Burden of the Curse

by FindingProvidence

After two wars, everybody was tired of fighting. Percy Jackson was no exception, especially after the excursion to Tartarus that he took to save Annabeth. A year afterward, Percy is once again thrown headfirst into trouble against his will. With new strength and new resolve, Percy finds himself questioning the true nature of humanity and of his own desire to protect.

14. It Grips the Heart

A/N: This chapter came out a lot sooner than I expected it too. This has been one that's been practically written from the beginning of the story though, so I guess that explains it.

Reviews:

Death Fury- Thanks!

Kindred Scarlet- Thank you for the support. I try not to leave an extensive amount of cliff-hangers for the audience.

Guest- Thanks for the review and kind words!

MasterTrident13- I'm glad you like the way Percy is panning out here. Nuanced but impactful character development was something I wanted to dip my fingers into for a while now. It's taken some time to see the results of what our hero has been through, but we stand here nonetheless. Thanks for your feedback and support!

Shigure Toshiro- Thanks for your kind words!

divineboss2000- Haha, thanks for the kind words and the support! It does feel good to be told that my writing is well done, so thanks for the feedback.

Brotaco- I'm glad that you enjoyed the story. Thank you for bringing to my attention the mistake I made with plate mail. When I was making Mordred, I had a picture of mail armor, supplemented by steel plate. It was later that I decided to use full plate armor, but I had mixed things up in my mind. Anyway, thanks for pointing that out to me. Regarding the scale of Mordred's armor, while I was intending a bit of intimidation, I didn't really picture hulking. When I look at pictures of full plate armor I don't really think hulking, just... metal fluff. Going with spaulders was just me deciding not to use a larger set of armor. From what I understand, while pauldrons do give better protection to the armpits, spaulders still provide good protection from slashing and thrusting from a sword. Lastly, while I know that the Silk Road never physically extended into Japan, the influences that were brought from different cultures to the Far East can't be overlooked, even from places like Greece and Persia in times of antiquity. I recall doing quite a bit of research regarding the topic of trade influence from the hyperpower that was the Achaemenid Empire to Alexander the Great and his "Macedonian Empire" for a history course I took last year. There was already a hyperlane of trade in the form of the Royal Road in the Achaemenid time. Once Alexander started to take over the old Persian empire, the Greek legacy took hold even in parts of today's China. There was a lot of Hellenistic influence that made it's way east because of Macedonia, which, through China, would eventually spread to Japan as well. After all, China and Japan shared quite a few cultural similarities, with China exporting Buddhism and Confucianism into Japan. Anyway, history aside, what I wanted to say was that while the Silk Road never physically made it into Japan, Chinese envoys did bring new ideas into the country, which were ultimately taken from Greek influences.

justafan- I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter! Hestia does seem to be scoping out Scathach doesn't she? Good eye. I hope that the reunion was fluffy enough for you, because I'm feeling like a teddy bear after writing it.

Trigger-Happy Texan- Good to hear from you again! I'm glad you're still enjoying the story, too bad about the wi-fi though. I honestly don't know what I'd do without it for months. Funny you should mention heads being ripped off, since I mention it this chapter, though not in the way you were hoping. Thanks for the feedback!

Disclaimer: I do not make any money off this work of fanfiction. All rights for the characters in Percy Jackson and the Olympians and Heroes of Olympus go to Rick Riordan and all who were involved in the creation of the novels.

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14. It Grips the Heart

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Percy, Scáthach, and Hestia exited the shadowed alleyway that they had appeared in. Looking around with a raised eyebrow, Percy stared at the numerous bodies that pressed against one another as they pushed and shoved on the sidewalk. His eyes scanned the mass of people, not particularly searching for anything. He allowed his mind to wander back to when he still lived in New York, recalling with a dry chuckle that foot-traffic was still as bad as vehicle traffic.

Then again, he hadn't expected much to have drastically changed in a span of five years. Improving the city's infrastructure in such a significant way would have been a long process. Long, and expensive to boot. Certainly five years would never have been enough time to solve the problem that had been building for the past several decades.

With a sigh, Percy turned back to see both of his companions were looking doubtfully at the undulating wave of human bodies that wandered the area. Percy noticed the noise was also incredibly distracting. Even the busy streets of Olympus hadn't been nearly as bad. Then again, the godly city had no cars or forms of automotive transport. It only made sense then, that the noise pollution would be drastically lessened.

Currently, the trio were in the neighborhood of Murray Hill. Apparently, Percy's mother and Paul had moved to a nicer part of town once Sally's career as a novelist took off. Her first book had sold fairly well, especially considering it was self-published and marketed conservatively. Paul had also moved up in life, having been made the Vice-Principal for Goode High School, earning him an increase in salary.

Truthfully, Percy was glad that his biological father was sensical enough to check in on his mother from time to time. While Poseidon had admitted that it was strange to be in the same room as Paul, he'd also claimed to have made an effort to watch out for Sally and her new family. As such, the God of the Sea had gotten a bit of insight into the lives of Paul and Sally, which had been improving little by little.

"Hestia, do you know exactly where my Mom lives?" Percy asked looking up and down the street that they were on. He'd rarely visited Murray Hill just for sightseeing when he was younger. As such, he didn't have a lot of knowledge of the area. "You said you checked up on her over the past few years."

"She lives just a block ahead of this location. It shouldn't take long to reach on foot," the goddess explained as she pointed directly in front of herself.

Nodding, the former demigod couldn't fight the smile that crossed his face when he thought about his mother. It had been too long since he'd last talked to her, let alone seen her face or eaten her food. He missed it if he were honest with himself. Nothing that Ahriman conjured or summoned could stack up against his mother's cooking. Especially when it came to blue food. Nothing else would suffice, save the real, original thing. In his excitement, the young man grabbed Scáthach and Hestia by the hand and led them forward with palpable energy.

Both the goddess and the witch were visibly startled when they felt Percy haul them along with him, however, they quickly stopped any resistance and allowed themselves to go with him. Hestia chuckled to herself as she briefly caught a glimpse of the smile on Percy's face, while Scáthach gave a soft smile of her own. The trio moved through the crowd with Percy at the fore, pushing and weaving through the wave of bodies that swarmed them from seemingly all directions.

Percy breathed deeply as the smells of gasoline, greasy food, and hygiene products slammed into him. It was something that he was sure never to forget. His senses were practically being assaulted on all fronts. The honking of cars and the din of chatter, the feel of people bumping shoulders, the taste of the pungent air. Everything brought him back to the times of his youth when things seemed so uncomplicated.

"It's right up ahead, those condominiums over there," Hestia said loudly so that Percy could hear her over the city din.

"Wow, those are pretty neat looking," Percy said as he followed where Hestia's eyes had gone. The outside of the condominium complex was well-maintained, showing that those who lived in the residences respected their homes. The complex was taller than it was wide, stretching nearly fifteen stories into the sky. While it wasn't the tallest building in the area, it certainly looked modern with its light color palette and fancy outdoor lighting fixtures. Percy whistled lowly in appreciated of the building, feeling relief well up within him at the knowledge that his mother had moved up in life. She deserved all the happiness that she could find in his mind.

"Shall we go inform your mother that you're here?" Hestia asked while walking toward the complex.

Percy shook himself from his stupor and moved to follow after the goddess, having released both her and Scáthach from his previous grasp. Near the front door to the complex was an intercom with the numbers for the different residences listed upon it. Hestia looked at the list for a while, before she snapped her fingers and muttered a small aha, under her breath.

Pressing one of the buttons, the three waited for a response to come. It took several seconds, however, a voice that was instantly recognizable to Percy came on the line.

"Hello?"

Hestia smiled at the intercom, even though nobody could see her. "Hello, Sally, it's Hestia. I do hope now isn't a bad time…"

"No! No, not at all Lady Hestia. Would you like to come in?" Sally asked over the intercom, her voice sounding somewhat hopeful. "I mean, of course, you can come whenever you like… er… I'm sorry to ask but… would you happen to have any information regarding-"

"-Percy? Yes, actually I do." Hestia replied gently, giving the son of Poseidon a sly wink as she spoke. "It's quite important as it turns out, and I would like to discuss it with you immediately. I know how much he means to you."

"You know something? Please, please come in! I'll just unlock the door for you… or you can teleport… or you can do whatever you want…" Sally's tone had become flustered as she began to ramble on.

Hestia giggled to herself and shook her head softly. "The door is fine, thank you very much."

Percy smiled to himself as he heard his mother's enthusiasm. There was a soft click, signifying that the door had been unlocked for them. Without hesitation, Percy pushed it open and waited for Hestia and Scáthach to move through. Soon, the three were walking up several flights of stairs to the sixth floor. Their feet echoed in the stairway as they continued to move upward, both women having pointed out that there was an easily accessible elevator that could have worked as means of transportation.

Percy laughed sheepishly while scratching his cheek awkwardly. "Sorry, I just have this feeling in my stomach that made me want to burn off some of the excess energy. The first thing I saw was the staircase, so I decided to use this as a way to do so." The young man said ruefully. "Besides, a little exercise never hurt anybody, right?"

Eventually, the trio reached the sixth floor and began to search for the number of Sally and Paul's condo.

"615, it should be just a little further down the hallway," Scáthach observed as she counted the numbers in her mind. Percy nodded and moved down the carpeted hall, taking his time to look at the clean walls and the bright lights along the way. Not for the first time did he find relief in knowing that his mother was living in a nice area.

A few steps later found Percy, Hestia, and Scáthach staring at the door marked 615. The son of Poseidon was visibly buzzing, though neither woman could tell if it was pure excitement or a mixture of different emotions. His face was slightly anxious, given that he was chewing his bottom lip, though his eyes seemed alight with giddiness. Both the goddess and the witch let themselves smile softly while watching the young man tap his hand against the wooden door. A few seconds later, the door swung open and the three were met with the worried face of Sally Jackson.

Almost immediately, her face dropped from concerned and became utterly astounded as she stared at her son after five years of separation. Percy looked at his mother with a large, lopsided smile that bordered on shaky. Both mother and son became painfully aware of how their eyes burned slightly and of the knot that built in their throats at the sight of one another. Sally moved forward tentatively, her arms coming up slowly. Percy took a step forward and allowed himself to fall into his mother's embrace, which betrayed her shaking body. Swallowing thickly, Percy buried his face into the top of his mother's head, his jaw clenching as he screwed his eyes shut. His breathing grew slightly staggered while he fought the sobs that almost made their way through his defenses.

Sally, on the other hand, could do nothing to stop herself from crying openly into her son's shoulder. Her chest felt tight, yet at the same time, it was as if a massive stone had been cleared off of her body. Her legs threatened to fail her, and she took a moment to reaffirm her hold on the body of her only son. Sally didn't deny her emotions as they came and crashed over her, sweeping her away in massive relief. Tears dripped down her chin and soaked the shirt that Percy was wearing. Small hiccups broke through her lips as she tightened her grip. Her sniffles came in more frequent bursts as she felt a small laugh escape. Sally wasn't sure if what she was feeling could be classified as euphoria, but she was sure it was the closest she would probably ever come. In that moment, nothing mattered more that holding him as close to her heart as she could. If it had been up to her, she would never have let him go, however, she felt Percy loosen his embrace signifying that he was ready to talk.

Reluctantly, Sally let go of her son. She brought a hand up to wipe away both the tears and slight dribble from her nose. She shook her head slightly to clear her fuzzy thoughts. Eventually, she recalled that there were two more people that were right behind Percy. The woman suddenly felt herself grow self-conscious over her loss of composure. Quickly smoothing over her hair, Sally cleared her throat with a small cough.

"S-Sorry for making you all stand out here in the hallway," the woman said. "Come in, please, come in. I can tell there's going to be a lot of talking being done." Sally gestured for the three to enter, which they did with grateful nods. None looked particularly awkward given what had just transpired, which she was thankful for.

Percy moved slowly as he wiped away the tears that had escaped his eyes while hugging his mother. He looked around the condo, taking in the modest furnishings. He noted that nothing looked ostentatious or obnoxiously pompous within the room. The floor was made of dark hardwood, which complimented the darker tones of some of the furniture in the living room. A television sat in the corner of the room on a stand with quite a few movies placed underneath it. Percy, Hestia, and Scáthach were motioned to sit where they pleased.

The goddess and the witch each took a seat on the leather couch, while Percy decided to sit in a reclining theater chair near the windows. Looking out the glass, the son of Poseidon could clearly see the street below him, where people still moved like a river. Across from the condo complex was another large apartment building, though the street separating the two was wide enough so that he couldn't see through the windows of the other complex.

"Would you like something to drink?" Sally asked suddenly, gaining the attention of everybody in the room. "We have soda, water, wine… oh, Paul's not home from work yet. He'll be back in a few hours though. I'm sure he'd like to see you again too, Percy."

The young man nodded his head and deferred choice of drinks to his companions first. Hestia asked for water, while Scáthach predictably asked if there was any orange juice, to which Sally responded positively. Percy also just asked for water, deciding not to question if there was any harder alcohol in the house. Sally nodded to each and left the room to get their drinks.

Scáthach took the opportunity to lean forward slightly in order to speak more quietly. "What are you going to tell her, Young Hero?"

Percy glanced out the window for a moment before shrugging his shoulders and looking back at his mentor. "I guess the truth? Is that so bad? No offense to my Mom, but she can't keep me from fighting again. I know that she would want to, but she doesn't have the say in that regard. I'm doing this to protect her, so there would be no reason not to just come out and tell her basically everything."

"Basically everything…" Hestia repeated with a nod. "I agree with you, Percy. Trust between family members is essential for the dynamic of the household. As your mother, Sally would probably be able to tell that you are keeping some things to yourself. That being said, I'm sure she would understand that you can't tell her everything. Just avoid making a habit of keeping secrets from those closest to you."

"I was never condemning his choice in what to tell her. In fact, I also support him telling her most of what happened and what is coming next," Scáthach retorted defensively, crossing her legs. "It was a simple question, not an accusation in any sense of word or implication."

Hestia gave the magenta-haired woman an amused look. "I don't recall saying anything of the sort regarding your choice of words. I was only confirming my own beliefs with regards to the situation. I had hoped that you would grow to think better of me than to undermine your position with my nephew in such a manner. Perhaps it was wrong of me to do so."

Scáthach regarded the goddess pointedly. "Considering that we've known one another for less than a full day, I don't see why that thought would cross your mind. Can you really say to me that I should adopt the policy of 'innocent until proven guilty' with any sort of god? Even if I did, it would take more than one goddess to convince me. Especially after what I've seen in my lifetime."

"Is now really the time to argue?" Percy sighed. Running a hand over his face, the son of Poseidon shook his head and looked between the goddess and his mentor. "Once this is said and done you can discuss issues between yourselves, but for now, it's not even close to being appropriate."

Both Scáthach and Hestia looked properly chastised at hearing Percy's reprimands. They glanced at one another and nodded. Taking it as a sign of victory, Percy smiled at the two. "Thank you."

Sally returned after a few moments of silence, giving everybody their drink of choice and muttering something about 'one last thing'. She left once more while the trio sipped at their beverages.

"So…" Scáthach started. "What did you and your father discuss before we left?"

Percy quirked an eyebrow at the blatant prying nature of his mentor. Turning to face Hestia, he noted that his aunt also seemed interested in the answer. Giving both women a dry look, Percy decided to humor them.

"We talked about my demigod nature," Percy replied in a hushed tone. "Apparently, there's still some semblance of divinity within me. It's just… well, he described it as being almost trapped or recessive. He can barely feel it… almost like it's calling out to those who listen close enough… or rather those who are attuned to the sea in some way. I don't know what he meant exactly, just that there might be a way to reclaim my status as a half-blood, partial domain control and all."

Both Hestia and Scáthach looked quite surprised at learning that Percy still had a bit of divinity in him. Both had been under the assumption that he was completely mortal.

"And… how would you go about reclaiming your birthright?" Scáthach asked curiously.

Percy sighed and shook his head with slight despondency. "He isn't very sure. He said that there might be a way to give it a kickstart by using a vast amount of divine energy, but it would have to be essentially of the same flavor. It's odd, considering that I have no dyslexia, or ADHD, or really anything that still signifies my status as a half-blood. I'm not sure what happened, or what Ahriman did exactly, but something tells me this is another one of his many plans. I'll have to ask for answers later, for now though, I should think of divine energy with the same flavor as mine."

Hestia thought the wording over and nodded her head in understanding. "I see. A vast amount of energy that is directly tied to the sea, water, and the likes, correct?"

"That's basically it," Percy admitted. "Only problem is that Dad is pretty sure that he doesn't have the power to do so. That being said, he wanted to research if there were alternative rituals or whatever, so, for now, we'll just have to sit and wait. Oh, and he gave this back to me." The young man reached into his pocket and pulled out a pen.

Smiling at her nephew, the Goddess of the Hearth made a content hum. "Anaklusmos is back with its rightful owner. I'm glad then, that the symbol of a great hero has been restored."

Percy twirled the pen in his fingers for a few seconds, eyeing his old sword intensely. Finally, he stopped and put Riptide away, back into his pocket. "I didn't know it was repaired, and truthfully I wasn't even thinking about getting it back. Holding it now, though, it just feels right." The young man shrugged softly, more to himself than anyone else. "I don't really know how to use two swords at once though, at least, not well enough to do it in a real fight."

"Can we talk about how Angra Mainyu has lied to you for the past five years and that you seem to be fine with that?" Scáthach interceded for Percy, her face forming a frown. "You were supposed to be fully human, cursed through his power so that you could use what he gave you to its fullest extent. I don't understand how he could keep your divinity hidden for all these years. How is it even possible to cause it to… hibernate or whatever happened?"

Percy leaned back in his chair while crossing his arms. "Dad isn't sure of how it works at all either. I'll be sure to mention it to Ahriman next time we talk, though I doubt he'll give me a straight answer. I had some time to think about the situation, which leads me to think that Ahriman needed for my divinity not to get in the way of whatever curse he wanted to give me. Unfortunately for him, now that I know about this, he'll find me a bit less inclined to give him any form of trust." Percy shrugged casually as he closed his eyes momentarily. "Not like I would have given him much to start."

The sound of footsteps drew the attention of the three guests. They looked over to see that Sally was returning, this time though, she had company following closely behind her. Holding onto Sally's hand was a little girl with dark brown hair and sparkling blue eyes. She looked no more than seven years old, which quickly clued Percy into who the little girl was. Then again, he was fairly certain that his mother wouldn't introduce him to a random girl living in the condo.

"Percy, and… uh… everybody else… this is Tamara Blofis-Jackson, she's five years old," Sally said, introducing the girl to everybody else in the room. She then turned to the little girl and bent down, gesturing for her to step forward. "Go ahead, dear."

Tamara looked nervously from her mother to the other people in the room. When her eyes landed on Percy though, she bit her lip and moved toward him slightly. "Are… are you my brother?" She asked timidly, shuffling awkwardly when she saw Percy's raised eyebrows.

Slowly, Percy felt a smile tug at his face upon seeing the girl glance from him to the floor multiple times. He moved from his position on the chair and crouched down beside his half-sister. "Yeah, I'm Percy. It's nice to meet you, Tamara." His voice expressed the warmth that he was feeling when the girl seemed to light up at his declaration. "Can I hug you, Tamara?" He asked, not wanting to get ahead of himself and place his sister in a very uncomfortable situation.

When she nodded her head quickly, his smile turned into a full-blown grin as he scooped up Tamara in his arms. The little girl giggled when she felt herself getting spun around while her brother's arms held her securely in their grasp. After a few spins, Percy set his sister down and pat her head a few times. "I didn't really know what to expect, but you really are adorable, aren't you? How did you know I was your brother?"

Tamara looked at her mother. Sally shrugged, her smile having grown at seeing both of her children interacting so well together. "You can tell him if you want."

Percy glanced at his sister and mother, until Tamara spoke, garnering his full attention. "Mom showed me some pictures of you and her… and she told me about you being a… a… half-blood… which means you're half human and half superhero! She told me stories of you fighting monsters and bad guys to save your friends. You're really cool." The girl finished with a large smile as she stared at Percy with big eyes.

For his part, the son of Poseidon scratched the back of his neck, a trace of embarrassment seeping through into his tone. "Oh, er, I guess I am pretty cool. Thanks, Tamara. I should probably introduce you to the other two women with me. The one with brown hair is Hestia," Percy pointed out.

"Her eyes are on fire," Tamara noted with idle curiosity. "That's not healthy, right Mom?"

Sally laughed lightly and pulled her daughter close. "Normally that's right. But Hestia isn't a normal person. She's a goddess, like the one from the stories I told you with Percy in them."

The little girl's eyes widened as she stared at Hestia's smiling visage.

Percy took the moment to tap his sister's shoulder. "She's really nice, even though she is a goddess. She has special connections to family, and she can be real funny when she wants to. The woman with the red eyes is Scáthach. She's my teacher and a very good friend of mine." The young man said as he redirected Tamara's attention to the witch of Dún Scáith.

Out of the corner of his eye, Percy saw his mother jerk at hearing the name. He looked over to her and gave her the most placating expression that he could muster. While still tense, she didn't say or do anything against the magenta-haired woman, which Percy appreciated. He was sure that she'd heard of what had happened from Poseidon and probably even Annabeth. He could understand that she would feel on edge given the situation.

"You're eyes are really pretty. So is your hair!" Tamara said as she examined the amused witch. "Are you a princess? Because you look like a princess."

Scáthach laughed out loud at the girl's inquiries. "No, I'm no princess. I'm a warrior, a lot like your brother is. I did, however, own a castle once."

"So cool!" Tamara said exuberantly, jumping up and down a bit in place. "Can I be a warrior like you too? Can I own a castle?"

Sally stood up and shook her head. "I won't allow you to become a warrior. I already have to deal with your brother being a fighter, so I won't let you do the same. One child is enough. One is too much, actually."

Tamara looked at her mother with sad eyes. "But-!"

"No buts! Young lady, you are forbidden from becoming a fighter like your brother and that's final. It's okay to pretend to be one, but you are going to finish college and get a good job when you grow up!" Sally declared with exasperation lacing her tone.

Percy smiled when he saw his younger sister pout a little. He gave her a hug from behind before whispering conspiratorially to her. "It's not as great as you might think. Trust me, I would really like to live a normal life, but for now, I still have to fight so that I can protect those I care about. People like Mom, Paul, and you!"

Tamara giggled as she removed herself from the hug. "You'll protect me too?"

"Why wouldn't I?" The son of Poseidon questioned. "You're my little sister aren't you? It's my job to protect you to the best of my ability from anything that could hurt you. So don't worry, your big brother will take care of you and keep you guys safe. I promise that much." Percy kissed his sister's forehead lightly.

While his sister wrapped her arms around his neck, Percy noticed that his mother seemed worried at his words. "Hey Mom, when's Paul supposed to be home again?"

Sally looked at the clock. "He usually comes home at around six, though sometimes it's a bit later than that."

Percy nodded his head and pat Tamara's head while escaping her hug. "We should relax then for the next couple of hours. We can discuss the… situation… once Paul comes home. That gives us some time to reallocate and for me to get to know my baby sister a little bit better." He smiled in the girl's direction.

"That sounds like a good idea," Sally replied with a nod. "We could all have dinner together! How does that sound? Will you two be joining us?" She asked, regarding both Hestia and Scáthach curiously.

Scáthach nodded her head. "I'll be grateful to take your offer if your son accepts, thank you. For the time being Percy and myself find ourselves stuck together, so leaving him and going off on my own would prove to be quite dull."

Sally gave Scáthach a slight nod of acknowledgment before turning to face Hestia. The goddess looked contemplative for some time, holding her chin with one hand. "I suppose I'm not needed immediately, and truthfully I don't have anything else to do. That being the case, I'd gladly accept your generosity, thank you," Hestia smiled warmly.

Percy grinned at his mother and ruffled Tamara's hair with one hand. "Of course I'll be staying for dinner with you guys. For now though, since we have some time to spare, why don't we watch a movie or talk until Paul gets home?" Percy picked Tamara up and sat back down in his seat, with his little sister in his lap.

Sally nodded and went to sit in a recliner near Percy's. Once comfortable, she looked at Scáthach intently. "Would you mind telling me a bit more about yourself, Miss Scáthach. I'm afraid all I have are… less than pleasant… impressions of you. I'm sure, though, that if my son trusts you, then so can I."

"It would be rude not to tell you more about myself, true," Scáthach said, tapping a finger to her lips. "I suppose I should start from my time growing up in Scotland. You see, the world was quite different two-thousand years ago…"

While Scáthach began her story, Percy allowed himself to stare out the window. He knew the story would take some time, even though the witch had never outright told him her own past in such a straightforward manner. Rather it had taken a long time until Percy knew most of her history. Even then, he still didn't know everything there was to know about his mentor. Narrowing his eyes, the son of Poseidon continued to stare out the window, lost in his own thoughts and observations.

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Paul Blofis was having a good day.

There had been no fights at Goode High School, and only a couple of students had been sent to his office for behavioral problems. Both students were fairly apologetic, having admitted that they were just having a bad day due to home problems, which made sense since they were siblings just a year apart. True enough, neither of them were regular troublemakers, so Paul had just let them off with light reprimands and an understanding pat on the shoulder.

Apart from that, nothing interesting had happened. As such, he'd been able to get a good amount of planning for the upcoming school events such as Prom and graduation done. After school had ended, Paul had gone to buy a few groceries that his wife had asked for earlier that day. Thankfully, traffic hadn't been terrible, and the market was having a sale on a few of the items on his list.

'Yeah, today's been a pretty darn good day. As long as I don't drop the eggs it will be basically perfect.' Paul thought to himself with a small nod. He exited the elevator hefting his grocery bags as he fished for the house key in his pocket. 'Maybe after Tamara goes to bed Sally and I can have some quality time to ourselves. Yup, that would definitely make this day the best in a while.'

Paul whistled a jaunty tune he'd learned in college while unlocking the front door. He stepped inside and closed the door with his foot. "Sally, Tamara, I'm home!" He called out, slipping off his shoes while still holding his bags.

"In the living room, Paul!" Sally called back, her voice sounding excited and just a bit mischievous.

With a hum, Paul moved until he caught a glimpse of five people sitting in the living room. His face grew confused when he saw his daughter sitting on the lap of somebody who looked oddly like his missing stepson. When Paul caught a better look at the stranger's face, he stumbled over his own two feet. With a less than dignified yelp, the man tumbled to the ground with a loud thump.

"Paul/Daddy!" Sally and Tamara cried out at the same time upon seeing his ungraceful fall. His wife and daughter rushed to his side, only for them to breathe a sigh of relief upon seeing that he was fine. Sitting up, Paul rubbed his elbow with a small wince, before turning back to regard the collective faces that were watching him.

A woman with burgundy hair and vivid red eyes stared at him with a raised eyebrow. Another woman with oddly orange eyes and brown hair was looking at him with a slightly worried expression. It was, however, the last face that had given him a start. Sea-green eyes, black hair with hints of grey strands, a slightly narrow face with a strong jawline, and a crooked smile that bordered on mocking even after the tumble.

"Smooth entrance, Paul. Ten out of ten."

Sarcasm, crooked smile, eyes like a green ocean, dark hair that hinted at a great struggle, the face of a man nearly the definition of god-like. Yes, there was hardly any doubt about who sat in front of him.

"Percy!" Paul exclaimed, finally having spoken after his mind had been racing with information. He stood up quickly, his face having gone from absolute shock into an easy grin.

"That's my name. Bring it in, Paul," Percy replied with his own grin, standing from his seat. Both men gave each other a one-armed hug while Percy gave his stepfather a hearty pat on the back. "It's been a while. I'm glad to see that you're doing well for yourself with your new job and all."

Paul nodded and looked at the young man up and down. "You seem to be doing fine too. It's good to see you again!"

Percy's eyes moved from Paul to the space behind him. With a raised eyebrow, the son of Poseidon looked back at Paul, traces of amusement creeping onto his face. "So, what's leaking?"

Turning around, Paul's face dropped when he saw the bag full of groceries flattened from when he landed on them. A clear liquid with traces of yellow seeped from the opening of the bag. "That… would be the eggs…"

---

Dinner had been a pleasant enough affair for Percy. After Paul had come home and promptly taken a spill, crushing the eggs he'd bought, Sally had announced that the food would be served soon. Percy and Paul had spoken a bit more before they had been called to the table, along with Scáthach and Tamara. Hestia apparently felt bad for Sally doing all of the cooking, and as such she'd gone and helped the woman in her endeavors.

The food was nothing short of delicious. Percy had felt an odd wave of nostalgia hit him as soon as the first bite of pasta had hit his tongue. There was something that he couldn't quite explain affecting his perception. It was as if he was actually eating for the first time in months. As if his tongue finally decided to work properly, opening up a world of new flavors that were previously foreign to him. Percy, in that moment, had never felt more fulfilled since he could recall. The atmosphere in the condominium was light, with small bouts of laughter occasionally gracing the dinner table under the mellow lights. Percy would often catch his mother staring at him, almost as if she were afraid to let him out of her sight. It was not lost on him why that was.

Once dinner had ended, the group had moved back into the living room to get comfortable. Percy once more took the seat by the window, though with six people there weren't' enough places to sit for everybody. Thus, Scáthach and Hestia had insisted that Sally and Paul take the couch, while they sat elsewhere. The goddess had moved to the other recliner, while Scáthach decided to sit on the floor next to Percy's chair. Tamara was placed on the couch in between her mother and father.

It was then that Percy went through his story for the third time in twenty-four hours. He wasn't sure how to speak since Tamara was still in the room, however, neither Sally nor Paul seemed to have any inclination to force her out. In the end, Percy simply let the words flow as best he could without describing anything graphic or potentially traumatizing.

Of course, his sister had plenty of questions regarding almost everything that he discussed. That being said, Percy didn't mind giving her a slightly less complicated run-down of things. He skimmed over the fight with Crom Cruach, though Tamara still found it 'super cool' that he was able to fight against a god. His mother had been just a tad less enthusiastic regarding the fight against a deity far older than even the Olympians.

Finally, he finished by describing the day prior and his arrival back in New York. Nobody spoke for some time, with Scáthach and Hestia not needing to add anything, while Paul and Sally undoubtedly were wondering how to reply. Percy himself checked out the window again and clenched his jaw slightly.

When Sally noticed the time, she was surprised to see that it was nearly nine in the evening. She and Paul agreed that it was time for Tamara to go to bed, considering that she had morning kindergarten the next day. At first, the girl refused to leave, but after she yawned loud enough to have the adults in the room laugh at her, she grudgingly agreed. Tamara gave Percy one last hug, while the son of Poseidon gave her a quick kiss on her nose. When she was in her room, Sally looked at Percy with concern.

"Do you have to fight?" She asked, her voice sounding slightly desperate. She twisted her shirt into knots as her hands clamped down viciously on the fabric. Percy could see the tightness in her body, and how her eyes almost seemed resigned.

"I feel it's only right," Percy responded softly, shaking his head morosely. "I'm fighting for her future now." He gestured to Tamara's room, sighing heavily into his hand. "Not just her though, so many more people too. I can't, in good conscience, just leave this to somebody else. The world became a whole lot bigger to me these past few years. I've come to see that this war needs to happen, and hopefully, after it's said and done, I can finally rest."

Sally snapped her eyes to her son. "Why does that sound like resignation to your own fate? Percy―Percy look at me―look at me…" she commanded, getting Percy to regard her with caution. "Why does that sound so fatalistic when you say it? You are not dying on me. Do you understand?"

The young man was briefly taken aback by the steel in his mother's voice. He spared a glance out the window, before turning back to face his mother. "I can't promise you anything. You know that. I'm sorry."

"Percy… is there no other way? Please, your mother and I, we don't want to see you hurt," Paul said, his voice sincere as he wrapped an arm around his wife. "You've already fought two―two―wars. You aren't even twenty-five yet for crying out loud! And now you're saying that another one is already starting, and you're going to be fighting in this one too?"

Leaning forward in his chair, Percy let out a frustrated noise. "I know, it sucks. Thing is that I don't trust those others to do the job on their own. I'm gonna fight, just so that I can be sure that even if the end does come, I can die without regrets."

Sally bit back a sob and gave her son as angry a glare she could muster. "No! Stop… I don't want to hear it. Just… just do what you have to do… and come home to us, okay? You've already met Tamara… she's already gotten attached to her big brother. You have no right―no right―to die now."

"Fine," Percy replied softly, staring at his sister's door. "I'll do my best. It was always my intention… still… guess I just can't die now. Too much to live for anyways."

"Yes, I'm sorry but I can't allow you to die either," Scáthach smirked, patting her student on the cheek playfully. "You've far too much to live for."

Sally and Paul gave one another a meaningful glance when they saw the magenta-haired woman affectionately regard Percy. Both saw the way her hand lingered on his cheek and how her fingers languidly trailed off of his jaw. Scáthach's scarlet eyes were wandering Percy's face; Sally and Paul both noticed the way she watched the son of Poseidon with a new understanding of what Percy meant to the witch. While her affection was fairly nuanced, it was not impossible to catch, especially to those who were already searching her movements and language carefully and cautiously.

"So, Percy…" Sally started, clearing her throat and smiling at her son despite the previous outburst. "You and Scáthach seem to be quite close. Are you two…?" She left the question hanging in the air, though it was easily picked up by her son.

"Not… eh… not in a normal sense. There are a few things I have to sort out, though both me and Scáthach have admitted our mutual attraction to one another," Percy explained slowly. He stole the occasional glance toward his mentor, who simply seemed amused by his word choice.

Scáthach gave Percy a crooked smile and turned to Sally. "It's as he says. Your son is quite the playboy, having the ever-so-difficult decision of picking between three separate women. Unfortunately, I'm quite the bleeding heart. I know how much pain your son has been through, so I humor him in his endeavors."

Sally turned to face Percy with a small frown marring her face. "Are you… leading three women on, young man?"

"...Uh… I can't confirm or deny that question for fear of incriminating myself," Percy muttered under his breath, shooting Scáthach a glare with no real heat behind it. "Besides, now we can lower that number down to two." He said, his eyes moving to the window.

Before anybody could say anything else, Percy stood from his seat abruptly. All eyes went to him, though he paid them no mind as he walked into the kitchen. The young man rummaged through a few utensil drawers before he found what he was looking for. Pulling out a chef's knife, he took a deep breath before stabbing his abdomen with the blade. The knife sunk nearly eight inches into his gut and Percy gasped at the pain that lanced through his body. Just as footsteps approached his position, he pulled the knife out of his body, clutching his wound as it healed marginally.

"Percy!" Sally shouted in horror, seeing her son lay the knife down, it's blade coated with his blood. Her eyes were wide as she noticed the blood dripping from his hand down onto the floor. "What are you-"

"Somebody is outside, across the street," Percy said through grit teeth. "They've been there ever since I first looked out the window. That's about four hours. Same spot, just standing there, looking in the direction of this condo. I don't know who it is, but I'll be finding out shortly."

"I'll be coming with you then," Scáthach's voice added as she walked into the kitchen with her arms crossed. "I know you can handle yourself, however, your last fight destroyed a major part of the landscape around you. I, at least, have a more subtle way to kill somebody."

Percy shook his head. "Stay here, defend my family."

Scáthach went to retort but was cut off when her student raised his hand. "Please. There could be more that I didn't see, waiting for an opening. Even if Hestia stays, she still can't fight a mortal unless they challenge her directly. Let's face it, not many people would be that stupid. At least you don't have that restriction in place. So please, for my sake… and for theirs… stay here," he pleaded.

With her face contorting, Scáthach nodded her head reluctantly. "Very well. I'll do as you ask. Just be sure to stay safe."

"Cool, then I'm off. Be back soon," Percy said as he walked past both his mother and his mentor. While moving past the living room he gave a nod to both Hestia and Paul, who undoubtedly had heard the entire conversation. Both looked grim but nodded back to Percy. With his wound healed to where he could fight without worry of bleeding out, Percy pushed the door open and moved down the stairs at a fervent pace. With dark eyes and an apoplectic scowl, Percy shoved passed a few pedestrians as they walked through the front doors of the complex. Nobody would hurt his family. Even if he had to tear their heads off with his bare hands, he would crush all threats mercilessly.

---

The sun had long since set on the city of New York. The night was cool, but not cold enough for a heavy coat or jacket. The temperature was quite comfortable, which only served to fuel Percy's anger at the stranger who was still standing in the shadows of an alleyway. On a night like that, somebody had the gall, the impertinence, the sheer vile temerity to watch him and his family as they laughed and reconnected. It burned at him hotter than a branding iron pressed to his chest. The son of Poseidon viciously shoved a few people away from him as he cut through the sidewalk and onto the street. With his eyes locked onto the figure, Percy took no notice of the cars that stopped and honked at him loudly for holding up traffic.

It was then that the stranger noticed the noise. Percy saw the figure drop their cigarette and dash away from the area. With a loud curse, Percy jumped onto the hood of a cab, running over the top of it as he gave chase. Weaving through the traffic, Percy moved off of the street and back onto the sidewalk, directly across from his mother's condo. He spared a glance at the sixth floor but didn't see a familiar face in any window. Focusing back on the matter at hand, Percy physically bowled over a few people while he was sprinting after his target. Angry shouts were directed at him as he basically threw random pedestrians out of his way with his enhanced physical capabilities.

The person he was chasing moved fast, cutting a sharp right that almost threw Percy for a loop. The son of Poseidon stopped sharply and pushed forward, taking the same path as his target. Percy caught a few glimpses of a masculine physique and short golden hair, which led the young man to believe he was chasing after a male. It did nothing to help identify the mystery man, especially since the rest of his person was covered by a brown cloak, though it was a step in the right direction. Once Percy caught up to him, then more questions could be answered. At the expense of the stranger's physical well-being, naturally.

The two made their way down Lexington Avenue, passing right by the Chrysler Building. Percy's breathing grew labored as he continued to sprint after the blond man. The ache in his chest and leg muscles soon began to feed his curse. While the pain was minimal, it still allowed him to push himself to move even faster, giving him the advantage in terms of speed.

At least, that's how it seemed. Once the blond stranger looked to see Percy gaining ground on him, he suddenly picked up his own pace. The son of Poseidon growled lightly and bit his lower lip, tearing through the squishy tissue with relative ease. Blood splattered his lower face and into his mouth. Healing the injury, Percy grabbed his left wrist, and violently jerked it downward, breaking the bone and submitting himself to flaring pain as the wound was healed.

A few people looked at him as if he were crazy, which in some regards could be true.

With the new addition to his attributes, Percy moved faster, this time steadily catching up to his opponent. People moved out of his way after seeing his brutal display of self-mutilation with disgruntled or confused expressions. They more than likely had already seen the man that Percy was chasing. For his part, the son of Poseidon hoped that they believed the chase was part of a movie scene or something along those lines. He wasn't sure if the Mist would hide the evisceration of the mystery man once he'd been caught, though he supposed there was no point in mulling it over too much.

The distance shrunk further and further, with the wind whipping at Percy's hair and eyes. He was sure that he was running faster than even the best Olympic sprinters, which was no surprise given the amount of damage he'd inflicted upon himself.

Soon, Percy was within arms reach of his target. Just as he reached out to grab the long brown cloak, his foe turned to face him mid-stride. A vicious grin lit up the blond man's face, one that had Percy on guard instantly. It was good, too, since a fist was sent hurtling towards his cheek within a second.

With reflexes honed over years of battling heroes and gods alike, Percy moved his left arm up to block. The man's fist crashed into Percy's forearm with bone-shattering force, sending Percy careening. The young man was lifted off of his feet and launched dozens of feet away, directly into the side of a building. Or rather, directly through the wall of said building. Dust and debris were flung into the air with reckless abandon, littering the area with concrete. It was at that point people began to scream loudly.

Percy groaned as he pushed a few large pieces of debris off of his body. Almost immediately his bones had started to heal, along with the muscles and blood vessels that had been shredded by that single punch. Through grit teeth, Percy let out a few expletives as he stood back up, waving the dust out of his face. He looked around and felt a small surge of relief upon seeing that the building he'd crashed through was a closed music store. At least there had been no people around, otherwise, there probably would have been fatalities.

Exiting through the hole he'd created, Percy caught sight of his opponent turning the corner onto another street. "Motherfucker hits like a train," Percy muttered under his breath as he gave chase once more. His body felt thoroughly battered and his mind was starting to stretch under the pressure of pain. There was still plenty of leeway for damage, but Percy knew that if he allowed himself to shoulder more pain, each retaliatory swing he made would be enough to level office buildings. The shockwaves his attacks could create would be devastating with so many innocents around. Through the angry haze that descended upon his mind, Percy kept in mind that he couldn't afford to accidentally slaughter thousands of people just for the chance to interrogate his foe. Losses like that were only acceptable if he was guaranteed to defeat the blond man.

The chase continued down the streets of New York, with Percy now moving even faster thanks to the punch from earlier. Unfortunately, his target was making good use of the City That Never Sleeps, slipping through traffic and cutting through alleyways in order to give Percy more trouble in catching him. Percy slid over the hood of a BMW and was hit by a cab coming the opposite direction as he followed the blond stranger. With a grunt, the son of Poseidon rolled over the windshield and fell onto the pavement heavily. Pushing himself up, he quickly regained his balance and healed the fracture to his pelvis.

Moving forward with no regard to the faces around him, Percy dashed past the helpful onlookers. Soon, the blond man ran into Central Park, with Percy only ten seconds behind him. Through labored puffs of air, Percy slowed down as he saw his target begin to walk. Wordlessly, the Hero of Olympus materialized Algos, the sword dropping easily into his left hand. With calm footfalls, Percy made his way toward the blond who stood at the center of Gapstow Bridge. Stopping at the head of the bridge, the Greek hero took a deep breath.

"You've really pissed me off tonight," Percy growled, his tone menacing and dripping with anger. "I'll ask this once and only once. Who are you?"

The blond regarded Percy with a small, almost predatory smile. "Charles," he introduced with a short salute. "It's a pleasure to meet―and be chased by―somebody as accomplished as yourself, Perseus Ajax Jackson."

"Charles? A boring name for somebody as strong as you are," Percy commented dryly as he took a step forward. He examined his foe more closely. Under a bright lantern, Percy could make out a crooked nose, with a nasty scar running over one of his deep cerulean eyes. Charles appeared to be nearing his mid-forties if the wrinkles around his eyes and mouth were anything to go off of.

With a small chuckle, the blond shrugged helplessly. "What can you do? I didn't choose the name, my parents did. Of course, I gained another name later on in life, after I had affected the course of history irrevocably." Without further preamble Charles threw open the front of his cloak, revealing a sword sheathed at his hip. The scabbard seemed unassuming, however, when Charles drew his blade Percy felt a sudden sense of elation enshroud him. Yet, at the same time, his skin crawled as he gazed upon the blade. The edge of the sword changed color, from a fine gold to a deep forest green, then to a radiant pink color.

"No need for words anymore," Charles said softly flourishing his sword a few times in his hand. "I wanted to see the legend himself in action. As such, I call forth this, my blade, Joyeuse, to guide me through the hand of God himself. Blind them with your brilliance, let them repent from wicked ways. The blade blessed will deliver me through all hardships."

With his words spoken, the sword in his hand began to glow slightly, before settling back down. Percy shuddered slightly as he felt something shift in the atmosphere. It was then that Charles assumed a stance that Percy had seen Mordred use many times in their sparring sessions. The blond raised his sword and held in parallel with the ground, the handle of Joyeuse was near his face while the blade was pointed directly at Percy.

'A swordsman trained vigorously in the art, no doubt.' Percy realized as he moved his sword into a lower position. The son of Poseidon approached Charles cautiously, reluctant to make the first move. The sword, Joyeuse, was undoubtedly a very dangerous weapon. As he closed the distance, Percy felt his apprehension grow and spread from his core into his extremities.

"You seem hesitant," Charles noted idly as he kept his guard. "Perhaps I should draw first blood then."

Percy didn't reply, keeping his own guard at the ready. A bead of sweat trickled into his eye.

He blinked a second too long.

A searing pain echoed throughout his body. Percy stumbled back and lost his guard as he grasped the burning gash that had been opened on his left shoulder. Charles took the opening and moved forward once again, swinging his sword in a controlled arc headed for Percy's neck. The son of Poseidon rolled out of the way and nearly paid dearly for showing his back. Charles lunged forward and impaled the place Percy had just been. Jumping to his feet, the Greek hero delivered a counterattack, which was blocked.

Charles, however, was pushed back by the sheer strength behind the blow. He grunted as he shook out his arms. Percy took the time to examine his wound, which still burned furiously. He felt a small amount of panic creep into him when he saw the injury wasn't healing. Focus as he might, the gash stayed open, with blood slowly oozing out of his shoulder and falling down his arm. His shirt was slowly becoming damp and sticky with his blood.

'What!? It's not healing!? The fuck is this guy's sword!?' Percy questioned, his mind racing with a variety of thoughts. Suddenly, something that Chaos had told him ran through his brain.

A blessing is always a good start when countering a curse.

"A blessed blade huh?" Percy whispered to himself with dry amusement. "What the hell am I supposed to do about that?" He examined his foe with newfound caution. Joyeuse was shorter than Algos, which gave Percy the advantage in terms of reach. Of course, that wouldn't matter if Charles could get within his guard. Then again, he had the strength to push Charles back with each strike that was blocked. More pain would work in his favor, but taking his eyes off of the blond was no option. Disabling himself, even if it was only temporary, could lead to an early grave.

Percy was given no more time to think as Charles pressed forward. The curse-bearer was placed on the defensive, parrying the blessed sword carefully. Charles moved low and feinted, causing Percy to twist his body in order to block a strike that would have taken off his leg. Charles locked blades rapidly, before spinning on his heel and delivering a roundhouse kick to Percy's ribs.

The son of Poseidon was sent flying by the strength behind the strike. Crashing through several trees, Percy tumbled head over heels before coming to a dead stop. He pushed himself up and mended his ribs, wiping some dirt away from his eyes. The young man was able to narrowly block another swing meant to decapitate him. Percy pushed back and grabbed Charles by the neck before slamming their foreheads against one another. Both men staggered back from the blow, clutching their heads with their free hands.

"That hurt more than I thought," Percy groaned to himself.

When both regained their senses, they charged at one another. Charles sidestepped a downward swing and responded by trying to cut off Percy's arm. With a pirouette, Percy managed to dodge the strike and moved onto the offensive. He swung precisely so as to not draw unneeded attention to any unguarded extremities. Each stroke from his blade was intended to cut Charles' sword arm in order to disable him. As it was, though, the blond proved to be ambidextrous, much like Percy and Mordred. Even when Percy cut through Charles' right bicep, the aged man simply swapped Joyeuse to his left hand, wielding it with similar amounts of proficiency.

Charles moved to the left and cut through a tree, felling it with one swing. As the tree toppled over, the blond kicked it directly at Percy, sending it hurtling toward the Hero of Olympus. Percy jumped, planting one foot on the top of the tree as it passed directly under him and pushing off of it. Charles took the time to reverse his grip on Joyeuse, holding it out directly in front of him. Percy made to charge at his enemy, however, he paused when the blessed sword began to glow ominously in the dimly lit park. Charles loosened his grip and let go of his blade. Instead of falling to the ground, Joyeuse hung in the air.

Percy took a step back and shook his head slightly. "Did your sword just make gravity its bitch?"

Charles ran a hand through his tousled hair and gave a short bark of laughter. "It gets better. Joyeuse will sing the anthem of a legion of angels as they descend upon our mortal realm."

Just as Percy was about to scoff at the man, a flash of light from Joyeuse illuminated the area they were in. Percy covered his eyes, making sure that he still had a good lock on where Charles was at all times. When the light died, Percy blinked a few times in order to clear the stars from his vision. Unfortunately, the eleven other copies of Joyeuse didn't fade from his sight, meaning that they most certainly were not a product of his blurred vision. The young man nervously shuffled back a few steps. All twelve swords hovered in the air, not moving an inch, their edges changing color in unison with one another.

Charles stepped forward and took the center sword back into his good hand. He twirled the sword and pointed the blade at Percy. In an instant, the eleven other swords whirled through the air and pointed themselves at the son of Poseidon as well. With an easy smile, the blond swung his sword in a downwards motion. From Joyeuse, a large crescent-shaped wave of pure golden energy was expunged. The wave tore through the ground at rapid speeds, kicking up dirt, grass, and rock as it gouged its way through the landscape. The other copies of Joyeuse repeated the gesture, firing off their own waves of energy.

"What the fu-" Percy was interrupted as he jumped away from his position. The waves all coalesced into one massive explosion once they reached where he used to stand. The curse-bearer was caught in the explosion, with the energy burning the skin from the underlying tissue, scorching the upper left side of his body with blessed power. Percy was ripped off the ground and violently thrown dozens of feet away, destroying everything that he came into contact with via his body. Bones snapped and blood splattered his body as he crashed into the ground multiple times, tearing through the earth.

Eventually, his momentum was stopped when he used his hand to latch onto the ground painfully. Percy's body was wracked by violent coughs as he struggled to move. With a ragged gasp, the son of Poseidon pushed himself up with his right hand, unable to use his left any longer. No matter what he did to focus it was impossible for him to heal from the damage of a blessed weapon. He looked down at the wounded area, noticing that while it covered most of his left arm and pectoral, there was little to no blood. Instead, it was an angry shade of reddish brown with golden yellow spots littered throughout. Focusing on the wounds that could be healed, the Hero of Olympus let out a hushed groan of pain.

Percy stood up with a slight stumble forward. He caught himself from falling face-first into the dirt again. Algos lay a few feet from where he was, making it easy to retrieve. Once the sword was back in his hand, he turned to face the direction he knew that Charles was in.

The wind picked up slightly, blowing cool air across the small clearing that Percy was in. A few clouds were keeping the moon from shining down on New York. In the distance, there was a menagerie of sounds, though it was difficult to discern from the blood pounding in his ears. From where he stood, the war hero could see lights from a few high-rise office buildings. Behind his mental barriers, Percy could hear doubt begin to leak. If he couldn't win against Charles, his family could well be placed in danger. The attack that had been unleashed would be enough to level their complex, without them even realizing what was happening.

With taut muscles, Percy walked from his spot, Algos clenched tightly in his hand. Without warning, two Joyeuse copies buried themselves inches from where Percy had been.

The young man turned and swung his sword. Both blades shattered upon contact with Algos. The force of his swing also tore through the ground, ripping a foot off the top of the earth. Charles stepped out from behind a row of trees with a raised eyebrow. The nine remaining Joyeuse clones hovered in front of him, as if in a defensive position. The original Joyeuse was in his hand, glittering softly.

Percy gave no notice as he threw Algos directly at the blond man. The sword of suffering made contact with two more of the blessed sword's clones, destroying them due to the force behind the throw. Charles spun around, managing to avoid the blade by inches as it passed by his gut. Percy dematerialized Algos, before allowing it to reappear in his hand a moment later.

Charles clicked his tongue softly as he flicked his sword, causing the other copies of Joyeuse to fan out. The swords moved in separate directions, encircling the immediate area around Percy's position, each still with tips trained on the green-eyed hero.

Percy's lips twitched as he nearly laughed at the situation. Within less than a minute, the tables had been turned. While he wasn't at the same level as fighting against Crom Cruach, his physical boost was more than enough to overwhelm Charles' own capabilities. When they had been fighting on the bridge, Percy noticed his strikes pushed his foe back. Given the pain he'd gone through since then, it was only a matter of landing a solid strike.

Instead of laughing, the son of Poseidon snarled as the remaining seven copies began to encroach upon him. Percy moved through a flurry of swings and stabs made by the swords. Each of the blades moved independently, unlike before, where they had simply followed what Charles had done. Now, each was attacking vicariously, with fury and zeal that surprised Percy. Luckily for him, he'd already gained the upper hand, so each sword felt light as he flicked their attacks away with ease. The issue that he faced was that none of the Joyeuse copies allowed themselves to be struck by his own retaliatory swings. When one of their assaults failed, another sword came in to draw attention away from any vulnerabilities in the group.

Even so, Percy moved with fluid control as he pushed his body past the blade dance, parrying any sword that came close while dodging those he could. Eventually, the young man destroyed three more swords with one swing, their remnants falling uselessly to the floor.

With only four copies left, Charles seemed to have deemed the situation lost. The remaining clones moved away from Percy and fell back toward his position, where they flowed back into the original Joyeuse. Just as the blond man went to speak, Percy surged forward, charging at him. Percy swung his sword with abandon, crashing Algos against a defensive Joyeuse. The force behind the strike immediately sent Charles careening backward. A wave of vindictive pleasure surged through the Hero of Olympus as he watched his opponent tumble through the clearing. Percy moved after Charles, knowing that it would take time to recover after such a powerful blow.

Soon, the Greek hero stood a few feet away from an injured Charles. Both men looked quite the worse for wear, however, neither seemed ready to surrender. Algos glinted dangerously in the low light while Joyeuse glittered softly, both in the hands of their respectively capable wielders. In less than a second, both blades were connected for a brief moment, before they were forcefully separated.

Percy easily swatted Charles' attack away. Without hesitation, the son of Poseidon opened a deep wound across the torso of his foe. Blood dribbled off of the edge of Algos and onto the dirt below. With his opponent staggering back, the young man stepped forward and delivered a devastating straight kick to the chest. Charles fell back, clutching his chest as his breathing grew ragged. Percy raised his blade and brought it down, severing Charles' left arm at the elbow. Blood spewed from the wound with alarming greed. Deep cerulean eyes locked onto sea-green eyes, with understanding passing through both. There was no need for parting words. Percy drew his arm back slightly, before thrusting Algos at Charles' face.

With a loud clang, Percy's sword was knocked out of his hand, spinning off to the side before landing several feet away with a thud. The son of Poseidon narrowed his eyes as he backed off from the two figures that stood protectively over Charles' downed and battered form. One of the newcomers was a woman, while the other, a man, seemed similar to Charles in many respects. The man looked Percy up and down with an intimidating ferocity before he turned to face the defeated Charles.

"You almost died disobeying our liege's request," the man said gruffly, his voice slightly disappointed as he shook his head. "You should be thankful we came when we did."

Charles stared at the newcomers with forms of relief on his face. "Grandfather? Ng Mui? What…?"

Percy looked warily at the interlopers. The left side of his body still burned, however he felt no great gains in power. He concluded then, that damage done directly by Joyeuse countered both of the curses that he had. As such, he wasn't in a good position to be fighting off two of Charles' friends, especially if they had blessings that could harm him. The smart option would be to retreat, find a way to heal, and hope that Charles died from his injuries. As it stood though, Percy saw no way to leave without a fight, if the pose that the woman, Ng Mui, adopted was any indication.

The son of Poseidon took in the woman's appearance, noting that she was dressed in a dark green kung fu outfit. Her black hair was braided and hung over one shoulder. Percy looked at the other man, whom Charles had called his grandfather. Both appeared to be around the same age, though Grandpa Charles had a small amount of golden stubble on his face, as well as a couple extra scars running along his chin in parallel lines. Percy raised an eyebrow when he saw that the man wore black biker jeans and a white fur-lined coat. On his right hand was a steel gauntlet, which Percy assumed was what knocked Algos off course.

The tension in the atmosphere was nearly palpable, with the warriors still capable of fighting staring one another down. Percy's eyes shifted from Ng Mui to Grandpappy Charles multiple times, ensuring that neither made a sudden move against him. He could easily rematerialize Algos if he needed to, and he also had Riptide in his pocket, waiting to be called back into battle after so long. As his eyes darted to Grandpa Charles once more, Ng Mui made her move.

Percy reacted according to the woman's lightning fast attack. With a raised arm, Percy blocked a few rapid strikes that Ng Mui made with her bare hands. Shifting on his heel, the young man twisted his body and tried to roundhouse kick his new foe. Ng Mui ducked under his leg and struck out a few times, hitting his vulnerable left side with powerful blows. Percy stumbled over his own feet and soon felt searing hot pain stab at the entire left side of his body, from his head to his foot. Ng Mui moved in once more, this time pulling his left arm back and flipping Percy over, snapping his arm with relative ease.

With a grunt, the son of Poseidon pushed himself off the dirt and tripped Ng Mui with his foot. The woman fell, allowing some time to breathe and regain his bearings. He moved forward and rammed his knee into the recovering woman's stomach, causing her to double over and skid several feet away. Before she could stand once more, Percy was upon her, Riptide drawn and arcing down to sever her head from the rest of her body.

Ng Mui crossed her arms and jumped into Percy's personal space, blocking the downward motion by stopping his arm movement, though the strength behind the strike still transferred accordingly. The woman gasped as her guard was broken with ease. Her knees buckled under the strain and she fell to the ground. Percy moved back and stabbed Riptide forward, hoping that the Celestial Bronze would harm her. He wasn't sure if she was mortal or not, though he figured the risk was worth it. Before his blade could pierce her heart, the woman managed to roll her body out of the way.

Both warriors backed away from one another and narrowed their eyes. Percy dashed forward and swung at the woman, only to be deftly avoided. Just as he went to turn around, Percy felt a massive force impact the back of his skull. He was sent forward, his mind rattled by the blow and his vision swimming with bright lights and darkness in equal amounts. The son of Poseidon crashed into the ground painfully. He winced as his ears rang loudly, trying to lightly shake his head in order to clear the fuzz. Blinking a few times, the young man stood back up and glared at Grandpa Charles, who had joined the fight in order to help his comrade.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Let's all calm down a little bit now!" A new voice called out, stopping all combatants from moving. Grandpa Charles and Ng Mui looked slightly surprised to hear the voice, though there was a hint of relief in their expressions as well.

Percy looked around the area, spotting a youthful man walking toward the group. The man had shockingly white hair which was left untamed and slightly wild, not unlike Percy's own. He wore a plaid shirt underneath a navy blue sweater, his sleeves being folded to his forearm. A pair of gray chinos and tan boat shoes completed the look of preppy college student quite well. The man had a smile on his face that was nothing short of genial as he sauntered toward the trio. The white-haired man walked to the downed Charles, looking at the blond with worry etched on his face. Waving a hand, the injured man disappeared from sight without any visual cue. Percy realized that the newcomer was a powerful being, more than likely a god with that display.

'What's with this deus ex machina right now?' Percy shook his head lightly.

"My liege, I apologize for my grandson's impatience in dealing with Perseus," Grandpa Charles said, nodding to the white-haired stranger. He straightened and coughed lightly into his hand. "If I may ask, why are you here? We could have taken Charles back and dealt with Perseus on our own."

"I was aware of Charles' injuries," the newest addition spoke softly, looking at the place where the blond had been. "I felt that it would be necessary for me to intervene and provide my assistance. My brother is currently being dealt with by a particularly angry goddess in Persia, so I had a bit of free time. It is to my own chagrin, though, that I admit Charles wasn't the sole reason for me coming here."

Percy felt his stomach sink lower into his body slightly upon hearing what the white-haired man was saying. If he was connecting the dots properly, then signs pointed to the newcomer being one of the largest threats to the world at present time. The Hero of Olympus felt his heart pick up in pace, beating faster in his chest as his mind dared to contradict the logical conclusion. A shiver ran up his spine as the neatly dressed god turned to face him with a tender smile.

"I've wanted to meet with you for quite some time, Percy. Allow me to say that it is an honor to speak with you. Please, let me introduce myself," the god said as he bowed deeply to the young man. "The name my Wise Lord gave to me is Spenta Mainyu. You may call me what you wish, though."

The deity stood straight once more and looked at Ng Mui and Old Charles. "I would like to speak to Percy alone. Would you be so kind as to give us some privacy?"

Ng Mui looked apprehensive at the thought of leaving Spenta Mainyu with Percy, something that the Greek hero found utterly ridiculous. "Are you sure? You yourself classed him as one of the greatest threats to our goal." The woman said with worry.

Percy quirked his eyebrow but remained silent as he watched the interaction.

Spenta Mainyu only smiled gently at the woman's question. He walked toward her slowly, apparently disregarding both other men in the clearing. Once he reached Ng Mui, Spenta Mainyu lifted his hand and placed it gently on her head. He softly rubbed her head as he looked at her, the smile having never left his face. "Your worry is something that I appreciate. It shows me that through all of this, I still have allies who truly care for my well-being. So for that, I thank you, Ng Mui."

The woman's cheeks were suddenly lit up by a fierce blush as Spenta Mainyu planted a quick kiss on her lips. She nodded softly as he backed off, looking at Grandpa Charles with hints of embarrassment. "You heard him, we should leave so he can speak with Perseus."

"A few nice words, a chaste kiss, and you're putty in his hands, woman," Old Charles said with a shake of his head and a small smirk. "I don't like it though. Are you sure about this, my liege?"

Spenta Mainyu pat him on the shoulder heartily and chuckled. "I'm sure that I can handle myself. I can teleport, and Percy, well… he can't. It wouldn't be too difficult for me to escape should hostilities break out. Given his condition and the location though, I doubt we should worry too much about that."

With a sigh, Old Charles nodded his head and backed away. Both he and Ng Mui gave Spenta Mainyu one last glance, before they grasped a silver bracelet around their wrists, disappearing on the spot with an almost imperceptible glimmer.

The God of Benevolence ran his eyes over the area, taking note of the cracks and scars that the earth had gained. Trees were toppled and laying on their sides, with leaves scattered in every which direction. He let out a breath and pushed his hands into his pockets, shaking his head slowly.

"I'm sorry about Charles," Spenta Mainyu said carefully, taking note of the damage to Percy's body. "Now that he's out of the immediate area, you should be able to heal the injuries inflicted upon you. Charles was overzealous. I never ordered him to fight you, in fact, I told all of my allies to stay away from you."

Percy said nothing, instead focusing on the wounds that plagued his torso. Sure enough, once he focused on his curse, the tissue began to regenerate from both the explosion and the cut. Even through the pain that assaulted his senses, the son of Poseidon never took his eyes off of the god standing across from him. With his body back in fighting condition, Percy let go of a breath he'd been holding in. Spenta Mainyu casually walked a few steps around the area, not allowing the young man's stare to unnerve him.

"I do have to say that I'm just a tad downhearted that you were so willing to murder him without a word," Spenta Mainyu noted, his finger scratching just below his nose. "It's disappointing to know that my brother was able to bring out such a merciless tendency in you. Not to say that it was extremely surprising, of course, just somewhat… displeasing."

Percy looked around, mulling over the words in his mind. His eyes scanned the trees that surrounded him. Something settled in his stomach as he sighed loudly and shook his head, capping Riptide and dematerializing Algos simultaneously.

"Why?" Percy asked suddenly.

The god glanced his way, smile still plastered on his face before it dropped into a weary expression. "This world is filled with hatred, corruption, and sin. I'm fighting to create a better world. Peace. No wars, nobody goes hungry, nobody has to sell their innocent children into what amounts to slavery or prostitution. A world that takes only the best aspects of life, where everybody in it can live happily. Where only the good prevails. Is that not a goal to work toward?"

The Hero of Olympus skeptically regarded the god. "Ahriman said you wanted revenge against him and humanity."

"Well, my brother will be dying once the new world is born," Spenta Mainyu said with a frown. "My plan only involves killing those humans who have been tainted by the qualities of the old world. Children of a certain age and under will be malleable enough so that they can be reconditioned. They will be the first generation. Of course, there will need to be a controlled population quantity. We'll say around five-hundred-million should be fine. This would lead to the unfortunate culling of almost three-hundred-million children of the aforementioned age group, however, in order for the new world to remain safe, this step is necessary."

"Your goal may be pure," Percy conceded, contempt clear on his face. "But your methods are absolutely revolting. You can stop talking about this shit because I don't want to hear your deluded ideas of saving the world."

Spenta Mainyu allowed his eyes to drop to the ground. "Do you think that this is easy for me to even consider? I was made to help humanity, but they always refuse to see the light. They will ruin themselves eventually, leaving nothing but ashes in their wake. I want to prevent that! With proper guidance, they can be preserved! Humanity will be saved, no longer needing to fear the darkness this world has to offer."

"Whether it's easy or not doesn't really concern me," the green-eyed hero stated with stony indifference. "I don't care that it's difficult for you to consider it. What I care about, is that in the end, you're planning on going through with it. With that in mind, the only way I see this ending is with us on opposite sides of the tracks."

"That isn't true though!" The god exclaimed with slight traces of excitement. "We―you and I―we can work together. There really isn't a need for us to be enemies! I know you, Percy. I know… I know what truly hides beneath the surface. I've watched you for so long. Since you were a child, actually. Your birth signaled a new era, one that would usher in massive change for this world. I wanted to find the source of light that almost… beckoned to me…" Spenta Mainyu looked to the sky with reverence. "I traveled to this place, the United States, and searched for years. Then, I found you and your mother… with that miserable wretch, Gabe Ugliano. You and your mother… the love I felt you two shared… it was so… stunning. I wanted more, to see something so beautiful, something so pure. Yes, the love between you and Sally was almost intoxicating. But… she had to protect you from monsters, so she settled for that horrid man. At first, I wanted to help. I wanted to be there, protect you from the world, help raise you… I didn't though. I knew you had to understand suffering in order to bring about change. If I involved myself too much, I would never want to see you suffer.

Instead, I allowed myself to temporarily ignore the bright shining light that you were. It was difficult, but I managed to busy myself with other things. Plans needed to be made and checked after all. It was to my great misfortune then, that when I next checked on you, something else had taken hold in your heart, in your very soul. It was ugly, vile, something that I bemoaned for days on end when I saw it. I hated myself for allowing it to take root. Admittedly, I also blamed you, for changing from what you once were. It still holds a place there, in fact, it has incorporated itself into your very being. It grows stronger still, as it feeds upon your life experiences. Once I stopped my grieving, however, I realized that this must have happened for a reason. It was only when I looked into your life further that I came to understand how this corruption actually helped you grow into the person you are today. I'm smart enough to see that even now, it drives every aspect of your life and will continue to do so until you die."

Percy took a few steps back, moving away from the white-haired god, who was looking like he'd found a nugget of gold.

"Fear." The son of Poseidon whispered, almost involuntary, as the word left his mouth feeling dry and bitter.

Spenta Mainyu nodded forlornly. "Fear. A very basic instinct that is found in all forms of sentient life. Most humans go their entire lives living in fear of something. Death is most common amongst fears of the general population. Pain, is another, considering most people don't enjoy vast amounts of it. You have lived in fear for so long, that you don't allow much else to dictate your actions. You protect people because you're afraid of them dying and leaving you. You help people because you're afraid of how you'll feel later on if you never acted. You're afraid that if somebody you care for dies, you'll lose the sense of security they bring to you. You don't care for their well-being due to altruism. You care because of your inherent selfishness. It is this fear that drives you to do what you do."

Percy felt his body shake as the God of Benevolence spoke. He took a deep breath and stared at Spenta Mainyu, calming himself as quickly as he could. It almost left him speechless at how accurately he had been read. After so long, Percy truly believed that nobody could have understood his motives. He never really felt like the hero, and hearing Spenta Mainyu explain his fear out loud, it only enforced his own conclusions. He was just another selfish person, using his fear to his advantage. It was his own fear that allowed him to grow stronger. Without that, he'd never have been able to fight Kronos or Hyperion in New York. He would never have accepted the curse from Angra Mainyu to become stronger. He'd never have used the curse to save Thalia on the hill. While his actions were driven by fear, they focused on others, for his own sake. He wasn't afraid of death or physical pain. He was afraid of not being able to be… happy. Or perhaps there was something else that he wasn't aware of, something that could only be revealed with more introspection into his psyche.

"Many people learn to live with their fears, understanding that fear will permeate all parts of life," Spenta Mainyu continued, stepping forward looking Percy directly in the eye. "You've taken it further though. I still consider fear a vile corruptor for humankind, yet, I see how it can be used. You are so… interesting… Percy. You went beyond simply understanding the fear you felt. You've come to terms with it, haven't you? You use the fear to make you grow stronger and stronger. You adapt to situations incredibly well. That being said, you don't allow the fear to consume you. Imagine, though, if you accepted the fear completely into your being. It has driven you so far already. I love it. I love you, for, it. I love the fear that makes you such a selfish… such a beautifully twisted creature…"

The god lifted his hand and placed it on Percy's cheek, a smile spreading across his lips. "I want you to help me, Percy. I will spare those you care for. They can live separately from the new generation. Someplace where they can't influence the children and taint them with the illness of the old era. They can live. I promise you this. As such, we have no quarrel. Your loved ones aren't in danger, meaning there's no reason for you to fight."

Percy slapped the god's hand away and glared at the ground. "No. I won't allow you to kill over six billion people. I'd never be able to look at myself in the mirror again."

Spenta Mainyu let out a soft sigh. "I figured you'd say as much. Fear is such a strange thing. It warps your perceptions so much, between right and wrong. You are such a strange species, you humans. It doesn't matter right now. In the end, I have a feeling that you'll see my reasoning. Hopefully, by then, you'll have come to see the bigger picture. Perhaps my brother will have given you all of the pieces to the puzzle as well by that time."

With that said, the god backed off and reached into his pocket. Percy was put on guard, ready to materialize Algos at a moment's notice. Spenta Mainyu held up his hands, showing a small medallion between his fingers. With a small flick, he tossed the medallion toward the son of Poseidon, who deftly caught the item with one hand. Upon closer inspection, the medallion was shaped similarly to a torch with a flame in it, made from a shiny silver metal.

"What's this for?" Percy asked, staring at the medallion.

"Consider it a parting gift. I hope you get something for me the next time we meet," Spenta Mainyu replied casually, his cordial smile back in full force. "Goodbye, for now, Percy."

"Hold on just a min-" Percy started, before the white-haired god dissipated into small particles of dust. "Fucking dick. Not much different from his brother. Both of them are cryptic asshats."

The son of Poseidon spared one last glance at the 'gift' from Spenta Mainyu before he pocketed the item. He looked around the clearing and shook his head. He began his trek back to his mother's condo, his mind racing at the interaction with the enemy. If Percy had learned anything, it was that Spenta Mainyu was a severely misguided idiot.

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A/N: Tamara is a play on the name Tamora, from Shakespeare's work Titus Andronicus. I know that it's an actual name but this is how I pictured Sally and Paul to have thought about it when they named her.

Ng Mui was a Chinese martial arts expert of her time (around the late 1600's to early 1700's from what I understand.) She created her own style of fighting and was proficient in the use of many others. She is known to be one of the Five Shaolin Elders, who survived the destruction of the Shaolin monastery by the Qing government.

I'm sure that Charles' more popular name is known to a ton of people, but I wanted to leave it unsaid for this chapter. I just went with the Latin version of his name, being Carolus, turning into Charles. Of course, with Charles' better know identity being discovered, his grandfather should also be easy to know for those who know their history, or to those who wanted to do some research into it. If you don't want to do research and aren't a history person, no worries! Both Charles and Grandpa Charles' identities will be revealed next chapter.