena's owl minions had, like, normal bird eyes. I realized with a sinking feeling that this monster was probably way, way worse than anything Athena could've sent. Oh gods. I turned quickly to Danny and Tucker.
"You guys need to get out of here. Now." But I was speaking to an empty chair. I saw Tucker scrambling to get out of the gym with the rest of the people, but Danny was nowhere to be seen. I could only hope that he'd already escaped.
Jumping out of my seat, I ran towards the owl.
"Bird Brain! Over here!" I waved, running to the front and jumping onto the stage. It followed me, going surprisingly slowly, as if it knew that it would win and had all the time in the world to kill me. Oh joy.
Pulling out my sword, I charged but was quickly deflected by its steel-like talons. It screeched again, but this time it actually spoke.
"Foolish demigod. You do not know the true power of Ascalaphus!" Its voice was shrill and so loud I could barely understand.
"A Scaly Who?" I lowered my sword. Now the owl looked really peeved.
"A-scal-a-phus you idiot! Now you will truly pay!" I racked my brain. Ascalyphus... I know I'd heard that somewhere...
For once, my brain seemed willing to help me. I had a sudden flashback of Demeter telling me off while I was on Olympus and I did... something or other to tick her off (not that it took much).
"...Don't make me mad, boy. Just because you saved Olympus doesn't mean I won't turn you into an owl just like that awful Ascalyphus. He was Hades's garden-keeper, you know, back before my daughter was... well, that's a story for another time. But anyway, he was the one who delivered the news that my dear, dear Persephone had been... To say I was angry would have been the understatement of the millennia. How dare he tell me such a thing? But because of my dear, soft heart I only turned him into an owl. Now he even as a job as one of Hades's underworld spirits. But I'll do much, much worse to you!"
Knowing his backstory was nice and all, but did this guy have any weaknesses? Ways I could defeat him?
I sighed. Guess I'd just have to defeat him the old-fashioned way.
I struck again, slashing with my sword and dodging his beak and talons. I could feel the Achilles helping me, hyper-activating my senses and helping me dodge the owl's attacks. But I couldn't seem to land a blow on it. Riptide grazed its feathers but never found skin.
Just as the owl opened his beak in what seemed like an attempt to swallow me, it was wrecked into the wall on the side of the stage by a strange... gunshot? All I could see was a bright green flash.
"A ghost owl? Seriously? What's your name, Spooky?" I wheeled around to the source of a somehow familiar voice.
I don't know who paled more as our eyes met: me, or Danny Phantom.
I hope you liked it! Thanks for reading!
